Disney World Auditioning Transgender Actors For ‘Little Mermaid

Disney World explicitly stated that they are opening auditions to transgender actors to play the roles of Ariel and Prince Eric from The Little Mermaid.

The Walt Disney Company is seeking the roles as part of their upcoming new Hollywood Studios stage show, “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure,” which is replacing their previous “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” show which ran from 1992 to 2020.

The New York-based casting call posted online made the callout. Meanwhile, with other current postings on Disney’s casting website, the audition job postings cited men/women, not specifying if the actor/performer had to be cisgender or not.

“18 to 30 years old, White woman, transgender woman. 5’2″ – 5’6″. A spirited, fun-loving, yet curious mermaid princess who longs to be a part of the human world. Lyrical pop soprano with belt to C,” the audition callout for Ariel read.

For the role of Eric, the production is seeking a “18 to 30 years old, White man, transgender man. 5’10” – 6’0″. Charismatic and fearless, Prince Eric is a true romantic who never gives up on his heart’s desire. Non-singing role.”

The show is set to make its debut in fall 2024 at the Animation Courtyard Theater. According to Disney’s preview, this reimaging of the animated film will features new physical sets, puppets, live performers and “stunning visuals.” The show will include physical and projected puppetry including blacklight puppets paired with motion capture technology, which is used to create movies today.

Real human actors will perform in the same space as animated characters. The show is said to blend “the line between real and digital in ways we’ve never done before to completely fill the stage for these show-stopping scenes.”

25 Not-So-Magical Incidents at Disney Theme Parks

From ride malfunctions to guest outbursts and Animatronic fails, these incidents at Disney theme parks were so not Mickey Mouse-approved.

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Riders Evacuated From Top of Incredicoaster

In January 2022, guests riding Disneyland’s Incredicoaster, formerly known as California Screamin’,got stuck and the top of the hill right before the big drop. Thankfully, Cast Members were able to evacuate them safely to the ground. At least they weren’t stuck upside down!

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Guests Sheltered Overnight Following Catastrophic Tokyo Earthquake

On March 11, 2011, the Great East Japan earthquake, also known as the Tohoku earthquake, devastated Japan. The massive magnitude 9.1 earthquake  became the fourth most powerful earthquake in history. Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea weren’t immune to the scary situation, with guests needing to be evacuated into an open outdoor area, where they were sheltered overnight. Thankfully, the Imagineers who created the theme parks prepared for such occurrences and there were only minimal damages sustained to the parks.

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Walt Disney World Bus Bomb Scare

In September 2019, a bus driver discovered a suspicious object on board his vehicle at Walt Disney World. The bomb scare resulted in most of the resort activities and functions shutting down. Within four hours, the threat was cleared, and it turned out to be a harmless object.

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Thousands Stranded During Disneyland Power Outage

In December 2017, a failed transformer  caused a power outage at the beloved California theme park. Roughly a dozen attractions in Fantasyland and Toontown were affected, and guests on rides were escorted off through emergency exits. Power finally resumed five hours later.

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Flooding, Roof Damage and More in Wake of Hurricane Irma

Hurricanes are a natural occurrence at Walt Disney World, which is located in Florida. When Category 2 Hurricane Irma hit the resort on Sept. 10, 2017, bringing with it winds that reached 96 mph, all of the Disney theme parks, water parks and Disney Springs were shut down for three days. During the storm, countless trees and railings fell down, while many roofs, buildings and resort decorations were damaged.

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Guests Dangle Baby From Flying Dumbo Ride

In 2016, a Cast Member revealed that while they were working at Dumbo, a drunken couple unbuckled themselves and their baby to do a dangerous stunt. They held the infant above their heads like baby Simba from The Lion King outside of the ride vehicle while their fellow intoxicated friend took a photo.Cast Members had to do an emergency ride stop to for the baby’s safety.

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Families Spread Ashes in Haunted Mansion

Over the years, custodians at Disneyland and Walt Disney World have run into countless situations where people sneak  in their loved ones’ ashes in a baggy or pill container and release them on rides, with the most popular one being Haunted Mansion. They even have a special reported code for when the situation arises: “HEPA cleanup.” According to reports, Cast Members use an ultrafine vacuum cleaner at least once a month to gather the ashes.

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Influencer Sits on Guest’s Feet for Better Parade View

On Oct. 2, 2021, an influencer reportedly  sat on a guest’s feet on Main Street USA inside Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World and refused to move. The incident took place during the Mickey’s Celebration Cavalcade — a shorter version of a parade, complete with floats, characters and dancers. The self-described influencer with a supposed 20,000 Instagram followers put her feet on the pavement, which is a safety hazard due to the floats and potential for characters to trip. Cast Members asked the unidentified woman to move. At first, she refused, but later left the area and was nowhere to be found when police were called.

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Guest Punches Security Guard at Disneyland

In May 2018, an erratic man was seen screaming and throwing himself on the ground at Disneyland in California. When a Cast Member approached, the unidentified man punched an elderly security guard. He also attempted to hug a Cast Member before being tackled to the ground by two police officers.

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Disney Princess Cosplayers Kicked Out of Magic Kingdom

It’s a known fact among Disney fans that you can’t enter a Disney park in costume at the age of 14 or older. So in 2020, when a group of adults dressed up convincingly as Disney princesses — including Rapunzel, Ariel and Jasmine — they were seemingly escorted out  of the park. Disney doesn’t want people mistaking their guests for Disney characters, and the cosplayers were unfortunately too on point!

