Disney California Adventure just surrounded the exterior of one of its popular rides, creating a much different view for guests walking through this part of the park.Construction walls now surround the attraction, while towering scaffolding and dark scrims cover nearly the entire building. From certain angles, very little of the familiar exterior remains visible.It is a dramatic change from what visitors saw only a couple of weeks ago, when the work appeared much more limited.For anyone visiting Disney California Adventure soon, however, the construction does not mean another attraction has disappeared from the lineup.Here’s what visitors need to know about the extensive work now underway.The Little Mermaid Ride Remains a Disney California Adventure FavoriteThe attraction hidden behind all of that construction equipment is The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.Located in the Paradise Gardens Park area of Disney California Adventure, the dark ride takes guests through Ariel’s story aboard colorful clamshell vehicles.The attraction features characters and songs inspired by Disney’s animated movie The Little Mermaid (1989), including Ariel, Sebastian, Ursula, Prince Eric, and other familiar characters.Unlike some of Disney California Adventure’s bigger thrill rides, The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure offers a slower experience that families with younger children can enjoy together. Its large, detailed exterior has also made the building a recognizable part of this section of the park.Right now, however, guests will have difficulty seeing much of it.Disney has dramatically expanded the construction setup around the attraction as its refurbishment progresses.Credit: DisneyMassive Scaffolding Now Covers Nearly the Entire BuildingThe scale of the project has become much more noticeable over the past couple of weeks.Earlier this month, construction walls and scrims appeared around portions of the entrance and the right side of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. Since then, the work area has expanded significantly.Now, construction walls surround nearly the entire attraction building. Large sections of scaffolding rise behind those barriers, while black scrims conceal much of the recognizable exterior.Even with so much of the building blocked, Disney has maintained a pathway into the attraction. Openings in the construction walls allow riders to reach the entrance, and seashell-shaped directional signs point visitors in the right direction.There are still a few familiar details visible above all the construction.The King Triton statue can be spotted rising above the black scrims, offering one of the few clear glimpses of the attraction’s themed exterior. Meanwhile, the walls and scaffolding extend behind the nearby merchandise kiosk.The result makes the refurbishment look especially extensive from the outside, even though the attraction itself remains available.Credit: DisneyDisney Could Eventually Give the Construction a More Themed LookFor now, Disney is using fairly simple black scrims to conceal the work happening on the building.That could potentially change if the exterior refurbishment continues for an extended period.Disney sometimes uses themed construction coverings during lengthy projects, particularly when work affects a prominent building that thousands of guests pass throughout the day. Instead of plain black material, those coverings can replicate the overall appearance of the structure they hide.Disney has not confirmed that themed scrims are coming to The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.Still, if the project stretches on, replacing the current coverings could make the area feel more polished while crews continue working.For the moment, guests should expect the attraction to look much more like an active construction site from the outside.Credit: DisneyWhat the Refurbishment Means for Disney California Adventure GuestsDespite the scaffolding’s size, the most important detail for upcoming visitors is simple: The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure remains operational.Disney has not closed the ride as part of this exterior project.Guests can still enter through the gaps in the construction walls and experience the attraction as usual. The biggest impact is visual, particularly for visitors who hoped to photograph the attraction building.The construction could also make the entrance slightly less obvious than usual. The seashell signs should help guests navigate around the walls and find their way inside.That distinction is important because the sheer amount of scaffolding and black covering could easily make someone approaching the area assume the attraction has temporarily closed.Instead, Disney is completing the exterior work while keeping the ride available.Credit: DisneyA Very Different View for Disney California AdventureFor the foreseeable future, one familiar corner of Disney California Adventure is going to look noticeably different.The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure has gone from having relatively limited exterior construction to being almost completely concealed behind walls, scaffolding, and black scrims.Exactly how long the building will remain covered remains to be seen, and Disney could eventually introduce more decorative coverings if the work continues.Until then, guests may lose the familiar exterior view, but they do not have to lose the attraction itself.Ariel, Sebastian, and the rest of the ride remain available inside, even if reaching them now means walking past one of Disney California Adventure’s most noticeable active refurbishment projects.The post Disney California Adventure Dark Ride Swallowed by Massive Scaffolding Ahead of Overhaul appeared first on Inside the Magic.