Disney Princess

Disney Princess is a franchise with a line-up of fictional female heroines who have appeared in various Disney animated feature films, owned by The Walt Disney Company, and created in the mid-1990s.

The franchise currently comprises of thirteen female protagonists from twelve different Walt Disney Animation Studios films and one Pixar film, who are either royal by birth, royal by marriage, or considered a "princess" due to their significant portrayal of heroism in their respective films.

The character line-up has varied since the creation of the franchise. The franchise is currently comprised of 13 members: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya.^[1]

The Disney Princesses are featured prominently through theme parks, dolls, jewelry and apparel, video games, and crossover feature films and television shows.

From 2012 to 2021, with the exception of those created after the Disney Renaissance, the Princesses were showcased in their enhanced and modified redesigned outfits instead of the ones that they wear in their own movies. The classic looks from their movies were brought back and enhanced for the Ultimate Princess Celebration event in 2021.

History[]

In the early 1990s, Disney Consumer Products realized the market potential for the female characters portrayed in their wildly successful animated movies. Soon after realizing the demand, the Disney Princess franchise was launched.

In the mid-1990s the princesses began to be marketed together in the doll lines Perfume Princess, Musical Princess, and Dancing Princess.

On March 12, 1996, Walt Disney Records released the first compilation of the franchise: Princess Collection. The album went on to peak at #4 on Billboard's Top Kid Audio chart.^[2]

The first issue of the Disney Princess Magazine was published on June 24, 1998 in the United Kingdom. Its slogan was "Every girl can be a Princess!". The launch of the magazine was supported by extensive radio, press, and retail promotions, including a cross-promotion with Mattel in Toys 'R' Us and with Panini stickers.^[3][4]

The Princesses to be featured in the franchise were chosen from classic Disney films. The characters were not chosen specifically for their royal titles, but rather for how well they fit into what Disney executives deemed "the Princess mythology". Mulan is an example of this concept; she has no familial ties to royalty but is still included in the character list. Tinker Bell and Esmeralda were once included under the same principle before it was decided that they were not suited for the "mythology".^[5][6] In 2005, though, Tinker Bell has starred in her own Disney franchise, the Disney Fairies. Other fairies were created specifically for the franchise. The line began with a book series by Gail Carson Levine and has since spawned toys, direct-to-video movies and other products based on the characters. At one point, Jane Porter, Giselle, Anna, and Elsa were considered to be included in the line-up, but weren't realized.

Character Background[]

The characters themselves, despite appearing in separate feature films, have distinct similarities. The Princesses show good will towards all creatures, evidenced by the common ability to communicate with animals. The Princesses are known for their inner and outer beauty, as well as having beautiful singing voices, aside from Merida, who only sings a song with her mother when she is little in her film Brave, and Raya, who sings a little chant to summon the dragon Sisu in her film Raya and The Last Dragon.

Almost every Princess, excluding Merida, Moana, and Raya has a romance that is resolved by the end of her debut film. These charismatic girls carry a similar personality in their respective eras.

At the beginning with the first three (Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora), their characteristics were well known as classy, graceful, and romantic daydreamers, who suffered from actions caused by others. They held an inner strength through compassion, love, kindness, and, particularly with Cinderella, a strong sense of resilience, without having to demonstrate the more proactive traits of the later Princesses, though Cinderella is able to take some initiative and displays her intelligence, especially in the later sequels.

Since the Renaissance Era, these popular heroines became more active than reactive with Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan. Their characteristics were known to be much more strong-willed, adventurous, feisty, cunning, and determined. As well their goals focused more on adventure and freedom than love, and these girls were more fighters for their dreams than the first three. They also existed in worlds which were more self-aware of the traditional and changing role of women; particularly Ariel, with her villainess assuring her that women on land should keep silent, Belle, with her villain assuring her that "it's not right for a woman to read", and Mulan, with her peers extolling masculine traits in addition to those of the ideal wife. The most recent ones - Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya - are in the modern era; Tiana, an original character, is much more a realist than the others, as she does not need nor want magic to make a dream come true but with only hard work, whereas Rapunzel is much more like the idealistic ones than Tiana.

Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, Jasmine, Rapunzel, and Merida are born of royal heritage as daughters of kings and queens. Pocahontas can be considered as being of royal heritage, since she is the daughter of a chief and considered Native American royalty by the English, as well as being called a princess in her film's sequel. Raya can be considered as being of royal heritage, as she is the daughter of a chief and is addressed as a princess in her film. Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana become royalty through marriage. Mulan was neither royal by birth or marriage, but is still included in the line-up due to her high status by saving China and receiving grace from the Emperor. Moana, herself, states that she is not a princess, but as daughter to a chief, the roles are similar. And just like Mulan, she received grace from Te Fiti for saving the world from destruction.

In the 2016 film Moana, Maui states that princesses have animal sidekicks. This has been evidently shown to be a common characteristic among the official members.

Members[]

Official members[]

