Question 1

True or false: Ariel's signature song 'Part of Your World' was almost cut from the film.

Accepted Answer

True. Test audiences found the song boring, and Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted to remove it. The directors fought to keep it, and it became iconic.

Question 2

True or false: Ariel is the only Disney princess who isn't human for the majority of her film.

Accepted Answer

False. Ariel is a mermaid for much of her film, but Tiana in The Princess and the Frog is a frog for the majority of that movie. Thus, Ariel is not the only non-human Disney princess for most of her film.

Question 3

True or false: Ariel was the first Disney princess to have a child in the original animated sequel.

Accepted Answer

True. In 'The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea' (2000), Ariel has a daughter named Melody, making her the first Disney princess to become a mother in a direct-to-video sequel film.

Question 4

True or false: Ariel's voice was originally offered to Madonna but she turned it down.

Accepted Answer

False. Jodi Benson was the first and only choice for Ariel; the role was never offered to Madonna. This is a persistent false rumor.

Question 5

True or false: Ariel's red hair was chosen to contrast with the blue ocean background.

Accepted Answer

True. The animators selected red hair so Ariel would stand out against the predominantly blue underwater environment, making her easily recognizable on screen.

Question 6

True or false: In the original fairy tale, Ariel's legs feel like walking on knives, but the Disney movie left this out.

Accepted Answer

True. Hans Christian Andersen's story describes intense pain when the Little Mermaid walks, as if stepping on sharp blades. Disney omitted this for a family-friendly tone.

Question 7

True or false: Ariel's best friend Flounder is actually a female angelfish in the original script.

Accepted Answer

False. Flounder is consistently male in both the film and script. He's a tropical fish, and no official source labels him female.

Question 8

True or false: Ariel's facial features were partially modeled after the actress Alyssa Milano.

Accepted Answer

True. Glen Keane, the supervising animator, used Alyssa Milano's teenage look as a key reference for Ariel's expressive eyes and smile.

Ariel Trivia Questions