Chronological Timeline of All Official Disney Princesses | Cottonable
Who doesn’t love at least one Disney movie? Whether it’s a Marvel movie or one of their more mature movies (fun fact: did you know that Armageddon is actually a Disney movie since Disney owned its production company in the 1980s), Disney’s wide range of subsidiaries It means that at least one of your favorite movies is endorsed by Mickey Mouse himself.
Although I enjoy movies suitable for adults, from time to time I love to go back to my childhood to see the odd Disney princess movie. i grew up watching these movies wishing i could be one of the official disney princesses (and even unofficial disney princesses too) who was beautiful and fair, and who wore the most beautiful pink princess dress on earth. But as I grew up, so did the list of Disney princesses, which proved that there was more to a princess than just her beauty.
If you want to watch a Disney Princess movie marathon, you don’t have to watch it in order. The Disney Princess franchise features characters that come from their own standalone series, so it’s not like Marvel where there’s a specific chronological order to watch the movies or else the timeline won’t make sense. /p>
but if you want to see how disney princesses have developed over the last 80 years and how animation has gone from rudimentary animation to some of the best effects, here is the chronological timeline of disney princesses and their movies .
how many official disney princesses are there (as of 2020)?
surprisingly, there are only 12 official disney princesses as of 2020, so this timeline includes only 12 disney princess movies (excluding the 13th; that’s the “avengers assembled” version of the princesses) . Although some of the princesses have been at Disney since the 1930s, the official list of Disney princesses has undergone major changes over the years. disney has been adding and removing princesses from the list.
then if you don’t see a princess that should be on the list, we’ll mention her on our honorable list below!
how to see the movements of the disney princess in order
#1: Snow White (1937)
if you want to start with the classic, you definitely have to start your movie marathon with snow white. This is the first animated film from Walt Disney Animation Studios and, at the time, the biggest financial risk for the studio.
Before Snow White, Walt Disney and his team focused solely on animated shorts because, at the time, no one had ever heard of an animated feature film. The Hollywood film industry thought that no one would be willing to pay for a 90-minute animation and believed that Snow White would flop. During production, Walt and Roy Disney spent about $1.7 million, more than ten times the budget they would spend on a short film. Adjusted for inflation, production costs would have been around $30 million today. In order to continue financing the project, Disney had to stake all of his assets on the success of Snow White in order to obtain a loan.
Despite the naysayers, however, Snow White proved to be a hit, earning $8 million ($142 million today) during its release. Due to its success, it was constantly being re-released in theaters and was not available for home video release until the 1990s. It changed the face of cinema and opened the floodgates for more animated films to come. In 1989, it was preserved in the National Film Registry after the United States Library of Congress deemed it an important work worth preserving.
while snow white can be considered the o.g. princess of the group that laid the foundation for the rest of the animated disney movies, including the rest of animated princesses. the film is based on the 1812 german fairy tale by the brothers grimm and is about a beautiful princess who hides in the forest with seven dwarfs after her stepmother tries to kill her to remain the most beautiful woman in the land .
Unfortunately, since Snow White is a product of her time, the plot is considered to be the most anti-feminist of any Disney princess film. The film fails the bechdel test and features two types of women: the evil one and the one who needs men (specifically, seven dwarfs, a prince, and a repentant hunter) to save her from danger while her roles are delegated to flowers. pick up, cook and clean.
You can’t blame disney for having source material that dates back to the 19th century, but if you want to see how disney princesses went from eating poisoned apples to actively saving lives, this is the movie to start with.
#2: Cinderella (1950)
disney released 10 more animated feature films before releasing cinderella in 1950. based on two fairy tales: charles perrault’s french cinderella and brother grimm’s german ashputtel. In this film, Cinderella is a beautiful young woman forced to work as a servant for her stepmother and stepsisters at a young age after her father’s death. When the king’s son refuses to marry, the royal palace holds a ball for all eligible young women, and Cinderella escapes the ball with the help of her mouse friends and her fairy godmother.
His character is symbolized by his iconic glass slippers. And although it is implied that her father was a nobleman, Cinderella is the first Disney princess to marry a member of royalty. Unfortunately, like Snow White, Cinderella is criticized for being anti-feminist, as the film can be interpreted to mean that the only way for a woman to be free is to be beautiful and attract the attention of a rich man. However, she is a step above Snow White in that Cinderella has some sort of agency and does not give up despite the injustices she has suffered.
#3: Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Technically speaking, Princess Aurora should have been the fourth Disney princess on this list after Tinker Bell from the 1953 film Peter Pan. However, after Tinkerbell was removed from the list in 2005 (so she could headline Disney’s other franchise, Disney Fairies), Aurora technically became the third oldest princess on the list. .
Princess Aurora, the third official Disney princess to appear in Disney’s 16th animated film, is based on French, German and Russian stories. she is the daughter of a king and a queen engaged to a prince of a neighboring kingdom at birth. However, her parents anger the evil fairy Maleficent and curse her to die on her 16th birthday. To protect Aurora, three fairies agree to secretly raise her until the day after her 16th birthday so they can avoid the prophecy.
While the Disney Princess website says that Aurora encourages children to be curious and “always wonder,” critics point out that Aurora had little involvement in her own story. she was not aware of the curse on her nor did she do anything to stop it. in fact, despite being a movie about princess aurora, philip had a lot more time presenting himself slaying the dragon. When I try to remember the movie, some of the most memorable parts include the fairies using magic to set up Aurora’s 16th birthday party and Maleficent taunting Philip.
#4: the little mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid’s princess, Ariel, is the first Disney princess who isn’t fully human, at least not until the end of the movie. the movie is based on the danish fairy tale of the same name by hans christian andersen, except it has a much more kid-friendly ending compared to the original story (read: every step andersen’s mermaid took felt like was stepping on knives and when the prince marries a princess instead, she cannot bring herself to murder the prince to become human again and accepts her death as she turns to sea foam).
In this less brutal version of the Disney-style tale, Ariel is the youngest and most rebellious of King Triton’s seven daughters. Despite her father’s warnings about humanity, Ariel finds herself attracted to a young prince and strikes a deal with a sea witch to turn her human in exchange for her voice.
this is disney’s 28th animated feature film. Despite the progress that Cinderella and Aurora had made after Snow White and that she was created during Disney’s “renaissance” period, critics found that Ariel was regressing feminist progress as her curiosity to see the world outside of she is primarily motivated by her crush on a prince she has seen but never spoken to.
In mid-2019, Disney announced a live-action remake of the film, casting singer/actress Halle Bailey as Ariel. This was met with both praise and criticism because while Bailey was known to be a talented singer, some people were unhappy that Bailey, a black American, did not resemble the red-haired, white Ariel from the animated film. Whether or not you like the casting choice, I’m more interested in seeing how Disney will resolve adapting a movie with a supposedly anti-feminist character in an age with more empowered women.
#5: beauty & the beast (1991)
Fifth on your watch list should be Beauty and the Beast, Disney’s 30th animated film based on a French fairy tale. In this film, the beautiful book lover sacrifices her own freedom for her father’s when he is imprisoned by a beast, whom she teaches him to love. her love for him breaks the spell that keeps him a beast and transforms him into a handsome prince.
After four Disney princesses who miss the mark of modern feminism, Belle is the first active princess (she married a royal) who is independent, intelligent, and will actively argue and resist when she can. Although she requires the help of the beast in some cases, such as when she is trapped by a pack of wolves, she is the first princess who does not fit into the stereotypical role of weak women with no agency of their own. And as we’ll see later, we see that Belle paves the way for stronger, more independent women.
#6: Aladdin (1992)
While Princess Jasmine is neither the main character nor the eponymous character in Disney’s 31st animated film, she is still the main character continuing the streak of beautiful empowered Disney Princesses. The film is based on the story “Aladdin and the Magic Lamp” from the popular tale of the thousand and one nights. While she is the first princess who is not the main or titular character in her story, she is the first non-European princess.