Snow White
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs	Adriana Caselotti
	The character of Snow White first originated in 1937 from a Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Schneewittchen" about a beautiful German princess with a jealous stepmother. Walt Disney turned this classic fairy tale into his very first animated feature film. Her true love is the Prince, who breaks her sleeping death 'slumber' (caused by the Evil Queen) with love's first kiss. She befriends the seven dwarfs during her stay at their cottage.
Cinderella
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Cinderella	Ilene Woods
	Based on the most known version of the Cinderella story, "Cendrillon" by Charles Perrault in 1697. In 1950, it was turned into an animated feature-length film by Walt Disney. Cinderella is the eldest of all the Disney Princesses. Her stepmother turned her into the family's sole servant after the death of her father. With magical help from her Fairy Godmother, she attends a royal ball and meets Prince Charming. At the end of the film, she later marries him, thus freeing herself from her life of servitude. In the two sequels "Dreams Come True" and "A Twist In Time", Cinderella also manages to repair her relationship with her younger stepsister Anastasia and help her find true love. At the age of 19, Cinderella is one of the oldest Princesses and is often considered the leader; often being put in the center of the group shots, and having also been deemed Walt Disney's personal favorite heroine.
Aurora
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Sleeping Beauty	Mary Costa
	Best known as the heroine of the 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty, which is based on Charles Perrault's "La Belle au Bois Dormant", and is the only daughter of King Stefan and Queen Leah. Although her dress changes from blue to pink due to a disagreement between two of her guardians, Merryweather and Flora, she is most commonly seen wearing pink. When she was an infant, she was cursed at birth to die before the sun sets on her 16th birthday by the evil fairy, Maleficent, by pricking her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel. One of the three good fairies, Merryweather, was able to weaken the curse by changing death to a deep slumber that could only be awakened by true love's kiss. By falling in love with Prince Phillip, the prince of his father's neighboring kingdom (and unknown to either of them, her betrothed), Aurora was freed from the curse, along with her parents, King Hubert, and the other kingdom residents. She is shown to be one of the taller princesses in the franchise.
Ariel
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	The Little Mermaid	Jodi Benson
	The heroine of the 1989 film, based on the Danish fairy tale "Den Lille Havfrue" by Hans Christian Andersen, and the daughter of King Triton, ruler of the sea. Ariel is a 16-year-old mermaid who falls in love with a dashing human Prince Eric, an extension of her fascination with all things from the surface world. Her dream is to live a life on land. So it comes as no surprise when her dream causes her to fall victim to accepting a shady offer from Ursula the Sea Witch promising her a lifetime of happiness with Prince Eric as long as she carries out the rules outlined in the signed, binding contract. Ursula persuades her to trade her beautiful voice, in exchange for becoming a human for three days. During these three days, Ariel must not only make Prince Eric fall in love with her, but the two must seal their love with a kiss. If Ariel is unable to uphold her end of the agreement, she must return to the sea to live out her days in Ursula's lair as a prisoner, joining the many other "lost souls" that have fallen victim to Ursula's "wish granting" over the years. However, Ariel is able to defeat Ursula with Eric's help and thanks to her father, she becomes human permanently and marries Eric at the end of the film. Hans Christian Andersen's original character dissolves into foam on the sea after the prince marries someone else, but through an act of compassion is transformed into a spirit of the air. Co-director Ron Clements felt the story was too tragic, and changed the original character from the tragic but hopeful heroine to the brave and resourceful Ariel.
Belle
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Beauty and the Beast	Paige O'Hara
	The French commoner who is the heroine of the 1991 animated classic Beauty and the Beast, is based on the French fairy tale "La Belle et la Bête" by Gabrielle-Suzanne de Villeneuve which was abridged by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont. The name Belle translates from the French word for "beauty". In the film, in a bargain with the Beast, she selflessly trades in her freedom in order to exchange her father's, thus becoming the Beast's prisoner/guest. She soon learns to see the good hidden behind his hideous appearance and rough manner. Over time, she falls in love with him. By confessing her love at the end of the movie, she breaks the curse placed on him by the enchantress. The Beast and his household staff are then restored to their human forms, and Belle becomes his princess.
Jasmine
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Aladdin	Speaking: Linda Larkin Singing: Lea Salonga
	The spunky, independent Arabian Princess of Agrabah, who dreams of seeing what lies beyond her palace walls and be freed from her father's constant pestering of arranged royal marriage. She falls in love with Aladdin, a street rat, and falls in love with him again after he makes a wish from a Genie to become a prince. Though Jasmine did not recognize Aladdin in his prince disguise, she fell in love due to him seeing her as a person and for him having a good heart. After Aladdin reveals his true identity and saves Jasmine and her kingdom from Jafar, Jasmine's father removes the royal law so Jasmine can be with Aladdin, whom she eventually marries. She is based on Princess Badroulbadour (Arabic بدر البدور, badru l-budūr, "full moon of full moons") featured in the story of "Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp" from "One Thousand and One Nights" of Scheherazade. Interestingly, the original story took place in China and not the Middle East.
Pocahontas
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Pocahontas	Speaking: Irene Bedard Singing: Judy Kuhn
	The Disney version of Pocahontas is based on the real-life Native American "princess" of the Powhatan tribe (a name also borne by her father, the chief). Her real name was Matoaka since Pocahontas was her nickname and meant 'Playful One'. She is a free spirit, which she gets from her deceased mother. Pocahontas wants to choose her own path and doesn't want to marry her father's choice for a husband, Kocoum. Once the English settlers arrive, she teaches a man named John Smith about nature and her culture. The two later fall in love. Once John is taken prisoner, Pocahontas helps prevent a war from commencing between their people. At the end of the film, John is wounded and sent back to London for treatment, where Pocahontas remains in her village to look after her people. She is the first woman of color to be the protagonist of her respective film, along with being voiced by an actor of the same ethnicity. She is also the first princess to choose her people over the lover in the end of her feature film.
Mulan
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Mulan	Speaking: Ming-Na Wen Singing: Lea Salonga
	Fa Mulan (or simply Mulan) is a brave heroine who impersonates a male soldier to fight for the Chinese Imperial Army in order to protect her ailing father who would have been required to go if she had not gone in his place. Mulan pretends to be her father's son, Ping, risking death, and dishonor if she is discovered. Joining a struggling troop of rookies led by Captain Li Shang (or simply Shang), "Ping" is the driving force behind the troop's dramatic change into respectable soldiers. "Ping" is admired by everyone until "he" is injured during the battle and requires medical care, resulting in the outing of "his" secret. Since "Ping" had saved Shang's life, Shang repays his debt and spares Mulan's life. No longer allowed in the Imperial Army, she goes rogue and defeats the leader of the Hun army, Shan Yu. The Chinese Emperor praises Mulan, recognizing her as a hero for saving China and for bringing honor to her family. Mulan is welcomed back into her home with loving, open arms. Shang arrives at Mulan's home shortly after her return, and the two's feelings for each other are made known. The character of Mulan is based on the heroine from the well-known ancient Chinese poem "The Ballad of Mulan" (木蘭詩). She is the only Disney Princess who is not royal by blood or marriage. However, she has been bestowed the honor of a being an official Disney Princess because of her popularity as well as what she represents. The film is praised for its cultural authenticity and prevailing messages including family, love, courage, and most notably, the empowerment and equal rights of women.
Tiana
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	The Princess and the Frog	Anika Noni Rose
	Inspired on the princess from the novel "The Frog Princess" by E.D Baker which in turn inspired by a fairy tale "The Frog Prince" by the Brothers Grimm, Tiana is the heroine of the 2009 animated film The Princess and the Frog and is the first African-American princess. She dreams of opening her own restaurant through hard work. By kissing Prince Naveen in frog form, she is turned into a frog because she kissed him for material gain, not love, and the magic can only be broken by a princess, so they are forced to set on a journey to find a way to undo the magic. Eventually, she finds herself falling for the handsome but spoiled prince who manages to change his ways, and willingly gives up her desires to be with him. By marrying the prince, Tiana becomes a real princess, and with her love, breaks the spell with a kiss. They finally open their own restaurant at the end of the film. Tiana officially became a member of the Disney Princess line-up on March 14, 2010, at the New York Palace Hotel in Manhattan, New York City.
Rapunzel
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Tangled	Mandy Moore
	The heroine from the animated feature Tangled is based on the German title character from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Rapunzel". Her long hair, which is said to measure 70 feet (21 meters) in length, not only has magical healing powers but can also be used as a weapon. Given the power by a magic golden flower, Mother Gothel kidnaps her as an infant to use her power to keep herself young. 18 years later, Rapunzel sneaks away from her tower with a thief, Flynn Rider, and sets on her own journey to find the flying lanterns that float into the sky every year on her birthday. Along the journey, Rapunzel falls in love with Flynn who starts revealing the caring individual he is behind his roguish exterior while slowly discovering her true identity as a princess. To free her from Gothel's clutches, Flynn cuts her hair, thus destroying her power, and she is returned to her family before she eventually marries Flynn. Rapunzel was "officially welcomed into the Disney Princess Royal Court" during a promotional event at Kensington Palace in London on October 2, 2011. Rapunzel's marriage to Flynn is later shown in Tangled Ever After, and their later adventures in-between the movie and the wedding are later depicted in Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure.
Merida
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Brave	Kelly Macdonald
	Merida is the 16-year-old daughter of Queen Elinor, who rules the kingdom alongside her husband, King Fergus. Queen Elinor's expectations and demands of her daughter make Merida see Elinor as being cold, unfeeling, and distant, causing friction between the two. Despite Elinor's desire to see Merida as a proper royal lady, Merida is an impetuous girl with wild, unruly ginger hair and a passionate desire to take control of her own destiny. Merida has honed her skill with the bow and is the most skilled archers in her kingdom. She is also well-trained in sword-fighting and an expert horsewoman, riding wildly across the countryside on her horse, Angus. When Merida comes of age to have her hand in marriage, Merida becomes determined to not be forced into marriage, where her actions nearly cause a war between the kingdom and the three clans. After a heated argument with her mother, Merida visits a witch who grants her a spell to change her fate. Merida uses the spell on Elinor in an attempt to make her change her mind about the marriage, only to turn Elinor into a bear. As the two work together in finding a way to break the curse, they manage to rekindle their bond and Merida manages to resolve peace between her kingdom and the clans without being forced into marriage. After preventing a war and the defeat of the demon bear Mor'du, Merida breaks the spell by reconciling with her mother, who becomes human again and the two remain closer than ever before. She is the first princess from a Pixar film, the first original princess in the line-up that is not inspired by either literature (Snow White, Cinderella, etc.) or real life (Pocahontas, Mulan) works, and the first without a love interest. She also never sings a major song, thus breaking away the traditional line-up, though as a child, she sang a small verse of a song in Gaelic with her mother, and Merida's rich Scottish brogue makes her the second Disney Princess with an accent other than Standard American or British. Merida officially joined the Disney Princess court on May 11, 2013, at Walt Disney World's Cinderella Castle.
Moana
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Moana	Auli'i Cravalho
	The daughter of Motunui's village chief, Moana was chosen by the Ocean to restore the Heart of Te Fiti and save her island from a life-killing darkness. Due to an ancient law upheld by her father, Chief Tui, Moana is forbidden from ever going beyond the reef. She eventually finds the courage to do so, with the help of a powerful demigod named Maui, and the guidance of her Gramma Tala. In restoring Te Fiti's lost heart, the world is freed of darkness, allowing Moana's people to voyage the seas as freely as they please. The fourth Princess to come from the minds of John Musker and Ron Clements (Ariel, Jasmine, and Tiana), Moana is one of the few Disney Princesses not to be based on a preexisting character. Rather, her story—save for real-world ties to South Pacific mythology—is almost wholly original. Furthermore, unlike her most recent predecessors, Moana was not inducted with a coronation event. Instead, she was slowly integrated via Disney Princess marketing such as books, social media posts, and toy lines following the release of her film, before being added as a member to the franchise's official website in 2019.
Raya
	Film Debut	Original Voice
	Raya and the Last Dragon	Kelly Marie Tran
	The daughter of Heart's village chief, when her village was threatened by the Druun, Raya was trusted by her father to wake up Sisu and bring the world of Kumandra back together. She eventually finds the courage to do so, with the help of Sisu, Boun, Noi, Tong, and eventually, Namaari. In learning to trust, Raya gets rid of the Druun, and brings the five tribes together, becoming Kumandra once again. The second Princess to be Asian, Raya is one of the few Disney Princesses not to be based on a preexisting character. Raya is also the only princess whose mother is unknown to be either alive or deceased, since her mother is not seen or mentioned throughout the film. Raya was officially inducted into the franchise during World Princess Week at Disneyland Paris.[7]

