Little Mermaid Ride Closes Early Nov. 5 at Magic Kingdom
Published October 26, 2026
Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid will shut down three hours before Magic Kingdom does on Thursday, November 5, according to reports published Monday, October 26, 2026. Walt Disney World’s attraction page lists the Fantasyland dark ride running 9:00am to 7:00pm that day, while the park itself stays open until 10:00pm.
As of Monday, October 26, the ride is still scheduled to open at 8:30am for Early Theme Park Entry and run normally until the 7:00pm cutoff — so it is a shortened evening, not a closed day.
Disney has not given a reason for the early close. The reported hours appear on the attraction’s own calendar listing rather than in any announcement.
This is the second schedule oddity for the ride this year. Walt Disney World closed Under the Sea for a single day on February 11, with that closure showing up on the operating calendar roughly a week ahead and no explanation given afterward.
It also lands in a week when Fantasyland’s neighbor across the park is already down: Tiana’s Bayou Adventure closes November 2 for its first refurbishment, with Disney’s calendar listing a December 18 return.
What we know
- Under the Sea ~ Journey of The Little Mermaid (Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland) — listed 9:00am to 7:00pm on Thursday, November 5
- Magic Kingdom — scheduled to stay open until 10:00pm that night
- Early Theme Park Entry — ride listed as opening at 8:30am for eligible guests
- Reason for the early close — not stated by Disney
- Tiana’s Bayou Adventure — closing November 2 for refurbishment, calendar return listed as December 18
What’s not confirmed
Disney has not said why the hours are shortened, whether any work is planned, or whether the 7:00pm time could shift or extend to other dates. A single posted calendar entry is not a commitment, and attraction hours can change without notice.
What it means for your trip
If November 5 is your Magic Kingdom day, treat Under the Sea as a daytime ride and get it done before dinner. The clamshells have no height requirement, which makes this an easy early win with toddlers — ride it in the first hour, when Fantasyland waits are at their softest, instead of saving it for a post-fireworks sweep.
If you are buying Lightning Lane Multi Pass for November 5, pick a return window well before 7:00pm for this one. A late return time you cannot use is a wasted selection, and you book those in advance — 7 days out for Disney resort guests, 3 days for off-site — so the mistake gets locked in early.
With Tiana’s Bayou Adventure down from November 2 through mid-December, expect Fantasyland and Frontierland to absorb some of that displaced traffic. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Pirates of the Caribbean and the Tomorrowland cluster are the useful morning swaps while Fantasyland fills up.
If the early close matters to your plan, SupaPark’s live ride status alerts will tell you the moment Under the Sea’s operating status changes, so you are not discovering it at the entrance.
Go deeper — the full guides: Best Time to Ride Mad Tea Party: ~5-Minute Waits After 10 PM · Beak and Barrel Reservations: How to Actually Get In · How to Actually Get a Table at Wailulu Bar & Grill
SupaPark tracks live wait times and crowd forecasts, and pings you the second a hard-to-get reservation opens or a ride goes walk-on — free to start at supapark.com.