Halle Bailey's Version of Ariel May Replace Traditional Character at Disney World - Inside the Magic

Comments for Halle Bailey’s Version of Ariel May Replace Traditional Character at Disney World

Halle Bailey as Ariel in The Little Mermaid 2023

Credit: Disney

42 Comments

  1. Scott Lee-Ross

    and that comment is pure racism.

    1. David

      If Disney want to lose money for woke stupidity it will be on the CEO s head

    2. S

      And your comment constitutes pure treason against the United States.

      1. KS Songbird

        No…I’m all for wanting every little girl to feel like a princess. My problem comes when they want to change current characters to be more politically correct. Why not just come up with NEW characters and rides instead of replacing characters that we already know and love. Also, they already have Princess Tiana…

  2. Disney 70'sFan

    No, she is not my Ariel. I will always prefer the original Ariel that I grew up with.

    Besides, Halle is the 2nd Princess. Princess Tiana was the 1st.

    1. Marie

      And in the original Princess and the Frog story, the Princess wasn’t black either. Why don’t they find characters who are actually….originally black to create films around. Imagine if they took black characters and made them white….Hmmmm…. So done with Disney.

      1. Clay

        Agree! Sorry to say but lazy people trying to take an old idea and put a new spin on it.

        Funny I have seen three Latina moves that are animated and love all three. Coco, Book of Life and Encanto! Love Moana also!

        See other cultures who bring forward there own stories of there history! So why can others do the same thing without having to rip-off other peoples creations! Then crying when people push back like “Velma”!

    2. Rachel

      I agree 100%!!

  3. Eric

    Another change not needed or wanted, leave characters alone and stop changing them to satisfy a small group or morons.

    1. Josh

      You mean African Americans? You’re calling them morons? You hear yourself rac1st?

      1. John

        No, I think he was talking about people like you. And per your comment, accurately so.

      2. Jayne1955

        You mean only black people should go to this movie because it’s THEIR movie? That’s crazy. I went to see Harriet and people sitting in my row with me asked me why I was there since it was a movie for BLACK people. I was very uncomfortable.

        1. zara

          It’s double standards when it comes to black culture, god forbid should we try and embrace it, we can’t win

      3. Clay

        Yes! Yet not all black people feel that this change was needed or wanted!

        Several feel that it’s kind of the same thing the black communities cry about cultural appropriation! As it is!

        You hear melting pot a lot and being thrown around a lot when cultural appropriation is shown between all races!

        Yet if a white woman makes tortillas, White person has dreadlocks ( Even though the Vikings had them.) Then it cultural appropriation on there half!

        Because why? Easy just look at there skin if it’s white they are in the wrong! You can only cultural appropriate if you are white!

        If anyone else does then the whole melting pot comes into play!

  4. John S.

    I agree, no one can replace the original work Jodi Benson did. Disney shouldn’t replace a version of a character at their parks.

    1. Josh

      Eh Jodi benson is trash IMHO, so I’m personally happy with this!

      1. franklin

        >Jodi benson is trash

        So is Ms Bailey! Personally I don’t see why Disney chose her other than the color of her skin. I’ve seen a couple of things she was in and wasn’t wowed at all. In fact I was bored when she was on screen.

      2. PO'ed

        You are so wrong. Jodi is not anywhere near trash. She has more class in her pinky finger then you and Halle Bailey.

  5. Megan

    No, just no. This is getting ridiculous. First of all blacks are 12% of the population, they are WAY over represented as it is if you go by percentages. Second, Little mermaid is a European (white) fairytale so using blacks in its depiction is cultural appropriation. If they made a movie out of an African fairy tale and cast the lead as white there’d be an uproar.

    1. eddie toye

      yes!

    2. Let's talk

      You know they have done that for many years. Sheba, Queen Sheba. Elizabeth Taylor played black/African roles for years.

      1. Let's talk

        I’m a true fan of The Original Ariel, however I also realize these characters are FICTIONAL and can be white, black, native American. I mean damn people we are talking about a movie that the fish play instruments. Really guys!

      2. Clay

        At that date and time what black female could have played that roll? Has a black director went back and redid the movie to show it’s true cultural heritage? No!

        Not saying one could not but! The times were not right but they were very different!

        John Wayne played a Mongolian warrior it was horrible movie! Velma was played by an East Indian woman and it was horrible also.

        Yet Will Smith as Agent J and Samuel l. Jackson as Nick Fury both characters where white in the comics but these actors did an amazing job at these rolls!

        Also to add all Disney live action remakes are horrible! Emma Watson was by far the ugliest Bell ever!! She just plane ugly!

  6. Josh

    Excluding reality in your scenario is rac1sm. If you can’t take the heat, stay out of the kitchen

    1. Casual Observer

      I just look forward to a blonde Tiana one day. Maybe we can have a Chinese Black Panther too. 😃 I think that would be great! Very inclusive! Because… you know, only people with your same skin color can be characters you identify with. Tell me you’re a waycis without telling me….

      1. Clay

        There is a funny video on YouTube about a guy who goes to some college in Florida believing some big University!

        The students claim that each college, business, and so on should have an equal amount of each race.

        That was until the guy showed them what their starting lineup for their football team would look like! Then “It’s a game we want the best people in there to win!” The reply was “Business is a game also should I not be able to pick the best people to help me win by their experience not the color of their skin?”

        I agree! I want to win at my company and if I hire one person over another it’s due to their resume and experience! Not because of the color of their skin!

        Said part is this to get into an ivy League college or most colleges.

        Depending on your race will determine how high you have to score to get into the college.

  7. Kayla

    I am positive they won’t just get rid of the original version of Ariel. That’s the opposite of equality. Not to mention the animated version is a classic and to completely rid the park of her would be unfair. I think they’ll have a mixture of the two. I’m pretty sure Ariel had a couple different meet and greet types and spots.

    1. Casual Observer

      This isn’t about fairness or equality. It never has been. This is about pandering to the lowest common denominator. You cannot please people who are treated with kid gloves. They won’t be happy until they replace white people. It has totally shifted, and is about dominating and superseding white people. I am white, and I can tell you there are times I’m sure I was passed up for a job because I am white. I have friends who WERE told they were passed over for a job because they were white. “For equality” is not a thing because if it was, it wouldnt matter WHAT color Ariel is. When the only way they can feel superior is by taking over someone else’s content is allowed, it will just get worse. They don’t even see it as the insult that it is.

      1. lola

        Well said, spot on!

  8. Isa

    Ugh really why can’t they just leave things the way they are but all becuase of all thease African Americans always accuseing people of being racist they Wana change everything in the world becuase nobody wants to be accused of being racist when they are not smh so now we gotta give them everything they want or they’ll accused people of being racist smh it’s ashame what this world and the people in it are comeing to just to get what they want

  9. Diehard

    I don’t think changing the race of a Disney character or any character is good. I think Disney should make more African American princesses rather than remake or colorize a Disney character that wasn’t that race to begin with. Again I’m not trying to say this is a bad thing, just think they should make more African American princesses rather than change the races around.

    1. Jayne1955

      Right. Why should people be satisfied with this instead of wanting to see their own characters. I want to see Shuri and Ramonda in the parks. Especially Ramonda since you never see an older person as a character.

  10. eddie toye

    yes!make new stuff! with race in mind! dont change because the wheel is getting real SQuEEKy! …

  11. Jayne1955

    I don’t what to say about black girls relating to her but she doesn’t look anything like any black girls at my kids schools. But if they feel this is necessary, maybe they can alternate?

  12. Mickeymouse3

    The question should not be about the color of her skin, but why are they making a live action remake of the film in the first place? Disney is supposed to be about creativity. Not much creativity in remaking something that’s already been done. People can’t change the color of their skin in real life, don’t change it on the screen either. Create a film that is new and then make it “inclusive”.
    As far as this flick goes, if it flops, it flops. If it’s good, everyone will watch it.

    1. david

      Disney is lazy and creatively bankrupt. But they are most afraid of having a box office bomb and losing a ton of money during the process. Remaking their animated movies to live action is an easy way to put out “new” content that the audience is already familiar with and will likely want to see. Too bad we can’t get some more new ideas coming out of the studio instead.

  13. Erick

    Omg I just can’t. Firstly I think Bailey was poorly casted from the start as she’s nothing like our classic Ariel. Secondly I can see a big FLOP at the box office because of that. Thirdly in the actual fairytale Ariel was DANISH, DANISH are WHITE. Why couldn’t they found an African tale with actual black characters. Why do we needed this? Everyone was so excited about the new remake of the little mermaid but after we saw the cast list🤮🤮🤮 There are much more white people than black, isn’t it logical to have more white characters??? Even if I weren’t white I would’ve preferred the original… For that 12% of population they make such harsh decisions… Shame on them!!!

  14. Clay

    That’s ok! Just like how its wrong to use words to place a negative stereotype on people of color, race , sex and some religion. I agree!

    Yet when a new word “Karan” come up used by all these young people who cry about derogatory words being used! Yet they are alright using a derogatory term for a middle aged white female who feels entitled. Yet that’s okay because it’s going after white people.

    Just watch “Velma” in it she talked about how white men have small tools! Yet that’s comedy I guess from a very very unfunny comedian!

  15. Jacob Allen

    I prefer Ariel as a white character. She can only be black in the new live action film.

  16. Lacey

    Black skin, copper skin, white skin is doesn’t matter any girl can be a princess and if people with racism has a problem with it. That’s their problem not ours

    1. wesley

      >any girl can be a princess

      Sure they can. But you can’t stick a black chick into a story written into the 1800s by a northern European and pretend that was the intended actor for the role. People would also be losing their stuff if you took Mulan and instead of having an asian woman play her instead we used someone from Denmark. It makes about as much sense.

  17. Katie

    Hmm, I predict this change causing problems at the character Meet & Greets. All it will take is some racist couple yelling at cast members about how they didn’t wait hours in line for a photo of their kid with the “woke Ariel” and start demanding for the “original Ariel.” Others will get involved, kids will be crying, people will record it and boom, it goes viral. And of course, I’m sure people will try to purposfully cause problems just to get attention. Honestly, I don’t get why they are doing this since they have never had the other live action versions of the princesses in the parks before. I mean, all the princesses, any rides they appear on and the majority of the merchandise featuring them is based on the animated films, so to suddenly change it just for one princess makes no sense. If Disney was smart, they would have both versions of Ariel available to meet in the park so there are options. This change could blow up in their face.

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