Make Your Own Disney Princess Line-Up

[Sotiris]

If you were in charge of the Disney Princess franchise, which characters would you include and why? What would the criteria for joining be?

[DisneyFan09]

Brilliant topic, Sotiris!

First of all, I've would've included all of the actual Princesses in the lineup. Though Mulan is in fact the only exception, her inclusion in the lineup is very contrived, since she's not technically royalty at all and never even becomes one (fortunately, since her movie was made in an era when Disney were concerned of not just sticking to the Princess staple). Regardless of how she's been pushed more to the side, just as Pocahontas.
And yes, by including all the actual Princesses it means to have Princesses from PG-rated flops as The Black Cauldron and Atlantis. After all, they are actually Princesses, despite the negative reputations of their movies. Giselle from Enchanted doesn't count, since she's technically a commoner. Even Anna and Elsa should've been in the lineup, since they were after all catered for it, as with Moana.

Secondly, have the franchise not just making the Princesses as bland goody-two-shoes and make the Princesses more evocative. Though the advertising does promote certain aspects of their royal titles besides being royal, it could've been less contrived and politically correct.

[Vlad]

Interesting idea. I would keep all the current Disney Princesses, and I'd also include Moana, Anna and Elsa.

[DC Fan]

Almost the same as it is. Taking out Pocahontas (because she doesn't fit.. as far as her dress goes) and Mulan just cause she doesn't fit the requisites.

I'd include Eilonwy, Koda and Vanellope (in her royal dress).

I would also add Elsa and Anna.

Moana would not be for the same reasons as Pocahontas.

PS

If Pocahontas were to wear the dress of the sequel I'd include her. But that would mean acknowledge the sequel as official so it can't happen.

[Mooky]

Thanks for starting a great topic, Sotiris!

Most Disney leading ladies deserve a place in the spotlight for one reason or another, so I would pretty much include them all. It would be the current line-up plus several others. I'm still on the fence with Merida, because she's a) Pixar and b) a terrible, bratty character. Despite media telling you otherwise, I think they're amazing role models for both girls and boys, they just haven't been presented properly and bear no resemblance to their on-screen personas.

However, due to a large number of eligible characters, they'd either have to rotate within the line-up or be divided into subgroups. Maybe something like Disney Royalty (Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Eilonwy, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Kida, Tiana, Rapunzel, Anna, Elsa) and Disney Nobility (Pocahontas, Esmeralda, Megara, Mulan, Jane, Giselle, Moana), where that status would not necessarily denote their (royal) origin, but the fact that they are Disney's (company's) most prized assets, thus making them Disney Royalty... if this makes sense.

Criteria would be age (so no Wendy, Alice, Lilo, Vanellope) and major screen presence (so no Nakoma or Ariel's sisters) in feature films (so no Sophia, Elena, or Malina). Songs or fancy dresses are not required.

Additionally and most importantly, each character would be assigned a special cause to promote; it's something Disney did for awhile but then ditched in favor of pink dresses and ugly dolls. It can be done at a simplified level so kids can understand it, but not dumbed-down. At a risk of getting political with some of the choices, it'd be something like this:
- Belle - literacy programs
- Jane - rainforest protection
- Esmeralda - Roma rights
- Ariel - ocean protection
- Mulan - women in sports/army
- Tiana - proper nutrition
- Elsa - global warming / polar caps conservation
etc.

Of course, there'd have to be toys and other merchandise, because this whole line wasn't really created with the most charitable and humble of intentions, but it can at least be used to promote something useful and altruistic. I'd also put a quota on pink in merchandise and introduce more variety in colors. And toys would be made by Mattel (play line) and Hot Toys (collector items), because, let's face it, Hasbro dolls are terrible.

That's all .

