Disney California Adventure guests are encountering a massive construction zone around one of the park's familiar dark rides.
Scaffolding now towers over much of the attraction building, while construction walls and black scrims block nearly the entire exterior from view. The setup has grown considerably since work first became noticeable earlier this month.
At first glance, the amount of construction could make it seem like Disney has taken another attraction offline. That's not the case.
Guests can still experience the ride, but getting there now involves navigating a very different-looking corner of the park.
Ariel's Undersea Adventure Is Getting Exterior Work
The attraction behind the construction is The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure, located in the Paradise Gardens Park section of Disney California Adventure.
The family-friendly dark ride brings guests into Ariel's world aboard colorful clamshell vehicles. Along the way, riders encounter Ariel, Sebastian, Ursula, Prince Eric, and other familiar characters from Disney's animated film The Little Mermaid (1989).
Compared with the park's larger thrill attractions, The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure provides a slower experience that families with younger children can enjoy together.
The attraction's detailed exterior has also become a recognizable part of this area. Right now, however, most of those familiar details are difficult to see.
That's because the exterior refurbishment has expanded considerably in a relatively short amount of time.
Scaffolding Has Taken Over Most of the Exterior
The current construction setup looks much larger than it did just a couple of weeks ago.
Earlier this month, guests could see walls and scrims around the attraction's entrance and right side. Since then, construction walls have spread around nearly the entire building.
Behind those barriers, scaffolding reaches across large sections of the exterior. Black scrims cover much of the structure, leaving visitors with limited views of what crews are working on.
Not everything has disappeared behind the coverings.
Guests can still spot the King Triton statue above the black scrims. The construction walls and scaffolding also continue behind the merchandise kiosk located near the attraction.
Despite the size of the work zone, Disney has made room for guests to continue entering the ride. Gaps in the walls provide access, while seashell-shaped signs direct visitors toward the entrance.
The Black Construction Coverings May Not Be Permanent
The plain black scrims currently make the refurbishment especially noticeable.
If work continues for an extended period, Disney could eventually use themed coverings that better match the attraction building. These types of scrims can recreate elements of the structure hidden behind them, making a large construction zone less visually distracting.
For now, however, there is no confirmation that Disney plans to add themed scrims around The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure.
Guests should expect the current construction appearance during upcoming visits unless the setup changes as work progresses.
While the outside may look dramatically different, the experience waiting behind those walls hasn't disappeared.
The Little Mermaid Ride Is Still Open
The most important detail for Disney California Adventure visitors is that The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure remains operational.
Disney has continued running the attraction while crews handle the exterior refurbishment.
That means guests can follow the signs, walk through the openings in the construction walls, and experience the ride as usual. The project currently has a much greater impact on the attraction's appearance than on whether guests can actually ride it.
Still, the amount of scaffolding could cause some confusion. Someone approaching the area, unaware of the refurbishment, could reasonably assume the attraction is temporarily unavailable.
The seashell-shaped directional signs should make it easier to find the correct path through the construction area.
A Familiar Disney California Adventure Area Looks Very Different
Disney has not provided a timeline in the article for when guests can expect the exterior to become fully visible again.
Until more of the construction is completed, visitors should expect a noticeably different view as they walk through Paradise Gardens Park.
What began with walls and scrims around smaller portions of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure has grown into a project that conceals almost the entire building.
Fortunately, all of that construction doesn't mean families have to skip the attraction.
Ariel, Sebastian, Ursula, and the rest of the familiar characters remain waiting inside. For now, guests simply have to make their way past walls, scaffolding, and black scrims before heading under the sea.
