#seaside kingdom prince (prince eric)

[friendlyheartless]

"We're right here." Elsa spoke as she, Anna and her friends from Arendelle were in the house of mouse. "And so you know, this blizzard has nothing to do with Elsa." Olaf said. "That's true." Anna nodded.

"Well, we do have Mole make a tunnel." Audrey spoke. "He could dig us out, but..." Milo Thatch said about one of his friends. "He's a bit different." Kida said to Lucas about Mole. "I could make a tunnel, but it would take me a while, without being frozen." Mole said to the group.

"Did you hear, Belle? It could us a while for us to go home." Beast said to comfort his lover, Belle. "Well, we could always build a home." One of the Three Little Pigs said, given they always make houses of hay, sticks and bricks. "Then, what can we do?" Melody asked. "I'm sure Mickey will think of something." Ariel spoke to Eric as she comforts her daughter. "Of course he will. He always does know what to do." Cryst said.

@the-world-hopper

As Asha was holding hands with Lucas, Mickey had began the show as everyone from their respective worlds had applauded throughout Christmas Eve. "Well everybody, that's our show. Thanks for spending Christmas Eve at the House of Mouse! Here's wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe trip ho-ho-home." Mickey said giving everyone a farewell.

"What a great show." Mickey said going backstage to Minnie and Pluto. "Oh Mickey, it was just wonderful. And now we can spend our own Christmas at home." Minnie smiled. "But we can't go home!" Goofy shouted to Mickey's confusion.

"We're snowed in." Daisy stated. "Well, this is a fine predicament." Donald frowned. "It can't be that bad." Mickey said as he walks to the entrance. "Uh, Your Majesty?" I asked getting Mickey's attention as I was standing next to Sora. Mickey then takes a look along with the others. "Oh no." Mickey spoke seeing that they ARE snowed in.

[disneydarlin]

1989 Disney's the Little Mermaid: Prince Eric —Aesthetic

Prince Eric's Character & Personality

Eric is a young and dashing prince of a seaside kingdom, Tirulia. Due to his passion for sailing, he enjoys fishing and exploration. Eric also likes playing the flute, his family and his dog. Beyond this, he isn't like most royals. Instead, Eric lacks vanity and isn't impressed by extravagant gestures. More than anything, he's a hopeless romantic. Eric is quite dreamy, believing his true love certainly exists, but simply hasn't been found. Thus, he dislikes being forced to marry. After finding his soul mate, Eric proves his commitment towards romance by risking his life for his lover's safety. Ironically, he's initially shy around girls. Although Eric didn't know she had rescued him, he wanted to kiss Ariel, but was initially too shy to do it. Eventually, he overcomes his shy nature regarding girls completely.

[faith-trustpixiedust]

random Descendants headcanons that have been in my brain for so long but I've never really talked about:

Evie can speak a variety of languages; her mother taught her that as a princess she must be able to communicate with anyone.

Gaston has a handful of daughters that he doesn't accept as his own kids. Also, the Gaston twins are Gil's half brothers. (In one fic, the twins' mom is Mother Gothel and Gil's is an OC who was a metalsmith for Hook's crew but that's not really a HC as much as just a world building thing.)

Hans has a son named Hamlet. Hamlet is a Danish prince, Hans is a prince in a movie based off of a Danish fairytale. It makes me laugh.

CJ Hook is a flirt. I have no explanation but she is and it stresses Harriet and Harry out.

Lonnie keeps swords with her at every formal occasion. She was ready to throw down with Maleficent at the coronation and Uma at cotillion if she hadn't been stopped.

Mal explained their plan to steal the wand to Ben after his coronation. He didn't know how to feel at first, but ultimately forgave her and was glad she was honest with him.

Doug also apologized for stalking Evie in D1 and for accusing her of cheating in D2.

In general, people apologize for things they did wrong. Also they all go to therapy. (Chad, however, doesn't properly apologize for things and is overall insufferable, but in an endearing way.)

Chad is a firstborn child and was the only boy for a while, which is why he's Like That™.

Fairy Godmother is the godmother of all of Cinderella's children.

The descendants of anyone who was once under a sleeping spell have some sort of side effect from it. Audrey has night terrors and almost always wakes up with the sun, no matter what time she went to sleep the night before.

Many people that were spelled by villains have problems with fertility, which is why we see people like Philip and sleeping spelled Aurora and Belle and beast cursed Adam with only one child each.

Seaside (Eric's kingdom) makes the best saltwater taffee. I have absolutely no proof behind this but came up with it in like, 2016 and have believed it ever since.

Agrabah loves any reason for a celebration, there's many festivals that occur throughout the year (inspired by the harvest festival in the live action Aladdin)

Persephone visited Hades in the fall and winter after he was put on the Isle, but stopped after the first few years. Enter Maleficent, seeking a political marriage to help enforce her position of queen of the Isle...

Anastasia and the Baker were in a similar situation, except he decided to permanently live on the Isle to be with her 7ish years in.

Most of Anastasia's kids are named after some sort of historical political figure. Anthony for Mark Antony + various OCs. She did this in order to try to get back on Lady Tremaine's good size.

Drizella, on the other hand, had absolutely no rhyme or reason in choosing her kids' names except for the fact that they all start with D.

Evie loves to bake. Everyone in Auradon was very hesitant to try her sweets at first, what with the love spell cookies Ben had and the fact that the daughter of the Evil Queen was offering them apple tarts.

Jane loves anything pumpkin flavored, especially pumpkin spice lattes.

Jay is the first of the core four to learn to drive, and the only one to have his license in D2. Even after the others learn to drive, he still loves taking them places (and they don't complain).

Mal has a high tolerance for spicy food. She once eats an extremely hot pepper on a dare and Audrey tries to prove she's just as good as Mal, she can do the same thing. It does not end well for her.

Carlos connects with the non Isle part of the de Vil family after being encouraged to do so by Roger and Anita. He's cautious at first, but grows to love them.

Lumiere, Plumette/Babette/Fifi/whatever you call her, and Mrs. Potts have all technically retired from their work in the castle, although they do help manage the next generation of maître'ds/maids/housekeepers in Adam's castle. Cogsworth stubbornly holds on to his role as majordomo until Ben becomes king. After the coronation, Chip takes over his role.

Additionally, Mrs. Potts now works in the kitchen at Auradon Prep and is a maternal figure to many of the students there.

The castle's staff were there when the four VKs were first welcomed to Auradon, even though Belle and Adam couldn't make it.

When Uma mentions having coconuts in D3, she ate them in Montuni (Moana's kingdom). Moana meets her but doesn't realize she's the Uma, and they both bond over their shared love for the ocean.

The core four are assigned "punishments" of community service after trying to overthrow the country. Mal is tasked with painting murals around the capital, Jay is assistant coach to a local little league tourney team, Carlos volunteers at an animal shelter, and Evie works in a chemistry lab. Ben feels so wonderfully evil for sneakily connecting them with mentors without them knowing it.

[omgcpausandstuff]

I've been reading a lot of epic fantasy, and now my head is full of an AU where Jack is the crown prince and spent his summers before he came of age with his mother at a seaside fort where Lord Richard Bittle was castellan, so he grew up knowing Bitty. He hasn't been back since he turned 18 and took up the duties of the crown prince, and when his mother tells him that Lord Eric will be attending the winter court at the capital in Kingsmount, he can't help but picture him as he last saw him five years ago at 13. He takes a moment to remember his days at Madistone fondly before returning to the all consuming work of helping his father run the kingdom. There's a reason he stopped going there - the days of ease and frivolity are behind him. He will show Lord Eric the necessary courtesies, but is determined to not let a friend from his youth be a distraction from the necessary duty of wrangling the nobles that descend on the court en masse every winter.

Obviously, that's not how it works out. Much to his eventual delight.

[calliecat93]

Callie’s Disney Princess Retrospective: The Little Mermaid

(Snow White) (Cinderella) (Sleeping Beauty)

By the time of 1989, The Walt Disney Company was in it’s Dark Age. Walt had passed, the Nine Old Men were retiring, and their films were viewed as jokes. The Dark Age tends to get what I feel is an overly harsh reputation, but that’s not what we’re here for. The cold hard truth is Disney was a shadow of its former self. Their films just weren’t getting the same praise as they once did, and now with Don Bluth gaining success, with films like An American Tale and The Land Before Time, they weren’t even the top studio anymore. Their lowest point was the colossal failure of The Black Cauldron and while films like The Great Mouse Detective earned some praise, it was just never enough. They’d start getting some steam with Who Framed Roger Rabbit? but considering that they commissioned Richard William’s studio in England over Disney’s own animation studio, it seemed that even the company itself was losing faith in their own talents.

That all changed, however, with the release of their 28th animated feature. This would be the film that changed everything. It brought Disney back into prominence after years of being laughing stocks. It would enter the animation medium into its Renaissance, a time still fondly remembered by many. And for the purposes of this series, it is the film that both resurrected and revitalized the Disney Princess franchise. All of this would be due to 1989’s The Little Mermaid.

Overview

Ariel is a mermaid, but she dreams of one day being able to be part of the human world. Always collecting whatever surface world treasures she can find, to her father’s disapproval, Ariel one day stumbles upon a ship celebrating the birthday of the handsome Prince Eric. It’s love at first sight, but as he is a human, her father King Triton reacts negatively. Hurt, Ariel goes to the sea witch Ursula, who grants her human legs at the cost of her voice. To remain human, Ariel has three days to get Eric to fall in love with her and kiss her. But Ursula has her own wicked plans for Ariel, plans that will endanger both land and sea. Will Ariel be able to get Eric to fall in love with her and become part of his world? Or will Ursula triumph?

Review

I have been waiting for this day for SO LONG. Do you want to know why I decided to do this series, to begin with? Aside from 2020 driving me to insanity? It’s because while the complaints against the Disney Princesses in general have frustrated me for as long as I can remember, there were two in particular that always made my blood boil because they made no sense. Cinderella was the first one, which I already covered. The other? Ariel. I think you all know what I’m referring to here, but let’s put a pin in it for now. We have a LOT to discuss before we get to analyzing Ariel herself. First, let's go over the film.

The film is based on the story of the same name by Hans Christian Anderson. Walt himself had actually planned it long before, but sadly was never able to make it a reality. When the directors pitched it, at first it was denied due to Disney having already releasing a mermaid film called Splash not too long ago. But it was allowed to continue to be worked on as a future project and after a great deal of tweaking, expansion, and reworking, it was approved as a feature film to come out after Oliver and Company. There were a LOT of changes from the original story. The sea witch went from neutral to the villain, characters were expanded and added, and of course the story of unrequited love that ended with the little mermaid committing suicide was thrown out all together. A lot of the story basis was still there, but Disney was taking it and making it their own arguably even moreso than with the Classic Three.

The animation is fantastic. Many of the films prior like The Rescuers and Oliver and Company, while they looked nice, had this… roughness to it. I mean they were outright recycling animation for a good while, with Robin Hood being the biggest example. But the animation here is some of the nicest, most fluid that they’ve had in quite a long time. It’s colorful, expressive, and grand in feel. This is especially true with the musical numbers. I mean Under the Sea has SO much going on, and it is a true spectacle! It’s especially prominent when Ariel is mute. Since she can’t express herself with words, the animation had to be on point so that we could still understand her thoughts and feelings. They did an amazing job. From things like her visual glee at being human when going to bed the first night, to her annoyingly blowing her bangs during the canoe ride, turning into excited glee when Eric guesses her name. It helps Ariel feel more like a three-dimensional character and illustrates everything to us that words couldn’t at that point.