Former Official Princesses[]

• Tinker Bell from Peter Pan.^[8][9]
• Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.^{[9][10][11][12]}
• Jane Porter from Tarzan.^[10]

Unofficial Princesses[]

Disney heroines and actual princesses that are not part of the official line-up. Several of them have appeared in some official Disney Princess products or promotions or guest starred alongside the princesses above.

• Minnie Mouse^[8][13][14]
• Alice from Alice in Wonderland.^{[9][15][16][17][10][18][19]}
• Wendy Darling from Peter Pan.^[8][9]
• Maid Marian from Robin Hood.^[16][20]
• Princess Eilonwy from The Black Cauldron.
• Queen Nala from The Lion King.^[20]
• Megara from Hercules.^[13][20][12]
• Princess Dot from A Bug's Life.^[18]
• Jessie from Toy Story 2.^[18]
• Princess Melody from The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.^{[9][15][16][17]}
• Queen Kida Nedakh from Atlantis: The Lost Empire.^[18]
• Kairi from the Kingdom Hearts series.^[19]
• Ting-Ting, Su, and Mei from Mulan II.^[13]
• Kilala Reno from Kilala Princess.
• Giselle from Enchanted.
• Princess Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph.^[21]
• Sofia from Sofia the First.
• Queens Elsa and Anna from Frozen.^[21][19]
• Queen Mal from Descendants.
• Princess Elena from Elena of Avalor.^[22]

Other media[]

Kingdom Hearts series[]

In the games, five of the official princesses are part of the Seven Princesses of Heart (セブンプリンセス Sebun Purinsesu), a group of maidens with hearts of pure Light, devoid of Darkness, and were created when the X-blade was split into seven pieces of light and thirteen of darkness. They are referred to this name because they allow access to the Door to Darkness when gathered together, and whoever gathers them will gain the power to rule over the worlds. The members in this incarnation are:

• Kairi
• Alice
• Snow White
• Jasmine
• Belle
• Cinderella
• Aurora

Notably, two other Disney Princesses, Ariel and Mulan, appear as well but are not Princesses of Heart. Instead, they serve as party members that fight alongside Sora in their journey to save the worlds.

In Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance, it was revealed that another generation of the Princesses of Heart exists, and is elaborated upon in Kingdom Hearts III. Referred to as the "New Seven Hearts of Light", these pure-hearted maidens consist of the more recent members from the Disney Princess franchise.^[23] Each inherit the title from previous members who no longer have need for the position once they willingly accept light over darkness. Kairi is the only member from the original group that is part of the new seven lights. Rapunzel, Anna, and Elsa are potential candidates; unfortunately, they become targets to Organization XIII as part of their fall-back plan in case the seven guardians of light cannot congregate. Pocahontas, Tiana, Merida, Moana, and Raya are the only ones who haven't appeared in the Kingdom Hearts series yet.

Kilala Princess series[]

In the manga series, six of the official Princesses appear, each having the power to bring peace to the world. After her best friend Erica is kidnapped, Kilala uses the power of the Magic Tiara to open the Gate of Dreams in order to find her, interacting with each of the Princesses and receiving a gem from each of them to power the Tiara during this time. Using the six gems she'd collected, Kilala manages to free the citizens of Paradiso from Valdou's control - gaining the final gem when she accepts that she is the seventh Princess and chooses to become one in her own way.

On September 9, 2020, a graphic novel was released featuring Kilala and Rei's adventure to Mulan's world where they help protect the villagers.

The Princesses appear as follows:

• Snow White
• Ariel
• Aurora
• Cinderella
• Jasmine
• Belle
• Kilala Reno
• Fa Mulan

Ralph Breaks the Internet[]

In the 2018 Disney film, digitally animated versions of the princesses (described as "netizens") appear as residents of the Internet. Vanellope von Schweetz encounters the group during her visit to Oh My Disney; in during which, Vanellope reveals herself to be the princess of Sugar Rush and is subsequently inducted into the line-up. Not including Vanellope, the fourteen official members of the court are designated as follows:

Snow White Cinderella Aurora Ariel Belle Jasmine Pocahontas

Mulan Tiana Rapunzel Merida Anna Elsa Moana

A toy line based on the princesses as they appear in Ralph Breaks the Internet was launched following the film's release. Dubbed "Comfy Squad" or "Comfy Princesses", the sub-franchise includes merchandise depicting the princesses in their casual clothes from the movie. Vanellope acts as the line's mascot.^[24][25] Since they're not official members of the franchise, Anna and Elsa are only occasionally featured in the line.

