A NEW version of The Little Mermaid will be released soon, but it won’t be exactly the same as the classic version you remember.

For starters, this version will be live-action, featuring Halle Bailey as Ariel. Bailey has already discussed just how different this movie is when compared to the original, including how they’ve changed a bit about why Ariel wants to leave the ocean. Recently, Bailey made her way to Disney World for a very special event and we got the chance to speak with her. Curious to know what she had to say? Read on!

Bailey recently appeared in Magic Kingdom as part of her participation in the Disney Dreamers Academy event that is taking place in Disney World this weekend.

Not familiar with the event? It’s a mentoring program that takes place at Disney World and brings 100 students from around the country to experience a weekend centered around their careers and futures.

During the weekend, the students get to participate in workshops “aligned with their dreams,” learn about diverse career paths, learn about leadership, and more. The whole program is dedicated to supporting diverse communities and encouraging the next generation to dream big.

Past Dreamers have gone on to become doctors, artists, entrepreneurs, and much more. Bailey actually serves as the celebrity ambassador for this year’s event so she will be working as a mentor and advocate for the participants. She spoke at the start of the Dreamers event and also participated in a pre-parade in Magic Kingdom.

After the parade, we got the chance to speak with her for a minute and hear her thoughts about being amongst the Dreamers. Bailey shared that she was “so excited” to be with the Dreamers. According to Bailey, the Dreamers are “so talented, they know what they want for their future, they’re so passionate.” Bailey went on to say, “I’m inspired by them honestly.”

For her, it seems the highlights are being in the midst of these “amazing individuals” and “having fun” because they are at Disney World, after all! You can see the full clip of her speaking below.

We spoke to Halle Bailey today about her excitement behind becoming a Disney princess and being amongst this group of Disney Dreamers. #ddaDisney #Be100 #WaltDisneyWorld pic.twitter.com/6p2NEFaRLL

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) March 23, 2023

In response to a question about dealing with negativity surrounding the live-action remake of The Little Mermaid and her advice to those Dreamers who may also be facing adversity, Bailey said “stay strong and keep going…You work hard for your dreams, you know how talented you are…don’t let the naysayers or any of the negativity get to you at all.”

She said that surrounding herself with her family and those who remind her that she’s doing something she’s proud of is when she feels her best and advised the Dreamers to remember that they’ve “got this, and don’t worry about no negativity.”

Bailey was also asked what she hopes people get out of the new Little Mermaid film. She said that she hopes people enjoy the movie and that it brings back the “nostalgic, fun” feeling they had when they first watched the original film.

She went on to say, “I’m just so excited to create a new version of Ariel that all of us black and brown babies and students and adults will be able to see. Representation is so important. And we deserve to be in spaces like these as well.”

At another point, Bailey was asked about whether she’s had time to really sit with the reality that she is living the dream of so many to become a real Disney princess. She shared that she’s still working on how to “savor it” and take it all in.

According to Bailey, this is a “whirlwind dream” for her. She shared, “I’ve loved The Little Mermaid since I was a little girl, and now, at times, it feels very surreal to know that I am the new Ariel.” She shared that it is all about “focusing in,” “being grateful,” remembering that she “wouldn’t be anywhere without God,” and taking it all in stride.

The Disney Dreamers event continues through Sunday. And Bailey isn’t alone. She’ll be joined by other celebrity participants including H.E.R., Marsai Martin, Jalyn Hall, Dominique Thorne, and Priah Ferguson.

Plus, there will be other speakers at the event — including some Disney executives and Cast Members, leaders from the community, and business executives, to help inspire the Dreamers.

We hope the Dreamers truly get to benefit from all the workshops and sessions about communication, networking, and more. Congratulations to those participating! For more Disney news, stay tuned to us here at DFB.

Click here to get the NEW Halle Bailey “Little Mermaid” doll on Amazon!

Disclosure: In nearly all circumstances, Disney Food Blog writers and photographers pay full price for their own travel, hotel, food, beverage, and event tickets. We do this because it’s important to us as journalists to ensure not only that we give you unbiased opinions, but also that you can trust us to do so since we’re paying our own way. On rare occasions, when we are invited by a company to attend a preview as media, and when we choose to accept that invitation, we will always make you, our readers, aware of that situation. We were invited by Disney World to attend the Disney Dreamers Academy as media. Note that when we attend events as media we are 1) Not required to review that event/food on any of our channels, and 2) Not required to review that event/food favorably. You can always count on DFB to give you a 100% unbiased and honest review of any event that we attend, food that we eat, or beverage that we drink. You can see more in our Disclosure Policy. Thank you for reading. — AJ