I was 6. I don't remember seeing it in theaters, but I watched it plenty of times on VHS. I recently watched it again for the first time in probably 25 years and it definitely holds up, especially the animation.
I was 3. I don't really remember watching it in theaters when it first came out either, but I remember watching it on VHS and I saw it in theaters when it rereleased in 1997.
I would have been 5 years old. As far as I can remember, I didn't see it in theaters, Beauty and the Beast being my first theatrical Disney film. But in the end, it doesn't matter when a film came out, The Little Mermaid will forever remain a wonderful and perfect Disney film for me.
"If life is getting you down and needs uplifting, then please come dance with me!"
I was barely even 1, 2 at the most. We had just moved to Dunwoody after UPS moved its corporate headquarters, Mom was forced to take care of her ailing mom, my aunt and uncle were too busy trying to take care of my cousin to really babysit me, so my grandma suggested to my mom that I watch TLM, with my mom reluctantly doing so since she didn't want the TV as a babysitter especially at my age.
And for the record, it definitely holds up, far better than Beauty and the Beast does. In fact, if anything, unlike Beauty and the Beast, as the years pass, I grow even MORE impressed with Ariel than before, not to mention the plot of the film.
I was 4. I'm glad I wasn't born 5 - 10 years before 1985 otherwise I'd get annoyed of the film not being released on video for 5 - 10 years after the film's release like most Disney Movies have.
Little fact - I've been reading about Verna Felton who's starred in most Disney Movies and she'd have been 100 when the film came out had she still lived. But I reckon she wouldn't pay attention to what Disney Movies are being released each year had she lived to 100. If you reach 100, would you pay attention to what Disney film is released in your 100th year?