Disney Heroes: Battle Mode[]

All the Disney Princesses are playable characters in the game. First added Princess to the game was Merida and last was Tiana. Princesses also have their own Collection in the game called Disney Princesses, this allows them to gain unique buff in the battles.

Disney Mirrorverse[]

The Disney Princesses are playable characters in the game.

Disney Magic Kingdoms[]

All the Disney Princesses are playable characters in the game for Cinderella, Aurora, Pocahontas and Rapunzel are permanent characters while Snow White, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, Tiana, Merida, Moana and Raya are limited time characters.

Disney Parks[]

Mickey's Pirate and Princess Party[]

Beginning on January 22, 2007, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World hosted their newest hard ticket (separate admission) event, "Disney's Pirate and Princess Party", renamed "Mickey's Pirate and Princess Party" in 2008. The event combines the "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction and movie series and the Disney Princess line, and cosplaying as both pirates and royalty is encouraged. Visitors can have meet and greets with characters from both franchises, and the other classic characters dressed as buccaneers and royals, and take part in various activities. Other features include the "Disney's Enchanted Adventures Parade" and the "Magic, Music and Mayhem" fireworks spectacular. Because the event has become so popular, Pirate and Princess events have become an annual hard-ticket staple with dates into August and September of 2007 and January through June of 2008. Disneyland Paris picked up this event soon afterwards.

It's a Small World[]

The Hong Kong Disneyland version of the ride It's a Small World has the Disney Princesses, which are Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan, while the Tokyo Disneyland version has Rapunzel, Merida, and Moana. Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine, and Mulan also appeared in the Disneyland version of the ride. Snow White, Aurora, Belle, Tiana, and Raya are the only Disney Princesses currently not included in the ride It's a Small World.

