Synopsis

Ariel, a curious mermaid princess, dreams of life beyond the sea. After rescuing Prince Eric from a shipwreck, she makes a dangerous bargain with the sea witch Ursula, trading her voice for human legs. With help from her friends, Ariel must win Eric's love, confront Ursula's scheme, and reconcile her desire for independence with her father's fears.

Factoids & Trivia

• Released on November 17, 1989, the film was Disney's first animated fairy-tale feature since Sleeping Beauty in 1959.

• Howard Ashman and Alan Menken reshaped the project as a Broadway-style musical, with songs designed to advance the story and define its characters. Their previous collaboration was the Off-Broadway musical Little Shop of Horrors.

• "Part of Your World" was nearly removed after a test screening produced a weak reaction. The sequence was given another screening and ultimately remained in the finished film.

• The film helped launch the period later called the Disney Renaissance, returning the studio's animated features to prominent musical storytelling and fairy-tale subjects.

• The Little Mermaid won Academy Awards for Best Original Score and Best Original Song, with "Under the Sea" receiving the song award.

• Brief crowd cameos during the opening include Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Kermit the Frog.