Ariel x Dinglehopper

Ariel x Dinglehopper is the cargo ship between Ariel and a fork from the The Little Mermaid and Once Upon A Time fandoms.

Disney
Ariel first comes across the fork during one of her surface world treasure hunts in sunken ships. The shine of the fork was what helped it to catch Ariel's eye before she swims towards it. While calling it a wonderful item to Flounder. Because Ariel didn't know that it was called or how it is used in the human world, she took Scuttle's word when he told her what it was. A "Dinglehopper" that the humans use to brush their hair with. Ariel was shown to be fascinated of the Dinglehopper and Scuttle's claim, before remembering that she was meant to be that the consort. After Ariel retreated to her secret grotto to place her new treasures beside the rest of her surface world items collection, Ariel is seen fiddling with her Dinglehopper. As she wonders how her father could view a world that has many wonderful items as something bad, before placing the Dinglehopper on a candle holder, that was also holding a knife and spoon. Her Dinglehopper later gets destroyed beside Ariel's other treasures by her father in a moment of rage. Luckily Ariel was able to find a new "Dinglehopper" after she was turned into a human, as she begins to use it like a brush. Until she noticed the odd looks that the other humans at the table were giving her for using it in that way. Resulting in her putting the fork back on the table, while feeling embarrassed. Despite the indecent at the table, Ariel is later seen using it as a brush again, as she gets ready for bed.

Once Upon A Time
Ariel comes across some forks when attending Prince Eric's ball with Snow White. Who quizzes Ariel on what the item is, as Ariel calls it a "mini-trident." Snow corrects Ariel on it before seeing her new friend pocket the not very valuable fork. To Ariel, however, any human world item is valuable to her. Along with it later coming in handy as a type of weapon. When Ariel used the fork to stab the side of the Evil Queen's neck, so she and Snow White can make their escape from her.

When Ariel travelled to Arabia and saw a fort while exploring the bazar, she picks it up and ends up walking away with it still in her hands. This got the stall owner to chase after Ariel for not paying for the fork. Ariel tried to give it back when he cornered her, but Jasmine then arrives to Ariel's aid by paying for the fork on her be half. Despite the misunderstanding it caused Ariel at first, her taking it was what allowed her and Jasmine to meet and become friends.

Moments

 * Ariel can briefly be seen combing her hair with the fork in the opening sequence of House of Mouse.
 * In Ralph Breaks the Internet when Vanellope enters the dressing room of the Disney Princesses, the Netizen version of Ariel is seen using a Dinglehopper as her weapon of choice to face the intruder with. Until Vanellope reassures Ariel and the others that she isn't a threat and is a princess as well.

Fanon
The Dinglehopper is commonly used as Ariel's iconic item, just as the Enchanted Rose from Beauty and the Beast is Belle's. From how it has been featured beside the mermaid in many of Disney's media adaptions of Ariel and her story. Like having Ariel use it as a weapon in the first season of Once Upon A Time and the Ralph Breaks the Internet film. The Dinglehopper has also been used as a simply item to secretly reference Ariel in other Disney films as a cameo item. Some fans have even joked about the Dinglehopper being Ariel's minitour trident, since they are of a similar shape and form, and how Ariel had mistake it as a "mini-trident" in OUAT. As well as it being her unique hairbrush. Because of the way that three of the teaser posters for Disney's live-action remakes were of iconic items, some people were upset that they didn't use or somehow include the Dinglehopper in The Little Mermaid teaser poster.

Most fanworks of Ariel, from drawings to cosplay photos, have Ariel holding the Dinglehopper in her hands or brushing her hair with it. Tumblr has many posts of these fanworks, along with the website's users using the fork to reference Ariel beside the other references that relate to the beloved Disney mermaid.

Fandom
TUMBLR

WIKI
 * , detailing Ariel's history with the fork

Trivia

 * A "Dinglehopper" is used as one of the items to obtain Ariel in the Disney Magic Kingdoms app game.
 * A few Disneyland park mascots of Ariel have her holding a Dinglehopper.