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

• As of 2023, there are a total of thirteen Princess films featuring nine Princesses (6 by birth, 3 by marriage), one heroine and three that are daughters of a chief (the first and third one are recognized as princesses, while the second one is recognized as a heroine).
  • The line-up also features eight characters loosely based on fairy tales (Snow White; Cinderella; Aurora from "Sleeping Beauty"; Ariel from "The Little Mermaid"; Belle from "Beauty and the Beast"; Jasmine from "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp"; Tiana from "The Frog Prince"; and Rapunzel from "Tangled"), one character based on a real person (Pocahontas), one character based on a legend (Mulan), and three characters created for original stories (Merida from Brave, Moana, and Raya from Raya and The Last Dragon).
• Initially, one of the unspoken rules of the franchise is that none of the Princesses should ever make eye contact in any official merchandise, keeping their "mythologies" separate. The Disney Princesses were designed to have all the Princesses unaware of each other's presence.^{[citation needed]}
  • Roy E. Disney objected to the creation of the Disney Princess franchise, as he said, "Cinderella and Snow White could never be seen together because their stories take place in different times and places."^{[citation needed]}
  • Going against the franchise's initial marketing strategy, all of the Princesses in the line-up (at the time), along with Vanellope, Anna, and Elsa, interact with each other in Ralph Breaks the Internet.
    • The reasoning for including Anna and Elsa in the film's variation of the line-up was due to the filmmakers recognizing the unofficial Princesses as princess characters that have the strongest association with the franchise, as well as sharing the connection of being from Walt Disney Animation with Vanellope.^[26]
  • As of 2023, as part of the Ultimate Princess Celebration, Disney has released promotional photos of the Princesses interacting with each other and acknowledging each other's presence.^[27]
    • They had interacted in some toy commercials in the 2000s, though only through a princess addressing another one by name rather than any significant interaction. Jasmine and Ariel also briefly interacted in House of Mouse.
• As of 2023, Snow White, Merida, and Raya are the only Princesses who have never had a sequel or spin-off.
  • It should be noted that Walt Disney himself was not in favor of the idea of giving Snow White a sequel or a spin-off. A spin-off, The 7D, was made of her film but without her in it.
• Out of all the thirteen Princesses, eight of them have used magic actively on others or their surroundings: Cinderella and Aurora with wands, Ariel with her father's trident, Belle with the Enchanted Mirror, Jasmine with the Carpet, Rapunzel with her hair, Merida with the Spell Cake, and Raya with the Dragon Gem.
• Snow White and Belle are the only Princesses to have magical mirrors involved in their stories.
• Each of the Princesses have their own outfits which represent their uniqueness and character in the franchise:
  • Snow White, Jasmine, Merida, and Raya all wear casual attire.
    • Jasmine is also the only Princess to wear long puffy trousers as part of her outfit.
  • Cinderella and Belle both wear ball gowns.
  • Aurora is the only Princess to wear a typical princess gown.
  • Ariel is the only Princess to be seen in her mermaid tail or wearing a bouffant gown as a human.
  • Pocahontas, Mulan, Moana, and Raya all wear their ethnic outfits.
    • Moana is also the only Princess to wear a skirt as part of her outfit.
  • Tiana is the only Princess to wear a wedding gown (without the veil). She is also the only Princess to wear a wedding gown that is not white (the color is green in her case); although she does have a separate white wedding gown, which was used in her second wedding.
  • Rapunzel, Belle, Mulan, and Cinderella are the only Princesses to wear peasant dresses (aside from Aurora when she was in the forest as Briar Rose).
• Snow White, Aurora, and Belle are the only Princesses to have lived in cottages. Aurora and Belle were official residents of their respective cottages, while Snow White moved in with the dwarfs temporarily.
• Pocahontas is the only Princess to wear her signature outfit throughout the course of her entire film.
  • In Ariel's case, she was seen as a mermaid for most of her time onscreen, while only seen briefly in her bouffant gown as a human during her dinner with Prince Eric and Grimsby.
  • Snow White is briefly seen wearing a ragged dress in her film, before spending the rest of it in her signature dress.
  • Cinderella was only seen wearing her gown when she went to the ball.
  • Aurora was only seen wearing the pink version of her dress during her dance with Prince Phillip at the end of her film.
  • Belle was only seen wearing her gown twice in her film: when she had both dinner and a dance with the Beast, as well as dancing with the Beast once again in his human form at the end of the film.
  • Mulan was only seen in her signature outfit during the first part of her film, as she spends the rest of it dressed up as a soldier.
  • Tiana was only seen in her signature outfit during her first wedding with Prince Naveen.
  • Apart from her signature casual attire, Jasmine wears a low class garment over her signature outfit when she disguises to leave the palace, a different dress when Jafar takes over Agrabah and a slave dress in the film's climax.
  • After spending majority of her film wearing her purple peasant dress, Rapunzel is briefly seen in a pale pink dress in the final scene of her original film.
  • Moana gains a new chief's outfit during the final sequence of her film.
  • Merida wears a sky blue dress during the archery competition at the beginning of her film.
  • Raya wears three blue outfits as a child in the beginning of her film.
• Tiana is considered the "most stylish" Disney Princess, as she wears the most outfits in her original film.
  • Jasmine's live-action counterpart has the second most number of outfits worn in her respective film.
• Jasmine is the only Princess to be seen wearing the outfits of her other fellow Princesses.
• Moana is the only Princess not to be seen wearing a garment that has a shade of blue.
  • However, she does have an accessory that incorporates the said color (the pendant of her grandmother's necklace).
    • Snow White has a blue bodice for her signature outfit.
    • Cinderella's ball gown has been recolored from silver to blue for the franchise.
    • Aurora has an alternative blue princess dress, opposing to the signature pink that she has.
    • Ariel was seen wearing a blue dress while touring around Prince Eric's kingdom.
    • Belle's signature peasant dress incorporates the shade of blue.
    • Jasmine's turquoise outfit can be considered a shade close to that of blue.
    • Pocahontas wears a blue shirt as part of her comfy outfit in Ralph Breaks the Internet.
    • Mulan was seen wearing a dress with the color blue during the final battle with Shan Yu.
    • Tiana was seen wearing a blue princess costume during Charlotte La Bouff's welcoming party for Prince Naveen.
    • Rapunzel was seen wearing a blue nightgown in her TV series.
    • Merida's teal outfit can be considered a shade close to that of blue.
    • Raya wears three blue outfits as a child.
  • Snow White, Aurora, Belle, Pocahontas, and Merida are the only Princesses to wear their signature outfits at the end of their films.
  • Cinderella's first Princess dress was pink. Aurora's first Princess dress was blue.
    • In merchandise, Cinderella's final Princess dress is blue, while Aurora's is pink.
• Merida, Moana, and Raya are currently the only Disney Princesses to not have love interests, though Merida and Moana were originally going to have love interests. Young MacGuffin was intended to be Merida's Prince during production, before it was ultimately decided she would remain single.
  • Merida is unique among the Disney Princesses in that she's the only one to be from a Pixar film, isn't based on a real person or literature, and doesn't have any onscreen singing moments in her film. Merida's also the first Disney Princess to display an actual accent.
  • Moana is also unique among the Disney Princesses in that she's the only one from a Disney film that isn't based on a real person or literature.
  • Raya is also unique among the Disney Princesses in that she's the second one from a Disney film that isn't based on a real person or literature, and she also, along with Merida, doesn't have any onscreen singing moments in her film.
• Regarding the relationship status of the Princesses:
  • Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, and Rapunzel are the only Princesses who are both royal by birth and marriage as they all end up with men who were also born into royal families.
  • Belle and Tiana are the only Princesses born as commoners that become royalty through marriage as they all ended up with men who were born into royal families. Before she got married, Cinderella was not born a monarch or a commoner, but was still born into the upper class before her stepfamily turned her into a servant girl, as her late father was an aristocrat.
    • Coincidentally, all three Princesses wear opera gloves and aprons.
  • Jasmine's the only Princess who is royal by birth that marries a commoner.
  • Pocahontas is the first Disney Princess with two love interests, John Smith and John Rolfe.
    • She is the only Disney Princess to not end up with her original love interest however, and falls in love with John Rolfe (whom she married in real life) in the sequel. Despite that, John Smith is still regarded as Pocahontas' official love interest.
  • Mulan is the only Princess who's neither royal by birth nor marriage. Instead, she marries Li Shang, a captain of the Chinese army.
    • However, Mulan would have become a princess had she married Prince Jeeki at the end of Mulan II.
  • Merida, Moana, and Raya are the only Princesses to remain single as they don't have love interests in their respective films.
    • However, it should be noted that Merida had an arranged marriage as a conflict.
  • Cinderella, Aurora, and Rapunzel were initially unaware that their love interests were princes when they first met them until they later found out by the end of their films and vice versa with their princes, minus Cinderella who became royalty through marriage.
    • Rapunzel found out Eugene is a long-lost prince in the second season finale of Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure.
• Each Princess is represented by one or more objects:
  • Snow White – red apple, hair bow, diamonds, Magic Mirror, and the wishing well
  • Cinderella – glass slipper, clock, pumpkin, needle & thread, ribbons, and pumpkin coach
  • Aurora – golden tiara, spinning wheel, and berry basket
  • Ariel – dinglehopper, seashell, coral, starfish, Ursula's necklace, bubbles, seaweed, and trident
  • Belle – Chip, Lumiere, enchanted mirror, books, and The Enchanted Rose
  • Jasmine – the magic lamp, flying carpet, and clouds
  • Pocahontas – her mother's necklace, feather, leaves, corn, and compass
  • Mulan – fan, her father's sword, hair comb, the emperors crest, tea cup, and oil-paper umbrella
  • Tiana – lily pad, Evening Star, gumbo pot, beignets, restaurant poster, trumpet, and her wedding tiara
  • Rapunzel – sun insignia, lantern, paintbrush & palette, frying pan, hair brush, and crown
  • Merida – her bow/arrow, Will O' the Wisps, bullseye, spell cake, and bear pendant
  • Moana - Heart of Te Fiti, oar, palm trees, her grandmother's necklace, conch shell, Ocean, and her boat
  • Raya- her Dragon Blade, hat, Dragon Gem, Sisu's necklace, and the Five Tribes crest
• Each Princess is represented by one or more flowers:
  • Snow White – apple blossom
  • Cinderella – pumpkin blossom
  • Aurora – pink rose
  • Ariel – sea flower
  • Belle – red rose and the Enchanted Rose
  • Jasmine – lotus
  • Pocahontas – sunflower
  • Mulan – peach blossom and a Magnolia
  • Tiana – lily pad flower
  • Rapunzel –The Sundrop Flower
  • Merida – Scottish thisle
  • Moana - pink Plumeria
  • Raya- Kumandra flower
• Each Princess is represented by a building or location in their respective films, which represents homes or of important significance:
  • Snow White - Cottage of the Seven Dwarfs/The Queen's Castle
  • Cinderella - The King's Castle
  • Aurora - King Stefan's Castle
  • Ariel - King Triton's Palace/Prince Eric's Castle
  • Belle - Beast's Castle
  • Jasmine - The Sultan's Palace
  • Pocahontas - Forrest/Diving Cliff
  • Mulan - Fa Family Temple/Emperor's Palace
  • Tiana - Tiana's Palace
  • Rapunzel - Rapunzel's Tower/Corona Castle
  • Merida - Castle DunBroch
  • Moana - Motunui
  • Raya - Heart Palace
• Except for Merida and Raya, each Princess has their own "I Want" song:
  • Snow White – "I'm Wishing"
  • Cinderella – "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes"
  • Aurora – "I Wonder"
  • Ariel – "Part of Your World"
  • Belle – "Belle (reprise)"
  • Pocahontas – "Just Around the Riverbend"
  • Mulan - "Reflection"
  • Tiana – "Almost There"
  • Rapunzel – "When Will My Life Begin"
  • Moana - "How Far I'll Go"
    • Jasmine has a song in her 2019 live-action remake, "Speechless", that serves as her "I Want" song. Prior to that, she shared a song with Aladdin in "A Whole New World".
    • Merida and Raya both have songs representing their morals, wishes, or message in their films but are off-screen and sung by famous singers. Merida's "I Want" song, "Touch the Sky" is played during the beginning of her film and "Learn Me Right" is played during the end credits. Raya has one song, "Lead the Way" that is played during the credits of her film.

