PHOTOS: Live-Action Ariel Meet and Greet Opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Shannen Ace

Updated on:

PHOTOS: Live-Action Ariel Meet and Greet Opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The live-action version of Ariel resembling actress Halle Bailey from “The Little Mermaid” now has a meet and greet in Walt Disney Presents at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Live-Action Ariel Meet and Greet

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Ariel has been added to the Walt Disney Presents marquee.

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The meet-and-greet is near the theater at the end of Walt Disney Presents. This is where Sulley from “Monsters, Inc.” used to appear, but he can now be found at Pixar Place.

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In the queue, “The Little Mermaid” scenery concept art and images of Ariel’s friends are displayed.

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The images are set against panels with color-changing lights.

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The meet-and-greet area is decorated to look like a room in Eric’s seaside palace during sunset. Books, a map, and a telescope are on a table.

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Ariel is in her light blue “Kiss the Girl” dress, as seen in images released by Entertainment Weekly.

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Ariel will be greeting guests daily starting at 9:00 a.m. The meet-and-greet will only be available for a limited time, but Disney hasn’t announced an exact timeframe.

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Watch our video with Ariel in the embedded tweet below.

For a limited time, a sneak peek and props from “The Little Mermaid” are also available at the Walt Disney Presents Theater.

For a limited time, guests can see live-action Ariel in a musical street show at Disneyland Paris and in a meet and greet at Disneyland in California.

Live Action “The Little Mermaid”

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Oscar-nominated Rob Marshall, known for his work with “Chicago” and Disney’s “Mary Poppins Returns,” directs “The Little Mermaid.” The remake stars Halle Bailey as mermaid princess Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian the crab, Awkwafina as diving bird Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, Javier Bardem as King Triton, and Melissa McCarthy as Ursula. Noma Dumezweni will portray the new character Queen Selina, Eric’s mother.

The full trailer debuted during the Oscars, and a teaser trailer was released in April. Alan Menken, who wrote the score for the original 1989 “The Little Mermaid,” made some lyrical updates for the live-action remake, with help from Lin-Manuel Miranda.

“The Little Mermaid” will be released in theaters on May 26, 2023. Bailey and Jodi Benson, who voiced the animated Ariel, united at the film’s premiere.

This wasn’t the first time that Bailey and Benson had interacted. According to the LA Times, Benson makes an on-land cameo in the film and was on set for the filming of “The Little Mermaid.” Benson was a source of on-set support for Bailey. “She told me how proud she was of me and how I’m handling everything, and encouraged me to just go for it,” Bailey said regarding Benson. “I appreciate her for being so warm and welcoming to me because she’s the GOAT, and it was important to me to get her stamp of approval.”

Check out some of the live-action-inspired merchandise now available at Walt Disney World Resort:

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