The biggest animation challenge for this film would be to convincingly portray the illusion of being under water. They had to convince us that Ariel was living under the sea, and I’d say they did a pretty good job. It is no easy task and trying to describe it is… hard. But I never had any doubt that they were underwater, especially compared to the scenes that were on the surface/ just look at how Ariel's hair is constantly flowing compared to how it sits when on the surface. It’s that attention to detail that I always appreciate. The opening especially, seeing the underwater landscape thriving as we see the silhouetted merpeople until the grand reveal of King Triton’s castle. Not to mention the seashore setting of Eric’s own castle and kingdom, a perfect match for this sort of movie. As someone who loves water/seaside settings, it’s always a joy to see!

While several of these people worked on the Dark Age films, this is really the first film that allows the then-new talent of Disney to shine. The directors were John Musker and Ron Clements, who are VERY important names to the Princess line. They not only gave us Ariel but also Jasmine, Tiana, and Moana. They’ve been attached to many of Disney’s most beloved films and event cult classics like The Great Mouse Detective and Treasure Planet (both of which you should watch). You also have animators such as Glen Keane, who would go on to animate Pocahontas and Rapunzel and work on some of the future princes (The Beast and Aladdin), and Mark Henn who would animate Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas (alongside Keane), Mulan, and Tiana. They both would be the supervising animators for Ariel, and go on to have very successful careers in future productions. 

But this film also gave us what may have been the best decision that the new management ever made. For the music, they hired lyricist Howard Ashman, who chose composer Alan Menken to collaborate with him. I cannot stress enough how important these two’s contributions were for this (and the next film we’ll be discussing) production, especially the former. Ashman became very passionate about this project and was very influential on it’s direction to the point of being credited as a producer. Menken of course would go on to have a LONG, successful career as a composer on many of the Renaissance films. Many of which we’ll be touching on in this retrospective. These guys won two Oscars for The Little Mermaid for a reason.

I haven’t talked a whole lot about the music in these films outside a little bit about the main song. That’s because while not unimportant, the music didn’t really move the story along. Like Someday My Prince Will Come/ is cute, but does it really drive anything forward? Or tell us anything about Snow White that we didn’t already know from I’m Wishing? Not really. Ashman, using his stage musical experience, wanted to use that kind of styling with The Little Mermaid. To use music to add depth to both the characters and to the story. We’re all used to most Disney films being this Broadway-esque spectacle nowadays, but this film was the first to truly do so. Considering how this formula is still being used to this day, I think it’s safe to say that it was VERY successful. Again, the music won two Oscars for a reason. Heck for a LONG time, the music was all that Disney was able to win from The Academy, so that says a LOT as to how good this was.

So now that we’ve made it here, I’m going to discuss the vocal tracks individually and give my thoughts on each of the major ones:

Fathoms Below: Might be the most underrated song of the bunch. It’s in the style of a sea-shanty discussing the legends of what is below the sea. It’s a great intro to the film, letting us know right off the bat what kind of movie we are in for. I know that it sure had me invested~

Part of Your World/Reprise: I’m gonna go more into depth on the song’s meanings when we analyze Ariel, but this song is perfect. It’s the song that tells us Ariel’s wants and dreams and Jodi Benson does such a great job putting so many different emotions into it. The animators also did a fantastic job with the expressions, fully showcasing Ariel’s longing, sadness, and desperation to be part of a world that she cannot. The reprise equally does a great job showcasing her evolving revolve, going from ‘longing’ to ‘determined’. The song is fondly remembered for a reason… and it almost didn’t make it into the film. During screen testings, Jeffrey Katzenberg (the studio head at the time) wanted the sequence cut as the kid audience was ‘bored’ and ‘restless’. The directors and Ashman HEAVILY disagreed and argued back, with Glen Keane ultimately being the one to convince Katzenberg to keep the scene. Thank God for it because this adds such a strong, emotional core to both the story and to Ariel’s character and it would have taken so much away if removed. I love it~

Under the Sea: This was the number that won the Oscar. I… find it the most overrated track tbh. Not that it’s bad, FAR from it. It’s probably the best animation-wise with how much is going on. Sebastian somehow managed to conduct… all the sea life into a mass spectacle that certainly had me convinced to living under the sea. The calypso style is very fitting and fun, and Samuel E Wright sings it with so much passion. I guess that I find it overrated because I just like other songs more, but this is still a true showstopper that’s worth revisiting.

Poor Unfortunate Souls: Aside from I think Cruella DeVille (and even then Roger’s the one singing it), I think that this is the first true villain song in a Disney film. If so, then they started on a GLORIOUS note. I love this song! It was THE perfect song for Ursula. The first half with her fake reformed villain act but with this condescending air to it (Pat Carroll’s delivery with the  ‘Pathetic’ line is perfection) was already grand, but the second half? Pat Carroll just lets loose and goes utterly insane. It is AMAZING and has so much charisma to it that you can’t help but be invested. It’s also very creepy, especially in the end with Ursula's cauldron bubbling and especially how she takes Ariel’s voice. This would inspire many great villain songs in the future and to this day remains one of the all-time greats.

Les Poissons: I never thought that seeing a chef cook would be so horrifying… the song is fine. It’s a silly sequence, albeit morbid from poor Sebastian’s perspective, and Rene Auberjonois did a fantastic job despite the song being pretty short. It’s my least favorite track, mainly because it doesn’t really add or enhance anything. But it was fun… poor Senastian though XD

Kiss the Girl: The love song of the film. I love the animation for this one. I mean what’s more romantic than taking a canoe out on the lake? That’s where I’d want my first date to end! The mood is set so well with the use of shadows and once more, Sebastian is able to conduct a spectacle effortlessly. Once more Samuel E Wright does a fabulous job singing, this time with a serenade style. Even if poor Scuttle didn’t get the appreciation that he deserved. Let the seagull sing, dang it! The only thing that ruins it is the eels capsizing the canoe, jerks! But yeah a beautiful serenade that is bound to convince anyone to… well, kiss the girl XD

And that’s not even getting into Alan Menken’s score! Alan Menken is my favorite composer of all time, so I love everything that he has ever done. I still remember the opening, hearing the instrumental of Part of Your World and immediately became invested in this film. The man is an EGOT for a reason, and this is only one of the many fantastic soundtracks that we’ll be discussing in this review. He also did some additional music for the Broadway version of the film, and there’s a whole body of demo work that he and Ashman did that you can probably find on Youtube, Spotify, or whatever music streaming service you use. Listen to Ashman’s rendition of Part of Your World, you WILL be driven to tears.

So now we get to characters… and HO BOY do we have a lot. For the sake of this review we will be going over King Triton, Sebastian, Flounder, Scuttle, Ursula, Prince Eric, and as per usual Ariel will have her own section at the end.

King Triton, while not evil, serves as an antagonist early on in the film. By all appearances, Triton is a capable ruler who wields a great deal of power due to his triton. He appears just, and for the most part he is as well as a caring father. The only problem is… well, his anger issues. Triton HATES humans and the surface world. We’re never told why aside from him calling them ‘fish-eaters’ (the DTV prequel suggests it’s due to the death of his wife, but the canonicity is debatable), but considering that his youngest daughter’s greatest passion is learning about the surface world… yeah. Needless to say, they have issues between them. But he is otherwise loving and was even excited that Ariel may have found love until he found out about their species. With how overprotective he is, that was a nice subversion despite how brief it was.

Triton often gets the ‘abusive’ label thrown against him and while I do think that that’s a little too strong, there is no denying that his hatred and anger affects Ariel emotionally. He may have seen destroying Ariel’s grotto as for her own good and is likely the culmination of however long Ariel’s been going to the surface finally boiling over. But to do this right in front of her when she is begging him to stop and outright ridiculing her for saving Eric’s life… yeah. It’s… it’s a horrifying scene that does NOT make Triton look good and is what pushes Ariel into seeing Ursula. It doesn’t matter the reason, destroying your children’s things is something that WILL scar them emotionally. To be far, the moment Ariel breaks down Triton clearly realizes that he crossed the line, but he just leaves because… yeah there was NO WAY that they were reaching a reconciliation at that moment.

Triton has a lot of issues, but the reason I don’t call him abusive and like him as a character is because after the grotto scene, he was clearly remorseful. After Ariel goes missing, he outright says ‘What have I done?” and his demeanor expresses a lot of remorse. If that wasn’t enough, I think that him both selling his soul to free Ariel AND turning her human after realizing how much she loved Eric more than showed that he has learned his lesson. Triton had to learn to allow Ariel to grow up and choose her own direction in life, even if he didn’t like said direction. It’s very relatable to how some parents struggle to let go of their children as they grow up. My only real complaint is, as I said, we don’t know why Triton hates humans so much. If we did and saw him work through it, it may have helped us understand why he was so against Ariel’s passions and not come off as needlessly cruel as he did. Nevertheless, he realized his wrongs and made it right. His hug with Ariel at the end is one that gets me every time.

The sidekicks of the film are Flounder, Scuttle, and Sebastian. IDK why they named Flounder Flounder because he isn’t… well, a flounder. He looks like some kind of tropical fish. Flounder is kind of the kid appeal character, even being voiced by a child in all incarnations except Return to the Sea since he had grown up. He is Ariel’s best friend who goes with her on her adventures, despite almost always being easily frightened. He’s well-meaning, but can cause more trouble like when he accidentally exposed Ariel’s excursion during the concert. But he’s also a sweet little guy and very loyal to Ariel. The kid outright went out of his way to somehow recover the Eric statue, which is ten times his size, and deliver it to her grotto to make her happy. That is friendship. He doesn’t really develop, but he’s a nice supporting character.

Scuttle is… well, dumb. But a fun dumb. He’s a surface creature and thus has more knowledge about surface world items than Ariel does… except he doesn’t. He’s not smart, but they manage to keep him entertaining because he’s so sure that he knows what he’s talking about. Imo, dinglehoppers are a MUCH better name for forks than forks, dang it! He tries to help, like it was his idea to try the serenade during the canoe ride… too bad that he can’t hold a note. Poor bird tried. They also DO allow him to be useful at the end, discovering that Ursula had tricked Eric and he amassed one heck of an army to humiliate her long enough for Ariel to reach the ship. It is one of the funniest AND most awesome moments in the whole film. Scuttle is just fun comedic relief who doesn’t overstay his welcome and his VA Buddy Hackett did such a great job~

But if there’s any character aside from Ariel that we remember from this film, it’s Sebastian. This Jamaican crab is the royal musical conductor and Triton’s advisor. He’s often the one who has to watch over Ariel, which clearly frustrates him on multiple occasions. Tbh, Sebastian probably has the most character development in the film. In the beginning, while understandably upset that Ariel being a no-show ruined his conducting debut (though tbf… NO ONE bothered to make sure she was in place? Really?), he’s mainly upset that /he/ looked bad. After the storm, he’s more concerned about getting into trouble with Triton than about Ariel herself. He knows how much the human world means to her, and while one can argue that Ariel /should/ be more aware of how her actions affect others, Sebastian isn’t much better. He only discourages her to save his own shell, not for her own good. Which eventually leads to him breaking and exposing what happened during the storm when he should know damn well that Triton will explode. Yeah it was because he misunderstood, but still.