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Enraged Pluto Chases After Young Guest

In the late 2000s, a video went viral on YouTube showing a visibly enraged Pluto chasing a child around Disneyland before pointing angrily at his parents. Prior to the incident, the young guest reportedly  grabbed Pluto’s tail and antagonized him.

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Soarin’ Guests Left Hanging — Literally

Riders are seated at various heights while they watch a large screen that simulates flight on Disneyland’s Soarin’ over  California . However, in March 2022 riders became suspended in the air when the ride broke down mid-flight. Luckily, the ride has guests seated comfortably with their legs dangling, so it wasn’t too bad of an ordeal… except for those afraid of heights.

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Riders Poisoned on Pirates of the Caribbean

In March 1992, 30 guests who were riding the Pirates of the Caribbean boat ride in Disneyland got sick . Disney officials were unable to uncover what caused the mass illness, but at the time they suspected it might have been caused by pocket mace or even a strong aerosol. Riders experienced breathing problems and skin issues from the encounter with the unknown substance.

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Guest Arrested After Groping Female Face Character

In 2019, a man was arrested and charged with battery after he groped a face character at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Brian Sherman allegedly groped The Little Mermaid character Ariel at her grotto meet and greet. He apparently grabbed her breasts and rendered her unable to move.

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Elastigirl’s Face Falls Off On Stage

The Incredibles characterl Elastagirl makes an appearance at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Tomorrowland stage show. In 2014, the character’s faceplate completely fell off, revealing the Cast Member’s real face underneath before she sashayed off stage in true Mrs. Parr fashion.

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Woman Found With Guns, Drugs at EPCOT

A Georgia mother brought drugs and a gun to her trip to EPCOT in Walt Disney World in July 2020. Security discovered two loaded pistols and marijuana in the woman’s 7-month-old daughter’s diaper. It was later discovered that Yunique Smith had no permit to carry the weapon, which, regardless, is not allowed on any Disney property.

@nakai_barnor and @sharatmpal via Twitter

Fireworks Show Sparks Rogue Fire Near EPCOT Crowd

In April 2022, EPCOT’s fireworks show Harmonious sparked a fire in some nearby bushes, not so far from park guests. A blaze broke out from apparent fragments from the fireworks display on the park’s lagoon. A Cast Member quickly extinguished the fire and the fire department wasn’t even needed thanks to their quick action.

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PeopleMover Stops Mid-Ride Due to Frisky Couple’s Hookup

Walt Disney World has cameras on rides for a slew of reasons — and apparently that includes stopping guests from having sex  while on board. When a couple allegedly attempted to hook up while riding the Tomorrowland PeopleMover in Magic Kingdom, the ride was shut down and this message was issued over the loudspeaker: “We can see you.”

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Guest Takes LSD, Gets Naked at Disneyland Paris

When a Swiss tourist decided to take LSD during his trip to Disneyland Paris, the ordeal ended with him naked and confused. The man launched a 130-person search with firefighters, divers, Disneyland employees, working dogs and a military helicopter after he fell into a lake near Adventureland. According to reports, he turned up naked on the bank of the lake.

@JustDisney TikTok

Guest Jumps Off Big Thunder Mountain Railroad to Retrieve Phone

When a man dropped his iPhone from the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roller coaster in 2019, he decided to jump off the moving ride to retrieve it before the big drop. Thankfully, Cast Members spotted him and stopped the ride. In a video shared to social media, he was then seen running back up the stairs to his seat as he apologized to the other passengers. Unfortunately, his phone was broken beyond repair.

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Jungle Cruise Boat Sinks With Passengers On Board

In February 2020, Disney World guests experienced an unusual ride breakdown when a Jungle Cruise boat literally sank while they were on board. As the water started to fill the boat, passengers disembarked with the help of Cast Members. So much for those sinking jokes from the skippers!

HamCrepe via YouTube

ShellieMay Passes Out During Parade

In 2018, the Cast Member inside the SHellieMay costume fainted while performing during the Carnivale of Stars Springtime Parade at Hong Kong Disneyland. The character first exhibited signs of general weakness and dizziness before passing out and collapsing to her knees. Cast Members quickly assisted ShellieMay backstage, presumably for medical treatment.

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Armed Hostage Crisis at Disney World Hotel

On June 29, 2000, the unthinkable happened a hostage crisis at a Walt Disney World hotel. Bismark Rodriguez held his 4-year-old son and a room service waiter hostage inside his hotel room at the Boardwalk Inn. Nearly 11 hours later, he surrendered after a negotiator promised he could visit his other three children.

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Minnie Mouse’s Underwear Falls Down Mid-Show

In July 2021 at Disneyland Paris, Minnie Mouse suffered an unfortunate wardrobe malfunction. While  waving guests on top of the train station, her white bloomers fell down to her ankles. But Minnie giggled it off and went on with the show like a true queen!

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Family Brawl Breaks Out at Disneyland

When the Robinson family of Compton were caught on camera physically fighting at Disneyland’s Toontown, footage went viral. The three perpetrators kept fighting even when fellow guests and security tried to intervene. The July 5, 2019 fight left Avery Robinson with charges of assault, battery and child abuse. His bail was set at $1 million while the other two parties faced fewer charges.