Poll: Should the little mermaid ride and/or actors be updated to reflect the new movie?

[tcufrog]

The only problem I had was when I thought Halle Berry was cast as Ariel. I love Halle Berry but she's too damn old. Once I found out the truth I was cool with it even though I have no idea who the actress is. Ariel is a freakin mermaid. It doesn't matter what her skin and hair color is. The actress just needs to be cute, have great hair and a bubbly and fierce personality.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Then I look forward to seeing the Hispanic Tiana, the white Moana, and the Asian Merida. You do support that, right?

Ariel's race doesnt inform her character or drive her actions.

Do people who say things like this just not understand that point?

Ariel's experiences and choices are because she is a mermaid. Nothing in her story specifically relates to her race. She isn't made fun of by the other merpeople because her hair is red or skin is white. Her desire to be on the land isn't because of the color of her skin.

Meanwhile, Moana's story relates to her culture. Making her white changes that completely. What's a white girl doing living in the Soutn Pacific and getting involved with the God Muai? You could argue that you change her location and what dieties and mythical beings she Iinteracts with but then it's not the same story (and you'd end up changing her name as well as the name of the movie). Nobody got upset when Hamlet became a lion because The Lion King only ended up as a vague twist on Hamlet.

 

[FlightlessDuck]

Y'all remember this made for TV Disney musical?

Black Cinderalla, Asian prince. White king. Black queen.

Disney didn't change the park for this. Don't see why they would for the new Ariel.

 

[pigletliz]

As I said "I'm mainly asking about the setting of the new movie being set in the Caribbean and any new costumes used in the movie. Similarly to how the Pirates of the Caribbean ride changed after the movies."

This is not a thread about the casting. This is about more updates or ideas about the ride or costumes that might be seen in the movie.

This is not a thread for negative controversy. It is meant for positive discussion.

I have yet to see any discussion of this movie, in any form of social media, that hasn't dissolved into name calling, hurt feelings and negative controversy about the casting. If kids can watch Brandy as Cinderella and not have a meltdown in the parks, they can watch a black Ariel and not have a meltdown in the parks.

 

[jormom1030]

Here is an adorable Chinese Merida.

 

[piccolopat]

I think kids (in general) are a lot more flexible with their imaginations than you give them credit for. Kids of all shapes, sizes, races, and genders dress up as Disney characters. When we go to Halloween events we see kids dressed up as characters who, in the movie, were portrayed to look different than the child wearing the costume. And the kids are fine with that. I've seen other little kids point to an "Elsa" and say "There's another Elsa!!" (Because there are always about 90 of them. ) and they don't say "Oh, that girl can't be Elsa. She doesn't look like her." Nope. You put on the Elsa dress, and you're Elsa. You don't even need the wig. Lots of kids ditch the wig eventually, anyway.

Same with Santa Claus or the Easter Bunny....every decoration, mall version, movie version looks different, and yet kids readily accept that all of those different Santas & Easter Bunnies as completely fine. Why? Partly because parents tell them things like: "It's just a story about Santa, or the Easter Bunny, or the Tooth Fairy, and that's how the person telling this story or drawing this story imagined Santa (etc) to look." Same with Ariel or any other character.

Take a look at how JK Rowling imagined mermaids! Now there's a version of Ariel that might freak a kid out. But that's just it...we all get to imagine a mermaid however we want and we can change how we imagine them from one day to another, or multiple times within a day. If you ask a child to draw a mermaid they will. Then if you ask them to draw a mermaid again, immediately, but ask them to imagine it differently, they can do that. Kids, in general, are good at imagination. If a parent simply says "There's a new Little Mermaid movie and this time they used real people instead of drawings.", the kids are already expecting a change. Take one second longer to explain that they decided that Ariel would look different than she did in the last movie, and most kids will accept that just fine.

If kids are really that flexible then Disney should have multiples of each character at each meet and greet to shorten the lines.

 

[underdesea]

Regarding the other, and this will be my last comment on it at the OP's request, no one cares what race a character is. The complaints are that the race should remain the same throughout the characters story - regardless how that story is told. It will confuse children and take away from the immersion that is the beauty of any story. There would be just as much uproar if it were any other character whether you think so or not. People fall in love with these characters. They grow up with them, share them with their children, and make magical memories. Having to break that immersion to explain something like this to a confused child takes the magic away.