However, Sebastian isn’t a bad crab. After the grotto's destruction, he immediately feels guilty and tries to apologize to Ariel, but she angrily dismisses him. He tries to convince Ariel to not go to Ursula, but as she’s still upset she bitterly brushes him off and tells him to get her father since he’s good at that. He therefore follows with only Flounder and at first, panics after Ariel is human. It’s understandable because… yeah, that’s bad. His first reaction is to get Triton to fix this, with Ariel trying to stop him. Once he sees the heartbroken look on her face, Sebastian realizes just how miserable Ariel would be back home. At this point, it's reasonable to assume that Triton will only be stricter about letting her have her ventures, and thus she’d be stuck in an unhappy life. This, along with the situation at least being partially his fault, convinces Sebastian to hold off and help Ariel win Eric over. Which he certainly tries his best. 

One of my favorite scenes is Ariel going to bed and being so excited to experience these new things as Sebastian tries to advise her on getting Eric to kiss her. But he stops when he sees that Ariel has fallen asleep with the biggest smile on her face, and he just affectionately calls her a ‘hopeless child’. The affection in his expressions and Samuel E Wright’s delivery is just so sincere and it really shows that for all his bluster, Sebastian does care for Ariel. The crab is also a seriously talented conductor. Like I said, he put together both Under the Sea AND Kiss the Girl in zero time and they’re both amazing numbers because of it. He really tries hard to help Ariel and once Ursula strikes again, he decides it’s finally been long enough and gets King Triton. Sure that doesn’t go well, but at that point it was absolutely the right call. He also helps fight off Flotsam and Jetsam, willing to put himself in harm’s way to help both Ariel and Eric. 

Sebastian became a much more understanding, more selfless crab over the course of the film, realizing that he needs to care less about saving his own skin and to understand why Ariel does what she does. It’s especially notable at the end. In the beginning, he advised Triton to keep a firm grip on Ariel when he asks if he was too harsh. At the end? He advises him that children have to be free to lead their own lives, which is what convinces Triton to grant Ariel legs. It’s a really nice character arc and this along with Sebastian’s two spectacular musical numbers leaves no question as to why he’s so beloved.

But what’s a great film without a great villain? For that we get one of the best, Ursula the Sea Witch. She is a fantastic villainess. She’s a large octopus woman who used to work in the palace, but for reasons unknown got banished. In early versions, she was going to be Triton’s sister which would have added a VERY twisted dynamic to the whole thing. Maybe that’s where they got the idea for Scar in The Lion King… anyways! Her design was based on Drag Queen Divine who was also going to be the VA for Ursula, but she sadly passed away of an enlarged heart before any recording to be done. After going through various performers, the production staff settled on actress Pat Carroll, who did a spectacular job. You can just tell that she is loving every single second of this role, and she has always happily returned whenever they need new Ursula material like in House of Mouse or in the parks. Just listen as she goes off the chain in Poor Unfortunate Souls that is some amazing acting.

Ursula is confident, manipulative, and a true actress. Her entire gimmick is manipulating vulnerable, insecure people into making deals with her. Deals that are pretty much impossible to keep and thus, she claims them as hers and adds them to her ‘garden’. She targets Ariel specifically because of her passion for the surface world and since she likely knows of Triton’s hatred for it AND of his anger problems, she’s just waiting for the day he screws up and Ariel is vulnerable. I’m gonna go MUCH more in depth with this when we get to Ariel, but this is SO important to note. Ursula struck when Ariel was hurt, emotional, and not thinking straight. It shows just how manipulative she can be. This is who she preys on. She knows how to sway them to act how she wants them to. She’s a saleswoman, and BOY does she sell it. It doesn't help that she gives Ariel very little personal space and manipulates her feelings for Eric to be further swayed. Yet Ariel is the stupid one because she was manipulated by a master manipulator… patience Callie, you’re gonna be able to let it out soon enough…

Ursula works so well as a villain because of how smart and manipulative she is. Like I said, she knows how to prey on the vulnerable and insecure. But she also knows when to get herself involved. After Ariel almost kisses Eric on the second day, Ursula disguises herself and uses Ariel’s voice to hypnotize Eric. And even though Scuttle and his undersea army humiliate her and Ariel gets her voice back, she bought just enough time for the sun to set and the spell breaks. Ursula won. She captured Ariel, forced Triton to sell himself to save his daughter, and claimed ultimate power. It was a truly methodical plan that ultimately succeeded. You gotta give her props for that.

Don’t make any mistakes though. While Ursula is intelligent and confident, she /is/ still evil. I’ve seen people say that she should have won just because they don’t like the ‘abusive tyrant’ Triton. Aside from what I already said about Triton above, Ursula is shown to be far, FAR worse. I mean… I hate to use the term, but she essentially s***-shames Ariel throughout Poor Unfortunate Souls. I mean she outright calls her a ‘little tramp’ after the canoe scene, which in this context is a G-Rated way of calling her a s***. To a sixteen year old. Yeah… plus we saw how power-mad she went once she got the triton, and it didn’t bode well for either land or sea. Triton’s temperamental, but he isn’t a tyrant. Ursula’s only redeeming trait is that she DOES care for her henchmen Flotsam and Jetsam, and their death at Ariel’s hand is what provoked her to go mad with power. This was ultimately her undoing as she was so focused on tormenting Ariel that it allowed Eric to take his ship and kill her. It’s a pretty gruesome Disney Villain Death (we outright see her SKELETON FLASHING at one point), but she brought it upon herself.

If you asked me what villain helped shape many of the ones we got during the Renaissance… I’d say Professor Ratigan from The Great Mouse Detective. But Ursula was the first Renaissance villain, and she started it off right. She’s enjoyable enough that we love it when she’s on screen, but still detestable enough that we want her to lose. Many complain about doing ‘purely evil’ villains. That villains HAVE to be sympathetic or nuanced, otherwise they are poorly written. While there’s nothing wrong with sympathetic, or even redeemable villains, having a purely evil one is also perfectly fine. Disney is the master of this. Ursula’s motivation is strictly to gain power, but it works because they give her character so much personality and charisma. Petty motivation, but excellent character writing that makes us not mind. I’d say if you want to learn how to do a Pure Evil character right, study Ursula in particular along with Jafar and Hades. They’re all great examples of how to do it right.

Finally we come to our leading man, Prince Eric. So far the Disney Princes have acted more as a necessity than anything. It’s as I said in the Sleeping Beauty Review, Florian and Charming fill out a plot point and while he was more proactive in comparison, Phillip fell into the same trap. Did Eric finally break the curse? Well… yes and no. He's a firm middle ground between ‘necessity’ and ‘actual character’. He’s allowed FAR more than any of the other princes thus far. Eric is a seasman, he loves going out on the ocean in his ships. He’s adventurous, good-looking, and an overall nice guy. We see that he isn’t really into fancy stuff, outright cringing when Grimsby unveils the statue. He also isn’t interested in Grimsby trying to set him up with various noble women. Like Jasmine and to a degree Prince Charming, he wants to find love for love, but on his own time. These are the traits that attract Ariel to him. Plus he’s also heroic, going back to a BURNING SHIP in order to save his dog Max… yeah I’d fall in love with him too.

After Ariel saves him, Eric becomes determined to find her. But he only briefly saw her face and heard her voice. Funny how NO ONE gets on Eric for this while hating on Ariel, but again we’ll get to that soon enough. When he meets Ariel he recognizes her face… but since she can’t talk, assumes that she can’t be the mystery girl. Still, being a good person, he takes her back to the palace to give her shelter. It’s not long before he becomes endeared by her though. She’s pretty, sweet, and even though she can’t talk he has a good time showing her around the kingdom. It's so clear by /Kiss the Girl/ that he has fallen for her, to the point that even Grimsby points it out to him. It gets him to give up on the mystery girl which is VERY important. It shows us that Eric didn’t fall for Ariel because she happened to be the girl he was looking for, but because of who she is as a person. It shows the audience that his feelings are genuine which makes us further root for him and Ariel… too bad that Ursula goes and ruins it.

As far as personality goes, Eric is more fun than his predecessors, but he’s still stuck with the standard prince-like personality. He’s given more lines than all of them combined and has a real charm to him. You can see why Ariel would like a guy like him. He’s kind, fun, adventurous, and even a little rebellious. He is her ideal vision of what humans are like. The end of the film lets him prove himself as well, going out to help Ariel despite the danger and of course using his own ship to kill Ursula. It does cause Ariel to be a bit of a Damsel in Distress, but she DID save him much earlier and she stops Ursula from blasting him to smithereens, so it balances out. It was enough to prove himself to Triton, at least. So Eric is a nice step up as far as princes go, but we’re not quite out of the well with them yet. But it won’t be much longer, heehee XD

There’s other supporting characters that I really don't have much to say about. Ariel’s sisters are nicely designed, but ultimately bland. I think the series and Ariel’s Beginning did more with them, but otherwise there’s not anything to discuss. Grimsby is fine enough, being the closest thing that Eric has to a parental figure (where ARE Eric’s parents in all of this anyways?) and is stuffy, but otherwise a decent guy. Chef Louie is… crazy. That’s all that I can say. This film has a lot of characters, let’s put it that way. But of course, we have one more to go over. The titular little mermaid herself. I’ve been hinting at this throughout the review, so I think you all know exactly how this will go…

Ariel Analysis

I cannot stress enough how massive a step Ariel was for the Disney Princess line. As much as I have defended the Classic Three and standby all of that, there is certainly some repetition going one with them. All three are beautiful, passive, and can’t directly do much to accomplish their dreams. And at least two of them are dreaming mainly about a man, which is NOT a bad thing, but it was certainly getting old. Feminism has also been evolving since 1959, the last time a Disney Princess film came out. A lot had changed in those thirty years. Women in media could now be more proactive, take matters into their own hands, and have their own hopes and dreams that weren’t just about love while still being allowed to find love. Simply put, as much as I love Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora, the times had changed and it was time for Disney to get with those times. Thus we got Ariel, and she was exactly the right princess to take the line into a whole new direction.

The beginning of the film is a pretty clever way to set her up. The Classic Three are known for being angelic singers, and for good reason. It’s pretty much the first thing they do when we meet them (well, as an adult in Aurora’s case) so the concert sets this up. It’s Ariel’s ‘debut” and her sisters all have the looks and angelic voices that fit the archetypal Disney Princess. But then the shell opens up… and is empty. Then we cut to Ariel, who is about to go inside a sunken ship to look for surface world artifacts. It is an excellent subversion, setting up a Classic Princess move and flipping it on it’s head. It’s shown very quickly that Ariel is adventurous and actively seeking out her dreams despite her situation instead of trying to just make do with the way things were and hoping for the best. We also get a fun sequence of her and Flounder escaping a shark, so first time a Princess got an action scene as well.

The film very quickly establishes Ariel’s love and fascination with the surface world. Exploring sunken ships, going to Scuttle to get more information, later we see her grotto that is filled with so many items that we would consider standard, but that she considers treasures. These mean so much to her. She finds the surface world ‘wonderful’. But there are setbacks and consequences for her actions, in this case her forgetting about the concert. She didn't mean to and feels bad about it, and Flounder mentioning the reason why didn’t help. It’s clear that Ariel and Triton have been arguing about this for a long time, the latter failing to understand how much this means to Ariel and is at his wit’s end. His demands for her to stop upset her, causing her to storm out of the throne room and head for her grotto.

