A New Ariel Has Joined Her Fellow Princesses At Disney World

If you and your kids are planning a visit to Disney World this summer, your family will be able to meet an all new Ariel. The park has introduced a princess based on the live-action version of The Little Mermaid starring Halle Bailey as Ariel, and it’s an exciting turn of events for fans of the movie.

In a video shared by Mouse Steps, a YouTube channel for Disney Parks news, Ariel is all set up in her new meet-and-greet area at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World designed to look like the set of the 2023 live-action movie. The video sees fans lining up for about half an hour to go meet Ariel, who is very excited to show off a few of her most prized possessions. Including, of course, the famous dinglehopper (also known as a brush) gifted to her by Scuttle the seagull in the movie.

The original Ariel based in the 1989 animated Little Mermaid movie is still on-site at Disney World, and it’s not known yet if this new version of Ariel will be a full-time addition to the visiting princesses roster. So if you are hoping to meet not just one but two Ariels with your little ones, now is the time to head to Disney.

Disney World isn’t the only park expected to offer a visit with this new version of Ariel. Bailey herself announced in April that Ariel would be visiting Disney Parks this summer and available for meet-and-greets with fans. Disney Parks expert Scott Gustin confirmed last week that “Ariel from the live-action story The Little Mermaid will be making special appearances at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris,” so lots of chances to meet her.

Even better, a TikTok video shared on social media shows the two Ariels performing together, which really does feel like the ultimate Little Mermaid experience.

This collaborative experience feels in keeping with the new movie where Jodi Benson, the voice of the original Ariel, appeared in a symbolic cameo where she essentially passed the torch to Halle Bailey’s Ariel in a marketplace scene.

Seeing the new Ariel in a Disney theme park is bound to be an emotional experience for fans, and one that families are not going to want to miss. Who knows when she’ll head back “Under The Sea?”