History Franchise / DisneyPrincess

* AdaptationalBadass: It's common nowadays to see a previous princess who never actively engaged in battle being portrayed as a full-blown ActionGirl, parody or otherwise. {{Cinderella}} seems to take the cake, as she's not only gotten a [[WesternAnimation/CinderellaIIIATwistInTime sequel movie]] where she kicks ass, but was prepared to do so again in ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet.''

** Creator/SusanEgan (Megaera in ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}''), Laura Osnes (Cinderella in the 2013 ''[[Theatre/CinderellaRodgersAndHammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella]]'' stage play), Courtney Reed (Jasmine in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' stage adaptation), and Aisha Jackson (Anna in the ''Theatre/{{Frozen|2018}}'' stage adaptation) singing for "Disney Princess - The Concert".

* ''Disney Girls'': A chapter book series in which a handful of 9-year old girls in [[Ride/DisneyThemeParks Orlando, Florida]] discover that they are AlternateUniverse counterparts of the princesses.

* ''WesternAnimation/HouseOfMouse'': The princesses were one of the most referenced properties, along with ''WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland'', ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}'', and ''WesternAnimation/TheLionKing''.

** Creator/SusanEgan (Megaera in ''WesternAnimation/{{Hercules}}''), Laura Osnes (Cinderella in the 2013 ''[[Theatre/CinderellaRodgersAndHammerstein Rodgers and Hammerstein's Cinderella]]'' stage play), Courtney Reed (Jasmine in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}}'' stage adaptation), and Aisha Jackson (Anna in the ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen}}'' stage adaptation) singing for "Disney Princess - The Concert".

** Ariel is presented in a sparkly sea foam green dress with purple seashell jewelry -- an outfit that doesn’t exist in ''WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid''. This combines clothing from both her iconic mermaid form and her human form.

Compare ''Franchise/DisneyFairies'' (a franchise that lasted from 2005 to 2015, focusing on Tinker Bell and her fellow fairies in Pixie Hollow) and ''Franchise/{{Frozen}}'' (the popularity of Anna and Elsa was enough for the film to become its own viable franchise separate from the Disney Princesses).

* DamselInDistress: Several of the princesses were in distress at least once during their movies, most notably Aurora (until Merryweather tweaked the spell), Jasmine (who was trapped in an hourglass filling with sand), and Snow White (who was in mortal peril, and whose rescue was the climax of her film). Notable averted, however, with Mulan, Merida, and Tiana, who were all very active in their own movies and were not rescued from danger. Furthermore, Cinderella, Ariel, Jasmine and Rapunzel, qualify as [[DamselOutOfDistress damsels out of distress]] or {{Defiant Captive}}s, despite Rapunzel being tied up by Mother Gothel at one point.

** [[ZigZaggingTrope Zig-zagged]] with Cinderella. She’s always presented in her ballgown, which she does wear for quite a bit of the movie. However, her dress in merchandise is blue, while it’s white in the movie.

* NearDeathExperience: Some of the princesses, official and honorary, experienced this:
** Snow White was almost killed by the huntsman, but he spared her life.
** Maleficent placed a death curse on Aurora, but Merryweather altered it into a deep sleep.
** Ariel almost drowned upon transforming into a human, but Flounder and Sebastian took her to the surface.
** Belle almost drowned in icy water, but Beast saved her.
** Mulan was shot in the chest and wounded, but received treatment quickly.
** Anna froze to death, only to come back to life because her HeroicSacrifice is considered an ActOfTrueLove.
** Elsa was almost murdered by Hans, but Anna sacrificed herself to save her.
** Raya was [[TakenForGranite turned to stone]] by the Druun, but was restored to life by the Dragon Gem.