This leads to Part of Your World. This song/sequence is vital to understand Ariel’s character. This is the song where she expresses all her hopes and dreams. How she wants to be human. How she wants to learn more about the surface world. How she wants to experience things like walking down a street or finding out how a fire can burn. Throughout the film, we never learn how Ariel got so interested in human culture and just why she’s so passionate about it. But we really don’t need an in-depth explanation because this song conveys so much sincerity and emotion that it makes us believe in her passion. We understand how much this matters to her, and in turn it makes it matter to us. It’s why if it had gotten removed, it would have robbed Ariel of this depth and in turn, rob the film of something essential to its story. Thank God it remained intact.

This is a good time to talk about Ariel’s voice actress, Jodi Benson. Having originally been in Howard Ashman’s failed musical Smile, she was brought in originally as Ariel’s singing voice before being promoted to also doing the speaking the lines. This was not only her voice acting debut, but as far as I can tell her film debut as well. She did such a lovely job in the role. She perfectly conveys Ariel’s passion, drive, and sincerity while still coming off as a sixteen year old girl. Her singing voice has been rightfully praised, and to this day Ariel is often considered the best singer among the princesses. Benson has gone on to do other voice roles such as Barbie in the Toy Story films, Patsy and Ms. Doe in Camp Lazlo, and Aquagirl in Batman Beyond. She has continued to reprise Ariel to this day when needed and has always expressed so much love and gratitude for the film and her part in it, She’s also supported others who have done the role like Auli’i Cravallho (aka Moana) for the ABC Musical and Halle Bailey for the upcoming live-action remake. She’s a lovely woman and may she continue to do well~

Going back to the film, Ariel finds herself at a ship and this is where she sees Eric for the first time. It’s love at first sight. Of the Renaissance Era Princesses, Ariel is the one who gets the ‘love at first sight’ critique levied at her the most. Belle and Mulan of course didn’t have that issue and I usually see Jasmine and Pocahontas be given a free pass in this regard. Now of the five, The Little Mermaid IS the most blatant with the trope, but let’s look at it through Ariel’s POV. This is the first time that she’s seen so many humans up close. Eric is around her age (to my knowledge, at least. His VA was 16 at the time IIRC). It is very quickly established that Eric is jovial, uninterested in things like statues in his image, rebellious as he has rejected all the women Grimsby has arranged him with, and wants to find love for himself. He has many of the traits that Ariel herself has, being a rebellious, free-spirit teen herself. But most of all he is heroic, as demonstrated when he goes back to his burning ship to save his dog.

In other words, Eric is Ariel’s ideal vision of what people are like. She saves him from drowning, the first time that a Princess has saved her Prince, and is able to look at him more closely. She is clearly infatuated and seeing this man, this good-hearted, handsome young man who is everything that she ever dreamed of. This is what pushes her from just dreaming about being human to swearing that somehow she /will/ be human. Yes, she gets motivated by love, but the goal was there before this moment. It just became a solidified goal. One that she is going to make a reality someway, somehow. She even notes in the Part of Your World Reprise that she doesn’t know when or how, but it doesn’t matter. Compared to how fleeting her hopes were in the main song, the reprise is so much more triumphant and determined and continues to show just how important this truly is to Ariel.

Sadly however she still has one obstacle in between her and her dream; her father. The next day she is so happy and lovesick and it’s really cute, but Sebastian knows that this is going to cause major issues with her father. His big Under the Sea plea goes ignored, and Ariel is led to her grotto by Flounder, who has brought her the Eric statue. She’s so happy and acting like… well, a teenager in love. But unfortunately due to Sebastian jumping the gun, Triton finds out and he is enraged. Not only is he angry that Ariel again went to the surface, but she both saved and fell in love with a human. Thus we get the dark scene of Triton, in his rage, destroying the grotto. Every item, treasure, and relic that Ariel has gathered for who knows how long has become nothing but a pile of dust. Including the statue of the man she loves. 

Say what you want about ‘love at first sight’ or Ariel being a lovesick dummy, but this is outright traumatizing. This sixteen year old girl, a girl who aside from forgetting a few engagements has done nothing wrong, had all of her hopes and dreams shattered by her own father all because of his own blind hatred. Imagine being a teenager and your parents destroying everything you love all because they hated something that you loved. Even if Triton regretted it, it doesn’t change the pain that he inflicted upon his own daughter as she breaks down. She’s so upset that she rejects Sebastian trying to apologize and just tells him and Flounder to go away. They comply, leaving Ariel to cry in her now bare grotto… that is, until Flotsam and Jetsam appear.

So.. let’s now talk about Ariel going to Ursula and accepting the deal. First, her going in the first place. When Flotsam and Jetsam bring Ursula up, Ariel… /refuses/ to go. She is aware that Ursula is bad news. She had no intention of going to her at first and outright tells the eels to leave. What makes her agree? The two knocking the remains of the Eric statue in front of her. At this point, Ariel’s pretty much been rejected by her father and all of her treasures that kept her seabound are gone, so… what’s she got left to lose? She follows and naturally Sebastian tries to stop her, but she just angrily tells him to get her father since he’s good at that.

Ariel enters Ursula’s domain, and we come to the scene. Ursula declares to have changed, demonstrates her power, and offers Ariel the deal to become human for three days and it’ll be permanent if Eric kisses her. If Ariel fails, she not only becomes a mermaid again, but she belongs to Ursula. She also has to give up her voice as payment. Now we all know the big criticism against this, that being Ariel selling her voice and leaving behind her family and all that she ever knew and loved… for some prince that she hasn’t even really met yet, let alone spoken to. Now do I see why people dislike this? Yes. It’s a very rash, very stupid decision not just for those factors, but the fact that Ariel is essentially selling herself to the devil for this one thing. None of this is a good thing… but here is the big question, does the film do enough that this makes sense for Ariel’s character? Is this something that I can see her doing?

Yes, yes I can.

Let’s look at this piece by piece. First, Ariel is clearly uncomfortable the entire time that she is in Ursula’s lair. Ursula continuously gets into her personal space, laying on the manipulation at every step. When she lays out the deal, Ariel is at first hesitant. She herself brings up that if she takes it, she’ll likely never see her family again. She’s also hesitant when Ursula lays out the terms of payment, not just because she has no idea how she’d woo Eric without it, but just the concept of losing her voice clearly unnerves her. Look at her face when she grabs at her own throat, she is NOT okay with this. Even when Ursula begins to create the brew and poof sup the contract, Ariel isn’t excited or just jumps to it without thinking. She is VERY CLEARLY hesitant and unnerved about everything. 

So… why does she do it then? Well remember, she’s still emotional after her confrontation with her father. Her father has rejected her in her eyes and destroyed everything that she had worked for. At this point, her dreams and feelings for Eric are all that she has. She is hurt, emotional, and desperate and when we are hurt, emotional, and desperate we tend to make rash, even outright stupid decisions. Especially when we’re teenagers. Ursula waited to strike at this very moment for this exact reason; so that Ariel wouldn’t be thinking rationally.  These are the exact kind of people that Ursula preys on, and as I said above, she knows how to manipulate them to act how she wants. She gives Ariel the offer of her dreams, assures her that she can woo Eric without talking, poofs Eric’s image up at one point, and makes it clear that she’s giving her very little time to think it over. 

With absolutely nothing left to lose and it being clear that her father will never support her dreams, Ariel reluctantly signs the contract. She outright turns her head away when she signs. She KNOWS that she’s making a big choice and she isn’t 100% okay with it. She didn’t just give up her life callously for a man like some like to make out. It was a rash choice, but she had reluctance and fears about it. But it’s the only chance she’ll get to get her dream of being human and being happy, which is what ultimately drives her to make her choice. Given how she risked her life already against a shark, this is in-character for her and shows how far she’ll go for her dreams. And as we’ll see, this is going to have consequences as we near the end of the film.

So the deal is made. Ariel loses her voice and is transformed into a human. Once she makes it to shore, she gets to see her new legs, and for the first time since the confrontation, is happy. She has legs. She is human. The one thing that she had wanted for so, so long has finally come true. Naturally Sebastian wants to get Triton, but she stops him and gives him the saddest, most pleading look that I think I’ve ever seen. This is Ariel’s one and only chance to get what she dreamed of. Triton would not only stop her, but considering what happened before, who knows what else he’d do if he saw her as a human. It is 10% understandable why Ariel doesn't want him involved, especially once it would just lead her back to a life of misery. Sebastian realizes this and agrees to help her, which pretty much gets her to forgive him for what happened before.

Thus, we get to the first true meeting between Ariel and Eric. Of course, Ariel can’t explain who she is because of her voice being gone, so Eric assumes that she can’t be the same girl he saw despite her looking like her. But he sees her in the makeshift dress that Scuttle got her into and assumes that she’s shipwrecked, especially since she can’t walk well. So he takes her to the palace, and Ariel is able to get refreshed and get used to walking on legs. She is clearly delighted by everything. She is now part of the world that she longed for,, and she is loving every second of it. Sure she quickly finds out that forks aren’t combs, but hey she’s learning exactly what she wanted to learn. She is in utter bliss throughout the two days that she’s on the surface, doing thinks like learn to dance and ride a horse-drawn carriage. It’s all she ever hopes it would be.

But of course, Ariel still needs to get Eric to kiss her, or all of her dreams will end. She almost makes it with Kiss the Girl, which despite not being able to talk she made it pretty clear that she was willing and ready for Eric to kiss her. Ursula ruins that, but Ariel HAS endeared herself to Eric and he even prepares to go to her after giving up on the mystery mermaid. But of course, Ursula disguises herself as Vanessa via Ariel’s voice and hypnotizes Eric into marrying her. It’s sad because when Scuttle informs her of the proposal, Ariel is elated. She runs down the stairs, excited and gleeful… then she sees Eric and Vanessa, and you can see her heart break in two. It especially hits hard as she watches the ship take off, broken-hearted. She’s lost the man she loves, in moments she will be a mermaid again, and she will belong to Ursula fair and square. She pursued her dream, and it all seemed for naught.

But once Scuttle finds out about Ursula, Ariel quickly springs into action. With her friend's help, she reaches the ship just as Ursula’s necklace gets broken. This is a nitpick but I don’t like how Ariel ultimately wasn’t very active in helping rescuer Eric. Tbf IDK what she could have done, but I’d have liked to see her stand against Ursula before things go downhill. Otherwise it feels like this and the other events after… kind if feel handed to her by convenience and luck. But regardless she gets her voice back… but she fails to kiss Eric before the sun sets. That’s right folks, the so-called selfish, stupid deal that Ariel made? She failed to uphold it. She reverts to a Mermaid and now belongs to Ursula, and Triton can’t break it as it’s legally binding. So even if you DO think that Ariel made a bad choice, the film shows that yes, it WAS bad and she is now paying the consequences. Sure Triton sacrifices himself to take her place, but that still means that Ursula not only gets power, but her father is now a husk.

Ariel is enraged at this. Despite everything, I don’t think there’s any doubt that Ariel still loves her daddy. She was reluctant about never seeing him again before, and now seeing how her deal has lead to his fate upsets her. One big issue with Ariel is how… well, the film doesn’t make it clear that Ariel grew or learned anything. Sure there are consequences to her actions, but we don’t see her ponder over them. This is the closest we get to her showing regret as she tries to apologize to Triton and outright attacks Ursula for what she did to him. But she doesn’t express true regret for her actions. She doesn’t have a true reconciliation with her father so that the two can reach a resolution. I guess we can blame timing since we’re in the final ten or so minutes here, but it makes the end feel… convenient.

