This sequel contains a number of visual references to The Little Mermaid (1989), which has been dubbed by the Disney Channel as "Double Takes." Among these references are: A similar opening shot featuring a flying seagull. The shot of Melody shooting to the surface after searching for shells is exactly the same as the shot of Ariel's resurfacing after she was transformed into a human by Ursula. Melody sinking down to the bottom of the cave where the locket lies, similar to shots of Ariel while singing "Part of Your World." Sebastian unintentionally reminds Melody about her party the same way Scuttle unintentionally reminded Ariel about her concert. While Louis chases Sebastian, Sebastian hides under a piece of lettuce, just as he did in The Little Mermaid (1989). Melody does a back flip through the water while singing "For a Moment," which is the exact same movement Ariel did while singing "Part of Your World." When Morgana tells Melody to "enjoy those fins... while you can," the screen fades to black, while her eyes stay their original white, and her tentacles tap each other. This was also done in The Little Mermaid (1989) when Ursula says "she may be the key to Triton's undoing." Melody pushes Dash out of a hole almost too small for him to go through, which is what Ariel does to Flounder during the shipwreck scene in the first movie. Scuttle torments Morgana to help Ariel escape the same way he did Vanessa to help Ariel reach the wedding boat in time. When the sun sets, Melody turns back to a human. In The Little Mermaid (1989), Ariel turned back into a mermaid when the sun set. When Ariel discovers Melody's visit to the sea, she says "You deliberately disobeyed me," the same line King Triton delivers to Ariel when he discovers her visits to the surface.
Melody is the first Disney character to be the child of a Disney Princess. As of 2025, she's the only one.