You want thingamabobs? I’ve got twenty!
Greetings readers, and welcome back! On May 26, 2023, the Walt Disney Studio is releasing their upcoming live action remake of the 1989 classic, The Little Mermaid. We are celebrating by releasing a second round of Little Mermaid themed trivia, and discussing fun facts about some additional Mermaid themed projects Disney has put out over the years.
At the helm of the re-imagined live action film is director Rob Marshall, along with Alan Menken returning as composer. The film boasts a bench of talented actors, such as Halle Bailey as Ariel, Johan Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Daveed Diggs as Sebastian, and Awkwafina as Scuttle.
The original 1989 film was written and directed by the powerhouse storytelling team of Ron Clements and John Musker, with music and lyrics by Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman.
Both Ron Clements and John Musker would go on to have storied careers with the Walt Disney Studios, and later work on the screenplays for other Disney animated classics, such as Aladdin (1992), Hercules (1997), Princess and the Frog (2009) and Moana (2016).
Alan Menken first met composer and playwright Howard Ashman in the early 1980s when they collaborate together on the stage musical, The Little Shop of Horrors. After the the success of The Little Mermaid, Menken and Ahsman would go on to collaborate on Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Aladdin (released in 1992) before Ashman’s untimely passing in 1991.
Alan Menken has gone on to work on several major Disney Studio projects as well as returning to the stage to write the music for the Disney Theatrical versions of the musicals Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Newsies.
The film’s plot follows a precocious young mermaid, named Ariel, whose adventurous spirit compels her to explore the human world. During a storm, Ariel has a chance encounter with an equally adventurous sea-fairing prince, whom she rescues from the waves. Ariel is taken with the prince and strikes a bargain with Ursula, the sea witch, for a pair of legs, and a chance at true love, and a new life out of the sea.
A Beginning of a Gilded Age
As mentioned in a previous article, The Little Mermaid (1989) is credited with ringing in a new age in Disney animation, known as Disney’s Animation Renaissance. This golden period of Disney animation reinvigorated the then floundering Walt Disney Animation Studio.
For those who are interested in learning more about the animation renaissance, there is a terrific documentary about this period in Disney history, titled Waking Sleeping Beauty (2009). The documentary is currently available to rent on Amazon Prime, and can often be viewed on different streaming platforms, including Disney +.
Best of luck with this week’s trivia, and the answers to the Little Mermaid Part 1 trivia questions are in the second half of this article.
Little Mermaid Trivia: Part 2
On which Disney cruise ship can a bronze statue of Ariel and Triton’s restaurant be found?
A) Disney Magic B) Disney Wonder C) Disney Dream D) Disney Wish
A mermaid dressed as Ariel can be seen in which Disney attraction?
A) Its a Small World B) Journey into Imagination C) Peter Pan’s Flight D) The People Mover
During the summer of 1959, live mermaids could be seen sunning themselves and swimming in the lagoon of which Disneyland attraction?
A) The Jungle Cruise B) Tom Sawyers Island C) Pirates of the Caribbean D) The Submarine Voyage
Which Walt Disney World resort features Little Mermaid themed rooms?
A) The Art of Animation B) The Contemporary C) The Grand Floridian D) The Riviera
Which actress played the role of Ursula when The Little Mermaid opened on Broadway in 2008?
A) Sherie Rene Scott B) Idina Menzel C) Queen Latifa D) Melissa McCarthy
Thank you for participating! Check back next week for the answers delivered to your inbox.
Little Mermaid Trivia: Part 1
1) Before King Triton asked him to watch over Ariel, what job did Sebastian the crab have in King Triton’s royal court?
A) court composer B) court jester C) dancing instructor D) court advisor
2) Finish the spell Ursula uses to transform Ariel into a human.
“Beluga sevruga
Come winds of the _______ Sea
Larengix glaucitis
Et max laryngitis
La voce to me”Ursula, “Poor Unfortunate Souls”
A) Red B) Caspian C) Aegean D) Caribbean
3) Scuttle the seagull helps Ariel identify human objects she retrieves from the ocean floor. Which human object does Scuttle call a snarfblatt?
Scuttle: This... I haven't in years. This is wonderful!
Ariel: What is it?
Scuttle: A banded, bulbous snarfblatt.
Ariel, Flounder: Oh.
A) bag pipes B) a wig C) a pipe D) a spyglass
4) Which song from The Little Mermaid won an Academy Award for best original song?
A) Kiss the Girl B) Under the Sea C) Poor Unfortunate Souls D) Le Poissons
5) What name did Ursula the sea witch take when she transformed into a human?
A) Caroline B) Cossette C) Antoinette D) Vanessa
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Stay optimistic, and see you real soon!
Sincerely,
Harper