Yesterday afternoon brought the grand opening of a new attraction, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, to Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort. The attraction, an “Omnimover” ride through classic scenes from the 1989 film, uses music, state-of-the-art audio animatronics, and special effects to bring the movie to life and delight guests of all ages.
With The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, the Disneyland Resort continues “to leverage new technologies to tell a timeless Disney story,” said Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, Tom Staggs, “because at our heart, great storytelling is what we are all about.”
On hand to help open the attraction were a host of special guests, as the grand opening was celebrated with lively song and dance numbers. Performers included Jodi Benson, the original voice for Ariel in the film, and Broadway actress Sheri Rene Scott, who played Ursula in The Little Mermaid‘s Broadway production. Little Mermaid composer Alan Menken also participated in the grand opening festivities, and the original voice of Ursula, Pat Carroll, was in attendance as well.
This exciting new attraction comes as part of the major expansion currently underway at Disney California Adventure. Recently, the park has seen such updates as the new nighttime spectacular World of Color and the makeover of the park’s “Paradise Pier” area. Upcoming additions to the park include a new entrance themed to 1930’s Hollywood and the eagerly-anticipated “Cars Land,” opening in 2012.