[Sotiris]

In order to join my Disney Princess line-up, you'd have to:

01) be female
02) be human (this excludes characters like Tinker Bell, Maid Marian, Judy, Nala, Olivia, Blue Fairy, Spring Sprite, Golden Harp, Te Fiti, Captain Amelia, Grandmother Willow, centaurettes etc.)
03) have a name that is revealed in the film (this excludes characters like Alice's sister, Tarzan's mother, Queen of Atlantis, ballerina from The Steadfast Tin Soldier etc.)
04) debut in a theatrical, non-compilation, non-anthology, fully-animated, feature film produced by WDAS (this excludes characters like Elena, Sofia, Malina, Nita, Polly, Katrina, Ting-Ting, Merida, Mia, Elizabeth Swann, Clara Stahlbaum, Giselle, Nancy, Jessica Rabbit etc.)
05) be a teenager or young adult (this excludes characters like Wendy, Tiger Lily, Shanti, Alice, Eilonwy, Penny, Jenny, Lilo, Vanellope etc.)
06) be the female lead in the film (this excludes characters like Anita, Fifi, Nakoma, Charlotte, Tamora, Shank, Honeymaren, Namaari, Isabela, Luisa, Dolores, the Bimbettes etc.)
07) not be a Queen when you first appear in the film (this excludes characters like Arianna, Elinor, Iduna, Leah, Hera etc.)
08) not be from a film set in the present or future (this excludes characters like Nani, Jenny, Penny, Callisto Mal, Franny Robinson etc.)
09) not be a superhero (this excludes characters like Go Go, Honey Lemon, Kim Possible etc.)
10) not be a parent or guardian (this excludes characters like Fa Li, Eudora, Chicha, Darling, Mary Darling, Sina, Sarah Hawkins, Aunt Cass, Virana, Julieta, Pepa, Meridian Clade etc.)
11) not be elderly (this excludes characters like Tala, Tanana, Widow Tweed, Aunt Sarah, Madame Adelaide, Pearl Gesner, Alma etc.)
12) not be a villain or an antagonist (this excludes characters like Helga, Vanessa, Madam Mim, Evil Queen, Te Ka, Namaari etc.)
13) not be part of another brand (this excludes characters like Anna and Elsa)


Based on the above, my line-up forms as follows.

Snow White
Cinderella
Aurora
Ariel
Belle
Jasmine
Pocahontas
Esmeralda
Megara
Mulan
Jane
Kida
Tiana
Rapunzel
Moana
Raya
Mirabel
Asha

[Disney's Divinity]

My lineup would include Snow White, Cinderella, Alice, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Lilo, Tiana, Rapunzel, Anna, Elsa, Moana.

Recognizable protagonists from popular/moderately successful WDAS films that aren't animals. Non-Disney characters like Merida, Anastasia, etc., sequel or TV characters (like Tinker Bell, who is only a heroine in the off-brand franchise), or characters from live-action films like Giselle not included. I left Wendy Darling, Megara, and Esmeralda out because I don't think they're that recognizable even if PP is a classic and the other two did respectable business when they were released. And I personally would restrict it to just hand-drawn characters (Frozen can sell merchandise just fine without the princess line), but Disney itself would never do that and hand-drawn animation is dead, so I might as well accept that any further heroines will be 3D with ugly hand-drawn clipart or 3D clipart that sticks out like a sore thumb.

I think this way there's a lot of diversity for children to choose from and characters that most people would recognize. If you go strictly by them being real princesses, you'd have to include people most don't know like Eilonwy and Kida (even if I do like them personally), leave out popular characters like Mulan, then Pocahontas and Moana for being daughters of chiefs, Elsa for being a Queen, etc.

* My one strict rule is the characters look like themselves. No ugly or glitter-fied makeovers. Try to retain some sense of their film identities rather than being all the same. Like Mooky, I would like if the characters were used to promote certain fields/causes/activites so they are more than just pretty dresses and makeup. Snow White for having compassion/kindness, Anna for understanding the problems of others, Ariel and Lilo for ocean activities, Pocahontas for protecting the environment, Alice and Ariel for exploring/learning, Belle for reading and imagination, Mulan for army service, Tiana for cooking professionally, Rapunzel for painting, Elsa for showing the obligations of a leader, etc. etc. Those are the kinds of things that should be directed towards children.

