Curtain Goes Down on Immersive Disney Show

Almost three months ahead of its anticipated end date, Immersive Disney Animation has shuttered its doors here in Atlanta.

A few ticketholders who had not received the news were met with a sign on the door indicating the production was on a temporary hold due to non-payment by the producer of the show. The general manager of the large 44,000-square-foot facility was at the front of the building, directing visitors to a sign posted at the front door.

The sign read, “We are very sorry to report that as of June 2, Lighthouse Immersive, the producers of Immersive Disney Animation, has not made the payments necessary to keep this venue operational. We are saddened by this very unfortunate turn of events, and we are hopeful the producer will remedy the situation as quickly as possible. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Please visit www.lighthouseimmersive.com for more information.”

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As recently as June 17, the Atlanta Jewish Times spoke to Corey Ross, co-founder, and producer, who gave no indication of problems and was ebullient about the production in Atlanta, one of 13 cities at the time featuring an Immersive Disney show.

When initially contacted about what appeared to be a temporary closing, Ross indicated there were “production issues.” Later, Nick Harkin, a public relations representative, responded to a request for comment with a statement indicating Lighthouse Immersive made the decision to close its production here in Atlanta and stated the current focus is to communicate the closing to guests and issue refunds for ticket purchases. The statement said, “Taking care of our guests is our top priority.”

Productions in Dallas and Houston were also shut down as of June 20. In Los Angeles, the show has been postponed until further notice.

This notice was posted to the front of the Immersive Disney Animation venue in Atlanta // Photo Credit: Lena Robbins

On the Jewish Moms of Atlanta Facebook page, mothers looked for answers. One mom posted her tickets had been rescheduled for July, before learning the show was permanently closed and ticketholders would receive refunds. Several mothers had been looking forward to taking their children to the show and expressed their disappointment.

Staci Erin and her husband had hoped to surprise their 8-year-old son with tickets to Immersive Disney. According to Erin, “My son did not know about the tickets, but we had planned our weekend around this event. We were definitely disappointed to receive notice that the show had closed.”

Immersive Disney Animation was created to bring the music and artistry of Disney animated films to life, enabling visitors to feel like they have entered the worlds of their favorite Disney movies. From “Frozen” and “Zootopia” to “The Lion King” and “Peter Pan,” guests at venues interact with their favorite characters throughout the course of the show. Immersive Disney Animation shows are currently being shown in Boston; Cleveland; Columbus, Ohio; Denver; Detroit; Las Vegas; London; Minneapolis; Nashville; San Antonio; and Tokyo. Lighthouse Immersive has produced world premieres of Immersive Van Gogh, Immersive Frida Kahlo, Immersive King Tut and Immersive Klimt: Revolution in more than 21 North American cities.