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Little Mermaid With Only One Full Arm Shines In Disney’s Hit Movie

lucky fin project spots differently limbed mermaid in disney live action the little mermaid remake
Credit: Lucky Fin Project, Disney

Disney’s The Little Mermaid live-action remake has been dominating the news for weeks now. Audiences are positively reviewing the re-imagination of the 1989 animated original, praising Halle Bailey‘s beautiful voice, and loving Rob Marshall’s updates.

little mermaid jonah hauer king prince eric on beach ariel halle bailey little mermaid

Credit: Disney

Eagle-eyed fans noticed another way The Little Mermaid slipped in even more representation, by including a little mermaid with only one full arm. The Lucky Fin Project, a charity organization that celebrates people born with limb differences, shared a picture from the end of the film on Facebook.

In the image, a young mermaid with red hair and bright blue scales sits smiling on a rock. The compelling part of the shot shows that the mermaid is differently limbed. She has one full left arm, while her right stops mid-forearm.

the lucky fin project facebook post little mermaid different limb

Credit: Lucky Fin Project, Facebook

The organization’s name was inspired by Disney/Pixar’s Finding Nemo (2003), whose titular character has one underdeveloped fin that he and his dad call his “lucky fin.” Lucky Fin Project started in 2010 and creates a support network for parents around the world, links parents to medical information and resources, provides education on limb differences, and hosts events and financial support efforts for children. Support efforts include specialized camps, obtaining prosthetics, and funding other organizations within the limb different community.

finding nemo lucky fin determined under water clown fish disney pixar

Credit: Pixar Animation

Here’s a quote from their founder, Molly Stapelman:

A child being born with a limb difference is not tragic. It’s extremely important to show our children how capable & wonderfully made they are. If we treat them as flawed or limited that is who they will believe themselves to be- and that would be the tragedy.

The Lucky Fin’s Facebook post showed the differently limbed mermaid in Disney’s most recent live action film and now has over 3000 likes and almost 500 shares. Here are some of the top comments of people grateful for the conscious inclusion.

lucky fin project ryan and mom hand limb difference

Credit: Lucky Fin Project

Facebook user Pésla García commented, “I missed that. Love the direction these movies are going!”

Another user, Nathan Esposito said, “This is why I loved this movie, so many different forms of representation, from race, to disabilities, heck there may have been some LGBTQ mermaids in there they just didn’t speak.”

Sarah Upton Grassi wrote, “We were so excited when we saw her!!!”

Poetically, Mark Winters added, “And in the case of a merperson, I think it’s literally a lucky fin!”

The Little Mermaid has already made millions of dollars worldwide and also stars Melissa McCarthy, Javier Bardem, and Daveed Diggs.  Have you seen it yet?

Keep your eye out for that lucky fin!

About Lana Porter

Lana has never lost a Disney Trivia night. Maybe it’s the hundreds of times she’s been to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, her love for Disney’s ’90’s era hand-animated musicals, or the fact that she’s often likened to cartoon characters, but Disney and its magic have a special place in her heart. Her favorite Disney experiences include the EPCOT Food and Wine Festival, eating Mickey Bars on the PeopleMover, and crying during the Magic Kingdom fireworks show. One day she hopes to be chosen as the rebel spy on Star Tours. When Lana isn’t Park Hopping, she’s at home reading books of all topics, watching her favs on Disney+, or snuggling her two cats, which she swears are not named after Disney characters. She loves surprising people with her knowledge of the Marvel Cinematic Universe but admits she is still catching up with Star Wars. She is happy to combine her excitement for writing with her love for Disney-style storytelling and share what she can with the world!