[bruno_wbt]

I think that being an actual princess is an important requirement... that's why I would take out Pocahontas and Mulan, and I would include Anna and Elsa.

I would also take out Merida because she is "from the other studio" as the real Disney Princesses pointed out.

I'm not sure about Moana... she literally says that she is not a princess...



My line up:

Snow White
Cinderella
Aurora
Ariel
Belle
Jasmine
Tiana
Rapunzel
Anna
Elsa

[JeanGreyForever]

My personal preference would be:

Snow White
Cinderella
Sleeping Beauty
Ariel
Belle
Jasmine
Pocahontas
Esmeralda
Anastasia
Giselle

In a What If? world though, this lineup would also feature Aida (and maybe Amneris), Rapunzel from Glen Keane's version of Rapunzel, and Odette from a Disney version of Swan Lake.

I liked how Disney's older heroines were all incredibly physically beautiful unlike the newer crop who are more regular looking. There's nothing wrong with being physically beautiful, especially when all of them are rich in character and personality as well (and I believe that for the Walt-era princesses as well who are sadly very undervalued and treated generically today). I think all of them come from if not box-office hits, then films that either have classic status, or imo would have classic status if Disney gave them the chance. All sing, and have a central romance that the film hinges on, since I'm a romantic at heart, although I don't believe that every woman needs a romantic love story. A Disney Princess, however, is not every woman and I'm not a fan of this current branding that every girl can be a princess.

All of them imo have princess status as well. Pocahontas has been deemed a princess historically for hundreds of years now, and even if the moniker is incorrect, people know her as a princess today. Esmeralda in many adaptations of Hunchback is considered the foster daughter of Clopin, King of the Gypsies. On top of that, in several adaptations, Phoebus introduces her to court as the princess of Egypt (another incorrect description but whatever). And a Grand Duchess is basically a princess. In fact, I think the real Russian word for Grand Duchess basically does mean princess, and it's only the English translation that doesn't translate directly to princess. Or so I've heard anyway.

Mulan is not a princess from any standard, even as the hero of China. She really doesn't fit in imo, unlike Pocahontas and even Esmeralda to quite an extent, and would better serve as an unofficial or guest member like Alice. Moana goes out of her way to not call herself a princess, so it would be hypocritical to include her as well. I'm not a fan of Tiana or her movie, and she always seemed to modern imo to be a princess. I want nothing to do with Tangled's Rapunzel and I wouldn't mind a Pixar princess, but Merida was literally created to be the anti-princess, plus she doesn't sing. Elsa and Anna are better served in the Frozen franchise imo. I like Megara as a character but I'm not a fan of her film or her especially stylized design. I love Jane, and she fits in a lot of ways, except she doesn't sing. Others like Alice and Lilo are too young, and frankly there's not much love for Eilonwy or Kida.

[JeanGreyForever]

Despite media telling you otherwise, I think they're amazing role models for both girls and boys, they just haven't been presented properly and bear no resemblance to their on-screen personas.

Agreed. Not only do we get characters devoid of any personality, but they're only marketed towards little girls which has had a terrible effect on the exposure of these characters to little boys. Because of this, we've got inane titles like Tangled, and films like Sleeping Beauty not selling well to families with little boys, when this was never as much a prevalent issue in the past. I still remember a poster on here constantly remarking that he was a boy and as such he wouldn't watch any film with a girl character in the lead, whether it be Cinderella, Pocahontas, or Alice in Wonderland.

