In Disney’s 1989 animated film The Little Mermaid, Ariel has three days to receive a true-love kiss.
Ursula’s contract gives Ariel human legs in exchange for her voice, but the transformation is temporary. Ariel must receive a kiss from Prince Eric by the end of the third day for the spell to become permanent. If she fails, she returns to Ursula and becomes part of the sea witch’s collection of transformed victims.
The deadline creates the film’s central time pressure after Ariel reaches the surface. Because Ariel cannot speak, Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle try to help Eric recognize his feelings. The condition is specific to Disney’s 1989 adaptation and should not be confused with the different magical rules in Andersen’s original tale.