Credit: Walt Disney Animation StudiosDisneyland Resort has completely concealed the exterior of The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure amid a lengthy ongoing refurbishment. Here’s what to know about the construction on the Little Mermaid (1989)-inspired ride at Disney California Adventure Park, which originally opened in 2011.
The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure Exterior Refurbishment
Scaffolding covered in dark scrim fabric first appeared on the exterior of The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure in early August. Over the following few weeks, more construction equipment appeared onsite, including plywood barriers that prevented Disney Park guests from approaching much of the building. Locked wooden doors provided Disney cast members with access to the work area.
Over time, Disneyland Resort replaced most of the black scrim with themed fabric that matched the attraction’s exterior. Now, almost the entire building is concealed by construction material.
Current State of The Little Mermaid Ride
In the last week, several Southern California Disney Park guests have reported that the entire show building for The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure was concealed by beige construction walls and scrim fabric. In these photos shared by @laughingplace on X (formerly known as Twitter), only a bit of the roof featuring King Triton’s Trident peeks over the scrim:
The Little Mermaid is completely covered in scrims except for King Triton’s Trident #Disneyland
The Little Mermaid is completely covered in scrims except for King Triton’s Trident #Disneyland pic.twitter.com/phlbxGt2Qd
— LaughingPlace.com (@laughingplace) September 22, 2026
WDWNT also shared a photo of the Paradise Garden Park attraction’s exterior on September 21, showing that a small section of unthemed black scrim fabric remained on a portion of the building above the outside queue:
Presumably, Disneyland Resort will eventually replace this black scrim with themed fabric to match the rest of the building.
Despite the extensive construction, The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure remains open. Disneyland Resort has not publicly addressed the ongoing facade refurbishment, which likely involves repainting and other general maintenance. The Southern California Disney park’s official website does not list any upcoming closures for the Little Mermaid dark ride at Disney California Adventure Park.
Which Disney Park attraction inspired by The Little Mermaid is your favorite? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!