In the movie, a street kid named Aladdin falls in love with Princess Jasmine while she’s disguised as a commoner wandering around town. After getting his hands on a magic lamp, Aladdin tricks everyone into thinking he is a prince for a chance to win the princess’s love and marry her.
although jasmine is not the main character and is subject to a very patriarchal environment (as the daughter of the sultan, she must marry before her 16th birthday and is forbidden to leave the palace), her personality is far from demure. princess from the early days of disney. her curiosity to see beyond the palace walls is driven solely by her own motivations, not by a man. She too is fierce and confident, showing her adamant refusal to marry suitors she doesn’t like.
#7: Pocahontas (1995)
The seventh Disney princess on this list in Disney’s 33rd animated film, the eponymous Pocahontas, is the first Native American princess. Technically, she’s not a princess because her father is a chief, not a king, and she doesn’t marry a prince. but by European standards of government, she is someone born into the Native American equivalent of a royal family. Pocahontas is also the first Disney character based on an actual historical figure, except for a few important details that would have shown how cruel the colonizers really were.
In the film, the Pocahontas tribe encounters British settlers trying to conquer the new world. She falls in love with Captain John Smith and seeks to stop the tension between his people and the English colonists.
#8: Mulan (1998)
Mulan is the eighth official disney princess even if she was not technically born or married into the royal family of china. However, aside from her royal status, Mulan met the criteria for Empowering Disney Princesses that Disney wanted to add to her roster and became an honorary princess on the roster. Unlike Pocahontas, Mulan was based on a Chinese legend and may or may not have been an actual historical figure in ancient China. Her film is Disney’s 36th animated film.
In the film, China defends itself against the Hun invasion and requires one male from each family to serve in the imperial army. Since the Fa family has only one man, Mulan disguises herself as a man and takes his old father’s place in the army. she later becomes the savior of china after saving the emperor and the royal house.
#9: The Princess and the Frog (2009)
The ninth film on your list is Disney’s 49th animated film and features the first African-American princess: Princess Tiana. It is based on a novel that was based on the Brothers Grimm tale, The Frog Prince.
tiana is a young woman from new orleans who works as a waitress to save enough money to open her own restaurant. A visiting prince turns into a frog and mistakes Tiana for a princess whose kiss can turn him back into a human. however, she turns into a frog herself and they have to find a way to undo the spell.
the princess and the frog usher in a new wave of disney princesses. while some of these princesses have romantic relationships with men, this is no longer the focus of every film. these princesses are now more independent and stubborn.
#10: Tangled (2010)
The tenth Disney princess to appear in Disney’s 50th animated film, Rapunzel is the first princess used in a CGI film. Tangled is based on a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, albeit with some changes to the original story. In the original fairy tale, Rapunzel’s parents are non-royal and they lost her daughter due to Rapunzel’s mother having pregnancy cravings which leads her father to steal Rapunzel’s vegetables from a woman’s garden. witch. In exchange for getting Rapunzel for her wife, the couple must give the witch her child.
In the Disney movie, however, the pregnant queen consumes a magical flower that heals her and gives her a golden-haired boy whose hair has the flower’s healing abilities. unknown to the king and queen, a witch had been using that flower to stay young, so she kidnaps the princess and keeps her hidden in a tower so she can use the girl’s hair to stay young. p>
#11: brave (2012)
the princess in this movie, merida, is the eleventh disney princess (and the first pixar princess) and the first princess who doesn’t fit the stereotype of beauty of the other princesses, doesn’t sing, and doesn’t have a romantic interest . her while she rejects the three suitors in her movie. in fact, her entire character arc is based on the fact that she eschews all the typical princess and lady activities in favor of more freewheeling activities.
In Brave, Merida’s parents hope that she will be a proper princess and marry the son of one of three allied clans, but Merida wants to be free and do as she pleases. After trying to challenge her suitors by her own hand, Merida wishes for a way to change her fate.
#12: vaiana (2016)
The twelfth and last princess on the list of Disney princesses (as of 2019), Moana is the first Polynesian princess and the first story not based on stories or legends. she is the second princess with no romantic interest and focuses more on her own adventure.
While Moana is ready to take her place as the next head of the Motunui village, strange circumstances make Moana believe she has to leave the island, but her father refuses to let her go for fear of the ocean. She however, discovers that she was chosen to leave the island and restore Te Fiti’s heart before darkness consumes Motunui and all other islands in the ocean.