Well, this is pointless since you're checking out, but I'm curious if you have children, and if so, are they easily confused by fictional characters? My mom read all kinds of fiction to me when I was a kid, and took me to many Disney movies, and I don't remember ever being confused that the characters in the stories and the movies and at the Magic Kingdom in our annual trips to WDW were real. And my first trip was when I was 7. My mom was really cool and encouraged me to have a wide variety of friends and experiences, though, so I don't think I would have thought much about skin pigmentation anyway.

 

[stephnerninnie1984]

POTC wasn’t animated first. It started out as live-action so adding Johnny Depp to the ride wasn’t such a big thing to me.

They haven’t changed the look of ANY of the other characters in the park that went from animation to live action. Like Cinderella, Belle, Alice, Mad Hatter, etc. All these characters follow the animated version in the park.

I do not see the need to update any characters or rides based on a new imagination of the characters. It’d be a big waste of time and money IMO.

 

[Helvetica]

I’m hopeful for a limited-time meet and greet at the grotto, maybe two Ariels at the Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast, and some new merchandise. If we’re lucky we’ll get new additions to the Enchanted collection. The Ariel wedding ring that they have now is disappointing.

Maybe they’ll be more open in some of the casting in the park shows like they do for the broadway shows and tours. I could see them doing that since it’s something they’ve already done.

I don’t think changing the ride makes sense. It would cost too much money to change everything. It’s fine as-is and they’re too busy building new attractions.

Overall, I think these remakes are good money makers, but they I don’t think that they will have the staying power of the animated films. I don’t see them making lasting changes at the parks for any of them.

 

[DisLiss]

If kids are really that flexible then Disney should have multiples of each character at each meet and greet to shorten the lines.

Disney could do this any time they wanted, regardless of anything to do with this movie. Simply set up duplicate areas/rooms with a line that splits at some point (or one room for a stand-by line and one for a FP line)...some people go to one area/room and the rest go to the other. Short lines as you wish, and it doesn't matter one bit what any of the characters look like. They wouldn't need to have 17 mickey Mouse or Ariels all standing in a row to accomplish this.

 

[ExcitedMama]

You look forward to changing Tiana’s Story, a princess that black little girls waited over 70 years to get, because you’re mad about the Little Mermaid?

Interesting. Petty, but interesting.

The little mermaid can be easily changed up, Mermaids are fantasy.

I have no idea what happened to the other thread after I commented there but Ariel was a big deal to redheads everywhere. As a girl I was bullied for my red hair and pale skin. There are still awful sayings about redheads. Ariel was so empowering to me. She made pale redheads beautiful. As a little girl there were no redheaded dolls to play with and I never had any doll anywhere near as pale as me. My little girl is dealing with the same bullying now and it’s heartbreaking. I want the live action movie to remain true to the animated version. I want a pale redhead to look like she walked out of the cartoon and came to life. For me it’s very much about the look of the animated Ariel but also staying true to the look of iconic characters. There’s a reason that Sonic the movie went back to be fixed because the audience didn’t like how they represented the character, even though he is still a blue hedgehog. People want iconic characters to look how they have always looked. That is NOT racist.

No one cared about the diverse casting for the Descendants because they are all second generation characters so they were free to cast without any preconceived look. My daughter doesn’t care that Uma is black but she would care if she was suddenly played by a white actress in another sequel because it’s not what she associates with the character. She and her best friend thought Carlos was the best of the boy characters and I think it’s so awful he just passed away so young. Neither of them gave a thought to his race or ancestry. The fact that they’d be confused by a huge casting change to Ariel does not make them racists.

I think Disney’s post on twitter through their Freeform is too awful for words. They are calling people who loved a character racist because they don’t want that character to change. Oh but on their ShopDisney Twitter they are hawking a pricy 30th anniversary Ariel doll. The same doll that I’m a racist because I want her to stay in character looking like the doll. The hypocrisy is too much!

