Ariel's Undersea Adventure Ride at Disney California Adventure

The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure is a traditional dark ride at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in California. It works in the same fashion as Disneyland's Haunted Mansion, with cars traveling through the underwater world of The Little Mermaid.

Guests board giant multi-colored clam shells from a moving walkway in front of a themed mural. The ride takes 5 1/2 minutes. Overall, I felt like we were passing everything a little too fast, but the ride does stop at a few places. What you'll see when you're stopped will depend on the position of your particular clam shell.

Fans of The Little Mermaid movie will recognize all the familiar characters. Over 200 animatronic figures sing and dance to the popular songs. Scuttle the Seagull narrates the ride, the same as in the movie.

I prefer the interactive aspect of rides like Toy Story Mania, but I'm sure The Little Mermaid ride will be a hit with the little ones, and probably for people who grew up with the movie.

Continue on the virtual tour for a preview of the characters you'll find in The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure.

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Entrance to The Little Mermaid Ride at Disney California Adventure

Entrance to The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure — Photo © 2011 Kayte Deioma, licensed to About.com

is on the right side of the building between the green columns with Ariel over the door.

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Little Mermaid Mural

While you're waiting in line for The Little Mermaid ride at Disney California Adventure, check out the hand-painted mural in the boarding area. The Little Mermaid Mural was created in consultation with the original animators from the movie and features Ariel surrounded by Sebastian, Flounder and Scuttle, Prince Eric and his dog Max in front of his castle, King Triton, and more.

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The Clam Shell Cars in the Little Mermaid Ride

Passengers on

ride in multi-hued pastel clam shells. The clam shells don't stop. You board them from a moving walk-way. Each car seats two journalists with camera gear or two parents with two small kids.

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Scuttle Narrates the Little Mermaid Story

Scuttle the Seagull narrates The Little Mermaid Ride at Disney California Adventure — Photo © 2011 Kayte Deioma, licensed to About.com

Scuttle the Seagull, who advises Ariel on the peculiar ways of humans in The Little Mermaid movie, narrates the The Little Mermaid Ride at Disney California Adventure.

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Ariel's Grotto

Ariel in her Grotto in The Little Mermaid Ride at Disney California Adventure — Photo © 2011 Kayte Deioma, licensed to About.com

Ariel's first appearance in

from The Little Mermaid movie.

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Under the Sea

The

ride at Disney California Adventure contains 128 audio-animatronic characters, including 50 spinning starfish. The entire scene of singing and dancing figures are conducted by Sebastian the crab from a clam shell surrounded by a pool of swimming fish.

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Animatronic Ariel in Under the Sea

Animatronic Ariel #2 in The Little Mermaid Ride at Disney California Adventure — Photo © 2011 Kayte Deioma, licensed to About.com

The second animatronic Ariel in

ride is in the Under the Sea scene, where she dances to an orchestra of fish and crustaceans playing the Oscar winning song by the same name from The Little Mermaid movie. Ariel’s original animator from the film, Glen Keane, suggested that in the ride, the mermaid's hair should be treated as a character all its own. In this scene, Ariel has her hair in in a "soft swirl" that resembles a soft-serve ice cream cone.

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Singing Clam Shells

Singing Clam Shells are just a couple of the 128 audio-animatronic figures in the Under the Sea scene on The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel's Undersea Adventure ride at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

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Ursula the Sea Witch

Disney imagineers had to develop a special skin for Ursula the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid ride so that she could undulate to the music as she sings Poor, Unfortunate Souls from The Little Mermaid movie. Ursula is the largest of the ride's 200 animatronic characters at 7 1/2 feet tall and 12 feet wide.

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Missed Kiss

Prince Eric and Ariel in The Little Mermaid Ride at Disney California Adventure — Photo © 2011 Kayte Deioma, licensed to About.com

Like in the movie,

ride just miss that ever-so-important kiss in the moonlight that could turn Ariel permanently human. The poor pair in the boat scene are doomed to perpetually miss that kiss as their lips approach each other over and over, but never meet.

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A Royal Wedding

The Romantic Finale of The Little Mermaid Ride at Disney California Adventure — Photo © 2011 Kayte Deioma, licensed to About.com

The Little Mermaid wedding scene is the romantic finale of The Little Mermaid - Ariel's Undersea Adventure at Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, CA. Sebastian the crab once again conducts an orchestra of sea creatures as King Triton, from his position in the water, oversees the wedding of his daughter Ariel to Prince Eric under a sky filled with fireworks.