NEW YORK — Beloved mermaid Ariel is once again making a splash on screen with the premiere of the new animated musical series, Disney Jr.’s ‘Ariel.’ Over the weekend, Battery Park was transformed into Atlantica to celebrate the show and bring under-the-sea fun to both new and old generations of fans.
Stars of the show, Mykal-Michelle Harris and Taye Diggs, who voice Ariel and King Triton, were in attendance, where they shared their excitement for the release and got to check out some of the fun activities featured during the event. Harris, Diggs and everyone else at the celebration could be seen enjoying Ariels Mer-ling Makeovers, Ursulas Bubble Apothecary, Flounders Underwater Treasure Hunt, the Atlantica Castle Play Area from Just Play and multiple fun photo opportunities.
The show includes original music reminiscent of Caribbean genres, which Harris talks about, saying, “We’re getting a lot of new music, which I’m really excited about. It’s all so good…music genres like merengue, chutney, reggae, all of those beautiful genres.”
Hudson Guild, a community agency based in New York City, brought some of their students to participate in the fun, along with educational supervisor Austin Hudson and executive director Ken Jockers.
Hudson and Jockers talked about what it meant to see the students enjoy the various activities, with Hudson stating, “I could tell as soon as they walked in, the event itself just hit their eyes and they were excited, but then the music started playing, and forget it – they just loved it!”
The celebration of Caribbean culture was on full display, and the event was complete with special performances, which featured Atlantica-themed dancers and live steel drums.
Diggs spoke about his admiration of the show for bringing a fresh perspective and many helpful lessons to a new audience, while still keeping true to the themes of the original movie.
“I’m a little kind of starstruck just because I grew up with all of these Disney classics, and to finally have an opportunity to be included and in such a way, with an iconic character, King Triton,” Diggs stated.
It’s safe to say that Disney Jr.’s Ariel’s Seaside Celebration made a splash with fans of all ages, kicking off a new phase of underwater adventure.
Disney Jr.’s Ariel is now streaming on Disney Plus.
Disney is the parent company of Localish and this ABC station.