 

[cinnaminny]

I have no idea what happened to the other thread after I commented there but Ariel was a big deal to redheads everywhere. As a girl I was bullied for my red hair and pale skin. There are still awful sayings about redheads. Ariel was so empowering to me. She made pale redheads beautiful. As a little girl there were no redheaded dolls to play with and I never had any doll anywhere near as pale as me. My little girl is dealing with the same bullying now and it’s heartbreaking. I want the live action movie to remain true to the animated version. I want a pale redhead to look like she walked out of the cartoon and came to life. For me it’s very much about the look of the animated Ariel but also staying true to the look of iconic characters. There’s a reason that Sonic the movie went back to be fixed because the audience didn’t like how they represented the character, even though he is still a blue hedgehog. People want iconic characters to look how they have always looked. That is NOT racist.

No one cared about the diverse casting for the Descendants because they are all second generation characters so they were free to cast without any preconceived look. My daughter doesn’t care that Uma is black but she would care if she was suddenly played by a white actress in another sequel because it’s not what she associates with the character. She and her best friend thought Carlos was the best of the boy characters and I think it’s so awful he just passed away so young. Neither of them gave a thought to his race or ancestry. The fact that they’d be confused by a huge casting change to Ariel does not make them racists.

I think Disney’s post on twitter through their Freeform is too awful for words. They are calling people who loved a character racist because they don’t want that character to change. Oh but on their ShopDisney Twitter they are hawking a pricy 30th anniversary Ariel doll. The same doll that I’m a racist because I want her to stay in character looking like the doll. The hypocrisy is too much!

Exactly why are you quoting me on this post for your rant? Do you wish to change the other characters also out of spite, is that why? That thread is dead and if you don't like the Freeform response go take it up with Disney. Lots of people have kids who would like to be represented and even still, the movies are not going to fix all the problems in the world.


Seriously, I love Sleeping Beauty. I didn't like Maleficent, it changed the story I loved. Like, it completely changed the entire story. And then they ruined the song Once upon a dream, by having Lana Del Rey sing it at the end. Boo Hoo. I can't even fathom having multiple cows on the internet over it. And guess what, when I sprained my toe and had to rest my foot, I ended up watching Maleficent and so help me I actually like the darn thing. Does it replace the original? No. Its just a different story.

 

[ExcitedMama]

Exactly why are you quoting me on this post for your rant? Do you wish to change the other characters also out of spite, is that why? That thread is dead and if you don't like the Freeform response go take it up with Disney. Lots of people have kids who would like to be represented and even still, the movies are not going to fix all the problems in the world.


Seriously, I love Sleeping Beauty. I didn't like Maleficent, it changed the story I loved. Like, it completely changed the entire story. And then they ruined the song Once upon a dream, by having Lana Del Rey sing it at the end. Boo Hoo. I can't even fathom having multiple cows on the internet over it. And guess what, when I sprained my toe and had to rest my foot, I ended up watching Maleficent and so help me I actually like the darn thing. Does it replace the original? No. Its just a different story.

Because you said it is fine to change The Little Mermaid. Mermaids ARE fantasy but ARIEL is a specific Disney created character. Why is my opinion a rant? Why can’t it matter to me to see pale redheads portrayed as beautiful? Just as having princesses of different colors mattered to girls that looked like them?

 

[luvsJack]

I have no idea what happened to the other thread after I commented there but Ariel was a big deal to redheads everywhere. As a girl I was bullied for my red hair and pale skin. There are still awful sayings about redheads. Ariel was so empowering to me. She made pale redheads beautiful. As a little girl there were no redheaded dolls to play with and I never had any doll anywhere near as pale as me. My little girl is dealing with the same bullying now and it’s heartbreaking. I want the live action movie to remain true to the animated version. I want a pale redhead to look like she walked out of the cartoon and came to life. For me it’s very much about the look of the animated Ariel but also staying true to the look of iconic characters. There’s a reason that Sonic the movie went back to be fixed because the audience didn’t like how they represented the character, even though he is still a blue hedgehog. People want iconic characters to look how they have always looked. That is NOT racist.

No one cared about the diverse casting for the Descendants because they are all second generation characters so they were free to cast without any preconceived look. My daughter doesn’t care that Uma is black but she would care if she was suddenly played by a white actress in another sequel because it’s not what she associates with the character. She and her best friend thought Carlos was the best of the boy characters and I think it’s so awful he just passed away so young. Neither of them gave a thought to his race or ancestry. The fact that they’d be confused by a huge casting change to Ariel does not make them racists.

