Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond!
Disney's Animal Kingdom · Theater in the Wild
Overview
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond! replaced Finding Nemo – The Musical in 2022 at the same Theater in the Wild venue that had run the earlier show since 2006 as a shorter, reworked version. The puppetry carries most of the show's weight — Crush, Marlin, and Dory are all realized as large-scale puppets operated by visible performers, an unusually theatrical choice for a theme-park show rather than costumed characters or screens.
ParksLog verdict
The air conditioning is as much a reason to schedule this on a hot day as the show itself — the puppet work is genuinely impressive, even if it doesn't reach Festival of the Lion King's scale. Go in expecting a solid park-format musical, not Broadway, and it lands better.
About this experience
Live stage musical with large-scale puppets and performers in an underwater world inspired by Finding Nemo and Finding Dory.
Best for
- Families with young children
- Finding Nemo and Finding Dory fans
- Guests seeking indoor climate-controlled entertainment
- All ages
Tips
- The theater is fully indoor and air-conditioned — an excellent midday refuge during hot Florida summers
- Shows fill quickly — check times and aim to arrive 15 minutes before showtime
- Seating positions closer to the stage offer the best view of the puppet work details and facial expressiveness
Details
History
Finding Nemo: The Big Blue... and Beyond! opened in 2022, replacing Finding Nemo – The Musical, which had run at the same Theater in the Wild venue from 2006 to 2020. It's a shorter, reworked version of the earlier show.
- Finding Nemo – The Musical (2006–2020) — Original Theater in the Wild production before the current version.
Fun facts
- The current show replaced Finding Nemo – The Musical in 2022, which had run at the same Theater in the Wild location since 2006
- Finding Nemo (2003) was Pixar's fifth feature film and won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature