Credit: DisneyOne Disney Park has teased another new take on everyone’s favorite underwater princess.
Ariel is just one of the Disney Princesses available for meet and greets at Disney Parks across the globe. Since the release of Disney’s original The Little Mermaid (1989), she’s also inspired multiple attractions, including Magic Kingdom’s Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid in New Fantasyland and Disney California Adventure’s The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, and the indefinitely-closed (and greatly missed) Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
As Disney prepares to update the legacy of The Little Mermaid with a live-action remake starring Halle Bailey, it’s also started making changes to Ariel in the Parks. As Inside the Magic recently reported that both the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort are actively casting actresses to portray Bailey’s version of the princess.
Now, it seems that another Disney Park has big plans for Ariel. A casting notice for Disneyland Paris has called for actresses to “portray the character of Ariel live-action.”
The official Disney Careers website says that they are looking for candidates with:
- A strong stage presence
- Rhythm and dance notions
- Strong ability to adapt and improvise to interact with the public
- Good English skills
- Must resemble the character Ariel live-action
- Height between 1m60 and 1m68
A separate casting call has also been posted for live-action Ariel lookalikes to perform in The Little Mermaid section of Disneyland Paris’ parades.
As of now, the Parks have yet to officially confirm their plans for live-action Ariel. But one thing we can take from this notice is that whatever these plans may be, they don’t seem to be permanent – actresses cast in the role are asked for availability from mid-May to the end of June 2023.
Does this mean Disney Parks will revert back to meet and greets with the classic Ariel from the original animated adaptation? Or will we enter an era where Guests can meet two versions of Ariel in Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort, and Disneyland Paris? However Ariel’s role in the Parks unfolds moving forward, there will no doubt be plenty of Guests in line ready to play a part in her world.
Directed by Rob Marshall, The Little Mermaid hits theaters on May 26, 2023. With Halle Bailey as Ariel, it’s set to tell the same story of a mermaid willing to risk it all for a life up on the surface – even if that means making a deal with the sea-witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy). It also stars Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
Who’s your favorite princess to meet in the Disney theme parks? Let us know in the comments!