Meet Ariel from the Live-Action 'The Little Mermaid' at Hollywood Studios

Ariel from the Live-Action The Little Mermaid meets guests daily at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Her meet-and-greet location debuted a few years back when the live-action film was released. Below, we’ll cover the specifics for her character meet.

Ariel meets guests inside Walt Disney Presents at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Her meet-and-greet is in the back of the gallery before you get to the theater. Other characters have met at this location previously, including Sulley from Monsters, Inc. However, Sulley relocated to Pixar Plaza where he meets near several other characters.

the live-action Ariel greeting guests at Disney's Hollywood Studios

When the meet-and-greet debuted, signage indicated that you can meet Ariel from the Live-Action Story and watch a limited sneak preview in the theater. Since then, the limited-time sneak preview ended, but Ariel remains. She typically meets daily between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. You’ll want to check the My Disney Experience on the day of your visit for exact times. Here are instructions for how to do that.

How to Locate Characters in the My Disney Experience App

Open the My Disney Experience app and select the pin drop at the bottom of the home screen.
Scroll (left to right) through the icons at the top of the screen and select “Characters.”
After selecting characters, use the locations drop down to select the park of your choice.
Then, on the bottom right of the screen, select “Show List.”
Scroll through the list of characters with their times and locations.

As an alternative, you can use the map view to locate characters.

*As the day passes, you might notice that characters disappear from the app. When their last scheduled time passes, the meet-and-greet automatically disappears. A new schedule won’t be loaded until the following day. It is essential to check the app for meet-and-greets on the day of your visit.

Learn More: Complete Screenshot Tutorial for Locating Characters at Disney World

The Walt Disney Presents marquee with the announcement of Ariel's meet-and-greet

This meet-and-greet was exceptionally popular when it initially debuted. The line spilled well outside the traditional queue into the gallery of Walt Disney Presents.

a long line of guests waiting to meet Ariel

After joining the line, a cast member came by to ensure everyone knew why they were waiting. He would also mention that the wait time was estimated at 90 minutes. Unfortunately, it took longer than 90 minutes to meet Ariel.

the entrance to the live-action Ariel's meet-and-greet

Eventually, we made it to the formal entrance of the meet-and-greet. At this point, a wait time of 60 minutes was posted.

a sign with a photo of Ariel that says Meet Ariel from the Live-Action Story

This portion of the queue isn’t too large. It wraps around in an L-shape about three times. A couple of paintings hang on the wall.

As we continued, I noticed the pictures turned into windows, so it felt like you were looking out the window of Prince Eric’s Castle.

Eventually, you make it to the room where Ariel is greeting guests. When it’s your turn, Ariel will invite you inside the castle.

a guests meeting Ariel at Hollywood Studios

A PhotoPass photographer was available and Ariel signs autographs at this location.

She is wearing her lovely blue dress from the live-action film.

Ariel in her blue land dress greets guests

Needless to say, she’s meeting in her land look. She mentioned she was getting used to having land legs and wiggling her toes.

All in all, we waited one hour and forty-five minutes, which translates to 105 minutes! Thankfully, some wonderful people in line helped keep me company. It never fails. I always meet the kindest people while waiting to meet the characters.

The live-action land Ariel smiles for the camera.

If you’re visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios, make sure to check the My Disney Experience app for this character meet. Thankfully, the line isn’t nearly as long as when the location first opened. So you likely won’t have to wait more than 30 minutes to meet her. For more character meets at Hollywood Studios, you might enjoy:

Additionally, animated Ariel (animated version) meets daily in her Grotto at Magic Kingdom. You might also enjoy our complete character guide for all the Disney Parks.