Disney Princess

The Disney Princesses are characters that are currently featured in the Disney Princess franchise. The franchise is now comprised of ten female protagonists from ten different Walt Disney animated films who are either royal by birth, royal by marriage, or considered a "princess" due to their significant portrayal of heroinism in their film and/or of a very high status in their country/region.

The character lineup has varied since the creation of the franchise; Princesses Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Fa Mulan and Tiana have most consistently been included. A new addition, Princess Rapunzel, made her debut in Tangled on November 24, 2010 and was officially included in the lineup on October 2nd, 2011.

The Disney Princesses are featured in various sing-a-long video series released through The Walt Disney Company. In addition, the franchise includes dolls, miniature castles, and other toys. The princesses are also featured in the nightly “Fantasmic! Nighttime Show Spectacular” in Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios and begining in 2011 at Tokyo DisneySea in Japan.

History
In early 2000, when Andy Mooney was hired by the Disney consumer-products division to help combat dropping sales, the idea for the Disney Princess franchise was born. Soon after joining Disney, Mooney attended his first “Disney on Ice” show. While waiting in line, he found himself surrounded by young girls dressed as princesses. “They weren’t even Disney products. They were generic princess products,” he mused. Soon after realizing the demand, the Disney Princess line was formed.

Despite limited advertising and no focus groups, the various Disney Princess items released became a huge success. Sales at Disney Consumer Products rose from $300 million in 2001 to $3 billion in 2006. Today there are over 25,000 products based on the franchise.

The princesses to be featured in the line 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 was once included under the same principle before it was decided she was not suited for the "mythology". Recently though, Tinker Bell has starred in her own Disney franchise, 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.

Character list
The characters themselves, despite appearing in separate films, have distinct similarities. The princesses show good will towards all creatures, evidenced by the common ability to commune with animals. The princesses are known for their inner and outer beauty as well as having beautiful singing voices. Each princess has a romance that is resolved by the end of her film; the male counterparts known as "Disney Princes".

Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, Jasmine, and Rapunzel are born of royal heritage as daughters of kings and queens. Pocahontas can be considered as being of royal heritage, as she is the daughter of a chief and considered Native American royalty by the English. Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana become royalty by marriage. Mulan is the only Disney princess who does not become royalty by blood or marriage.

Snow White


The character of Snow White first originated in a Brothers Grimm fairytale "Little Snow White" about a beautiful German princess with a jealous step-mother. In 1937, Walt Disney turned this classic fairytale into his very first animated feature film. Her true love is a nameless handsome prince, who breaks her sleeping death 'slumber' with love's first kiss. She befriends the seven dwarfs during her stay at their cottage.

Speaking Voice and Singing Voice: Adriana Caselotti (Original Film), Mary Kay Bergman (80's and 90's merchendise) Carolyn Gardner (Kingdom Hearts series, House of Mouse and others)

Cinderella


The best-known version of Cinderella is the fairytale "Cendrillon" by Charles Perrault in 1697, which was based on an earlier version by Giambattista Basile in 1634 and was later adapted by The Brothers Grimm as "Aschenputtel". In 1950, it was turned into an animated feature-length film by Walt Disney. Her stepmother turned her into the family's sole servant after the passing of her father. With magical help from her Fairy Godmother, she attends the ball and meets the prince of her kingdom, and eventually marries him, thus freeing her from her life of servitude. .

Speaking Voice and Singing Voice: Ilene Woods (Original Film), Jennifer Hale (Speaking, sequels, House of Mouse, Kingdom Hearts series), Tami Tappan Damiano (Singing, sequels)

Peter Griffith

Princess Aurora


Best known as the heroine of the 1959 animated classic Sleeping Beauty loosely based on Charles Perrault's La Belle au Bois Dormant' but is actually closer to the Brothers Grimm's adapatation "Dornroschen"/Little Briar Rose. 'Although her dress changes ''from blue to pink (thanks to two of her guardians, Merriweather and Flora) she is most commonly seen wearing pink. She was cursed at birth by an evil witch called Maleficent, who predicted her death on her 16th birthday. One of the three good fairies, Merryweather, softened the curse by changing her death to a deep slumber that will only be awakened by true love's kiss. By falling in love with Prince Phillip, the prince of a neighboring kingdom, she is freed from the curse by the end of the film after the evil fairy is defeated.