• Each Princess has an animal best friend/side kick:
  • Snow White - forest animals
  • Cinderella - Jaq, Gus and other mice, Bruno, Major, and birds
  • Aurora - forest animals
  • Ariel - Sebastian, Flounder, and Scuttle
  • Belle - Philippe
  • Jasmine - Rajah
  • Pocahontas - Meeko and Flit
  • Mulan - Mushu, Cri Kee, and Khan
  • Tiana - Ray and Louis
  • Rapunzel - Pascal and Maximus
  • Merida - Angus
  • Moana - Pua and Hei Hei
  • Raya - Tuk Tuk
• The first eight Princesses were once represented as elements on a periodic table at a candy store at Downtown Disney in Orlando, FL.
  • Snow White: S - sulfur
  • Cinderella: C - carbon
  • Aurora: Au - gold
  • Ariel: Ai - fictional
  • Belle: B - boron
  • Jasmine: J - jodium, former name of iodine
  • Pocahontas: P - phosphorus
  • Mulan: Ml - fictional
• Mulan and Tiana are the only Princesses to date who have killed the antagonists (Shan Yu and Dr. Facilier) in their films. Mulan has actually killed more people than any other Disney character, having buried (almost) an entire Hun army in a snow avalanche from which few escaped and survived.
  • In the live action remake, it is Ariel who kills Ursula.
  • Moana and Raya are the only Princesses to redeem their primary antagonist (before turning into Te Kā, Te Fiti was a source of goodness to the islands, until Maui stole her heart, which ultimately caused her to become a destructive entity). Raya trusted Namaari with the Dragon Gem pieces, and Namaari ended up doing the right thing. They are also the only Princesses so far to encounter two antagonists in one film, Moana encountered both a male and female antagonist in the same film, and Raya encountered two females, a mother and a daughter.
  • Cinderella and Rapunzel have both been able to redeem secondary antagonists. Cinderella was able to save her younger stepsister Anastasia from Lady Tremaine's influence in "A Twist In Time", and Rapunzel was able to repair her relationship with Cassandra in "Plus Est En Vous" when Zhan Tiri turned on them both.
• Rapunzel was the first Princess in the franchise to be computer-animated, rather than traditionally hand-drawn. However, she and the other computer-animated Princesses have hand-drawn redesigns when appearing with the other Princesses in merchandise or pictures.
• Several of the Disney Princesses are animated by the same person. Marc Davis animated Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora. Glen Keane animated Ariel, Pocahontas, and Rapunzel. Mark Henn animated Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, and Tiana.
• There are seven white Princesses: Snow White and Rapunzel (German); Cinderella, Aurora, and Belle (French); Ariel (Mediterranean), and Merida (Scottish). The six non-white Disney Princesses are Jasmine (Arabian), Pocahontas (Native American), Mulan (Chinese), Tiana (Black American), Moana (Polynesian), and Raya (Southeast Asian).
• Tiana is the first Disney Princess to have a public coronation as all the Princesses up to Mulan were already in the line-up when the franchise first launched in the early 2000s.
  • Moana is the first Princess to be inducted into the franchise without a public coronation; the method of her inclusion was drawn towards merchandise and social media promotion instead.
  • Disney has inducted Raya into the franchise during World Princess week, without a public coronation.
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the only film in the franchise which won an honorary Oscar. Brave won an Oscar as Best Animated Feature Film of the Year. The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and Pocahontas won two Oscars (Best Soundtrack, Best Original Song). Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Mulan, The Princess and the Frog, Tangled, Moana, and Raya and The Last Dragon received award nominations.
  • Merida is one of only three official Disney Princesses, with the other two being Tiana and Moana, to be featured in more than one animated film that was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature (Brave, Ralph Breaks the Internet).
• Cinderella, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya are shown as children in their original films. Ariel is shown as a child in her prequel movie The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning.
• Ariel is the only Disney Princess who isn't born a human, but she eventually becomes a human.
  • Ariel is also the first Disney Princess to have a child.
• Out of the thirteen Princesses in the line-up, only five are actually seen getting married on screen: Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine, Tiana, and Rapunzel. Jasmine got married in the sequel Aladdin and the King of Thieves, and Rapunzel got married in the short Tangled Ever After. In the sequel of her film Mulan II, Mulan almost gets married to a prince of a neighboring kingdom for political reasons, but Mushu interferes and stops the marriage.
• Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, and Ariel are so far the only Princesses to have a live-action remake of their original films, though Aurora's film was reimagined to focus on Maleficent's point of view. Snow White and Moana are confirmed to have a live-action remake of their respective movies in development.
• Pocahontas is the only pre-Revival era princess to not have a confirmed live-action adaptation of her film.
• Out of all thirteen Princesses, Snow White, and Cinderella are the only orphaned Princesses;
  • Aurora, Mulan, Rapunzel, Merida, and Moana have both of their parents alive; however, both of Aurora's parents died in the live action remake, making her the only Disney Princess in which both of her parents were currently deceased in the live action remake while they are still alive in the original, due to her father, King Stefan, being evil, also making her the only Disney Princess to have a biological relative to be depicted as villain in a live action remake while the original animated film has him as a minor character.
    • Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, and Pocahontas have only their fathers alive; and Tiana is the only one who has her mother alive while her father died.
      • Tiana is unique with this as her deceased parent is seen at the beginning of the film and died later on.
      • Raya is unique among this as it is unknown if her mother is alive or deceased, since she is never seen or mentioned throughout the film.
• Considering the death of the Evil Queen, Snow White is the only Princess who doesn't have a living parental figure anymore.
• Fa Mulan and Tiana Rogers are the only Disney Princesses to have known family names.
• Aurora and Mulan are the only Disney Princesses to go by aliases (Aurora as "Briar Rose" and Mulan as "Ping"). Although in Aurora's case, she thought Briar Rose was her real name until she was informed of her true identity.
  • In earlier concepts of her film, Raya was going to go by the alias, The Dragon Blade.
• Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Rapunzel's names are from their original stories.
• Snow White, Cinderella, Pocahontas, Mulan, Moana, and Raya are the only Princesses to have their names eponymous to the title of their respective films. Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and Tiana are the only Princesses to have film titles referencing to their character. Jasmine is the only Princess to have the title of her film eponymous to her love interest. Rapunzel and Merida are the only Princesses to have adjectives as film titles (although at one point, Rapunzel's film title was originally going to be eponymous during the production).

