The Big Blue World is more screens than puppets, and everything seems condensed. It’s still fun enough, the air conditioning is great, but we’d be lying if we said losing things like Nigel was anything but a big deal.
Animal Kingdom will be hosting a Finding Nemo themed live performance once more. This time, however, the performance is significantly less live and the experience is decidedly more screen-based. Check out the full video from WDWNT and then read our review below:
Rather than review the show based on what it was before the pandemic, the way I’ll be reviewing it is just on what it is today and nothing else.
At about a half-hour runtime, the show is fairly short but somewhere in the range of what you might expect for a theme park. Whereas this was previously at Broadway-level quality, now it’s a bit more like a typical Disney World presentation. It’s better than the Frozen Sing-a-long, but it’s not more impressive than the Indiana Jones Stunt Show. Of course, Animal Kingdom is a theme park where air conditioning is in short supply, and that plus a place to escape the rain makes Nemo a fantastic place to hide out. Adding Genie+ as a way to get the best seating also makes it so that Animal Kingdom has one more worthwhile way to spend your Genie+ Lightning Lane passes. That’s definitely a plus!
The music in The Big Blue… And Beyond is high level and sure to get stuck in your head. However, the overall script is so quick that you may feel a little dizzy as the story zips from song to song to song. There is little downtime and little chance to process what you’re seeing. If you’ve watched Finding Nemo, you’ll know the story, but otherwise this is a hurricane of quick hits. There is not much in the way of exposition and there are no fantastical stunts or set pieces that will dazzle you. Instead, puppeteer after puppeteer arrives to sing or narrate with almost no time to make any emotional connection.
So what is the overall review I give for this “new” attraction?
It’s about average, but I’ll give some extra points to the enthusiasm and performance level of the cast members. I give it a 5.5/10 if 5 is an average score. It’s decent enough, it gets the job done, and it’s a great place to get away from the weather. Maybe count on watching this twice if it’s time to give the little ones a chance to nap.
For all the latest news that should be fun, keep reading That Park Place. As always, drop a comment down below and let us know your thoughts!
