Disney Princess
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The Disney Princesses are fictional characters who have been featured as part of the Disney character line-up. However, usually only one Disney Princess has appeared in each Disney animated film. The main seven are: Sarah Stokka, Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine, all of whom have royal title by marriage, blood, or birth. Recently, Mulan and Pocahontas have been included as princesses, despite having neither character being a "real" princess (Pocahontas, however, is referred to as a princess in Pocahontas II, and could be considered a princess given that she is the chieftain's daughter. She was also referred to as a princess during production of the first film by Glen Keane).[1] Also, in 2007, Disney announced that a new Princess would be added: Princess Tiana, from their 2009 animated feature The Princess and the Frog, who will become the first black princess to join the ranks of Disney Princesses.[2]
Despite each being from different films, all the Princesses have distinct similarities. All of them are the protagonists of their respective movies (with the exception of Princess Jasmine), all have the ability to communicate with animals (displaying a sign of goodness towards all creatures), all have beautiful singing voices, and all have a love interest that is resolved at the end of their movies. The first three (Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora) are victims of misfortune until their happy endings; the others (whose movies were created in the late 20th century) have strong personas and seek adventure in the unknown world. Most of the Disney Princesses' mothers have died, often when the Princess was a baby or small child. Unsurprisingly, all of the Princesses, who are either in their late teens or twenties, are known for their beauty in both their movies and the real world.
The Walt Disney Company has released dolls, sing-along videos, and miniature doll castles featuring the Disney Princesses.
Apart from them but not featured in any books and videos, there are Disney Princes who are the husbands of most of the princesses.
Princess Party Palace (formerly known as The Princess Power Hour) is the name of an ended block on Toon Disney. It aired episodes of Aladdin and The Little Mermaid. It started in 2000 under its original name, and underwent the name change in April 2004 when the network revamped itself. It ended in 2007.
History
In early 2000, when Andy Mooney was hired by Disney's 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". [3] She now stars in her own Disney franchise, the Disney Fairies.
Character list
Disney Princesses
Guest Disney princesses
Various other Disney princesses have guest starred alongside the eight above princesses in franchise merchandise.
- On the Princess Collection 2 CD, songs by Maid Marian (Robin Hood), Nala (The Lion King) and Megara (Hercules) are included.
- On the Disney Princess Sing Along Songs: Once Upon a Dream DVD, sing along segments with Megara (Hercules), Princess Minnie (Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers) and Princesses Mei, Ting-Ting, and Su (Mulan II) are included.
- On the Disney Princess Sing Along Songs: Enchanted Tea Party DVD sing along segments with Alice (Alice in Wonderland), Maid Marian (Robin Hood) and Princess Melody (The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea) are included. Sing-along segements with both Alice and Princess Melody are also included in the Disney Princess Sing Along Songs: Perfectly Princess DVD as well.
- It should also be noted that Alice was included in Kingdom Hearts as one of the Princesses of Heart, all of whom were official Disney Princesses besides her (and the game's original princess Kairi). Ariel, who's one of the (Disney)'s "official princesses", however, is not one of them. Alice has recently appeared in official Disney Princess art, and is included in the Disney Princess music video It's Not Just Make Believe and The Perfect Princess Tea with the eight official princesses, though she still remains excluded from the line up.
- Princess Giselle from Disney's upcoming film Enchanted has a semi-claim to be a Disney Princess. Although she is shown as both a live action and animated character in the film, a recently announced doll of the character is packaged with a "Disney Princess" logo.
Original songs
Aside of the pre-existing princess songs from the films, there have been original songs produced for the Disney Princess franchise. All of the songs are sung by the princesses, with the exception of "Where Dreams Begin" which is sung from the perspective of the eight princesses, but not by the princesses themselves, and is merely credited by Disney as being sung by "Disney Princess".
