Because Ariel probably knew that Ursula was an evil seawitch (after seeing those creatures in Ursula's garden I would assume that she was evil, why would a good person have such creatures?) and she knew the consequences (she knew that she would never see her father and her sisters again).

Even though both were dumb decisions , this one was dumber because Ariel knew Ursula was bad and suspicious yet she trusted her. Why didn't she at least think over the possibility that Ursula would find a way to trick her? She just recklessly made her decision without thinking over a plan. Snow White may have made a stupid decision, but Ariel trusting Ursula could have caused the destruction of the entire Ocean.

I personally think both are dumb decisions.

"A wishing apple?" she really believed that? Ariel was fully aware of what she was getting herself into but that's not stupidity, it's called courage and bravery. I think Ariel is quite smart. Snow White isn't very smart but I don't know if I'd call her stupid.

Agree with KataraLover :)

^^ Ariel is more reckless than courageous in this particular scene IMO. Regardless, just because a decision is brave it doesn't make the decision any less stupid. Also, the fact that she knew perfectly well what she was getting herself into, yet still chose to do it, makes the decision even more foolish to me.

Kataralover, how is she smart? Anyone would tell that Ursula is evil. Maybe it is because of Ariel's standards. Are you serious? I don't see how she is smart. Can you explain?

Well, I think they were both very naive decisions, but I think Ariel's more so because she knew that Ursula was malevolent beforehand.

shanyuisboss how about the fact that she learned to walk within less than five minutes for one? Is takes someone at least a year and a half to start walking and it took her a matter of minutes. The fact that she tricked that shark into that trap is another example. You can tell that Ariel didn't trust Ursula because of how she kept making skeptical looks, she just wanted to be human more than anything. She adjust to human life very quickly, which does take a long time for one to do. Plus I also count the TV series, which she was very clever in, she always came up with ways to save the day in a clever way. She's quite smart, Snow White on the other hand isn't.

Decision wise Ariel, but lack of intelligence/common seance Snow :L but she is young. and I can't express how much I agree with the comment above me. I also think she was quite smart with hiding her collection for many years and think it was quite impressive that she can climb up those ships with legs or tail but that hasn't got anything to do with intelligence :L

You make some real good points Kataralover, Snow White may be dumber but ariel still made a stupid desicion and still wasn't really thinking. I always though ariel was smarter but that one decision was not. Now that I think of it, Snow White doesn't really realize what is going on in the world. Ariel is curious and she did it because she wanted to be part of the human world more than anything. But she just wasn't thinking. That is the reason why I think she isn't very smart. She may be smart in some ways but the decision she made wasn't smart. the fact that she wasn't thinking could be an excuse but what makes her kind of not smart is that she didn't bother thinking. But I do admit, you do make some good points, let me change my picks.

Well don't we all make mistakes? Making stupid mistakes is something we're all going to do, we can't avoid it. However it doesn't make us stupid or any less smart. Usually if you make the same mistake repeatably than yes you aren't very smart. Not trying to argue with you, I'm just saying.

It's an unbelievably dumb decision! She knew perfectly well Ursula was evil, yet she blindly trusted her due to her complete lack of intelligence and common sense. And btw learning to walk has nothing to do with intelligence or being smart.

Snow White's wasn't the smartest decision too, but
1. she was younger than Ariel, yet just as naive
2. she strongly believed that if you wish for something with all your heart, it will come true and she even had quirky rituals, connected to that (her wishing on a well for a prince - and she got him like 3 minutes later).
3. She lived in a land of magic and dwarfs and all kinds of wonders - so why wouldn't a magic apple exist after all
4. She had no way of knowing the queen was after her - the hunter let her go instead of kill her, so it was safe to believe that he didn't tell the queen what he have done, so the queen believed Snow White is dead (here I must mention that Snow White wouldn't have known about the Magic Mirror).

Actually learning to walk does and how many times must I say ARIEL DID NOT TRUST URSULA. She made that clear with her skeptical looks she gave Ursula :P

This is easy peasy for me. Ariel ACTUALLY KNEW that the sea witch was evil and SHE STILL SIGNED THE SCROLL! If you ask me, she wasn't being brave at all: she was being reckless, selfish, and stupid. Ursula didn't even have to disguise herself! Ariel does more stupid things than all the other princesses put together in my opinion. I agree completely with BelleAnastasia and Mongoose09.

^^As stupid as something like that is, it is still brave. If I didn't know how to survive jumping off a cliff but I did, that is considered brave even if it was stupid. Why? Because I took a major risk. And kataralover, I understand what you are saying but sometimes even if it is a mistake it you can still be stupid for making a mistake as big as this. She wasn't smart enough to think. She wasn't smart enough to realize what was going on. Come on, Ursula wants her voice. Always when you hear a catch to something you have to think about it. Why does Ursula want my voice. Well, obviously to prevent me from getting Eric. It is the equivalent of me trying to get a meal from McDonald's and the managers give me a deal that if I buy one burger for 700$ I can get the other for 3$ and just buying it without thinking that I can get a cheaper price just because I want a burger. I know, it's stupid example. Again, ariel herself isn't dumb, but it was dumb that she didn't bother thinking.

I agree 100% with BelleAnastasia.

I think the "learning to walk" thing is completely irrelevant since IMO I believe ALL the Princesses, even Snow White, would have been able to walk just as easily if they had been mermaids previously. The difference is, I don't think any of the other Princesses would have swam to Ursula's lair and signed the scroll knowing she was an evil seawitch and not to be trusted.

I don't really think that Snow White is dumb at all...I wouldn't call her particulary intelligent, but I think what so many people perceive as "dumb" is actualy "innocent and ready to believe in the good in everyone". And I have a hard time to see this as dumb.
Concerning the wishing apple: It's not like the evil queen just gave her the apple out of the blue, she said this was a reward for being friendly to her. Should Snow White be more careful, knowing that the evil queen already tried to kill her once? Certainly...but I also think that not jumping to conclusion that an ugly old woman is automatically evil is a good and not a bad thing. And concerning believing into the apple: The wishing well worked just fine, so why shouldn't she believe in a wishing apple?
Snow White is certainly not the brightest of the princesses, but she is not as dumb as people accuse her to be. Just a little naive.
Ariel on the other hand...she know fully well that Ursula is evil. She signs a contract which gives her three days to get a true love kiss. And not even once does she consider why Ursula is so interested in her. That is dumb! The dumbest thing any of the princesses ever did!
She learns to walk fast? Big deal. She also gets strage looks when she uses the fork to comb her hair, presumably sees what a fork is really used for and STILL uses one in the evening for her hair.

I think some might confuse determination with smarts. I agree with what other said about Snow White, it was a ''magic'' apple anyway. But neither one of them lived in the real world, so it's not as easy to judge.

^^ Great comment Swanpride.

All Snow White did was bite an apple... how was she suppossed to know it was poisoned? Maybe it was naive, but again, she didn't know the old lady was her mortal enemy, and everyone else had been nothing but nice to her. Whereas Ariel knew what she was exposing herself to, and decided to go with it anyway. I still wouldn't call it dumb, but if is centainly the least smart one of the choices... I mean, she knew Ursula was the witch of the sea.

I agree with every point that KataraLover mentioned.

What an idiot!!!!

i don't find Snow white dumb, tbh

I originally picked Snow White, but based on the comments I changed it to Ariel. I don't consider either of them stupid, however.