*** Mulan (WarriorPrincess, StrongAndSkilled)

*** (Formally) Esmeralda (ActionGirl, BoobsOfSteel)

Disney has included others in the merchandise at times, such as Alice of ''WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland'' and Giselle of ''Film/{{Enchanted}}'', but they have never officially been added to the roster. [[note]]In ''Enchanted'''s case, this is because Disney would have to pay Creator/AmyAdams royalties to use her image so they decided against it.[[/note]] Esmeralda of ''WesternAnimation/{{The Hunchback of Notre Dame|Disney}}'' was an actual Princess until 2004. Anna and Elsa from ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'' were expected to be the 12th and 13th to join the line-up, but Disney ended up retaining the ''Franchise/{{Frozen}}'' brand as an adjacent but separate entity from the ''Disney Princess'' franchise, although Anna and Elsa are sometimes included with the other princesses in some media, most famously in an extended cameo in ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet''. [[Manga/KilalaPrincess Kilala Reno]] and Princesses [[WesternAnimation/SofiaTheFirst Sofia]] and [[WesternAnimation/ElenaOfAvalor Elena]] are also excluded, though characters from the Disney princess line regularly feature in Sofia's own show. [[WesternAnimation/RayaAndTheLastDragon Raya]] is also excluded, though acknowledged as an honorary member. [[note]]And of course, there are the various examples of Disney princesses not affiliated in any way with major merchandise, that is, [[WesternAnimation/AtlantisTheLostEmpire Kida]] and [[WesternAnimation/TheBlackCauldron Eilonwy]]. After Disney acquired ''Franchise/StarWars'', there have been a few half-joking suggestions about Leia being added; Disney's acquisition of [[Creator/TwentiethCenturyStudios 20th Century Fox]] caused WesternAnimation/{{Anastasia}} to be mooted similarly. [[/note]]

[[index]]

* ''Ultimate Princess Celebration'': A 2021 event celebrating the Disney Princesses (including Elsa and Anna; South Africa included Sofia and Elena). Featured:

%%Administrivia.PartialContextExample* YoungerThanTheyLook: Almost every princess is under eighteen.

* ModularFranchise: No Franchise/DisneyAnimatedCanon work depicted these heroines together in any combination until ''Ralph Breaks the Internet''. However, in pictures of the ladies all together, they are often shown staring off at various directions or looking straight ahead into the "camera:" this was to acknowledge that they're not really "together" and existing in the same universe. The line has even extended to include Creator/{{Pixar}} heroine Merida.

** In 2013, Mulan joined the franchise along with WesternAnimation/{{Pocahontas}} (sometimes considered as honorary too, being TheChiefsDaughter), [[WesternAnimation/ThePrincessAndTheFrog Tiana]], and [[WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}} Rapunzel]]. Mulan is actually the daughter and the wife of military men -- nevertheless, she was included in the franchise so Asian little girls could have "their" Disney princess. [[spoiler: Mulan nearly married a prince in the sequel. When she offered her hand to the prince, a counselor of the king said he should accept because a heroine such as Mulan would be a better daughter-in-law than "simple princesses"]].

* TookALevelInBadass:
** Ariel and Jasmine in their animated series, Cinderella and her prince in ''A Twist in Time'', and Rapunzel and Mulan over the course of their actual movies.
** The princesses as a whole became more action oriented in the 90s, except for Belle (not that she's not proactive; she's just not as much of an ActionGirl as the others).
* TrueBlueFemininity: The most common color for the princesses to wear in their films. Only Pocahontas and Rapunzel don't have any dresses that are wholly or prominently blue. Even Pocahontas still wears her mother's blue necklace.

* YoungerThanTheyLook: Almost every princess is under eighteen.
** Also somewhat averted. Reviewers have noted the the princesses' head-to-body dimensions are more proportional to 8-year-old girls than to teenagers.

*** The Disney Princess concept was originally derived from European ideas of royalty and monarchy. To include other cultural backgrounds, it was necessary to stretch the definition of "princess" (especially to include Native American and African American princesses, as these historical contexts would have no official "princes and "princesses").

** In 2013, the princesses are expected to appear in the Disney Parks in their [[http://emilysdisneythoughts.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/554512_10151273014302620_1182212377_n.jpg new redesigns.]]

** Most infamously, in ''WesternAnimation/{{Frozen|2013}}'', Anna is excited to find her one true love at the ball who will bring her into a life outside of the castle, then has a MeetCute with one of the guests, Prince Hans. After they sing a romantic duet, he suddenly proposes to her and she accepts, only to be met with bafflement from Elsa and Kristoff for accepting a proposal from a man she just met. She counters that it'll work out because [[InsaneTrollLogic "it's true love"]], and Elsa and Kristoff end up being right about him being a dangerous stranger, with the whole thing being a jab at ''Cinderella'', ''Sleeping Beauty'', and ''Snow White'' for ending with the princesses marrying their Prince Charmings despite having only just met them.

