Guests Shocked as Bees Swarm Popular Magic Kingdom Ride

In 2012, Disney Imagineers and construction crews finished the massive expansion of Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom. In the following years, many new attractions, shopping, and dining experiences became part of Fantasyland, including Enchanted Tales with Belle, Be Our Guest Restaurant, Gaston’s Tavern, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Under the Sea—Journey of the Little Mermaid.

In the more than ten years since its opening, guests have loved traveling under the sea with Ariel and her friends. Journey of the Little Mermaid takes guests through the story of the iconic 1989 animated film. Guests board a clamshell, which takes them through Ariel’s treasure-filled grotto and into Ursula’s lair. They even get to hear Sebastian sing “Kiss the Girl.”

Ariel reaches out from the helm of ship at Journey of the Little Mermaid — Credit: Disney

The popular attraction draws thousands of guests to the area, and while the ride doesn’t change, every day at the Magic Kingdom is a new and exciting adventure.

However, some guests recently saw something they never expected, and will most likely never experience again.

X (formerly Twitter) user Original Orange Bird (@ogorangebird) shared an image of a huge swarm of bees gathering around part of the building.

Omg!!! How did this happen to Little Mermaid?!

Omg!!! How did this happen to Little Mermaid?! pic.twitter.com/gQz498wzmK

— Original Orange Bird (@ogorangebird) September 27, 2025

Some commenters were shocked that Disney wouldn’t immediately bring in professionals to safely remove the bees, especially because some guests could be allergic to bees and Disney wouldn’t want anyone to get stung.

One person said that the bees were probably gathered around their queen, protecting her. Once they felt the queen was safe, they would move from the area, and guests wouldn’t have to worry anymore.

And, of course, many joked that Ursula the Sea Witch had summoned the bees as punishment for draining the Rivers of America as part of the Frontierland overhaul.

Ursula summoned her flying fiends because they drained the river water 🤣 wow hope Disney removes it safely I’m sure they got a bee hive dark somewhere in the park.

Journey of the Little Mermaid Lightning Lane entrance — Credit: Inside the Magic

Of course, Disney is big on conservation, and the bees provide a very necessary service, not only to the protected areas within the resort but also to the world. It’s tough to be a bug (IYKYK), but Disney does everything it can to keep the bees, and many other animals and insects, safe.

This is not the first time guests have commented on being bothered by bees at Walt Disney World theme parks. Multiple guests have commented on the presence of bees in popular drink areas, which makes sense, considering the amount of sweet items used in the drinks.

Disney does have several methods it uses to help keep bees away from certain areas, including misters. However, since the parks are all outdoors, it’s impossible to keep all bees at bay, but they are very important for pollination. They are also not typically aggressive, so if you leave them alone, they will most likely not bother you.