Additionally and most importantly, each character would be assigned a special cause to promote; it's something Disney did for awhile but then ditched in favor of pink dresses and ugly dolls. It can be done at a simplified level so kids can understand it, but not dumbed-down. At a risk of getting political with some of the choices, it'd be something like this:
- Belle - literacy programs
- Jane - rainforest protection
- Esmeralda - Roma rights
- Ariel - ocean protection
- Mulan - women in sports/army
- Tiana - proper nutrition
- Elsa - global warming / polar caps conservation
etc.

I love this idea and I wish Disney still did this! I remember Ariel was used for keeping oceans clean and Cinderella for booster chairs for children. Aurora I think was for forest protection.

I'd love for Belle to represent literacy in underprivileged countries, especially in countries where girls are not encouraged to be educated. Jasmine could represent poverty or malnourishment in children, especially right now with the Syrian refugee crisis. Snow White could deal with child abuse. Pocahontas for protection for Native women as well as protesting against pipelines in Native American territory. Esmeralda definitely for rights of the Roma since they are still treated poorly in Europe and in America she could also serve for disabled children or children born with deformities. Jane could be used for getting more girls/women into science and of course conservation of wild life and jungles, and especially protection for animals. Anastasia for better treatment and quality of children in orphanages.

Of course, there'd have to be toys and other merchandise, because this whole line wasn't really created with the most charitable and humble of intentions, but it can at least be used to promote something useful and altruistic. I'd also put a quota on pink in merchandise and introduce more variety in colors. And toys would be made by Mattel (play line) and Hot Toys (collector items), because, let's face it, Hasbro dolls are terrible.

Definitely something other than pink and glitter on everything in the merchandise. It's next to impossible these days to find merchandise of the princess films that hasn't been dumbed down for little girls. Merchandise should be more gender neutral and also cater to adults and collectors and it would be nice if the princesses were depicted too look like they did in the movies. Snow White with a navy blue top and pastel yellow skirt, Aurora in blue with light golden hair, Cinderella in silver with titian hair, Ariel with a light purple bra and dark red hair, Belle in varying shades of gold, Jasmine in light blue with golden shoes, etc. And I agree, let's go back to Mattel. Their dolls in the 90s were great, especially their collector's dolls.

[Escapay]

My criteria for a Disney Princess:

1. Your name needs to include at least one letter featured in the word "Princess."

2. You have to kiss somebody in the film.

3. You have to sing in the film.

4. You have at least two costume changes in the film.

Thus, the following characters would count as Disney Princess:

Cinderella - her name contains five letters, she kisses the Prince, she sings thrice, and she changes quite a few times.
Princess Aurora / Briar Rose - Well, it's her name, Phillip pecks her in her sleep, she sings twice, and she's got three sexy dresses.
Prince Phillip - his name literally contains the first six letters of Princess, kissing Aurora is one of the frickin' plot points of the film, he sings once, if we count his childhood appearance he's got three different costumes in the film.
Arthur / Wart - his name contains one letter, he gets kissed by a squirrel, his voice breaks a couple times when he's speaking AND singing, and his entire body costume changes thrice.
Ariel - her name contains three letters, she tries desperately but doesn't kiss Eric until very end, she sings a 1980s power ballad, and she goes from naked to Sailing Ship Summer Dress to Southern Belle to Day Trip Duds to Wedding dress.
Belle - her name contains one letter, her kiss with His Royal Hotness transforms everyone back into humans, she sings "neeeew and a bit aLARming" like it's nobody's business, and she has a new dress in every other scene.
Beast - his name contains two letters, his kiss with Hottie McHotHot transforms everyone back into humans, he only has four sung lines but it still counts, and he goes from shirtless hulk in a cape to clothed gentle monster to Prom Date Teen Wolf to Shipwrecked Eric with Better Hair.
Aladdin - his name contains two letters, he kisses Jasmine, he sings thrice, and he changes into both the Prince Ali wardrobe and the final shot's chest-bearing royal clothes.
Jafar - his name contains one letter, he kisses Jasmine, he sings the "Prince Ali" reprise, and he changes into both a sultan costume and a genie costume.
Jasmine - her name contains three letters, she kisses two characters in the film, she sings back-up in "A Whole New World," and she goes from midriff-bearing to cover-alls to harem hottie.
Chicken Little - his name contains four letters, he gets kissed by Abby, he sings terribly to a Queen standard, and he also wears a baseball uniform and makeshift paper pants.

