Wow. This was really really good. Pure entertaining fun. We saw 'The Little Mermaid, A Magical Adventure' three times during our vacation. We would have gone more but the lines get pretty long if you don't make it to the first two shows at 9:20 AM and 10:00 AM. 9:20 is a walk on and 10:00 usually is too. But after that, expect to wait 30 to 60 minutes in the outdoor, very hot, queue with only a few cooling fans.
....We liked the former show a lot, but the new show is a significant improvement. Like a Lays potato chip, you can't just have one (show). As they did with the Villains show, the projected animations are vivid and colorful. A POV just can't do the stage and animations/projections justice. It's truly a visual treat.
...In front of the stage is a scrim on which they project the animation and effects. It adds a lot of depth to the scenes, combined with the back of stage projections screen. There's a vast multitude of animations....and they are fantasmic.
...The new puppetry is, and there's only one word for it, 'Excellent'.
...The new show/version has even more songs than the former. And the actors, Ariel and Eric, had great voices.
...Oh, those Disney magical effects. Ariel is no longer tethered to one spot. She 'swims' over the whole stage 'magically'. And during one musical scene, her upper body dancing motions are very entertaining. The storyline is more encompassing than before.
...The theater seats are padded and comfortable. There are no water bubbles falling like the old show, but the continual effects on the scrim make up for that.
...Ursula is good. In one particular scene her projection/animation is facing the stage, and her back is to the audience. That had a very dark villainous feeling.
...Bottom line. 'The Little Mermaid, A Magical Adventure' is a must see thing of Beauty, Entertainment, and Fun.....plus AC to boot.