Scuttle

Scuttle is a seagull and a supporting character in Disney's 1989 animated film, The Little Mermaid.

Background
Scuttle is a seagull and friend of Ariel. He appears in the film as an expert on human objects with whom Ariel consults about items she salvages, though his identifications consist of nonsense. He wrongly names a fork a "dinglehopper" and says that it is used as a comb and a smoking pipe a "snarfblatt" while claiming it works like a trumpet. Scuttle is the only one of Ariel's friends capable of flight and as such is very useful in getting help.

Personality
Scuttle is possibly the most eccentric of Ariel's circle of friends. Like Ariel, he has a love for human objects and collects a number of them. To himself and Ariel, he is an expert on humans though he knows very little. In spite of this, Scuttle has shown to have some knowledge of humans that most of the sea characters don't. Upon their first meeting, Ariel wasn't too fond of Scuttle but after he saved Sebastian from a band of pirates, she became very close with the seagull.

The Little Mermaid
Scuttle is first seen on his island humming after Ariel and Flounder escaped from Glut the Shark and visit to show their new human things. Scuttle describes Ariel's discovered fork to be a "dinglehopper" used by humans to straighten their hair out. He then explains that a smoke pipe is a "snarfblatt" used by humans to make music. This reminds Ariel that she must participate in a concert, she then swims off. Later on, Scuttle finds Ariel watching humans on a ship. He joins her but is blown away by the wind caused by the hurricane yelling. While Scuttle was gone, Ariel rescues a human prince named Eric who rescued his dog Max who is still trapped aboard the burning ship and takes him to shore. She asks Scuttle if Eric survived (with Scuttle pulling Eric's eyelids to check his vision) but Scuttle believes him dead because he couldn't hear his heartbeat (Scuttle was actually trying to listen through his foot). As Eric awakens, Scuttle and Ariel flee the scene.

Later on, when Ariel becomes human, she goes to shore and introduces Scuttle to her human form, though he does not notice that she has changed until Sebastian points it out to him. He also learns that Ariel must get Eric to fall in love and kiss her in three days to stay human. He offers to help in the best he can. During Sebastian's Kiss the Girl scene, Scuttle attempts to help the chorus but isn't much help. In the morning of the third day, Scuttle flies into Ariel's bedroom to wish her good luck for the wedding. While flying past the wedding ship, Scuttle overhears Vanessa (Ursula in disguise) singing in Ariel's voice, he watches in horror as she goes up to the mirror, laughing evilly, and the mirror reveals her true identity. Realizing what Ursula is planning, Scuttle goes to inform Ariel and Sebastian what he saw. Ariel and Flounder swim after the boat on a barrel that Sebastian cuts loose, while Sebastian goes to alert King Triton and instructs Scuttle to stall the wedding in any way he can. Scuttle enlists several birds, flamingoes, seals, and dolphins to help him. Hurrying to the boat, they all attack Vanessa long enough for Ariel to reach the boat and regain her voice, foiling Ursula's plans. In the end, Scuttle bids farewell to the newlyweds, Ariel and Eric.

The Little Mermaid: The Series
Scuttle appears in two episodes of the final season of the prequel television series. The episodes he appears in are "Scuttle", in which Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian meet him for the first time (and all four almost meet Prince Eric), and "Island of Fear”. In these episodes, Scuttle's explanation of human things is a mixture of correct and erroneous. In "Scuttle", Scuttle assists Ariel and Flounder in their mission to rescue Sebastian from pirates. In "Island of Fear", Scuttle joins Ariel, Flounder, and Sebastian to find what's been making the fishes sick. They find a castle where Sebastian is taken by the young boy who resides there. Scuttle then goes inside to rescue Sebastian, while Ariel and Flounder find a way to stop the pollution.

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
Scuttle appears in a small role in The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea. He is first seen attending the baby shower of Ariel's newborn daughter Melody. Years later, he is seen as one of Melody's "babysitters", alongside Sebastian, and regularly joins the two as the princess takes time out of her day to explore the depths of the sea. Even so, because Morgana (an evil witch bent on overthrowing King Triton and unleashing wrath upon Ariel and her family), Melody is forbidden from leaving the perimeter of Prince Eric's kingdom.

Later on, when Melody goes missing, Scuttle joins in the search, eventually running into Ariel and Flounder near the fortress of the evil Morgana. Scuttle is told to rally Eric and his friends to battle the sea witch and does so immediately. At the battle, Scuttle takes on Morgana, personally, but is quickly defeated. After the sea witch's defeat, however, Scuttle returns and joins in the celebration of peace and harmony between land and sea.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning
In The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, when Marina is on a rock at the surface (animated the same way with Ariel when she sings a reprise for "Part of Your World" in the first film), she pushes herself up but the wave splashes onto her. Scuttle then appears briefly (without a speaking role, but accompanied instead by realistic seagull sound effects) to whom Marina says "don't touch me", referring to his actions in the first two films - tormenting the villain.

Cameos
Scuttle made a brief cameo appearance in the Quack Pack episode "Phoniest Home Video" where he was briefly seen on Donald's surfboard and then got scared off by the shark that was about to eat the steak off of Donald's behind.

Scuttle makes numerous cameo appearances in House of Mouse, usually with Ariel and Sebastian. In the episode "Donald Wants to Fly" Scuttle tries to teach Donald by telling him to flap his arms. He ends up falling on the trident having Scuttle say "Right on the dinglehopper!". He and Ariel were excited to see Timon using a "dinglehopper" for his magic trick in the episode Timon and Pumbaa.

Musical
Scuttle appears in the stage adaptation of the original film, where he sings two songs: "Human Stuff," where he explains the human things Ariel has brought to him, and "Positoovity," where he encourages a now-human Ariel to be positive in achieving her goal of winning Eric. The role was originated by Eddie Korbich. In the stage musical, Scuttle is seen as having a small group of seagull friends that he dances with in “Positoovity.”

Scuttle’s role was musically reduced when the show was revised for later productions. “Human Stuff” was cut from its accompanying scene when it was moved towards the beginning of the show, with dialogue added in its place. Additionally, a verse from “Positoovity” that featured his seagull friends was removed, most likely to put greater focus on Scuttle and Ariel. “Human Stuff” now replaces “Positoovity” in the JR. and KIDS versions of the show, as the latter song is usually presented as a tap number that may be too difficult for a younger cast.

Walt Disney World Resort
Scuttle is the narrator of The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure. At the Magic Kingdom's version, he hosts an interactive scavenger hunt game in the ride's queue area, where guests help sort out Ariel's human collection by pointing at objects that don't belong for crabs to collect and take away.

Tokyo Disney Resort
Scuttle also appears at Tokyo DisneySea as the host of the Scuttle's Scooters ride at Mermaid Lagoon.