One of the big changes that we are expecting when Disney Parks reopen in the United States (at a time that as yet to be determined) is a sharp decline in live entertainment. Not only does gathering around live entertainers present issues when it comes to social distancing measures, but being able to cut live entertainment could present a substantial cost savings for Disney, which has been bleeding money due to the COVID-19 Pandemic while parks, movie theaters, and Disney Stores are all closed.
And though we don’t have confirmation yet, rumors are swirling about a cut that may have already been made at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Voyage of the Little Mermaid may never come back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
According to forum posters on WDWMagic, it looks like Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will not be reopening with the park when it begins welcoming guests again, and there are no plans to ever schedule performances again. Many may remember that this show has been in trouble before, especially when plans for Star Wars Land plans were first coming together. However, it looks like this attraction’s luck may have finally run out if rumors are true.
This isn’t the first live entertainment to be cut..and won’t be the last
Unfortunately, some other entertainment at Walt Disney World has also been cut and will not be returning to the parks when they reopen, including the following Epcot acts, who were all released form their contracts before the resort closed back in March:
- Matsuriza Taiko Drummers
- British Revolution band
- Servers Amusant
- Sergio the Italian Clown
And though the addition of Voyage of the Little Mermaid to this list would make a total of five cut attractions, it seems likely that there to be even more as we get closer to some kind of reopening at Walt Disney World.
And though we expect this area will stay vacant for a long time, could there be plans for this area long term?
Could we see a redevelopment of the Animation Courtyard?
One of the biggest areas that armchair Imagineers have targeted as a potential area for redevelopment is the Animation Courtyard, currently home to the Star Wars Launch Bay, Disney Junior show, and adjacent to Walt Disney Presents (formerly One Man’s Dream) and Voyage of the Little Mermaid. And while it has been rumored that Disney could be developing a “black box” attraction (that could be re-themed easily every few years to whatever is popular at the time), we’d guess that any preliminary plans are on hold indefinitely as Disney grapples with the financial fallout of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Long term, this area probably will be redeveloped, but it will be several years before we’d expect to hear anything about the future of the Animation Courtyard, which means Voyage of the Little Mermaid will likely be standing but not operating for quite some time.
As always, while this situation is evolving, all theme park fans should check out the CDC’s official site here, which has information on the virus and how to prevent its spread.
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