- "Where Dreams Begin"
- "The Way To Bake (A Delicious Cake)" (sung by Snow White)
- "A Holly Jolly Christmas Snow" (sung by Snow White, Grumpy, Bashful and Doc)
- "The Night Before Christmas" (sung by Snow White, Grumpy, Bashful and Doc)
- "Every Girl Can Be a Princess" (sung by Cinderella)
- "I’m Giving Love for Christmas" (sung by Cinderella)
- "It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year" (sung by Cinderella)
- "Waiting For My Prince" (sung by Princess Aurora)
- "Christmas With My Prince" (sung by Princess Aurora)
- "Happy Birthday, Princess!" (sung by Princess Ariel)
- "Manners And Etiquette" (sung by Princess Ariel)
- "I Just Love Getting Dressed For Tea" (sung by Princess Ariel)
- "Christmas in the Ocean" (sung by Princess Ariel and Sebastian)
- "Ariel's Christmas Island" (sung by Princess Ariel and Sebastian)
- "There's Only One Ariel" (sung by Princess Ariel and her sisters)
- "The Perfect Princess Tea" (sung by Belle)
- "The Princess Dance" (sung by Belle)
- "So Very Glad You're Here" (sung by Belle)
- "Holidays at Home" (sung by Belle)
- "The Christmas Waltz" (sung by Belle)
- "Musical Chairs" (sung by Princess Jasmine)
- "These Moments We Share" (sung by Pocahontas)
- "Silver and Gold" (sung by Pocahontas)
- "Cups and Saucers" (sung by Mulan)
- "The Holly and the Ivy" (sung by Mulan)
- "The Twelve Days of Christmas" (sung by Snow White, Cinderella, Princess Aurora, Princess Ariel, Belle and Princess Jasmine)
- "The Beauty of the Season" (sung by Snow White, Cinderella, Princess Aurora, Princess Ariel, Belle and Princess Jasmine)
- "Christmas Is Coming!" (sung by Snow White, Cinderella, Princess Aurora, Princess Ariel, Belle, Princess Jasmine and Pocahontas)
- "If You Can Dream" (sung by Cinderella, Princess Aurora, Princess Ariel, Belle, Princess Jasmine, Pocahontas and Mulan)
Kingdom Hearts
In the Kingdom Hearts video game for Playstation 2, Cinderella, Belle, Aurora, Snow White, and Jasmine are featured as five of the seven "Princesses of Heart", a term for young ladies with entirely pure hearts. Ariel, while featured in the game as an aid to Sora in battle when he visits her world, is not one of the Princesses of Heart. The other two Princesses of Heart are Alice from Alice in Wonderland and the original character Kairi.
In the first sequel, Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, the princesses reprise the same roles, but this time as figments of Sora's memory.
In the second sequel, Kingdom Hearts II, Mulan is also a character in the game, as an aid in battle when Sora visits her world (like Ariel in the previous game). Ariel, Jasmine and Belle also make a return, though this time around Ariel is a plot object rather than an aid in battle, and Belle plays a much bigger and more prominent role in the story (unlike last time, she has her own world, and voice acting rather than just speaking through text).
As of now, Pocahontas is the only official Disney Princess that does not appear in any of the Kingdom Hearts games, though future installments to the series are currently planned and it is unknown whether she or her world will be included in them.
Kilala Princess
Kilala Princess is a Japanese fantasy/romance manga produced by Tokyopop that debuted in January of 2007, which revolves around a girl named Kilala and her adventures to find her kidnapped friend with the help of the six Disney Princesses, who are Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Jasmine, and Belle. The storyline and overall makeup of the manga bears much resemblance to the Kingdom Hearts video game series.
Disney Princess Appearances
Disneyland Resort
All the princesses are available for meet-n-greets in the Disneyland Resort in CA. Additionally, Snow White has her own ride known as Snow White's Scary Adventures. In 2006, as part of the Year of Million Dreams Celebration, the Fantasyland Theater began hosting the Disneyland Princess Fantasy Faire. The show has Lords and Ladies teaching young girls the proper ettiquete for a princess, and features appearances from three Disney Princesses. Princesses that have appeared included Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Belle, Jasmine, and Mulan. Ariel and Pocahontas also appear in parades and many other events.
The princeses are also featured in the Fantasmic! Nighttime Show Spectacular, Walt Disney's Parade of Dreams, and the Main Street Electrical Parade.
Walt Disney World
The princesses are also available for meet-n-greets in Florida, but in more specific locations. Cinderella and her friends appear at Cinderella's Royal Table in her Magic Kingdom castle, as well as Cinderella's Gala Feast Dinner at 1900 Park Fare in the Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The other princesses are showcased at the Princess Storybook meal - breakfast, lunch, and dinner - at Akershus Castle in the Norway Pavilion at Epcot. This particular meal is known to feature many guest Disney Princesses, including (but not limiting to) Alice, Meg, Mary Poppins, Wendy, and Jane.
Many shows and parades feature the princesses, including SpectroMagic, Fantasmic, and the Dream's Come True Parade. The most famous of these is Cinderellaberation, which shows the coronation of Cinderella. All her princess friends come in with their husbands to watch this event.
