Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond is a stage show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. A massive auditorium seats hundreds of guests daily for six unique showtimes. The stage is set to the underwater world of Disney and Pixar’s Finding Nemo. The performance is a condensed version of the popular animated film.

Below, we’ll discuss everything you need to know to see Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond during your visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We’ll review performance times, what kind of line to expect, and the best way to exit at the end.

Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond	Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Location:	Dinoland U.S.A.
Height Requirement:	None
Lightning Lane:	Yes, with Lightning Lane Multi Pass
Ride Type:	Theater performance
Seating:	Auditorium
Rider Switch:	No
Early Theme Park Entry:	No
Extended Evening Hours:	No
Good For:	Everyone
Scare Factor:	None
Duration:	Approximately 25 minutes
Perfect For:	Fans of Finding Nemo

Accessibility: Guests must transfer from a wheelchair or ECV to the ride vehicle. Video captioning and assistive listening are available. Service animals are not permitted.

Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond

Before discussing Finding Nemo, I wanted to mention that both of Disney’s Animal Kingdom stage shows are incredible performances. It would be difficult to choose between them. My best advice is to choose the one that interests you or your travel party the most. We have a separate review of the Festival of The Lion King if you want to compare.

Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond is held in a large theater along the outskirts of Dinoland, U.S.A. The theater will be on the right before you cross the bridge in front of Expedition Everest. The queue for the performance is outside in front of the theater. It is not uncommon to see the queue filled and a long line extending along the walkway outside the theater.

Performances are offered approximately six times daily. You’ll want to check the My Disney Experience app on the day of your visit for exact showtimes. On the day of this visit, I got in line at 2:08 p.m. for the 2:30 p.m. show.

Since the line spilled out of the queue, I wondered if I would make it inside. It had been a while since I last saw it. Realistically, I knew the theater could accommodate quite a crowd, but it was hard to imagine all these people fitting inside.

Surprisingly, I entered the theater and found a seat by 2:22 p.m. Regarding seating, a few seats were still available in the front section. But I opted to sit on the third row of the middle tier.

At this point, you might wonder whether you should use a Lightning Lane experience for this performance. In most instances, you are probably okay without one. However, if this show is essential to you or someone in your family, you might want to secure a Lightning Lane if only for the option to acquire better seating. Guests with Lightning Lanes can enter the theater approximately 25 minutes before the show starts. (Of course, the longer you wait to use your Lightning Lane, the fewer seating options you’ll have.)

Getting into the theater early allows you to pick your seats. Most guests will want to sit in the front section, close to the middle of the stage. However, if you want a broader view of everything, I would sit as close to the front of the middle section as possible. Some performers run along the walkway between the front and middle sections during various segments. So you will feel up close to some of the thematic elements during those moments.

Seating in the theater is made up of benches similar to a baseball stadium.

Finding Nemo began at promptly 2:30 p.m. and ended at 2:55 p.m. Therefore, if you use Lightning Lane to enter the theater early, you’re probably looking at a total investment of an hour. You may remember I got in line at 2:08 p.m. So there’s not much difference in wait times unless you joined the standby line significantly earlier.

As the story goes, Nemo and his dad are swimming through the ocean. Nemo wants to get out and explore the big blue world, but his dad is reluctant.

A disobedient Nemo goes off independently, regardless of his father’s warning. Within a short time, he’s scooped up into a fisher’s net and deposited in an aquarium at a nearby dentist’s office. On his journey to find Nemo, Marlin meets Dory, who joins in the search. Well, as far as she can remember.

Along the way, they have a scary encounter with Bruce the Shark.

Soon after, they run into Crush, and the popular song “Go With the Flow” is performed.

Meanwhile, Nemo and his new friends are hatching a plan to escape the aquarium. If they don’t escape soon, they’ll meet the fate of Darla, the dentist’s niece, who is coming in for an appointment. She gets a new fish every time she visits, meaning the previous fish probably didn’t fare well under her care.

Ultimately, the plan works, and Nemo is reunited with his dad. Finding Nemo’s finale features the popular song “In the Big Blue World.”

Now that the show is over allow me to share a tip passed on to me long ago. It is best to wait until the crowd clears before exiting the theater. The show ended at 2:55 p.m., and I waited until 3:01 p.m. to exit. Trust me, waiting those few extra minutes beats standing in a mass of people attempting to move forward any day.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the performance, actors, songs, and storyline were outstanding. The next time I see it, I will try to sit in the front section. I usually like to be able to see everything, but sitting closer to the performance is an entirely different experience. For more attractions, you might enjoy these favorites:

• Kilimanjaro Safaris Review
• Expedition Everest: Legend of the Forbidden Mountain
• Avatar: Flight of Passage
• Adventurer’s Outpost (Mickey and Minnie Mouse)

In the Comments

What are your thoughts on Finding Nemo: The Big Blue…and Beyond? Do you plan to take in the performance on your next visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom? Let us know in the comments below.