Looks like a doorway to me.
Eye of the beholder I guess.

I answered a post about this earlier. It's because phallic images on the cover.

"As the story goes, a disgruntled Disney employee found out that he was being fired upon completion of the project, so in one last act of rebellion, he drew the phallus into the cover art."

"Compelling story, sure, but it's pure fabrication. Here's the straight facts: The artist who drew the cover art was commissioned for the job and he was not an actual Disney employee. In his rush to complete the cover art, the artist hastily drew the background detail in the wee hours of the morning. It wasn't until someone called him for questioning that the artist even noticed the phallic image."

"Needless to say, in later editions of The Little Mermaid, such as on the laser disc cover, the offending spire was removed."

You can find this story and the pictures of the images being referred to at this site:

http://www.animatedbuzz.com/WB/39.html

Un de l'original Mertzie flacque de bouers!

I have a copy as well. It's difficult to notice. You have to really look to notice it.

From Snopes:
On 8 January 1999, Disney announced a recall of the the home video version of their 1977 animated feature The Rescuers because it contained an "objectionable background image."

You can read the rest of the article the Snopes website. It is true.

Also I suppose the next thing on this thread will be the Lion King S-E-X in the clouds. I DID catch that one before it was a big scandal, my friends and I thought it was halarious when we saw it at 14 lol

Ive seen that too, look close, its just his knee. I think people were really looking too hard for something naughty there.

if people have so little to do in life that they play hidden pictures all the time i feel sorry for them. boy, what a sad state it is when war is ok but some accidental slip of a brush isn't.
disgusting.
ladyfur

The Little Mermaid does have a Phallic spire on the video cover. Years ago my boyfriend and I actually noticed it after owning the video for several months, and we giggled a lot. I'm a graphic artist myself and find it impossible to believe this was an accident, even if the artist said it was! It is so obvious once you see it! I suppose our copy has increased in value.

I worked in a video store at the time it came out on VHS. I have the poster of the original artwork.

On the little Mermaid cover there is also a spary of water with spelling the "F" word. The letters are disconnected, but there. Four letters in a row spelling it out. Check it out. My daughter saw it when looking for the the other nasty on the cover. There are probably others?

I heard the artist was going to be fired, or not recommissioned for another piece so he included the image on purpose. I don't think you could do that by accident, it's quite intentional I think.