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Credit: Halle Bailey/InstagramHalle Bailey has received a lot of flack for her casting as Ariel in Disney’s live-action The Little Mermaid (2023). But after a trip to Walt Disney World, Bailey has proven that she was born to be a Disney princess.
Related: Disney Makes Even More Changes To ‘The Little Mermaid’
The film, directed by Rob Marshall and set to release in theaters on May 26, 2023, has a more realistic appearance compared to the 1989 animated original and will even feature new songs from Alan Menken and Lin-Manuel Miranda. The cast includes Melissa McCarthy as the nefarious sea witch Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian the crab.
However, the highlight of everything seen so far has easily been Halle Bailey as Princess Ariel, an actress and singer who is a member of Chloe x Halle along with her sister Chloe Bailey and is set to star in the musical The Color Purple (2023).
Unfortunately, Bailey has received racist backlash due to her casting as the titular mermaid. But on a recent trip to Orlando’s Walt Disney World, she showed that she doesn’t just play a Disney Princess; she is a Disney Princess.
Halle Bailey’s Magical Disney Day
Related: Josh Gad Calls ‘The Little Mermaid’ Trolls “Broken” and “Pathetic”
Halle Bailey went to Disney World as the celebrity ambassador for the 2023 Disney Dreamers Academy, a program meant to assist in growing career awareness for Black teens and students from underprivileged communities nationwide, where she and The Deltas greeted the 2023 class.
Later, she and Tiana led a parade celebrating this year’s Disney Dreamers Academy class before spending her day enjoying the Park.
@andscape We 👀 you @hallebailey, leading the #disneydreamers down Main Street USA ✨ #ddadisney #BE100 #wdw #disneyworld #mainstreetusa #disneyparade #hallebailey #fyp
However, the highlight of the day came when Bailey shared a video on her Instagram of an interaction with a young fan on Main Street, U.S.A. at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. It was an emotional moment for both the child and Bailey, who previously spoke about how excited she is to provide representation for young black girls.
@dailymail Halle Bailey is a real life Disney Princess 🥹🧜♀️ #fyp #disneyworld #thelittlemermaid #ariel #hallebailey #heartwarming #cute #children
The caption reads: “…and met this beautiful baby Mila Rose who made me cry. She just hugged me so tight ❤️.”
At this point, Halle Bailey has more than proven that she is the perfect choice for Princess Ariel. She can act the part, she can sing the part, and through this magical day at the Magic Kingdom, she’s shown that she lives the part.
Does this make you more excited for the upcoming The Little Mermaid? Let us know in the comments below.