Ariel is heading back outside at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Starting October 28, the live-action The Little Mermaid meet and greet inside Walt Disney Presents will be temporarily unavailable, and Ariel will greet guests at Echo Lake near 50’s Prime Time Cafe instead.
If that sounds familiar, it should. Disney made the same move last year, on the same date, and this year’s notice matches last year’s almost word for word, as BlogMickey spotted. Disney has not given an end date for the change.
Where To Find Ariel
Last fall, Ariel’s outdoor spot sat between the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular and 50’s Prime Time Cafe, near the stunt show’s gift shop, with big potted tropical plants framing the photo area. She wore the ruffled light blue dress from the film. Disney’s description points to the same corner of Echo Lake this year, so plan on an open-air meet rather than the indoor castle set.
Echo Lake itself looks a little different right now. Crews drained the lake in August for a refurbishment, and Disney has not said when the water will be back.
Ariel’s Indoor Meet And Last Year’s Move
Ariel has met guests at Walt Disney Presents since the live-action meet and greet opened on May 26, 2023. The set recreates Prince Eric’s castle, with a big sunset screen behind her. The meet sits at the end of the Walt Disney Presents gallery, in the space that used to host the Sulley meet and greet, so it stays out of the Florida sun and rain.
When she moved out last October, Santa Claus took over that castle set from November 8 through December 24, 2025. Ariel stayed at Echo Lake into the new year and moved back indoors on January 12, 2026.
Disney has not named a holiday character for the space this time. The holiday calendar is a little different this year, though. Disney Jollywood Nights 2026 opens November 7 and, for the first time, runs into January, with its last night on January 5. If this year follows the same pattern as last year, Ariel would head back inside sometime early in 2027.
Before You Go
If you are visiting before October 28, you can still meet Ariel in her castle set inside Walt Disney Presents. From that date on, head to Echo Lake. Character schedules can shift day to day, so check the My Disney Experience app for her times before you walk over.
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