Eric saves Ariel from getting blasted by Ursula, and she manages to save him from Flotst and Jetsam. How? Bu yanking Ursula back and causing her to kill her own minions. Sure it’s not the Big Bad, but again Ariel marks a First in Disney Princess History by indirectly killing a villain. This provokes Ursula to go kaiju and essentially torment Ariel, who is unable to do anything at this point as she’s caught in a raging whirlpool. While one CAN say she’s a Damsel-in-Distress here (hence why I suggested Ariel should have gotten to do more in the wedding crash), she HAS saved Eric twice now. Plus by allowing Eric to kill Ursula, he essentially proves his worth by saving both the ocean AND the surface, and it contributes to Triton’s ultimate decision.

So yeah, Ursula dies, Triton corrects his wrongs by making Ariel human, and Ariel and Eric can live happily ever after. As I said, it /does/ kind of hurt Ariel’s character as she doesn’t really learn a lesson and it feels like she got incredibly lucky at the end. But at the same time Ariel is still a good character, and she marks a LOT of progression for the Disney Princess line. Sure she is a little selfish (though she usually means no harm), but she’s also someone who actively goes after her dreams. She doesn’t have to wait for it, nor does it center on love. Sure Eric is the catalyst, but that’s it. A catalyst. She’s allowed to rescue her prince. She’s allowed to fight against the villain. Sure she’s still emotional, falls in love, and needs her friends help. But she is also a very proactive, curious, and ambitious girl. Her dream was by far the most impossible of the Princesses thus far, but she still managed to achieve it.

Ariel is divisive, and I get why. The film DOES have some narrative problems (minor, but still) and I get why Ariel may rub some the wrong way. Me personally? I love her. She was a refreshing breath of air in the Princess line. She’s different from the Classic Three. She’s a bit more bratty and far less classy, but she also feels the most like a teenager and she follows her dreams in a very different manner. She’s still a good-hearted person, but she’s a flawed person. That’s what I love about her, she’s imperfect. Could more have been done to develop her? Maybe. But her flaws aren’t so bad that she’s a bad character or unlikeable. Her actions make sense and stay true to her character. I understand why she does what she does. I care for her because I see the sincerity in her. I relate to her longing for something that seems out of reach. And while it was nowhere near as conflicted, I know what it’s like to be in conflict with my father who loved me, but never truly understood who I was. But I loved him, he loved me, he ultimately would have let me lead the life I wanted, and in the end that’s what matters. It’s why Ariel and Triton at the wedding always makes me cry. Yeah, watching this two years after my dad passed… really hit hard.

The point is, I cared about Ariel. I related to Ariel. I did when I was a child, and I still do as an adult. Anyone who loves something or someone despite everyone around you not understanding or being against it I think can relate to Ariel and her position. Plus again, she set forward a new direction for the Disney Princesses. It’s a precedent that stands strong to this day. I’ve done my best to shed light onto Ariel, but it won’t convince everyone. If you hate her, fine. I can’t change your mind and tour free to make all the arguments you want. But I’m allowed to stand by my argument, and I am. Ariel is one of my favorites. She inspires kids to follow their curiosity and their ambitions. It teachers parents to accept their children and who/what they love, and to let them go forward in their lives. One can even argue that her film teaches kids to be careful when emotional to avoid the mistakes that she made, but still achieve a happy ending as well. Either way, I think that the hate against this little mermaid is far too harsh and it ALWAYS centers on the deal without taking anything else into account. It’s time we change that.

Final Thoughts

I love this film. The animation is lovely, the music fantastic, and despite a few issues here and there the story is sound. I don’t remember when I first saw it (it came out four years before I was born so not then), but I’ve loved it since that first time. I’m pretty sure I love the ocean and mermaids in general because of this film. Sure it diverts a good deal from the original Hans Christian Anderson story, but honestly? As someone who found that story unnecessarily cruel? I will take this version any day (no offense to those who like the original story, this is just me talking). It is a masterpiece that changed the game for Disney, for animation, and for the Disney Princesses. Ariel was very much a huge inspiration for many of her successors, and I am grateful for all that this little mermaid did.

Upon its release, Disney was FINALLY able to step into the light after spending over 20 years stuck in the dark. The film was a monumental success. The biggest success that Feature Animation had had since Walt’s days. They also finally beat Don Bluth, winning in the box office over All Dogs Go to Heaven, and returned to the top of the animation world. The Disney Renaissance had officially begun, and it wasn’t even close to slowing down. Just two years later, another Disney Princess film would be released. One that would achieve greatness, but also face great tragedy. So come and be our guest as when we return, we discuss a tale as old as time with 1991’s Beauty and the Beast.

Image Sources: Disney Wiki, Animation Screencaps Other Sources: The Making of The Little Mermaid: Treasures Untold

[hetalialoverwrites]

Ways to be Wicked

Part 2

First  -  Next

       Appearing in a cloud of magic, you greeted Ben with a smile as he had been waiting in front of his castle for you. "Ben!" You hugged him tightly, feeling his arms wrap around your waist. "(Y/n), thanks for coming back to Auradon." Ben said. "What are we, chopped liver?" Carlos asked, laughter in his voice. Ben pulled away and grinned at the others, going over to greet them, "Hey guys, nice to see you again." They all exchanged greetings and you took in a deep breath, remembering last year. It seemed like a distant memory now. And now that you had been spending some time with your people and engulfed in nature for a few months, you felt completely at peace. "Well, go ahead and get settled in your dorms. (Y/n), if you wouldn't mind, we have an appointment soon with Princess Ariel and Prince Eric later this week." Ben reminded you. "Oh, yes I remember!" You told him before walking with Mal and Evie to your dorms. There were beds once again... You and Mal sighed, "Again?" You grumbled together.

        During your time going to Auradon for your second year, you spent a lot of time with Ben and touring around the kingdom. You visited many princesses and princes. Many different sections of the kingdoms. However, it didn't really matter where you went, the media would always be following. And no matter how many times you told yourself everything would be fine... It wasn't. Every trip had something go wrong. Take your first meeting with some of the royals. To start off easy, Ben took you to visit Princess Ariel and Prince Eric in their seaside castle. You had dressed in your typical nature-themed backless gown with matching shoes and had done your hair nicely around your horns. You made sure to be presentable in front of Auradon royalty, not only being there as Ben's girlfriend but also as a princess of the Moors. Ben escorted you inside, you hold his arm as you saw Aurora do with Philip many times over the summer. You greeted Princess Ariel and Prince Eric politely and they did the same to you two, but they seemed to be slightly on edge around you. 

        Lunch had gone over well, despite a large amount of press taking pictures and recording everything that happened. The blunder came just as the servants cleared the table and more interesting discussions took place. You and Ariel seemed to be bonding over growing up in a non-human land with Prince Eric and Ben speaking casually with each other. Then Princess Melody, Ariel and Eric's daughter came toddling in the room and went up to her mother. You fawned over the little one, adoring the small children in the Moors and Ulstead. Ariel greeted her and picked up Melody, introducing the two of you. But when Melody's eyes landed on you, she started to shriek and cry in fright. With you, Ariel, Ben, and Eric panicking, the press practically had a field day. Then you remembered your mother's words when she told you offhandedly one day that some of the children in Ulstead were afraid of her. And you remembered your treatment at the hands of those on the Isle.

        Hiding a pained and hurt expression, you forced a smile onto your face and cast magic to hide your horns and wings from those in the room. Ariel and Eric were trying to calm their daughter down when you crouched in front of Melody, who was sitting on Ariel's lap. "Hey sweetie, what are you so worked up about little princess?" You cooed softly, noticing out of the corner of your eye that the cameras were pointing at you. Melody sniffled and calmed down at your soft voice and she opened her eyes to look at you. "Hey, there you are. I'm sorry I scared you. Let me introduce myself. I'm (Y/n). What's your name?" You asked, giving her a warm and patient smile. Melody sniffled and wiped her tears away with her fists before looking at you shyly, noticing you no longer had your horns and wings. "I'm Melody." The little princess spoke gently. You smiled wider, "Oh, that's a wonderful name for a lovely little songbird." You told her, at the same time making a small amber bird out of your magic. It flew around her and sung a nice little song, making Melody gasp in awe and giggle. You managed to save the trip but spent the rest of the time covering your wings and horns. But that seemed to start your downward spiral.

        Under the pressure of the media questioning Ben's decisions and if he was worthy to be king while dating a girl like you, you started to change yourself. Your horns were too scary, like a devil's... So, you hid them with magic. Your etiquette was dreadful, so you started taking more classes on top of your normal classes at Auradon Prep. Your magic was dangerous and frightened those you visited, so you stopped using it. You always came empty-handed to meet with others, so you started to make gifts for those you would visit with Ben. They were too impersonal, so you started to put more thought into them and more time. The way you dressed was not suitable for someone to stand beside the king in, so you changed into the preppy Auradon clothing. Your wings were intimidating and caused people to fear you, so you made them disappear out of sight as well. You were given multiple duties such as planning events, learning all of the laws of Auradon, royal etiquette, princess lessons, how to be a Lady of the Court, the starting of what a Queen of Auradon does... Things continued to pile on you as who you are, who you really are was stripped away. 

        It seemed that whenever you finished something, you were given three more tasks to finish on top of your schoolwork and planning things with Ben and traveling the kingdom. You didn't have any time to yourself anymore, not even to sit down and enjoy nature. To connect with nature. Even in your dorm, you had to give up more of your life, more of what connected you to your Fae roots. Since Cotillion was coming up towards the end of the school year, Evie had to start months in advance on making everyone's gowns and suits. So, within the first three months of the school year, yours and Mal's nests had to leave to make room for Evie's work. So, on top of planning everything for Cotillion since Ben had to focus on his kingly duties, for the most part, you had to make time to create hammocks close to the ceiling for you and Mal. Without magic because Evie scolded you every time you used it! And yes, Jane was assisting with Cotillion along with Fairy Godmother, but you had to make all the decisions, so you had to make sure everything went together and would run smoothly. 

        Regarding your magic and Evie, after you had started to struggle with your duties, Mal had suggested you used magic to lighten the load. So, you did, and it made everything just a little easier. But Evie found out and condemned you for using it, saying Ben wouldn't like it. Ben had hardly noticed all the changed you were making in the first place, or at least, he hadn't said anything about them. So, you decided to ignore Evie's protests as the workload piled on. And Mal... Your dear sister had seen what you were going through and decided that if you were going to hide yourself and had to cut yourself off from your Fae roots, that you wouldn't do it alone. So Mal had hidden her wings and horns. She had stopped using magic in public. She changed her schedule to make sure that it aligned with yours, so that if you had something to do, she could go with you to, she would. She helped keep you awake during school and homework. She made sure that you were eating enough even if you had to run to class and eat something small on the way because of how packed your schedule was.  When you started wearing preppy clothing to fit in, as much as you both hated it, she started to wear it too. When the media had managed to surround you, she had helped you get away from them. And... And when you cried over having to change your hair, she held you. They had decided that the only thing left that you had to change was your hair because it was unnaturally colored. 