I think Disney’s post on twitter through their Freeform is too awful for words. They are calling people who loved a character racist because they don’t want that character to change. Oh but on their ShopDisney Twitter they are hawking a pricy 30th anniversary Ariel doll. The same doll that I’m a racist because I want her to stay in character looking like the doll. The hypocrisy is too much!

I am a natural redhead. I loved having red hair as a kid because it made me special! Regardless, I didn't relate to Ariel because of her hair. Her hair is not a natural red color. Its the color of a fire engine! So, to me, it was "fake red". Merida's hair is much more "real" looking AND she is a better role model imho.

But besides all that, here is the thing--you still have the animated Ariel. She hasn't gone anywhere. She is still in the original movie. She will still be in the parks. She will still be on the ride. And you can still buy the dolls anywhere and everywhere.

If this remake of the movie is set in the Caribbean, then the actress they have chosen looks much more right for the part than a pale redhead would.

 

[Hikergirl]

The only problem I had was when I thought Halle Berry was cast as Ariel. I love Halle Berry but she's too damn old. Once I found out the truth I was cool with it even though I have no idea who the actress is. Ariel is a freakin mermaid. It doesn't matter what her skin and hair color is. The actress just needs to be cute, have great hair and a bubbly and fierce personality.

LOL, I thought the same thing, I was like why is Halle Berry Ariel she's old enough to be her mother.
I'm not a fan of the live-action remakes at all, I don't care if they used a real mermaid I will always love the original more than any other version they put out. I would definitely not want to see the ride re-themed to depict the live-action movie.
I am not familiar with Halle Bailey but she looks cute and if she can sing she'd be able to pull off Ariel. I mean Disney can't do any worse than they did casting Emma Watson as Belle.

 

[cinnaminny]

Because you said it is fine to change The Little Mermaid. Mermaids ARE fantasy but ARIEL is a specific Disney created character. Why is my opinion a rant? Why can’t it matter to me to see pale redheads portrayed as beautiful? Just as having princesses of different colors mattered to girls that looked like them?

There are two animated movies based on redhead, pale girls. Those two movies....still exist. And Disney can do whatever they like with their own telling of these stories. People can choose to buy into it, boycott them, ignore it, whatever they like.

 

[cinnaminny]

LOL, I thought the same thing, I was like why is Halle Berry Ariel she's old enough to be her mother.
I'm not a fan of the live-action remakes at all, I don't care if they used a real mermaid I will always love the original more than any other version they put out. I would definitely not want to see the ride re-themed to depict the live-action movie.
I am not familiar with Halle Bailey but she looks cute and if she can sing she'd be able to pull off Ariel. I mean Disney can't do any worse than they did casting Emma Watson as Belle.

People really disliked Emma as Belle, huh? I never realized this until I started watching Disney message boards. (and fb groups)

The Halle Berry thing is actually really funny. I think most people thought they were talking about her when this was first announced.

 

[Moliphino]

I am not familiar with Halle Bailey but she looks cute and if she can sing she'd be able to pull off Ariel. I mean Disney can't do any worse than they did casting Emma Watson as Belle.

This! I saw the new BatB singalong coming to the France pavilion might be based on the live action movie and was just baffled. Why use the one with the Belle who can't sing without the help of autotune?!

 

[luvsJack]

People really disliked Emma as Belle, huh? I never realized this until I started watching Disney message boards. (and fb groups)

The Halle Berry thing is actually really funny. I think most people thought they were talking about her when this was first announced.

Not me! I loved the live action BatB. And Beauty is my favorite fairy tale! I really like Emma Watson and thought she did a fine job. Many times in the animated movies one actor does the speaking voice and another does the singing. So using autotuned just didn't seem like a big deal to me.

 

[Hikergirl]

People really disliked Emma as Belle, huh? I never realized this until I started watching Disney message boards. (and fb groups)

The Halle Berry thing is actually really funny. I think most people thought they were talking about her when this was first announced.

I don't know about everyone else but I didn't like her as Belle, there were so many better choices IMO.
To be fair though I'm not an Emma Watson fan at all.