A character from Pixar's upcoming movie will begin greeting visitors at Disneyland a month before she appears on the big screen.

Merida, the lead character in "Brave," will arrive in mid-May at Disneyland, Disney has announced. "Brave" opens in theaters June 22. See concept art of the Merida greeting area.

The movie is set in the Scottish Highlands where Merida, a princess and skilled archer, is determined to take charge of her own life.

The greeting area will sit near the "it's a small world" ride on the right side across from the parade route. An exact start date has yet to be announced, said John McClintock, a Disneyland Resort spokesman. The staging area will include Merida's bears from the movie and activities tied to her story.

Disneyland has put characters near "it's a small world" before, including villains during the Halloween season.

Merida also will appear at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

Disney has used its parks to promote upcoming movies from the very beginning: Sleeping Beauty Castle was built for Disneyland's opening day in 1955, four years before the "Sleeping Beauty" movie came out.