• The Disney Princesses have appeared in the ABC series Once Upon a Time, with the series centering on Emma Swan, the daughter of Snow White who has to break a curse. The ABC Studios is owned by Disney, and therefore they have rights to the Princesses. Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Mulan, Tiana, and Merida have all appeared on the show. The series has also featured two different versions of Cinderella and Rapunzel.
  • Pocahontas, Moana, and Raya are the only Princesses who did not appear on the show, nor did they appear in the spin-off.
• Only four of the thirteen Princesses (Jasmine, Mulan, Rapunzel, and Merida) have appeared as playable characters in Disney Infinity.
  • Moana was to be added, but has never happened due to the series' cancellation.
• Snow White, Aurora, and Merida are the only official Disney Princesses that appeared in Sofia the First who don't have a song.
• Pocahontas and Moana are the only Princesses in the line-up (at the time) who didn't appear in the series Sofia the First.
  • According to a producer, Pocahontas wasn't able to appear in the show because it was difficult to create an episode involving her character.
• Snow White, Cinderella, Belle, and Jasmine are the only Princesses who appear in the Descendants franchise.
  • Rapunzel was originally set to appear in Descendants: The Rise of Red as a teenager, but was cut out for unknown reasons.
• Ironically, despite most of them having a royal status (in Mulan's case, a recognizable status), a majority of the Princesses were seen doing physical labor (chores or servant work).
  • Ariel and Raya are the only Princesses who weren't seen doing any form of physical labor.
  • Jasmine was the only Princess who was magically forced to do physical labor.
• Except for Cinderella, Ariel, Merida and Moana, all the Disney Princesses are shown to have no siblings.
  • Ariel is the youngest of seven daughters (Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista, and Andrina are her six older sisters) while Merida's the oldest and only daughter of four children (Harris, Hubert, and Hamish are her three younger brothers).
  • Biologically-speaking, Cinderella's an only child. However, through her father's marriage to Lady Tremaine, she gained two stepsisters, Drizella and Anastasia.
  • Belle was originally going to have two older sisters. However that idea was ultimately scrapped due to the possibility of them being confused with Cinderella's stepsisters.
    • Another concept included Belle having a younger sister named Clarice, although that concept was eventually scrapped too.
  • Mulan is an only child in her original animated film, but she has a younger sister in her live-action remake.
    • The original literary source has stated that Mulan had a younger brother.
  • At one point, Moana was going to be the youngest and only daughter of ten children before the idea was ultimately scrapped.
    • However, Moana will have a younger sister named Simea in the sequel.
  • Although Rapunzel had no siblings in her original movie, her TV series Tangled: The Series, revealed that Mother Gothel had a daughter before kidnapping Rapunzel and coincidentally, that daughter became Rapunzel's lady-in-waiting known as Cassandra. This would make them adoptive sisters.
  • Of the Princesses who officially have siblings, Ariel, Merida and Moana are the only ones with biological siblings. Cinderella and Rapunzel are the only ones with no blood-related siblings, but acquired siblings through either marriage or adoption.
• Out of the thirteen Princesses, Ariel, Jasmine, Tiana, and Rapunzel are the only ones to be the protagonists (or in Jasmine's case, deuteragonist) of animated series based on their respective movies: The Little Mermaid for Ariel, Aladdin for Jasmine, Tiana for Tiana, and Tangled: The Series for Rapunzel.
  • Belle, Cinderella and Moana were also going to have respective series, which were reworked into Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World, Cinderella II: Dreams Come True and Moana 2 respectively.
• In 2011, Jodi Benson, Paige O'Hara, Linda Larkin, Anika Noni Rose, and Lea Salonga were named Disney Legends. At the ceremony Benson, O'Hara, Rose, and Salonga sang "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" together. Benson's, O'Hara's, Larkin's, and Rose's plaques are presented together on the same post at the Team ― Disney Michael D. Eisner Building. In 2019, Ming-Na Wen was also named a Disney Legend.
• Ron Clements and John Musker have directed the most of the official Disney Princess films, with four entries.
• Jodi Benson, Jennifer Hale, and Auli'i Cravalho are the only actresses to play more than one Disney Princess in a Disney production. Benson voiced Belle in addition to her regular role as Ariel in episodes of House of Mouse, Hale has been Cinderella's main voice since 2000, while also serving as Aurora's main voice from 2001-2010, and Cravalho played Ariel in the 2019 TV special The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live! after voicing Moana. Lea Salonga is also the only woman to provide the singing voices for two Disney Princesses: Jasmine and Mulan.
• Mulan, Moana, and Raya are the only Princesses not to have celebrities pose as them for the Disney Dream Portrait Series.
• The whole Disney Princess concept was parodied in the Guardians of the Galaxy episode "Black Vortex" with Gamora going to a parallel universe where she is a princess.
• On February 6, 2021, when shopDisney released merchandise for Raya and the Last Dragon, some of them was described as part of Disney Princess collections, specifically the merchandise focusing around the main character, Raya. This goes as well with the deuteragonist of the film Sisu. Disney has now officially inducted Raya into the franchise.
• When Vanellope von Schweetz tells the Disney Princesses she doesn't have a mom, the motherless Princesses all huddle up to her and say "Neither do we," while the Disney Princesses with mothers can be seen in the camera angle when Rapunzel asks if she thinks all her problems can be solved by a big strong man.
• Raya is the only official Disney Princess to not be featured in the Princess Segment of Ralph Breaks the Internet, reason being that Ralph Breaks the Internet was released in 2018, and Raya and The Last Dragon was released in 2021, and she was added to the franchise in 2022.
  • Raya would later take part in a group photo with Vanellope and all of the other Princesses except for Merida in the 2023 short Once Upon a Studio.
• Snow White is the only Disney Princess whose father never appears in her original film, though he was originally supposed to.
  • Her father does, however, appear in the stage adaptation of the film.
• Each of the Disney Princess theme songs are a reflection of the way that the Princesses were marketed during the time of the respective song's release.
  • "If You Can Dream" was released when the Princesses were still marketed as damsels and romantics.
  • "The Glow" was released when the Princesses were slowly being marketed as independent women.
  • "Live Your Story", "Starting Now", and "Like a Princess" were both released at a time when the Princesses were already established as heroines.
• According to Box Office Mojo, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya are the only Princesses to have their films peak at no. 1 at the box office.
  • Aurora, Cinderella, Belle, Jasmine, and Ariel are the only Princesses to have the live-action remakes of their films peak at no. 1 at the box office.
    • Jasmine is the only Princesses to have both her original film and remake to peak both at no. 1.
• The films of the original six Princesses all became the highest grossing animated film Of the year during the respective years of their release.
• Aurora and Raya are the only Princesses whose films were not successful at the box office during their initial releases.
  • Aurora's film would later gain a strong following during its theatrical re-releases and on home media. Her inclusion in the Disney Princess line-up also helped establish the legacy of her film.
  • Raya's film was not initially a hit at the box office due to it being simultaneously released in theaters and on Disney+ with a premium charge due to most cinemas being closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. It would, however, top the box office for three weekends straight. Her film would also become a huge streaming hit once it became available to all Disney+ subscribers after the premium fee expired.
    • Raya is also the first Princess to debut during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Snow White, Ariel, Tiana, and Raya were the only Princesses to be solely introduced in the decades that they debuted:
  • Snow White was the only Princess introduced in the 30's.
  • Cinderella and Aurora were the only two Princesses introduced in the 50's.
  • Ariel was the only Princess introduced in the 80's.
  • Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, and Mulan were the only four Princesses introduced in the 90's.
  • Tiana was the only Princess introduced in the 2000's.
  • Rapunzel, Merida, and Moana were the only three Princesses introduced in the 2010's.
  • Raya is so far the only Princess introduced in the 2020's.
• There isn't a Disney Princess that debuted in the 40's, 60's, and 70's decades.
  • To elaborate further:
    • 1930's - Snow White
    • 1950's - Cinderella, Aurora
    • 1980's - Ariel
    • 1990's - Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan
    • 2000's - Tiana
    • 2010's - Rapunzel, Merida, Moana
    • 2020's - Raya
  • The gap between Aurora and Ariel's debuts is the longest gap between two Princess debuts, with 30 years to be exact.
  • So far, Tiana and Rapunzel have the shortest gap between the debuts of two leading Princess characters, with 348 days to be exact.
    • Belle and Jasmine come in with the second shortest gap, with 364 days to be exact.
  • Considering the Princesses' respective eras alone, Snow White and Cinderella have the longest gap between two Princess debuts, with 13 years to be exact.
  • So far, the 90's decade has introduced the most official Princesses.
• Aurora, Pocahontas, and Mulan were the only Princesses from the original line-up who weren't featured in the Disney Princess Stories DVD series.
• Cinderella is the first Princess to encounter realistic villains, with Pocahontas being the second, Mulan being the third, and Rapunzel being the fourth.
• Seven of the Princesses experience a conflict with a non-villainous family member: Ariel, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Moana with their fathers, Merida with her mother, and Aurora with her adoptive aunts.
  • Belle, Tiana, and Raya are the only Princesses not to have any major conflict with a family member, villainous or otherwise.
• None of the Princesses were ever seen drinking. Tiana was seen drinking in the dream sequence of 'Almost There' but it's unconfirmed if she does drink in real life.
• Cinderella and Merida are few of the Princess characters to have their gowns ruined.
  • Merida's case is different though, for she herself was the one who tore her gown. On the other hand, Cinderella got her gown ruined by her respective villains.
• Merida is the first Princess to ever sing a song in any language aside from English. Raya is the second.
• Snow White is the only Disney Princess who doesn't speak to her prince.
• Mulan, Tiana, and Raya are the only Disney Princesses who are left-handed.
• Mulan and Moana are the only Princesses whose grandmothers are seen in their films.
• Mulan is the last Disney Princess introduced in the 20th century.
• Tiana is the first Disney Princess introduced in the 21st century.
• Snow White and Cinderella are the only Princesses whose original voice actresses are deceased. Aurora, Belle, and Merida are the only Princesses whose original voice actors are still alive but have been replaced in most subsequent media (although O'Hara and Mcdonald did reprise their roles as Belle and Merida in Ralph Breaks the Internet and O'Hara voiced Belle again in Once Upon a Studio). All other Princesses retain their original voice actresses in most media.
  • Cinderella is the only Princess whose voice actress did not return for her sequels. She was voiced by Jennifer Hale (Ilene Woods was still alive at the time but was too old to produce Cinderella's tone of voice) instead for her dialogue. However, Hale has voiced Cinderella in all media ever since.
  • Jasmine's singing voice, Lea Salonga, was temporarily replaced by Liz Callaway for the Aladdin sequels in the late 90's. However, beginning in the 2000's, Salonga returned as the singing voice for Jasmine in most media.
  • Cinderella's singing voice from Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, Tami Tappan Damiano, did not reprise her role as her singing voice actress in other media, such as Sofia the First.
• Some of the Princesses' stories share common mythological creatures/archetypes:
  • Aurora, Mulan, and Raya's stories involve dragons.
  • Cinderella, Aurora, and Merida's stories involve fairies/fae.
  • Snow White, Ariel, and Merida's stories involve witches (and the princesses making deals with said witches).
  • Jasmine and Tiana's stories involve evil sorcerers.
  • Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine, Mulan, Tiana, and Raya's stories involve talking animals.
• Some of the Princesses' stories share common fairytale archetypes:
  • Snow White, Cinderella, and Rapunzel have maternal figures as villains.
  • Snow White and Aurora fell under sleeping curses.
  • Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, and Tiana have kisses with their respective love-interests as an integral part to their stories.
  • Cinderella and Aurora have fairy godmothers.
  • Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Tiana, and Merida's stories involved integral magical spells that have certain timeframes.
• Several of the Princesses have a relationship with an elderly woman figure who serves as their mentor, guide, or support.
  • Cinderella with her Fairy Godmother
  • Aurora with Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather
  • Belle with Mrs. Potts
  • Pocahontas with Grandmother Willow
  • Mulan with her Grandmother Fa
  • Tiana with Mama Odie
  • Moana with her Gramma Tala
• Both Cinderella and Rapunzel had a sister-figure who was initially antagonistic, but become redeemed in sequel media.
• Merida is the only Princess not to be featured in the 2023 short Once Upon a Studio due to the fact that she is a Pixar character and the short only includes characters created by Walt Disney Animation Studios.
• As of 2024, Snow White, Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, and Ariel are the only Princesses to have their original animated films added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant":
  • Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (added in 1989)
  • Beauty and the Beast (added in 2002)
  • Cinderella (added in 2018)
  • Sleeping Beauty (added in 2019)
  • The Little Mermaid (added in 2022)
• The inclusion of Mulan and Jasmine in the line has caused controversy as they are respectively not royalty and not the protagonist and therefore the rules have been twisted in order to include them, though the most likely explanation is that they were included for the sake of diversity.
• Following Disney's purchase of 20th Century Fox in 2019, there has been debate over the character of Princess Anastasia from the movie Anastasia being integrated as part of the Disney Princess line. However, this would be impossible as despite the film's notoriety, it is not considered a true Disney production and therefore would be considered incongruitous. However, she was included in Disney Emoji Blitz.

