Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid
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Overview
Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid is a gentle indoor dark ride that retells Ariel’s story from The Little Mermaid.
You travel in a colourful clamshell through scenes featuring Ariel, Sebastian, Flounder, Ursula and other characters from the film.
The attraction uses Audio-Animatronics, music, lighting effects and large themed sets, including a bright Under the Sea sequence and a darker encounter with Ursula.
The ride moves continuously at a slow pace and has no drops, launches or sudden changes in direction.
Queue Details
The queue begins outdoors beneath Prince Eric’s castle before moving through a mixture of covered and indoor areas.
The route is highly themed, with rocky coastal scenery, waterfalls, caves and interactive elements along the way.
Guests using a standard manual wheelchair can remain in their wheelchair throughout the queue and onto the wheelchair-accessible ride vehicle.
Guests using an ECV or powered mobility device need to transfer to a standard manual wheelchair before continuing through the attraction.
The standard loading area uses a continuously moving walkway, with clamshell vehicles travelling alongside it.
Wheelchair users are directed to the accessible boarding arrangement rather than needing to transfer onto a standard clamshell.
Transfer Info
Guests using a standard manual wheelchair can remain seated in their wheelchair throughout the attraction.
A wheelchair-accessible clamshell is available.
The accessible vehicle has a larger opening and a fold-down ramp at the rear, allowing the wheelchair to roll into the clamshell rather than requiring the guest to transfer onto the normal bench seat. There is also space for one companion to ride alongside.
The wheelchair is positioned inside the vehicle and secured before the attraction continues.
The accessible boarding process takes place at a separate accessible loading position, away from the normal moving transfer into the standard clamshell. Cast Members can slow or stop the moving walkway if additional time is needed to position and secure the wheelchair.
Guests using an ECV or powered mobility device need to transfer to a standard manual wheelchair first.
There is no need to transfer into a conventional ride seat if you are using the wheelchair-accessible vehicle.
Sensory Experience
What do these sensory tags mean?
- Backwards Movement
- The ride vehicle travels backwards for a noticeable part of the attraction.
- Wind/Air Effects
- Deliberate blasts of air or wind effects can be felt by guests.
Sensory experiences vary between people. These tags describe elements that may be present, not how strongly any individual guest will experience them.
Under the Sea is physically very gentle, but there are noticeable changes in lighting, sound and visual intensity between scenes.
The attraction begins with brighter coastal and underwater environments before moving into more colourful musical sequences.
The Under the Sea scene is particularly visually busy, with numerous moving characters, bright colours, music and activity across the entire scene.
Later, the ride becomes darker during Ursula’s section.
This scene includes a large Ursula figure, dramatic lighting, deeper colours and louder, more ominous music compared with the earlier parts of the attraction.
There are several darker transitions between scenes, along with changing lighting levels as the clamshell moves through different environments.
Music and character dialogue continue throughout most of the ride.
There are no major physical jolts, spinning sections, 3D glasses or strong ride forces.
Practical Tips
If you want to remain in your wheelchair, tell a Cast Member as you approach boarding so they can arrange the wheelchair-accessible clamshell.
ECV and powered-wheelchair users should expect to transfer to a standard manual wheelchair before continuing through the attraction.
Because the accessible vehicle needs extra time for positioning and securement, you may wait slightly longer than guests boarding standard clamshells.
The ride itself is extremely gentle, but the Ursula scene is much darker and more dramatic than the rest of the attraction, which can be useful to know in advance if sudden changes in tone or lighting are uncomfortable.
The Under the Sea section is the opposite: extremely colourful, musical and visually busy, with movement happening in almost every direction.
The attraction is mostly indoors once you are through the queue, making it a useful break from heat or rain.
Ariel gives up her voice, changes species and signs a contract with a sea witch because she saw one attractive human on a boat. Sebastian’s stress levels throughout the attraction are entirely reasonable.
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