Coming Soon to Theaters: The Little Mermaid…and an Audience Full of iPads.

The typical trip to the movies these days usually involves the same pre-movie routine:

• Receiving your ticket
• Getting it checked by the lad in the snappy vest who checks the tickets (and then getting that slight involuntary twinge when he tears the corner off of your stub, because of course you keep all of your movie ticket stubs).
• Scoffing at the concession prices.
• …giving in to the concession prices.
• Taking your seat as the lights dim and the familiar “silence your electronic devices” PSA glides across the screen.

Starting September 20 however, this last bit seems to lose its relevance as Disney and Apple partner up for a limited time to bring iPads into theaters for a “heightened interactive experience”. Utilizing the popularity of the Second Screen feature commonly seen in tandem with home BluRay players, Disney is rereleasing The Little Mermaid like never before. Instead of simply basking in the magic of the movie, the audience is encouraged to become a part of it through the use of an app that lets them hunt for hidden treasure, play games throughout the story, and compete with other moviegoers as the film goes on. This, to me, seems like an awful lot of multitasking for the average tyke, and really for anybody trying to enjoy a film on the big screen. (…and the 35 other screens in the room.)

Maybe it’s just me, but there’s just something not-so-magical about a multitude of iPad screens and assured chatter during Jodi Benson’s last verse of Part of Your World. Don’t get me wrong, this idea definitely has some appeal, perhaps it just belongs in the privacy of a viewer’s own home instead of in the row in front of me.

The Second Screen experience is set to start in select theaters on the 20th and last for approximately a month. Click here to learn more about what this experience will entail, and be sure to share your thoughts on this interactive spin on moviegoing!

(via The Verge)