Speaking Voice and Singing Voice: Mary Costa (Original Film), Jennifer Hale (Speaking 2000-2005, 2007-present Kingdom Hearts series, various apperences), Erin Torpey (Speaking, various apperences 2005-2007) Cassidy Ladden (Singing various apperences)

Ariel


The heroine of the 1989 film, loosely based on the Danish fairytale "Den Lille Havfure" by Hans Christian Andersen, and the daughter of King Triton, ruler of the sea, 16 year old mermaid Ariel falls in love with a dashing human prince named Eric. She trades her voice to the sea witch Ursula (who was supposed to be her aunt in the uncut version of the film) in order to become a human and be with him forever. Ariel was featured in three Disney movies: The Little Mermaid, The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, and The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning. She is the first and only princess to have a child, a human and mermaid princess named Melody.

Speaking Voice and Singing Voice: Jodi Benson (Original Film, sequels, TV series, House of Mouse, Kingdom Hearts series and various others)

Belle


French commoner who is the heroine of the 1991 animated classic Beauty and the Beast, loosely based on the French fairytale "La Belle et la Bete" by Madame Jeanne-Marie le Prince de Beaumont, her name is translated from the French word for "beauty". She trades her freedom for her father's with the Beast and becomes his prisoner, but she soon learns to see the good hidden behind his hideous appearance and falls in love with him over time. By confessing her love at the end of the movie, the Beast is turned back into a human along with his enchanted servants and Belle becomes his queen.

Speaking Voice and Singing Voice: Paige O'Hara (Original Film, sequels, Kingdom Hearts series, various others), Jodi Benson (House of Mouse)

Jasmine


The spunky, independent Arabian Princess of Agrabah, who dreams of seeing what's beyond her palace and be freed from her father's constant pestering of royal marriage. She falls in love with the title character in 1992's Aladdin, whom she marries at the end of the third movie, Aladdin and the King of Thieves. She is loosely based on the unamed princess featured in the story of "Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp" from "1001 Arabian Nights".

Speaking Voice: Linda Larkin (Original Fim, sequels, House of Mouse, TV series, Kingdom Hearts series various others), Singing Voice: Lea Salonga (Original Film) Liz Callaway (sequels)

Pocahontas


Disney's Pocahontas is loosely based on the real-life Native American princess. She falls in love with a man named John Smith, who helps her prevent a war from commencing between their people. At the end of the film, John is wounded and sent back to London for treatment, and so they lose contact with one another. Years later, Pocahontas travels to London as her people's representative to prevent a potential war between the English and the Native Americans. Though they succeed in stopping the conflict, Pocahontas finds her path different from John Smith's and sails back to her country with her new lover, John Rolfe.

Speaking Voice: Irene Bedard (Original Film, sequel), Singing Voice: Judy Kuhn (Original film, sequel)

Mulan


Fa Mulan is a brave Chinese heroine who dresses up like a soldier and goes to war in place of her crippled father, risking death and dishonor. She is loosely based on the heroine from the anicent Chinese epic peom "The Legend of Hua Mulan" and she is the only Disney Princess who is not royal by blood or marriage, but she is a princess by achieving honor from the Emperor himself by saving China. She comes close to marrying a prince in her second movie. During her stay in the army, she falls in love with the captain, Li Shang and they marry at the end of the second movie.

Speaking Voice: Ming-Na (Original Film, sequel), Singing Voice: Lea Salonga (Original Film, sequel)

Tiana


Based on both E.D Baker's 2002 novel The Frog Princess and The Brothers Grimm fairytale "Die Froschkonig", Tiana is the heroine of the 2009 animated film “The Princess and the Frog” and is the first Princess of African-American decent. She dreams of opening her own restaurant through hard work. By kissing Prince Naveen in frog form, she is turned into a frog (because the magic can only be broken by a princess) and 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 and willingly sacrifices her own humanity to be with him. By marrying the prince, Tiana becomes a real princess and so breaks the spell with a kiss. They have their own restaurant at the end of the film.

Speaking Voice and Singing Voice: Anika Noni Rose (Original Film)

Rapunzel


The heroine from the animated feature "Tangled" is loosely based on the German title character from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale "Rapunzel". Her long hair, which is said to measure 70 feet in length, not only has magical healing powers, but can 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. To free her from Gothel's clutches, Flynn cuts her hair, thus destroys her power, and she is returned to her family. Rapunzel was to be "officially welcomed into the Disney Princess Royal Court" during a promotional event at Kensington Palace in London on October 2, 2011.