        So, you cried that night with Mal holding you on your hammocks after Evie went to sleep. Because your hair was the last thing that you had of yourself. It was your connection to your father as its colors reminded you of flames, like your father's hellfire. Of course, you cried when you hide your horns and wings, as it was painful to lose your connection to your people. You had cried when you had to stop using your magic and being proud of using it in public because it was your link to your mother. You hated that you had to hide it like a dirty secret. And now you cried because you had to change your hair. Mal only held you quietly, a few tears rolling down her face as she felt pain for you and for hiding herself as well. But she didn't complain, knowing how much you loved Ben and just how much stress you had been under. And since she was the older twin, she would pull it together and be your rock because you've done the same before for her. And in the morning, your brilliant red amber hair and Mal's lovely royal purple hair had changed. You both spelled your hair princess length, which was impractically long, and changed the color. You had a washed out and dull (h/c) look with the tips of your hair your natural red amber. Mal had washed out and dull blonde with tips of her natural purple. And with that, you had lost yourself completely to what the kingdom wanted you to be.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Hey guys, just to let you know, I didn't mean to make it sound like your natural hair colors are dull or boring!! I just meant that you should think of your natural hair color and change it to a duller and more washed out color is all. Sorry about the confusion!

[stcrmwxrning-groupsaa]

If you know of anything that I might have missed or if I put something in the wrong place, please let me know.

[ want to see the images in hi-res? — United States of Auradon  |  Auradon Prep ]

For an upscale version, click here.

The 19 Regions of Auradon are the 19 kingdoms that were united to be ruled. Still, each region has their own rulers. There are 12 regions beneath the Great Wall, and 7 beyond.

1. Westerly Region

Locksley: Robin Hood’s home town

Mallorytown

East Hude

West Hude

Sherwood Forest

Notre Dame

Ariel and Eric’s Castle

Seaside

Ariel’s Grotto

Melody’s Castle

Sea of Ariel

Triton’s Bay

Desolation Point

Westerly City

Chateau d'Or

2. Cinderellasburg

Cenerentola: A city

Rocky Point Court: A castle

Cinderellasburg City: The Capitol

Charming Castle: Home to Cinderella, Chad and King Charming

Sea of Goodness

Bondat Island

Faraway Cove

Rhodopus Pt.

3. East Riding

King George Town

Benevelence

Grimmsville

Gothel’s Hideaway

Lake Regis: located near King George Town

Bayou de Orleans

Golden Citadel

4. South Riding

Auroria: The kingdom of King Phillip and Queen Aurora.

Tangleton

Aurora Priory: a monastery

Kingdom of Corona: The kingdom of Flynn Rider and Rapunzel.

Redempton: a town

Leopoldville: a town

Goodly Pt.

Bridge of Benevolence

History Island: connected to South Riding by the Bridge of Benevolence

Arcadia Academy: a school

The Honeymoon Cottage: The forty-room Royal Palace where Audrey, Aurora, Phillip and possibly Queen Leah live

5. Camelot Heights

Mim’s Gulch

Camelot

Pendragon Castle

Myrddin’s Pass

Myrddin’s Ring

6. Towering Heights

Hook’s Bay

7. Auradon Central

Auradon City: biggest city in all of Auradon

Fortuna

Belle’s Harbor

Museum of Cultural History

Museum of Antiques

Belle and Beast’s Castle

Auradon Bay

Morgan’s Turf

Auradon Prep

8. Northern Wei (also known as North Riding)

Imperial Palace

Imperial Academy: a school

Scandanavian Mountains

Greystar Castle

9. Charmington

Eden

Shallows Keep: connected to Charmington by a bridge

Strait of Ursula

10. Summerlands

Enchanted Wood

Mines

Snow White’s Castle

11. Olympus

Grumpy Fen

12. Aredenelle

Weselton 

Southern Isles

Prince Han’s Castle

And these are the regions north of the Great Wall:

13. Neverland

Skull Rock

Hangman’s Tree

Mermaid Lagoon

Cannibal Cave

Indian Camp

Crocodile Creek

Darling’s Coast

Tiger’s Head

L'Isle de Magic

14. Lone Keep

Jordan River

Agrabah

Bald Mountain

15. Winter’s Keep

The Forbidden Mountain

Felicity

16. Schwartzvald

Snowfall Lake

Ivarshoe Palace

Happenstance

Akasha

Serendipity

Titania’s Grove

Museum of the North

17. Aphelothia

Blanche Neige

L'Isle de Bonne Chance

Rosa Rage

Happsouss

18. The Border Lands and Faraway

Greybeard Lake

Daleko: the only city

Sjevernom Gradu: the castle located just outside of Daleko

Chambre Love

Obsidian Tower

Wildlife Park

19. Isle of the Lost

Dragon Hall

Goblin Wharf

Bargain Castle

Jafar’s Junk Shop

Castle Across the Way

Hell Hall

Hades Cave

Slop Shop

Hook’s Inlet

Queen of Hearts’ Salon

Ursula’s Fish and Chips

Frollo’s Creperie

The Facilier’s Shop

Troll Town

Witch School

Isle of the Doomed

Serpent Prep

Lady Tremain’s Curl Up and Dye

Gaston’s Duels Without Rules

Cauldron Repair

Shere Khan’s Pawns

Shan Yu’s Dim Sums

Monstro’s Basking Buffett

Metropolitan Labyrinth

House of Horrors

Wild Jungle

The Lost Passage

Maleficent’s Mountain

Dragon’s Nest

City of Dark

Realm of Gloom

Witchwood

Haunted Desert

Cobra Cave

Dunes of Sorrow

Secret Village

Tree of Venom

Poison Lake

Dark Forest

Not on the Map:

Wonderland ( through the rabbit hole )

[asktheghosthost]

😀 (it's happy time)

Night had fallen over the Magic Kingdom some hours ago, and the last of the guests were gone, but Beau was still cautious as he made his way from Liberty Square to Fantasyland. Cast Members could still be taking care of last minute tasks. Tonight, he couldn’t simply go invisible not with the small satchel he had slung over his thin shoulder. So he continued his quick, darting, sometimes floating trek, past Rapunzel’s tower and “it’s a small world,” beyond Prince Charming’s Carousel, and into what had been dubbed New Fantasyland, (although he wasn’t sure if anyone called it that anymore). 

The Beast’s castle loomed up in the distance as the fountain in front of Gaston’s Tavern burbled playfully close by. Past those, around the hill of the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train, and he was at his destination: Prince Eric’s seaside castle. 

He slowly made his way through the beginning part of the queue, peering over the rock formations into the water below every few steps. “Princess,” he called out in a soft, sing-song tone. “I’ve got whozits and whatzits!”

Where was she? He continued scanning the water. It was always right here–

A splash, and cold water went through the back of his transparent head and out the front of his face. 

With a laugh, he turned around to see Ariel on the other side of the bridge. She held to the pathway, keeping her upper half above water. Her bright red hair clung to her neck and the top of shoulders, then spilled out into the water, making her look like the victim of a vampiric dolphin.

He dropped down to sit on the edge. Then he pulled off his spats, shoes, and socks, and then rolled his trousers up to his knees and plunked his feet down into the bay. The magic that flowed all through this strange kingdom made it deeper at night. Normally, it’d only be a shallow stream winding under the queue. 

“How is my favorite mermaid princess?” He slid the satchel off his shoulder and undid its clasps.

“Beauregard!” she chided with a giggle. “I’m the only mermaid princess you know.” Putting her cheek against her knuckles, she tried to give him a glare, but it didn’t last more than a second. “Unless there is another one you’re sharing human things with. I might be a little hurt by that.” Her curiosity overpowered any urge to tease, though, and her big, blue eyes darted over to see what he brought. 

Resisting the urge to prolong her waiting, he dug into the bag and pulled out an ornate hair clasp. The top was decorated with a big, cloth flower. Its pink petals started with black freckles near the center, and darkened into royal purple at the outer edges. It even had a yellow, upright pistil. 

“Be careful,” he warned. “The metal clasp can rust. I recommend you only wear it on land.” He handed it down to her, and she gently grasped it like it was an actual flower. 

“Oh, Beauregard, it’s beautiful! Thank you!” Ariel’s appreciation was always so sincere and genuine that the old ghost couldn’t help smiling. 

She set the accessory on top of his bag to keep it safe. “I almost forgot.” After a quick dive, she popped back up with her own treasure pouch in hand. Whatever its contents were, it was bulging.  “I thought you’d appreciate this…” 

What she pulled out looked like a belt, but also had another strap that went diagonal from one side to another. It had multiple pouches and clasps. Not until Beau held it did he realize it was made from reeds and bits of rope. Pearls and shells of various colors, in swirling, ornate patterns, decorated it. 

“It’s a royal guard merman weapons belt,” she explained. “They would put spears through the loops here…” She pointed as she went on. “Knife pouch here… Uh, little supplies here…”

Beau held it up, marveling at the craftsmanship. When the bits of shell caught the light from an overhanging lamp, the effect was a dazzling prism. An actual mermaid tool… The scent of salt water and seaweed clung to it. 

“Ariel, this… this is incredible, simply stunning!” Clutching it, he gave her a worried grimace. “Are you absolutely sure it’s all right to give it to me? I would be devastated if King Triton were to be upset with you for sharing this.”

She nodded away his concern. “Oh, don’t worry about it, Beau. You know what daddy used to say? ‘The only good human is a dead human.’ And you’re the deadest human I know!” She laughed, and he joined in.

“Well, thank you. I’m going to put my hatchet in it right away.” He set the belt aside and once more reached for his bag. “Dorian also has some new flute reeds for Eric…” 

Thus the conversation continued, the two odd friends continuing on for another hour under the dim lamplight. 

[thundergrace]

By guy you mean Prince Eric? He’s the human prince who rules a sea-faring kingdom complete with a seaside castle

Okay that makes sense. One person said she's princess of where he's from like it's the same kingdom

[disneyelite]

14 Romantic Photo Ops at Disney World

With engagement season coming to a close, many couples are heading to the Happiest Place on Earth to experience the magic of their favorite movies. It’s the perfect place to capture romantic photo ops in front of the castle, revisit classic stories from your childhood, and let the world know you are ready to spend the rest of your life with that special someone. With stunning backdrops and the ever-present feeling of nostalgia, it’s no wonder Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is one of the most popular locations for proposals in the United States. Even more, a trip to Disney with your significant other is about being yourself and building your unique fairytale romance. Part of that experience is deciding on the most memorable photo spots to showcase your relationship. Whether it’s about revealing common interests, immortalizing where you first met, or creating your very own love story, the perfect venue comes from finding something that represents you as a couple. Below are 14 dreamy picture opportunities for couples to enjoy throughout Disney World Parks and Resorts all year long. Table of Contents 1. Port Orleans Magical Photo Spots One of my favorite resorts to stay at is Disney’s Port Orleans. Staying here, no matter which side you choose, is like getting two fantastic locations for the price of one. The food alone at Port Orleans French Quarter is enough to make the mouth water, especially with menu items like Mickey-shaped beignets, Jambalaya, and Crawfish Étouffée. Toss in the wrought-iron balconies and gates lined with gas lamps, along with all the excitement of Mardi Gras, and it's your very own dream come true.

Photo by Victoria Smith Add to the magic by dressing up as your favorite Princess and the Frog characters, like Victoria Smith and her very own Prince Naveen. While they are on their way to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in this photo, dressing up at Disney is always a great way to start a photoshoot.  See more of Victoria's photos here!

Lindsay and Cody at Disney's Port Orleans Resort - Riverside

Engagement Photos taken by Nathan Root Photography What really sells the magic is the quaint splendor of Riverside. With a stunning backdrop of the Sassagoula River, lush greenery, and architecture set in the style of stately Southern mansions, this side of the resort has plenty to offer in terms of picturesque beauty. To see more of Lindsay and Cody’s lovely engagement photos taken by Nathan Root at Riverside, visit her Instagram. 2. Epcot: Spaceship Earth Photo Op for Couples The most recognizable part of Disney’s Epcot, the Spaceship Earth globe, is not something many think of as romantic right away. However, the origins of the park, and what the icon stands for, are undeniably similar to aspirations as a couple. The park itself initially aimed at being a fully functioning community where innovation and progress thrived.