While the following characters would not count as Disney Princess:

Snow White - she only changes costumes once.
Katrina - she doesn't sing.
Alice - she never kisses anyone, and she doesn't change her costume.
Robin Hood - he doesn't sing.
Maid Marian - she only changes costumes once.
Prince Eric - he doesn't sing.

I'm sure more would count/not count, but I got tired of thinking of them. I'll probably do a serious answer later, but this was more fun.

Albert

[Disney's Divinity]

Cute.

I know it's a bit bizarre to think much about the Disney Princess franchise. I guess for me it's sort of like talking about what films we think should be in Disney's elite lines (Platinum, Diamond, Signature, etc.). I wish the DP line didn't often feel like a glorified Miss America contest, and advertised the characters the way they are--the reason they're popular and/or beloved in the first place. Actual substance and pretty dresses can go hand-in-hand, but you know Disney's M.O. has been "The most money for the least effort" for quite a long time now.

[Disney Duster]

THIS!

Snow White
Cinderella
Aurora
Ariel
Belle
Jasmine
Tiana
Rapunzel
Anna
Elsa

This seems to be the only list more than one person agreed on. But I would only include Anna and Elsa when the Frozen line of merchandise ends, and if it never ends, I wouldn't include them. But it really should stick to just princesses, no chief's daughters. And the line wouldn't get any bigger until an actual princess of a successful film shows up again. I can't believe how many of you are ok with a ginormous, unweidly line. My criteria for this line really is a case by case basis, though, other than you have to be something that in English really is or translates to princess and be in a successful enough film.

Jasmine in light blue with golden shoes, etc. And I agree, let's go back to Mattel. Their dolls in the 90s were great, especially their collector's dolls.

I thought Jasmine had blue shoes? But yes, the Mattel dolls were the best.

Beast - his name contains two letters, his kiss with Hottie McHotHot transforms everyone back into humans, he only has four sung lines but it still counts, and he goes from shirtless hulk in a cape to clothed gentle monster to Prom Date Teen Wolf to Shipwrecked Eric with Better Hair.

Hahaha your post was so hilarous! But from here:

If we reeeeaaaaaallly want to get technical, Beast does not sing in the film. His inner thoughts are conveyed through song, but the character himself does not sing.

Personally I would you could say almost no Disney character sings as singing is like a metaphor for them talking.

[Sotiris]

I think that being an actual princess is an important requirement... that's why I would take out Pocahontas and Mulan, and I would include Anna and Elsa.

If you would include Elsa, wouldn't you also need to include Kida for consistency's sake? Like Elsa, Kida is also a princess-turned-queen who yields magical power.

[DC Fan]

I forgot Meara. The problem is that she does not wear something that would make the line up uniform.

As far as Vanellope that would be just if she appears with the dress at the end of the movie. If not then she should not be.

[Disney's Divinity]

The truth is the line will eventually become overgrown regardless of what requirements you set down. More characters (actual princesses or otherwise) will come in the future. Moreover, I'd take a list with some diversity over 9 white people and 1 black woman/token.

My list has 15 characters. I think 15, 12, or 10 are numbers that feel "neat" enough. I didn't want to include Alice or Lilo at first for being children, but... Isn't Snow White technically 13-14??? Alice and Lilo are both recognizable and popular Disney characters that would bring some diversity to the line--particularly with the fact that their films don't center on romance. I guess I'm thinking more of what the line will portray and represent for its main audience: female children age 10 and under. Adults are not the ones this is being marketed to. Children are impressionable and the line already sends out some screwed up messages.