Speaking Voice and Singing Voice: Mandy Moore

Expected Future Princesses
- Sofia is expected to be the first Disney princess who is actually a little girl, as opposed to a young woman in her teen years, like all the other beauties.
 * Princess Mérida (Brave)
 * Princess Sofia the First (TBA)

Former Disney Princess
Disney Characters that were apart of the Disney Princess line up but were removed/kicked out.
 * Tinker Bell

Guest Characters
Other Disney characters have guest starred alongside the ten above princesses in various Disney Princess products.
 * Princess Collection 2: Songs by Maid Marian, Nala, and Megara are included.
 * Disney Princess Sing Along Songs: Once Upon a Dream: Sing along segments by Princess Minnie Mouse, Megara, and Ting-ting, Su, and Mei are included.
 * Disney Princess Sing Along Songs: Enchanted Tea Party: Sing along segments by Alice, Maid Marian, and Melody are included.
 * Disney Princess Sing Along Songs: Perfectly Princess: Sing along segments by Alice and Melody are included.
 * Once Upon A Princess: Volume 1: A story book segment by Esmeralda is included.

Unofficial Princess list
Disney heroines and actual Princesses that have been included in some material but not official Disney Princesses.
 * Minnie Mouse
 * Daisy Duck (Daisy Duck has portrayed a princess)
 * Alice (Alice in Wonderland)
 * Wendy Darling (Peter Pan)
 * Tinker Bell (Peter Pan)
 * Maid Marian (Robin Hood)
 * Nala (The Lion King)
 * Esmeralda (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)
 * Megara (Hercules)
 * Jane Porter (Tarzan)
 * Melody (The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea)
 * Kida (Atlantis: The Lost Empire)
 * Kairi (Kingdom Hearts)
 * Ting-Ting, Su, and Mei (Mulan II)
 * Giselle (Enchanted)
 * Kilala Reno (Kilala Princess)
 * Eilonwy (The Black Cauldron)

Mickey’s Pirate and Princess Party
Begining on January 22, 2007, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World hosted their newest hard ticket (seprate 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, as well as the other classic characters dressed as buccaneers and royals, and take part in various activities. Other features include a new parade, 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 has become an annual hard-ticket staple with dates into August and September of 2007, January through June of 2008, and returned in 2009. There were no events scheduled for 2010 or 2011.

Gallery
See also: Disney Princess/Gallery

Trivia

 * Out of the ten Disney Princesses, only five of them are royal by birth; Snow White, Aurora, Ariel, Jasmine and Rapunzel. Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana become princesses by marrying a prince, and Pocahontas is the daughter of a Native-Indian chief, which isn't quite royalty because she does not inherit any position or political status. Mulan also isn't actually a princess(she is the daughter of a war hero) but she does however recieve a grace of honor from the Emperor of China who is royalty making her the only woman to ever do so. Pocahontas and Mulan are included in the princess line up because of their high status and significant acts of heronism in their films.
 * Each Disney Princess has cried at some point in her film.
 * Although each Disney Princess has a lovely singing voice, Aurora and Ariel's voices are the only one that is actually complimented on by another character in her film.
 * Ariel is the first and only Disney Princess with red hair, yet Cinderella had a light ginger hair shade.
 * Kairi is the only Princesses of Heart instead of a Disney Princess.
 * Ariel is the only Princess to be a Mythical Creature. All of the others are humans.
 * The Princesses make their LEGO Duplo debut in 2012.
 * Only five of the official Princesses are Princesses of Heart (Snow White, Jasmine, Belle, Cinderella, and Aurora) in Kingdom Hearts.
 * Alice is the only unofficial Princess to be a Princess of Heart in Kingdom Hearts.
 * Though Ariel and Mulan appear in Kingdom Hearts they aren't Princesses of Heart but two of your allies.
 * Only Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Wendy, Tinker Bell, Nala, Megara, Esmerelda, and Jane Porter appear in Kingdom Hearts, not as main characters or partners. Their only link is that the hero of their films are allies of Sora, Riku, or another main character (Mickey, Donald, Peter Pan, Simba, Hercules, Quasimodo, and Tarzan).
 * Pocahontas, Tiana and Rapunzel have not been featured in the latest kingdom Hearts series.
 * Cinderella and Pocahontas are the only Disney Princesses, that didn't nearly killed the antagonists in their films.
 * Currently, Snow White and Tiana don't have sequels to their movies.
 * Princess Snow White, Aurora and Ariel, are at the same time, royal by blood, and marriage.
 * Five Disney Princesses were seen wearing tiaras in their films. They are Aurora, Cinderella, Tiana, Rapunzel and Ariel.

External link

 * Official Disney Princess site