It should also be noted certain princesses will appear in certain parks but not others. For instance, Cinderella and Aurora only appear in the Magic Kingdom, and Pocahontas is the only Disney Princess who makes appearances at Disney's Animal Kingdom.
Disney's Pirate and Princess Party
On January 22, 2007, the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World began its first Pirate and Princess Party. This hard ticketed event featured a new “Enchanted Adventures Parade" and a specially themed fireworks spectacular called "Magic, Music and Mayhem." The parade featured the six main Princesses attended by knights and dancers.
Each land was themed accordingly to a pirate or princess. Among the themed areas included Jasmine's Court in Adventureland, Ariel's Court in Fantasyland, and the Princess Pavilion in Mickey's Toon Town Fair. The princesses available for meet-n-greets were Jasmine, Ariel, Aurora, Cinderella, Pocahontas, Snow White, and Belle.
Disneyland Resort Paris
Disneyland Paris features the special nightime show Disney's Fantillusion which involves the princesses as the finale. The four princesses that appear are Snow White, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine.
Disney Cruise Line
The Disney Cruise features a musical show involving the princesses Mulan, Pocahontas and Ariel. Pocahontas, Ariel, Jasmine, Mulan, Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, and Snow White also appear as meet and greets on the boat. Other popular disney girls appear for meet and greets as well such as Meg, Alice, Jane, Wendy, Esmerelda, and Nala. Other characters from the popular disney animal chain such as Lady, Perdita, and Marie appear as well.
Enchanted Tales
In early 2007, Disney announced Disney Princess Enchanted Tales, a new series of direct-to-video features that feature new stories for the Disney Princesses. The first movie in the series, entitled Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams, is scheduled for release on September 4, 2007. It will be a musical film featuring new tales about Princess Jasmine, and the first new tale about Princess Aurora since the original Sleeping Beauty.
Originally, Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: A Kingdom of Kindness was announced as the first film in the series, which contained a different Princess Aurora story, and had a Belle story rather than a Princess Jasmine story. Disney made this change without any sort of notice, and it remains unclear what the current status of A Kingdom of Kindness is.
The second installment in the series (that has yet to receive a title) is to feature a new Mulan story and a new Cinderella story, and will center around the theme of honesty. It is set to be released sometime in 2008.[4]
Video games
Template:Future game With the release of the new phase in the Disney Princess franchise, Disney is also releasing two related video games: Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey and Disney Princess: Magical Jewels.[5]
In Disney Princess: Enchanted Journey, players can create and design a computerized version of the player, who then has to venture through several different worlds to help the residing Disney Princess. Princesses included in the game are Snow White, Cinderella, Jasmine, Belle and Ariel. The game is similar in plot to Kingdom Hearts, The game will be released on several formats including Wii, PC and Playstation 2.
In Disney Princess: Magical Jewels for the Nintendo DS, players take control of the princess to search her kingdom for gems. The playable characters include Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, Aurora and Ariel. The game releases are scheduled for Fall 2007, possibly to coincide with the DVD release.
Criticism
On December 24, 2006, Peggy Orenstein published, “What’s Wrong With Cinderella?” in the New York Times. In her article, Orenstein discussed her concerns about the effects of princess figures on young girls. Orenstein used the Disney Princesses specifically to present many of her points. Orenstein also noted the pervasive nature of Princess merchandise and that every facet of play has its princess equivalent. Orenstein referenced how “dirty kneed” Dora the Explorer became a princess in 2004, with merchandise released to commemorate the event.[3]
Other sources have also voiced concern that the franchise could give young girls the wrong message. However, other parents say that young girls would eventually grow out of this phase.[6]
Princess Clara from the animated television series Drawn Together is a parody of the Disney Princesses.
Notes
- ^ a b c d "Official Disney Princesses website". disney.go.com. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ Chavez, Kellvin (March 8, 2007). "Disney To Release The Frog Princess In 2009". www.latinoreview.com. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ a b Orenstein, Peggy (December 24, 2006). "What's Wrong With Cinderella?". www.nytimes.com. The New York Times Magazine. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ Wilensky, Dawn (June 15, 2007). "Putting Its Princesses to Work". www.licensemag.com. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ Dunham, Alex (June 18, 2007). "Disney Announces Princess Brand Games". games.ign.com. Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ "What's Wrong With Being a Princess?". abcnews.go.com. April 22, 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-04.