Disney’s new ‘woke’ Little Mermaid to join Jill Biden at Easter Egg Roll

Disney’s newly “awakened” Little Mermaid will join President Joe Biden and Jill Biden at the White House Monday for the annual Easter Egg, where the first lady will keep the focus on education for the second year in a row.

Actress Halle Bailey, who plays Ariel in the upcoming live-action version of the Disney cartoon classic, is one of several performers set to appear at the event.

The film, due for release in May, has proved controversial — including changes to lyrics to reflect cultural shifts and questions about whether Ariel will prove to be enough of a feminist icon. And Bailey, who is black, fell victim to racist attacks online when the first images of her as a mermaid emerged.

Disney characters, along with those from PBS, Sesame Street, and other childhood favorites, have long been part of the White House Easter Egg Roll.

But Disney is now part of the political conversation after Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who is eyeing a presidential bid, targeted it as part of his war on “awake” culture. Disney fired back and the dispute is likely to make headlines next year.

Jill Biden, a teacher, is trying to keep the focus of Monday’s event off politics and education.

She is again calling her event an “EGGucational” day, noting in a Twitter post that it will be a day “where kids and their families will learn, explore and have fun at the White House.”

The traditional activities, which include Easter egg rolling and the hunt, will be broken up into nine sessions, starting at 7 AM ET and ending at 7 PM ET.

In honor of the theme, NASA sent one of the wooden Official White House Easter Eggs to the International Space Station, where astronauts used it to demonstrate the laws of gravity.

Actress Halle Bailey, who plays the Little Mermaid (above), will be attending the Easter Egg Roll

Jill Biden keeps the focus of the Easter Egg roll on education

Other cartoon characters, celebrities, and athletes roaming the White House grounds during the role include:

• Cast members of Disney’s The Lion King
• Olympic gold medalist Dominique Dawes
• Members of the Baltimore Ravens, DC United, the Philadelphia Eagles, the Washington Commanders, the Washington Mystics, and the Washington Spirit
• Sesame Street’s Rosita, Elmo, Abby Cadabby and Grover
• Gritty, the orange and furry mascot of the Philadelphia Flyers
• Characters from Paw Patrol and Sponge Bob Squarepants
• The Nationals race presidents: Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln and Roosevelt
• The Minions
• Superman and Wonderwoman
• Winnie the Pooh and Tigger
• Astronaut Snoopy and Charlie Brown

There will be several stations on the South Lawn to teach kids about farming, healthier eating, exercise and more. There is a reading corner, a talent show and a field trip to a farm for children to experience.

About 30,000 people are expected to attend the event, including thousands of military and veteran families, caregivers and survivors, the White House said in a press release.

Families from the USS Delaware and USS Gabrielle Giffords—two Navy ships that Jill Biden is sponsoring—will be in attendance.

Tickets for the general public were distributed through an online lottery.

This year’s commemorative White House Easter Egg – one of which NASA has sent into space

The American Egg Board donates about 30,000 eggs for the traditional egg race, in which children use wooden spoons to roll the eggs in a race across the South Lawn.

The White House Easter Egg Roll dates back to 1878. It was canceled in the first year of the Biden administration due to the COVID pandemic.