#13: ralph breaks the internet (2018)
While there are only 12 Disney Princesses with their own movie, why not cap off your Disney Princess marathon with a movie featuring all 12 Princesses? The sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, titled Ralph Breaks the Internet, features all of the official Disney Princesses, as well as Princess Anna and Queen Elsa from Frozen. Although Vanellope von Schweetz is not an official Disney Princess, it is refreshing to see her and all the other princesses reunited.
And they’re not just there for the novelty: these princesses have a big role in the film. If you haven’t seen the movie yet and want to avoid spoilers, don’t watch the video!
honorable mentions: princesses who didn’t make the disney cut
So you want to watch the Disney Princess movies in order but realize some of your favorite characters didn’t make the cut! Disney had their reasons for the removal of these princesses from the official list: toy line problems, concerns about the character’s history and more. But even though they aren’t on the list, we’d love to insert them in the Disney Princess movies timeline.
here are your honorable disney princesses as well as the years they were made so you can insert them into your marathon.
the hunchback of notre dame (1996)
Of course, Bellringer Quasimodo is the lead in the 1996 animated film, but Esmeralda stole the scene with her courage and passion for freedom. We love how our favorite gypsy stood up for herself and Quasimodo from the booing crowd. Furthermore, Esmeralda from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” tops our list of the most striking Disney princesses, with her mesmerizing dance and her beautiful eyes.
here’s tea about esmeralda: she was a former official disney princess, but was removed in 2005. disney didn’t give an official reason for her removal, but a polygon article theorizes that the darkness of her film (in addition to the fact that esmeralda was frollo’s eye of lust, which was subtly implied in the movie) meant that she didn’t fit the category of canonical disney princess.
atlantis: the lost empire (2001)
“atlantis: the lost empire” has to be one of the most underrated disney movies and kida is officially an underrated princess. Unfortunately, she’s a forgotten member of royalty in Disney world, which is a shame.
the atlantic princess began as a normal but very curious princess; always eager to learn what is above ground from her. Throughout the film, she helps Milo learn more about Atlantis and saves his people from unwelcome visitors trying to steal the crystal source. at the end of the movie, kida becomes queen.
Despite the good story, Atlantis was a box office disappointment, resulting in Disney never considering Kida an official princess.
enchanted (2007)
The charming and quirky Giselle from “Haunted” is known for her beautiful singing voice and how she ended up in the real world to do googly eyes with Patrick Dempsey. She was ready to be part of the official list of Disney princesses until Amy Adams, the actress behind Giselle, refused.
if giselle were to become an official disney princess, disney must pay royalties for giselle’s resemblance to amy adams. Furthermore, they could only use her images if they had permission from Adams. disney didn’t have time for that, so giselle never became an official princess. at least we have the “enchanted” “disenchanted” sequel to look forward to!
frozen (2013)
many disney fans will be surprised to learn that anna and elsa, despite being one of the most successful disney princesses, are not part of the official list of disney princesses.
There is much speculation as to whether Anna and Elsa will not join the ranks of official Disney princesses. Some fans say that Elsa’s queen status prevented her from being a princess (the same applies to Anna now, as she was hailed as queen in Frozen 2). others insist that her lack of animal companionship automatically disqualified them from the list (guess olaf wasn’t enough).
but one of the best reasons behind their disqualification from the list is because they are their own franchise. Simply put, Anna and Elsa are so profitable that they don’t need to be lumped in with the other princesses.
ray and the last dragon (2021)
Although originally listed as a Disney Princess on the Disney Princess Wiki, Raya has yet to have her coronation. But Disney plans to expand its Disney Princess merchandise to viewers in Southeast Asia. It could only be a matter of time before Raya joins Jasmine and Mulan in the world of Disney Princesses!
remember, you are free to watch the disney princess movies in any order (although i recommend watching ralph break the internet last, but if you want to see the evolution of how disney creates their princesses for millions of girls (and boys!) !) to emulate, try watching it according to the year it was released.You’ll see how the ideal disney princess begins with a young woman with no decisions of her own and ends with independent women who don’t need a man to save them.