Samanta and Barry Eldridge at Entrance to Disney's Epcot

Stephen and Emily Mildner: Photo Taken by Randy Chapman Today, Epcot still stands as a beacon of creativity, forward-thinking, and inspires a love for the earth and all those who inhabit it. An engineering marvel, the Spaceship Earth ride and the globe many affectionally call a “golf ball” are a striking example of all that Epcot embodies. Imagination meeting compassion and striving toward a better tomorrow, who doesn’t want that?

Ellen and Joshua Smock at Disney's Epcot 3. Animal Kingdom: Tree of Life Legend has it that the Tree of Life grew from a seed planted by an ant. This tiny insect wanted nothing more than to bring shelter to all the animals in a barren land. His wish for the tree to grow came true, and the images of every animal the baobab tree harbored soon materialized on its trunk. The legend is just a glimpse of the magic and natural wonder we feel when faced with a marvel like the Tree of Life. While we know this tale to be the work of some of the best storytellers in the industry, its theme of wishes, growth, and life are all very real images. And what better scenery is there for couples than a symbol of unity and family?

Devan Spinner and Richard Gonzalez at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Danielle Kendrick and Randy Scudder at Disney's Animal Kingdom The great thing about the Tree of Life is that there are plenty of different places to pose for the ideal snapshot. Below are some of the best places to start. In Front of the Tree: This is the obvious choice. Though whether you take the photo right at the base of the tree or far enough to catch the bustling mercantile shops in the shot is up to you. Walking Trails: There are numerous walking trails winding around the tree, all of which offer an up-close view of the intricate details on the tree’s trunk. You won’t get the full view, but it’s a unique perspective on a beautiful architectural piece.

Stefanie and Daniel Gutierrez III in front of the Tree of Life at Disney's Animal Kingdom  Pathway Between Africa and Asia: When passing between the two continents, a fantastic view of the tree emerges across the river. Not only does this viewpoint come with a PhotoPass photographer willing to take your photo, but you get to see a whole new set of animals carved into the trunk, as well. Nighttime “Awakenings” Show: If you stay at Animal Kingdom long enough, then the opportunity to see the “Awakenings” light show on the tree is one you can’t pass up. Gorgeous streams of color illuminate the park icon, bringing to life the spirits of playful animals who inhabit the tree and enact fun, little stories for guests to enjoy.

Photo Submitted by Crystal Lukacz 4. Magic Kingdom: Fantasyland Princess Locations The expansion of Fantasyland back in 2012 brought a whole new assortment of magical photo spots with the addition of beloved Disney princess scenes. Among these enchanting locales is Prince Eric’s Castle from Disney’s The Little Mermaid, as well as Gaston’s Tavern and Beast’s Castle from Beauty and the Beast. All are a great way to dive into the story of some of Disney’s most celebrated classics with your very own princess or Prince Charming. You can also spice things up with adorable “His & Her” t-shirts or costumes.

Cody Simmons and Sarah Newman in front of Prince Eric's Castle in Fantasyland

Jessica and Michael Ghilardi outside Gaston's Tavern in Fantasyland If the scenery alone isn’t enough to entice you, then try a character meet-and-greet with the Disney princesses. Especially if you are celebrating an engagement, these characters are more than happy to make your experience a magical one. Depending on the crowds, the princesses are a fun way to interact with storybook characters, take fun engagement poses, and receive personalized signatures to commemorate the occasion.

Photo Submitted by Sheri McManigle Bova

Photo Submitted by Sheri McManigle Bova 5. Hollywood Studios: Star Wars Galaxy's Edge Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened in Florida last year and has been a frequent location for tourists and locals alike. There are numerous photo locations for couples that allow them to step into one of their favorite movie franchises, including the famous shot with the Millennium Falcon outside of Smuggler’s Run.

Source: Jordan Pickett

Source: Jordan Pickett

Cody Simmons and Sarah Newman outside Smuggler's Run at Hollywood Studios One of the best things about finding that special someone to share your life with is having someone who also shares your interests. If you’ve found someone who loves Baby Yoda as much as you do, they’re a keeper. When you tell them, “I love you,” do they respond with “I know?” You’ve found the one! So feel free to geek out as much as you want in a location that represents something you both love. And even if your significant other doesn’t quite understand why everyone keeps saying “Bright Suns,” then this is still the perfect opportunity to share something you love with them. Until then, may the spires keep you.

Danielle Kendrick and Randy Scudder outside Smuggler's Run at Hollywood Studios 6. Yacht & Beach Club Romantic Photo Ops An often overlooked venue is Disney’s Yacht & Beach Club Resorts. While many newlyweds immediately think of places like the Grand Floridian or Disney’s Polynesian, the Yacht & Beach Club provides just as many lovely picture opportunities for couples who love the appeal of the seaside. Modeled after New England retreats like Martha’s Vineyard and Cape May, the resort is a romantic getaway complete with elegant lighthouses, a stunning pier, and a view of the beach. While barricades and ropes now line the rim of the lagoon, it’s still an excellent backdrop for those wanting a taste of coastal charm.

Joshua and Ellen Smock at Yacht & Beach Club 7. Disney Duo Character Photos for Couples While we already talked about posing with the Disney princesses for a fun photo excursion, another great way to bring character to your social media posts is by posing with popular duos. Characters like Anastasia and Drizella, Cinderella’s stepsisters, capitalize on magical moments with their hilarious take on…well, everything! Other character meet-and-greets like Mickey and Minnie are a great way to illustrate the sweet side of your relationship.

Cody Simmons and Sarah Newman at Adventurer's Outpost While Toy Story characters Woody and Buzz no longer do meet-and-greets together, Woody now greets guests with his love interest, Bo Peep. Some other fun character duos to meet throughout the parks are listed below. Character Duo Meet-and-Greet Locations: Aladdin and Jasmine: Agrabah Marketplace, Adventureland at Magic Kingdom Anastasia and Drizella: Castle Wall, Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Anna and Elsa: Royal Sommerhus, Norway at Epcot Bo Peep and Woody: Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios Chip and Dale: DinoLand U.S.A. at Disney’s Animal Kingdom & Hollywood Boulevard at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Mickey and Minnie: Adventurer’s Outpost at Animal Kingdom Mike and Sulley: Animation Courtyard at Hollywood Studios

Kristin and Eric Trusso at Disney's Hollywood Studios 8. Polynesian Resort Memorable Photo Spots Say “Aloha” to paradise with a trip to Disney’s Polynesian Resort. This island-themed getaway is brimming with romantic photo ops. Think volcano pools with cascading waterfalls, colorful and exotic landscaping, and lazy beaches with hammocks and swings galore. There’s even a spectacular view of the castle and a great location to watch fireworks at night. Plus, cast members distribute free leis to guests at check-in, as well as to those dining at Disney’s Spirit of Aloha dinner show. So slipping seamlessly into the feel of a Hawaiian vacation is a breeze.

Stuart and Pamela Kennedy at Disney's Polynesian Resort

Kevin Raymond and Yazmin Lugo at Disney's Polynesian Resort

Photo of Couple on the Beach at Polynesian Resort Even if you don’t stay on-site at the Polynesian Resort, it’s still one of the best places to get a bite to eat. Here is a glimpse of what you’ll find on your culinary journey into this tropical retreat. Capt. Cooks: Counter-service breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Kona Island: Serves pastries and coffee for breakfast, and made-to-order sushi in the afternoon. Oasis Bar & Grill: A lunch and bar service that serves fare from burgers to salads. ‘Ohana: Offers character breakfasts with Lilo and Stitch, and Hawaiian style dinners with fun, themed activities for dinner. Pineapple Lanai: A great place to get the famous Dole Whip! Spirit of Aloha Dinner Show: A dining experience complete with hula dancers and fire dancing. Trader Sam’s Tiki Terrace: A great place to enjoy live music while you sit back and enjoy your tasty beverages.

Stuart and Pamela Kennedy at Disney's Polynesian Resort 9. Magic Kingdom: Rapunzel Lanterns Fairytale Photos One of the most mesmerizing moments in a Disney movie is the floating lantern ceremony in Tangled. Not only is it visually dazzling to watch all those glowing lights soar off into the night sky, but it’s a touching scene where Flynn Rider and Rapunzel realize they’ve fallen in love with one another. Right outside Rapunzel’s Tower in Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland, guests recreate this same magical experience with a lantern of their own. These fairytale photos allow couples to step into the beauty of their own love story and “see the light” in a whole new way.

Cody Simmons and Sarah Newman at Magic Kingdom

Stuart and Pamela Kennedy at Magic Kingdom

Billy Archiello and Courtney May at Disney's Magic Kingdom 10. Animal Kingdom: Africa Adventure Photos As you enter the streets of Harambe, the sights and sounds of Africa greet you with an intoxicating allure. Whether they inspire you to dance, shop, or enjoy a quick bite to eat, the surroundings instantly enchant all those who arrive. With exciting walking trails, safari rides, and the Festival of the Lion King all in one area, a visit to Harambe is one of the best ways to show off your adventurous side as a couple.

Eric and Kristin Trusso on Wild Africa Trek

Jessica and Michael Ghilardi on Wild Africa Trek Whether engaged in a challenging expedition through Wild Africa Trek or enjoying a relaxing view of the park on the Africa Bridge vantage point, there are plenty of scenes that capture the wonder and beauty of Animal Kingdom’s park.

Kevin Raymond and Yazmin Lugo at the Africa Bridge in Disney's Animal Kingdom 11. Epcot: World Showcase Imagine sharing a baguette with your favorite person in front of the fountain in France, a magnificent view of the Eiffel Tower poised behind you. Or perhaps, you're getting lost in the geometric splendor and mosaic tiles of Morocco's architecture. These captivating glimpses of culture allow couples to capture extraordinary moments without the equally incredible price tag.

Michael and Jessica Ghilardi at the Fountain in France Pavilion

Stephen and Emily Mildner at the France Pavilion; Photos by Randy Chapman Something many people don't take advantage of enough when visiting the Disney World Parks and Resorts is hiring a photographer to take professional shots of you and your significant other. Most local companies are willing to travel to the parks and encapsulate the magic that makes you two the perfect couple. In fact, some of the couples who generously submitted photos for our article appointed the best artists in the business to celebrate their union. And it shows!

Stephen and Emily Mildner at the Morocco Pavilion; Photo by Randy Chapman

Stephen and Emily Mildner at the Morocco Pavilion; Photo by Randy Chapman Disney also recently unveiled it's new "Capture Your Moment" service, which provides guests with a personalized photo session in their location of choice for a designated amount of time. Whether looking for someone for family sessions, engagement photos, or a wedding photographer, here are some options our lovely couples used in the past. Nate and Jensey Root from Root Photography Nicole Ami from Nicole Ami Photography Randy Chapman and associates from Chapman Photography

Stephen and Emily Mildner at the Germany Pavilion; Photo by Randy Chapman 12. Hollywood Studios: Grauman's Theater Hollywood Studios is a whimsical blend of animation, movies, and theater. Not only does it transport guests to the glitter and glitz of Hollywood, but it also transports them to another era. Nothing captures this timeless feeling more than the replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theater. Many of you may recognize this architectural treasure as the home of the late Great Movie Ride. While we all anxiously await the new Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway ride opening in March, the Great Movie Ride will forever hold a special place in the hearts of so many.