[JeanGreyForever]

Jasmine in light blue with golden shoes, etc. And I agree, let's go back to Mattel. Their dolls in the 90s were great, especially their collector's dolls.

I thought Jasmine had blue shoes? But yes, the Mattel dolls were the best.

In the movie her shoes are gold but in clipart she's always had turquoise shoes to match the incorrect color of her outfit. I think only the current redesign looks have gold shoes, but if you look at the original redesigns when they first came out, her shoes were teal to match her teal outfit.

If we reeeeaaaaaallly want to get technical, Beast does not sing in the film. His inner thoughts are conveyed through song, but the character himself does not sing.

Personally I would you could say almost no Disney character sings as singing is like a metaphor for them talking.

I think what Escapay meant was that Beast, unlike Belle, Lumiere, Gaston, etc. actually never verbally sings in BATB. He only has one song which is Something There, and both Belle and Beast's parts are in their head. Lumiere, Cogsworth, and Mrs. Potts verbally sing their parts of the song though at the end. And Belle has singing parts in other songs, but Beast never does.

I forgot Meara. The problem is that she does not wear something that would make the line up uniform.

As far as Vanellope that would be just if she appears with the dress at the end of the movie. If not then she should not be.

I agree that Megara's dress isn't very iconic or well known. She doesn't get a costume change either, unlike all the other heroines.

[Disney Duster]

Yes, but having a case by case basis will limit the line a bit. I might even just end it at Rapunzel and have no other princesses be allowed to enter.

This line is for Disney princesses, not just any prominent female Disney characters. Why not just have the other characters in lines for the individual movies and the fab five?

So Jasmine's shoes were gold. Interesting.

I know what Escapay meant in reference to Beauty and the Beast, but he said he didn't sing, now he's saying he did.

[Mooky]

Of course, there'd have to be toys and other merchandise, because this whole line wasn't really created with the most charitable and humble of intentions, but it can at least be used to promote something useful and altruistic. I'd also put a quota on pink in merchandise and introduce more variety in colors. And toys would be made by Mattel (play line) and Hot Toys (collector items), because, let's face it, Hasbro dolls are terrible.

Definitely something other than pink and glitter on everything in the merchandise. It's next to impossible these days to find merchandise of the princess films that hasn't been dumbed down for little girls. Merchandise should be more gender neutral and also cater to adults and collectors and it would be nice if the princesses were depicted too look like they did in the movies. Snow White with a navy blue top and pastel yellow skirt, Aurora in blue with light golden hair, Cinderella in silver with titian hair, Ariel with a light purple bra and dark red hair, Belle in varying shades of gold, Jasmine in light blue with golden shoes, etc. And I agree, let's go back to Mattel. Their dolls in the 90s were great, especially their collector's dolls.

Yes! The '90s Mattel dolls were superb -- they had film-accurate outfits and a bunch of quality accessories; some even had movable joints and were super-bendy. About two or three years ago I bought anniversary/collector's editions of Snow White, Cinderella and Aurora from the late '90s, and I don't think they ever had dolls that were that faithful to their film versions. I'm talking about details like Snow White's skirt being pale yellow and Cinderella's gown being silver-bluish. They're aslo very intricate, but not gaudy in the slightest.

I thought Jasmine had blue shoes? But yes, the Mattel dolls were the best.

In the movie her shoes are gold but in clipart she's always had turquoise shoes to match the incorrect color of her outfit. I think only the current redesign looks have gold shoes, but if you look at the original redesigns when they first came out, her shoes were teal to match her teal outfit

That's an error in merchandise that started in the '90s actually. Jasmine action figures and figurines also had blue shoes.

[thedisneyspirit]

Luke Skywalker
Stitch and Lilo
Esmeralda
Cinderella
Harrison Ford
Tony Montana
Margaret Thatcher
Laurie Strode
Woody
Fidel Castro
Sotiris
Mao Zedong
Thor
Superman
Me
Black Panther
Mary Queen of Scots
Tiana

That seems good.