ATLANTA — Immersive, interactive experiences are now a genuine sub-category of entertainment in metro Atlanta, covering art, outer space, Legos, slime and all sorts of TV shows and film s, to name a few.
The newest one is focused exclusively on “The Little Mermaid,” timed with the recent release of Disney’s live-action version starring Atlanta native Halle Bailey. It’s in a new permanent experience space called CAMP that was once a La-Z Boy furniture store in Dunwoody.
“The Little Mermaid” experience, which debuted June 3 and is open seven days a week, will likely stay at the new CAMP space through the end of the year. Ticket prices at camp.com start at $29 and it’s open seven days a week. (CAMP plans to rotate other experiences in the space about twice a year.)
The show is heavy on face-to-face interaction, humor and live music and is not reliant on technology like other comparable experiences.
“The show runs on a 90-minute loop so there’s always fun stuff happening,” said Kirk Larsen, chief creative officer for New York-based CAMP, which describes itself as a family experience company with nine stores nationwide since its launch in 2018. It has a comparable “Mickey and Friends” experience in Dallas and an “Encanto” version in New York City.
Cassandra, the friendly sea witch played by actress Analise Rosario on a media test day before the official opening day, introduced the children while sitting on King Triton’s throne.
“I can turn you into mermaids for one hour so you can swim and dance and blah blah blah,” she said brightly. “It will only cost you ... your voice! Just kidding! You guys paid for this so breathing is on the house!”
Then a group of musicians and dancers came out to perform “Fathoms Below,” which is repeated every 15 minutes for a new group of kids and adults.
Rosario grew up doing musical theater and loving Disney. “I’m having as much fun as the kids,” she said during a momentary break. “It’s fantastic!”
After the kids try out a coral slide, they enter the main room, which features multiple play areas including Ariel’s grotto, where actor Rob Millerick playing Albacore hosts a comedy show. Evoking the movie, he shows children basic human items and as a sea creature, takes a wild stab at what they might be. He holds a fork and when the kids tell him what is is, he said it’s actually a “dingle-hopper,” describing it as an “all purpose hair styling solution.” Two cups are “fobb wobbers” humans use to keep their ears warm. And a fan is a “dinky doodle” used to quickly end conversations.
Cassandra later hosts a magic show where she shows off a fish that jumps from string to string ― though it becomes obvious to the kids that she’s cheating.
There are games to play, like “pearl-sketball,” using balls that look like pearls, and a scavenger hunt. (The employees are happy to provide clues.) Videos from the 2023 film are embedded throughout the experience.
The musicians and actors, many with theme park experience, sing classic “Little Mermaid” songs like “Part of Your World,” “Kiss The Girl” and “Under the Sea.” Some walk around holding puppet fish to remind attendees that they are underwater.
None of the actors play main “Little Mermaid” characters like Ariel and Ursula because the space is creatively set up after the movie is over. Ariel has already become a human and Ursula is now just a slug.
“We’re not retelling the story of ‘The Little Mermaid’,” show director Tom Salamon explained. “We just want them feel like they’re walking into the movie. And having live musicians makes it feel more alive and real.”
The CAMP store portion is dubbed a canteen where employees are called counselors. There, kids are offered add-on crafting, ceramic painting and slime (called schmutz) creation options. There are balls to plays with, a Ford Bronco to sit in and animals with rollers as legs to ride around in.
“We want to give them tactile, hands-on experiences we believe provide more lasting memories,” Larsen said.
While Larsen said the age range for this experience is “2 to TikTok,” meaning “anyone who still needs their parents to drive them places, the sweet spot is ages 5 to 9.”
There are birthday party rooms in which parents can customize what type of activities and shows they want. Or for a higher price, you can take over the entire space for an hour or two.
There is another Disney Immersive experience in Atlanta that opened up in May. Atlanta mom Nene Azemogie has sampled both with her nine-year-old daughter Kristine. “This is so much more fun,” she said at the “Little Mermaid” media event. “It’s far more interactive. The characters know the songs. They feel authentic and they stay in character.”
Lekia Makanjuola, with her eight-year-old Mackenzie, was equally impressed: “They did a great job with the grotto. I feel like I’m in the middle of the movie.”
Berry Dakara, a mom who is active on Instagram, said the photo and video possibilities are impressive and attendees are regularly stimulated. “Something new happens every few minutes,” she said.
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If you go
“The Little Mermaid X CAMP”
10 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday; 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturday; and 9 a.m.-7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets start at $29. 4551 Olde Perimeter Way, Atlanta. camp.com.
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