Disney Permanently Removes Cartoon Ariel From Experience

[veu]

Source: insidethemagic.net/2023/08/disney-world-permanently-removes-little-mermaid-experience-ab1/

Disney Permanently Removes Cartoon ‘Little Mermaid’ From Experience
IN WALT DISNEY WORLD

Posted on August 15, 2023 by Andrew Boardwine7 Comments


The Little Mermaid; 1989 and 2023
Credit: Inside the Magic

Walt Disney World Resort is home to many magical and beloved attractions.

Disney Park fans visit the Walt Disney World Resort theme parks– which include Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios– to enjoy many of their favorite attractions, which include Haunted Mansion, Pirates of the Caribbean, Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, “it’s a small world”, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, Frozen Ever After, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Avatar Flight of Passage, and Expedition Everest, to name a few.

But, there’s much more to enjoy than just the rides at Walt Disney World Resort.

Guests who are staying at Disney Resort can enjoy many magical amenities, including complimentary transportation to the Disney Parks, Extended Evening Hours at select Disney Resorts, and fun theming that simply can’t be found elsewhere. One of the most popular characters in Disney World is Ariel, and currently, there are multiple ways to see the Little Mermaid.

Disney’s first adaptation of The Little Mermaid is a beloved animated film that was released in 1989 and played a significant role in the Disney Renaissance, a period during the late 1980s and 1990s when Disney animated films experienced a resurgence in popularity and critical acclaim. The movie is a reinterpretation of Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairy tale and has become a timeless and iconic piece of popular culture.

One of the standout features of the film is its music, composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by Howard Ashman. The music of The Little Mermaid is a crucial element of its success, with songs like “Under the Sea,” “Part of Your World,” and “Kiss the Girl” becoming instant classics. The film’s soundtrack received widespread acclaim and played a significant role in revitalizing the animated musical genre.


ariel smiles at a dinglehopper little mermaid
Credit: Disney

Disney just recently updated the story with a live-action version of The Little Mermaid, which starred Halle Bailey as Ariel. The film brought in more than $567 million at the box office worldwide, and Disney even added a meet and greet for Disney World Guests to enjoy at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The movie updated several of the iconic songs mentioned above with different lyrics, which caused a stir online.

Another area in which you might not be aware that Disney has replaced the original Little Mermaid is at the Disney Resorts. The Disney Classics channel, which plays classic music videos from many beloved films, has been updated to include videos from the live-action Little Mermaid, and the cartoon version has been removed.

Following the success of the live-action film, many fans have speculated that Disney might update The Voyage of the Little Mermaid to feature the live-action version of Ariel, but nothing has been confirmed.


Halle Bailey as Ariel in 'The Little Mermaid' 2023
Credit: Walt Disney Studios

While you won’t be able to see the animated version of Ariel on the Disney Classics channel, there are still plenty of other ways to see the princess. You can meet Ariel at her Grotto in Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom. In addition, you can enjoy Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid in the same area. If you’re staying at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, you can see an entire lodging area themed to the animated film.

[yougottaloveariel]

THIS IS WHAT I  MEANT BY  LOVE/HATE  relationship

[veu]

I don't understand what this Experience is in which there is no longer the cartoon Ariel but only the live-action Ariel?

[veu]

Source: www.disneydining.com/disney-permanently-removes-original-little-mermaid-experience-ir1/

Disney World Permanently Removes Original “Little Mermaid” Experience, Replaces It With Live-Action Version
Posted by: Isabella Reimer August 16, 2023



The original 1989 version of The Little Mermaid isn’t just an absolute classic Disney film, it’s actually a cultural touchstone, both for the Walt Disney Company and for the culture at large.

For starters, the original Little Mermaid film kicked off the Disney Renaissance as we know it, while simultaneously revitalizing the world’s interest in Disney princess movies and musical theater as a genre (thank you, Alan Menken and Howard Ashman).


little mermaid
Credit: Disney


Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue
Not only that, but this Disney princess movie also coincided with the third wave of feminism, which began in the 1990s. Princess Ariel’s agency, defiance, and overall spunky personality were unlike anything audiences had seen when it came to Disney Princess movies. In fact, Ariel’s personality may have created a pattern we can still see today in Disney Princess movies.

In short, The Little Mermaid is, in our opinion, a bit of a national treasure.

So when a live-action version was announced, there were mixed reactions…more mixed reactions than usual.


the little mermaid
Credit: Disney


There’s No Doubt About It, Reactions Were Mixed For Live-Action Little Mermaid
Some diehard fans were simply more excited for new Little Mermaid content at any cost. Others thought the original film was perfect as it was, and that it didn’t need to be updated or touched upon.

Others were excited to see a new version of Ariel (played by Halle Bailey) that little girls with darker skin tones could look up to and see themselves represented by.

In any case, fans of both Jodi Benson and Halle Bailey’s versions of the Disney Princess hate to see the two pitted against each other, especially when Jodi Benson quite literally passed the torch (or trident) to Halle Bailey.


While we would love to see both the animated and the live-action versions of the Disney film celebrated equally, it seems that Walt Disney World may have a different agenda up its sleeve…


halle bailey disney live action the little mermaid flounder scuttle cgi ariel
Credit: Disney


You’ve Probably Seen The Little Mermaid All Over Walt Disney World, But That May Change…
If you’ve ever visited Walt Disney World and stayed on property, then you know that Disney Resort hotels have a special Disney Classics channel, which plays music videos from the very best Disney movies.

However, according to Inside the Magic, all traces of the original Little Mermaid film have been eradicated from this channel, replaced entirely with music videos from the new Little Mermaid film.


little mermaid jonah hauer king prince eric on beach ariel halle bailey little mermaid
Credit: Disney


Want to See Even More Princess Ariel?
If you’re devastated by this erasure, you’re not alone. But the good news is that the classic version of the Little Mermaid is still very much present at Walt Disney World.

Guests visiting Magic Kingdom can meet Princess Ariel in her iconic Grotto, as well as experience the Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction in the same exact spot. Not to mention, the classic version of Princess Ariel can still be seen during certain parades, character dining experiences, and nighttime spectaculars.

[buckmana]

I find this disconcerting and alarming at the same time.
The scenario I feared most seems to be coming true, that Animated Ariel is being retgonned out of public perception.

I do not think I have ever seen a Live Action recreation supplant the source material like this before.
Based on previous experience, the LA versions were just a once off spin-off.

[yougottaloveariel]

Read my previous statement Disney has a Love /HATE relationship with the 1989 film   2023 gets a BIT more respect

[merprincess]

These articles are sensationalist, don't fall for them. You can still find cartoon Ariel at the Parks, in fact Disney World is the only place in the world you can meet Ariel as a mermaid and they make it a point that it's 1989 Ariel. The live action Ariel will stick around, and I'm so glad to see her too, but let's not pit one against the other. Animated Ariel is still getting a lot of love at the Parks.

[veu]

I'm very happy that both Ariels are present in the parks!
I hope Disney keeps both versions of Ariel in the parks permanently!