Joshua and Ellen Smock Ouside Theater

Renee and Jon Van Cleve; Photo by Nicole Ami

Close Up of Renee and Jon Van Cleve in Theater Courtyard; Photo by Nicole Ami There’s just something about this tribute to classic Hollywood that inspires romance and magic. In fact, many couples have even found their soulmates here. Replicating the walkway of 1920’s leading ladies and men, the courtyard of the theater is complete with authentic handprints and signatures from contemporary actors, all of which lead up to an entrance protected by two guardian lions. It’s the perfect place to capture all the age and timelessness of the golden age of movies. “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

Renee and Jon Van Cleve; Photo by Nicole Ami

Billy Archiello and Courtney May in Dapper Day Attire 13. Grand Floridian Resort Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is undoubtedly one of the most romantic locations on site. Beyond its luxurious Victorian lobby, white sandy beaches, and a view of Cinderella’s Castle, it even has its own Wedding Pavilion. The most frequently booked wedding location at the park, the site is designed to celebrate your special day in style.

Pamela and Stuart Kennedy along Walking Trail at Grand Floridian

Pamela and Stuart Kennedy Upstairs at Grand Floridian Lobby

Couple Enjoying a Stroll Down Walkway Outside Grand Floridian Wedding Pavilion According to Disney’s website, the cost is $5,000 for the venue alone, with a $10,000 minimum for the event. All of this is nothing compared to the $30,000 wedding ceremony in front of the castle after hours. Though the total cost runs more along the lines of $75,000, minimum. The good news is you don’t have to shell out a ton of cash to enjoy the beauty and elegance that goes with the fairytale weddings at Disney’s Grand Floridian. The grounds typically remain open to the public, unless there is a wedding in progress, which means snapping that romantic photo op is well within reach. If not, there are still plenty of gorgeous locations around the rest of the resort.

Stuart and Pamela Kennedy at Disney's Wedding Pavilion 14. Magic Kingdom: Cinderella's Castle The most memorable photo spot in all of Disney World is Cinderella’s Castle. It’s the first thing people imagine when they think of romantic picture locations, and one of the primary reasons guests come from all over to celebrate their engagement there. I mean, it’s a castle! Primarily inspired by the Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany, the overall design incorporates styles and features from numerous time periods and architecture to construct a genuinely timeless look fit for a princess.

Photo Submitted by Melanie Shirley

Hayley Alexa Hillman and Anthony Ugas

Brandon Hackett and Kyle Raser in Front of Cinderella's Castle What's more romantic than

Proposal Between Krystal Cyr and Heather Birkland by Cinderella's Castle Proposing at Disney is such a big deal that the company even created a website dedicated to ensuring your proposal goes off without a hitch. The Disney Weddings site offers everything from intimate dining experiences to a full-scale, customizable itinerary. So whether you need a little extra help surprising your significant other with a proposal, or want to celebrate after the fact, the site consists of a wealth of resources to guide your journey. Even if you just want some inspiration, there's a helpful wedding blog and dream board offered through the site. As the centerpiece of the entire park, there are plenty of outstanding locations to make this icon the backdrop of your picturesque proposal. Here are just a few of our favorites. Castle Courtyard (Right Up Front) Main Street USA The balcony of the Main Street, USA Train Station Liberty Square Bridge East Plaza Garden Tomorrowland Bridge

Cody Simmons and Sarah Newman Proposal in Castle Courtyard Hopefully, these fantastic couples inspired a whole new burst of creativity for your next (or first) photoshoot at Disney World Parks and Resorts. Now it's time to make your own fairytale magic with that extra special someone who makes your story complete. Did you have a favorite photo location from the article? Is there another one you love that we didn't cover? Let us know about it in the comments!

A Special Thank You...

...to everyone kind enough to send in these beautiful moments in time. You truly made this article extraordinary. Read the full article

[humaudrey]

Meet Lyric!

Lyric is the youngest son and child of Queen Ariel and King Eric, and the younger twin brother of Aria. Like both of his parents, Lyric is open to the new and unknown, which is why he fully supports his best-friend’s proclamation to allow the children of the Isle of the Lost to live with (and attend Auradon Preparatory Boarding School) them. 

He isn’t perfect though, he begins to get cold feet when realizes that one of the children happen to be Ursula’s daughter. His feet warm to the idea once he finally meets Uriana and realizes that she’s nothing like her mother or aunt, Morgana. While Lyric is seen as happy-go-lucky, a bit mischievous, and at times reckless, he’s also known to be very caring and supportive. You never want to make Lyric angry though. Because his temper is a trait he inherited from the king of the sea himself, King Triton, and it isn’t pretty. He’s very much aware of this, and tries his best to calm himself down before he acts or speaks. And if he manages to say something out of anger or spite, you’ll get an apology once the boy had completely cooled off. It doesn’t take a magic mirror to find out that Lyric is the captain of the swim team at school. He loves to sail (thanks to his dad) and loves swimming, whether as a merman or a human (but would much rather prefer to be living in Atlantica with his grandfather, King Triton, and all of his aunts and cousins).

Favorite Color: Blue (especially navy, it’s the color of his merman tail)

Favorite Class: Biology with Mr. Deley, but Chorus with Mr. Radcliffe might have become his new personal favorite as well (his guilty pleasure is listening to Aria and Uriana sing).

Least Favorite Class: Mathematics 

Biggest Fear(s): Lyric doesn’t want to be alone. With his best-friend as the soon-to-be King of all of Auradon, and many of his other friends and peers as the crowned heir of their respective kingdoms, Lyric’s afraid that everyone will be too busy with royal stuff and he doesn’t want their friendships to fall apart. Despite being able to shift into a merman, he has a weird phobia for ship wrecks as well. 

And he’s not a huge fan of storms (especially sea storms or lightning) either…

Weaknesses: His temper will either hurt him or someone else, and he’s very much aware of that. Despite being a prince, he can be a bit rebellious and reckless from time to time as well. At times, he can be a bit smug for his own good. This guy can be stubborn to the bone too. 

Another thing that most may not know is that Lyric secretly hates the fact that he doesn’t get to be king of Seaside or Atlantica (especially Atlantica). Sure, he’s in the running but he’s dead-last in either scenario. The main reason is because he feels left out when he overhears Ben, Chad, Audrey, Anxelin, and Aziz talking about the private lessons they’ve had with their respective parents. And he can’t help but to be a little bit jealous. Did I mention he also gets jealous very easily?

Face Claim: Dylan Sprayberry

[peaceific-a]

Based on: Prince Eric | The Little Mermaid

Welcome to Storybrooke

The king and queen of a coastal kingdom had never been able to beget a child.  Sitting at the seaside and praying to the ocean day and night, the queen was shocked to learn that she was indeed carrying a child. As it seemed, the ocean had listened to her desperate calls - and, unbeknownst to both the king and queen, put its own essence into the unborn boy. Raised and loved like any other normal child, Prince Eric grew up with the ocean constantly calling him home. Even though the prince was a peaceful soul by nature, the influence of the ocean made it increasingly harder for him to keep his emotions under control. There was a storm beneath his skin, beating in his chest and raging in his veins. Adventure had been carved into his bones, and from the very beginning Prince Eric prefered spending his time out on the sea rather than locked up in the castle of his parents. He wanted to sail, wanted to explore the world, and more often than not, he found himself fascinated by stories of pirates and alike. 

Even though of royalty, Eric grew up to be a skilled mariner and helmsman, steering ships and working hard on and off the sea. During one of his journeys, he met a woman named Regina at a royal event - falling in love, they made plans to run away together, but were interrupted by their lives changing entirely and without warning.

When the curse hit, Eric found himself on the sea, trying desperately to steer his ship through the storm. Instead, the next time he opened his eyes, Eric had been washed ashore a small town - Storybrooke -, missing all of his memories. Spotting a small boat nearby, the words 'Noah’s Arch’ carved into the wooden surface, it was that very name Eric accepted for himself - Noah, now a professor for marine biology in Storybrooke, still craving to be near the water at any time. It wasn’t just the sea he longed for, though, but his lost love, now merely a faint memory reverberating with every beat of his heart.

[sorrowssinger]

My ideas for a Fairy-tale au for Maglor and Maedhros

Like put Mags as Prince Eric type story and Mae as Prince Adam (Beast from BatB) type story since their stories and personalities would work well in those types of roles. They would have their kingdoms and Mae would have his mountain castle and Mags would have a seaside one. Mags as a Sinbad type of character when he is at sea but more like Eric when he is on land. Like just doing insane stuff but everyone of his crew are so ridiculously devoted to him and his people love him because he just cares so much about them. Then you have Mae who is convinced he is a monster because the sorcerer who killed Feanor cursed him to look like one and he hates himself for it, and maybe it’s like Swan Princess. He can turn back to normal under certain circumstances like being in the water of a lake under moon light, but normally he looks like a monster/werewolf. So he is constantly working to find out how to break the curse, and so is Mags, hence the insane stuff he pulls.

[breakingthchabit-archive]

Possible son of Sarah Sanderson: William Sanderson

Months before Auradon was united, the Sanderson sisters were resurrected once more and Sarah snuck away from her overbearing sisters and found love in the arms of a stranger; she left him alone and after weeks of avoiding her sisters and taking energy from those around her to survive, she learnt that she was with child.

Sarah stayed away from her family and found that the baby growing inside of her gave her enough strength to stop feeding from the energies of innocents she came upon, but after eight months of being on the run; Sarah is found by the King of Auradon and placed in a hospital where she gave birth to her son William, without his strength Sarah became weak and to keep him safe she became complacent; so they sent her over to the isle to live without magic and with the sisters she left.

Two possible verses

1) Rather than allowing Sarah to keep her son, she was separated from him and sent to the Isle while he was raised in Auradon with his father who was one of the sailors that sailed with Prince Eric of Seaside; raised by the sea, William learned to love the waves and kept his days full with surfing and homework to keep his father happy but he always feels that something is missing.

On his fourteenth birthday he learns the truth about his mother and his heritage when he feels the tingling of magic under his skin and accidentally calls women too him as he sings on the beach one night. Now he tries to get past the barrier to meet the mother he never knew and the aunts that he had always been warned about; maybe the new villain kids could be his ticket to success after five years of failure.

2) Sarah kept her grip tight on the little boy in her arms as she was carted off to the isle that was filled with evil and held the sisters that she had left for near ten months and vowed that she wouldn’t allow anyone to hurt him like people had hurt her and her sisters. Introducing him to Winnie and Mary was daunting but after a lot of insults aimed her way from her eldest sisters, Winnie accepted the new addition to their family and decided to educate him in the works of magic and potions even if magic was now a thing of the past to them.

Growing up as the son of a sister was daunting but William took it all into stride as he went to Dragon Hall (According to his Aunt Winnie, the Witch School knew nothing so she would teach him everything he needed to know). After the Rotten Four were invited to Auradon, William is part of the second wave of villain kids that are sent to the kingdom due to his fathers request to get to know his son.

Small notes:

- William is twenty years old but is still a senior due to his aunt pulling him out of school for three years to teach him the magic she loved

- He is childlike like his mother and sometimes rather ditzy

- He loves the sea, it aggravates him slightly due to the salty nature of the water but he pushes past it

- William is shy in social events unless with someone he knows

- He has no known associates because of his aunts infamy.

- William does question why people are afraid of Maleficient when his aunts and mother had more of a reputation and even had a museum dedicated to them.