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Finding Nemo: The Musical

Join Marlin, Dory, Crush and friends as they search for that elusive clownfish in this spectacular stage show!
Location:Animal Kingdom
DinoLand U.S.A.
Type of Attraction:Indoor theater show
Height Restrictions:None
Typical Wait Time:Show times throughout the day
Is It Scary?Nothing scary here!

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Magical Moments
Hidden Mickeys & Other Secrets
Did You Know…?
Touring Tips
Photo Gallery

The story of Finding Nemo is brought to life in this beautiful stage show. Nemo, Marlin, Dory, and all of your favorite characters are brought to life though the use of puppetry, but these are unlike any puppets you’ve seen before! The puppets are beautifully crafted, but just as astonishing is the manner in which they are brought to life. Marlin, Dory, and Nemo are easily the busiest puppets in the show, and also among the simplest. The acting skills of the puppeteers are incredible to behold as they express a wide range of emotions through puppets that have simple articulating mouths and eyes that open and close, everything ranging from happiness and sadness to distrust and fear.

Although Finding Nemo the movie wasn’t a musical, the stage show certainly is! Many of the songs were inspired by lines from the film, including “(In The) Big Blue World,” “Fish Are Friends, Not Food,” “Just Keep Swimming,” and “Go With the Flow.” The music is simple yet powerful, beautiful yet funny, eclectic yet smart. After hearing “Big Blue World,” you’ll be happily humming it for the rest of the day!

Magical Moments

  • The music is so well integrated into the show that it may surprise you to know that the songs didn’t appear in the film! In fact, “(In the) Big Blue World” was so memorable that you can also hear it in the Seas With Nemo and Friends attraction in Epcot.
  • The methods used to recreated an underwater world are astonishing. For example, notice how several rays of light are projected on the stage in continuous motion, recreating the play of sunlight as it dances through the water (you may notice that these rays never hit the floor).
  • See if you can figure out how they brought Mister Ray to life…more specifically, how to flap his giant wing-like fins! The solution? Incorporate a tricycle into the design so that the fins would flap with each turn of the trike’s pedals!
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Hidden Mickeys & Other Secrets

  • In the outside sign for the show listing the performance times, look in the lower right to find a Mickey made of bubbles!
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Did You Know...?

  • The show takes place in the Theater of the Wild, former home to the Tarzan Rocks! theatrical thrill show. An extensive renovation took place in 2006 to enclose the theater, which among other things gave the show’s designers much more control over lighting − essential for recreating an undersea environment.
  • The addition of air-conditioning was also a welcome benefit of the enclosed space, not only for the 1,500 Guests that the theater could accommodate but for the performers as well!
  • The downstage walls are made from translucent Lexan® and backlit with LEDs to create an array of interweaving ripple patterns, used to great effect during the “Just Keep Swimming” sequence.
  • Lighting Designer Beverly Emmons visited the fish reef environments at the Natural History Museum, where she was able to observe how colors ranging from purple and magenta to gold and green refracted in the water so they could be faithfully reproduced onstage.
  • Projection Designer Jan Hartley traveled to Hawaii for a one-week underwater shoot to capture beautiful images of light dappling under the water. She later combined them with clips of waves, underwater environments, scene elements from the Seas With Nemo and Friends, and even a closed sea anemone. Utilizing rear projection as well as eight projectors placed over the central cross aisles, the result was a video montage that would play throughout the show to create an immersive environment that would frame the performers.
  • Michael Curry, co-designer of the puppetry used in the Broadway version The Lion King, was brought in to create the puppets for Finding Nemo.
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Touring Tips

  • This 40 minute show is held several times a day, be sure to check your park guide for show times. Though there really isn’t a bad seat in the house, the theater is quite large. If you want to have a great view be sure to arrive early to get a seat down low! You can use FastPass+ to ensure a good spot.
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Photo Gallery

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