** A lighthearted variant in ''WesternAnimation/RalphBreaksTheInternet'', the Disney Princesses unexpectedly get into {{Xenafication}} poses on Vanellope when she suddenly appears to them, determine if she's a princess by asking her if she's ever encountered their standard tropes like [[GirlShowGhetto people thinking they're only successful because they were saved by a big strong man]].

* PrincessClassic: Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora. The other princesses, when in their ballgowns, sometimes get placed in this category. Rapunzel is a modern version with more energy and verve, but still embodies all of its traits.

* RebelliousPrincess: Ariel, Jasmine, Mulan, and especially Merida qualify. Pocahontas downplays it, as she resists an ArrangedMarriage and goes against her father's wishes.

* IWantSong: In chronological order: "I'm Wishing"/"Someday My Prince Will Come," "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "I Wonder," "Part of Your World," "Belle (reprise)," "Just Around the Riverbend," "Reflection," "Almost There," "When Will My Life Begin?," and "Touch the Sky" (although not sung by Merida). Unusually, it took Jasmine 15 years to get her own IWantSong. She didn't have one in the original ''Aladdin'' or in either of its sequels, but finally [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQEaqMOsFtA got one]] in her mini-movie on the ''Disney Princess Enchanted Tales'' DVD.
* KidHero: All the Disney Princesses are teenagers, the majority of whom are in the 16-18 age range (Snow White is 14, Cinderella and Tiana are 19). Generally, the girls are this young in part because they're at that age in their fairy tales, and part because girls relate better to them.
* LongHairIsFeminine: Applies to most of the Disney princesses to some measure, provided it was fashionable at the time the movie was made.
** Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas and Merida have long hair.
** Snow White, Cinderella, and Tiana have shoulder-length hair, though they are usually depicted as wearing their hair up.
** Mulan originally had long hair, but she now has medium-length hair after [[ImportantHaircut cutting it]].
** Rapunzel was born with long hair that eventually grew up to be 70 feet long, but after Eugene cuts it, Rapunzel's hair resembles a pixie cut.
* MagicalGirl: There is a {{Manga}} in that genre, ''Manga/KilalaPrincess'', featuring most of the princesses. No, they are not magical girls themselves. They are just helping the heroine, who is.

* HotConsort: Applies to the spouses of Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana. It goes the other way too, as WesternAnimation/{{Aladdin}} and [[WesternAnimation/{{Tangled}} Flynn]] marry into royalty, [[GenderInvertedTrope making ''the princesses'' the HotConsorts]].

* HonoraryTrueCompanion: [[WesternAnimation/AliceInWonderland Alice]] is sometimes included in the line, and was featured in the Disney Princess magazines in the early 2000s.

* CoversAlwaysLie: Most of the princesses that wear multiple outfits are not presented in the clothes they wear for most of the film.

** Ariel is presented in a sparkly sea foam green dress with purple seashell jewelry -- an outfit that didn’t exist in WesternAnimation/TheLittleMermaid. This combines clothing from both her iconic mermaid form and her human form.

** Belle only wears her yellow dress for three scenes. [[DownplayedTrope However, she is still closely associated with her]] [[TrueBlueFemininity blue and white dress,]][[DownplayedTrope and is the princess most commonly seen in a peasant dress in merchandise and the parks.]]
*** Some marketing puts roses on Belle’s yellow dress, most commonly showing the roses etched in glitter.

** Tiana only wore her green dress for one scene. [[DownplayedTrope However, on the covers for the movie, she’s in her]] [[TrueBlueFemininity blue dress.]]

* ClothesMakeTheLegend: Their most iconic outfits are still the basis for many of their new outfits, with the exception of Ariel, who is often marketed in her pink dress from her movie or an original teal one even though her most iconic outfit is a clamshell bra. This results in a couple of unfortunate issues when merchandising Pocahontas: Pocahontas' dress is notably more practical and plain than the other ladies', although she is sometimes put in her European ballgown from her second movie.

* ClothesMakeTheLegend: Their most iconic dresses are still the basis for many of their new outfits. This results in a couple of unfortunate issues when merchandising Ariel and Pocahontas: Ariel's most iconic outfit is a clamshell bra and Pocahontas' dress is notably more practical and plain than the other ladies', although she is sometimes put in her European ballgown from her second movie.