See also[]

• Disney Fairies
• Palace Pets

References[]

External links[]

• Disney Princess on Wikipedia
• Disney Princess on Disney.com
  • Disney Princess UK
  • Disney Princess Australia
  • Disney Princess Germany
  • Disney Princess Japan
• Disney Princess Wiki on Disney Princess Wiki
• Disney Princess on Facebook

v - e - d

Princesses Official Disney Princesses: Snow White • Cinderella • Aurora • Ariel • Belle • Jasmine • Pocahontas • Mulan • Tiana • Rapunzel • Merida • Moana • Raya Other Princesses: Minnie Mouse • Tiger Lily • Maid Marian • Eilonwy • Daughters of Triton • Calla • Megara • Melody • Sally • Kida Nedakh • Ting-Ting, Su, and Mei • Kilala Reno • Kairi • Princess of Gentlehaven • Nancy Tremaine • Vanellope von Schweetz • Sofia • Anna • Elsa • Elena Other Heroines: Alice • Wendy Darling • Tinker Bell • Nala • Nakoma • Esmeralda • Jane Porter • Giselle • Mirabel Madrigal • Asha Media Films: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) • Cinderella (1950) • Sleeping Beauty (1959) • The Little Mermaid (1989) • Beauty and the Beast (1991) • Aladdin (1992) • Pocahontas (1995) • Mulan (1998) • The Princess and the Frog (2009) • Tangled (2010) • Brave (2012) • Moana (2016) • Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) Theme Songs: "If You Can Dream" • "It's Not Just Make Believe" • "The Glow" • "Live Your Story" • "Starting Now" • "Like a Princess" Video Games: Disney Princess: Fashion Boutique • Disney Princess • Disney Princess: Magical Dress-Up • Disney Princess: Royal Horse Show • Disney Princess: Royal Adventure • Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey • Disney Princess: Magical Jewels • Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure • Disney Princess Enchanting Storybooks • Disney Princess Majestic Quest • Disney Tsum Tsum • Disney Emoji Blitz • Disney Heroes: Battle Mode • Disney Mirrorverse • Disney Magic Kingdoms Home Video: Disney Princess Sing-Along Songs Vol. 1 - Once Upon A Dream • Disney Princess Sing Along Songs Vol. 2 - Enchanted Tea Party • Disney Princess Sing Along Songs Vol. 3 - Perfectly Princess • Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams Books: Kilala Princess • Disney Princess • Disney Princess Beginnings • Disney Princess Comics Treasury • Royal Weddings Cancelled: Princess Academy Disney Parks Castle of Magical Dreams • Enchanted Storybook Castle • Fairy Tale Forest • Fantasy Faire • Golden Fairytale Fanfare • Mickey's Magical Celebration • Minnie's Tiara of Dreams • PLAY! • Princess Pavilion • Royal Banquet Hall Fireworks: Disney Illuminations See Also Sofia the First • Disney Fairies • Princesses of Heart • Palace Pets • Princess Academy • Ralph Breaks the Internet • Disney Princess - The Concert • Like a Princess