The Disney Princesses

The Disney Princesses are the stars of many Walt Disney movies. Little girls make up the largest number of their biggest fans and that's why the Disney Princess birthday party ideas are some of the most popular girls party ideas.

The list of Walt Disney movies is longer than any of us can count and we depend on the Disney studio to provide quality entertainment for our children. To date, they have succeeded and if it says Walt Disney we trust it to be a fun family movie night.

Walt Disney has been making movies about Princesses since 1937 when the first princess movie, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, debuted. Since that time there have been many more Disney princess movies. Chances are good there will be many more in the future beginning with Rapunzel ...the latest animated princess film due out in 2010. But I am sure Rapunzel won't be the last film to be added to the list of princess movies produced by the Disney Company.

Depending upon who you talk to, the number of Disney princesses may be different. Why can't people agree on the number of princesses there are at the Disney Studios? Some people consider the Disney princess movies to include only the movies with actual princesses as the main character. Those Disney movies would include:

• Snow White
• Cinderella
• Sleeping Beauty
• Aladdin
• The Princess and the Frog

• The Little Mermaid
• Beauty and the Beast
• Pocahontas
• Mulan

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve undoubtedly seen at least one of these Princess movies. In case you haven’t, here is a short synopsis for each of the official princesses in their original movies.

Snow White

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) was Disney’s first full-length cartoon. (Can you believe Snow White is that old?) The character Snow White is said to be the fairest in all the land by a magic mirror and the wicked queen doesn’t like it. To save herself from her evil stepmother, Snow White runs to the forest and meets the Seven Dwarfs. Unfortunately, the Queen finds Snow White and gives her a poison apple which causes Snow White’s Death. In the end, however like all good fairy tales, a handsome Prince comes, finds Snow White under glass, kisses her and brings her back to life. And they all live happily ever after.

Cinderella

Cinderella (1950) isn’t a princess at the beginning of the story. Her wicked stepmother, along with her two lazy and ugly stepsisters, makes life miserable for Cinderella following her father’s death. They are lazy, angry and cruel to this pleasant young lady, but nothing they do seems to tarnish Cinderella’s bright and sunny spirit. When the King of the land decides his son must marry, he issues a decree that all maidens of the land must attend a ball. With the help of her fairy godmother, Cinderella is able to attend the ball and ends up marrying the prince, after a search involving a glass slipper. And they all live happily ever after.

Princess Aurora, Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty (1959) is about the Princess Aurora who pricks her finger on a cursed spinning wheel and that curse causes not only the Princess, but the entire kingdom, to fall asleep. Enter Prince Philip who must slay a dragon and fight his way into the overgrown kingdom to reach the sleeping princess to kiss and awaken her along with the remainder of the kingdom. And they all live happily ever after.

Princess Ariel, The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid (1989) is about Ariel, a mermaid who lives under the sea. Ariel is a princess and the youngest of seven daughters of King Triton, the Sea King. Ariel is is fascinated by humans and one day she saves Prince Eric and falls in love with him. Ariel makes a deal with the evil sea witch Ursula so she is able to live among humans...she doesn't know that Ursula is trying to trick her. The Little Mermaid movie is based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. This Disney Princess movie shows that true love can win despite the differences of those involved. And they all lived happily ever after.

Belle, Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast (1991) is the story of Belle who offers herself to the Beast in exchange for her father’s life. While living with the Beast, Belle learns that the Beast was once a Prince who was cursed. To break the curse, he must learn to love again. Belle does fall in love with the beast, but only realizes it when she leaves him. When she returns he is near death, but love overcomes all for Belle and her Prince. And they live happily ever after.

Princess Jasmine

Aladdin (1992) is the story of the street urchin Aladdin who sees Princess Jasmine, falls in love with her, and everything he does to get her to fall in love with him. Add in the Genie from the Magic Lamp and the evil Jafar and you’ve got a movie full of adventure and plenty of fun. Of course, Aladdin saves Jasmine and her kingdom. In the end this young man who grew up on the streets wins the heart of Princess Jasmine. And they lived happily ever after.

Pocahontas

Pocahontas (1995) is loosely based on the real historical Indian princess named Pocahontas who was helpful to the Europeans settling the New World. Unlike what really happened in history, this Disney Pocahontas falls in love with John Smith and must help to prevent a war between her people and the Europeans who have made their way to what becomes the United States. The Indian Princess and her Englishman save the day. And they live happily ever after.

Mulan

Mulan (1998) is the least likely Disney princess character of all. She tries to save her family’s honor by disguising herself as a man in order to join the army. Based on the Chinese story Hua Mulan, Mulan is a strong-willed girl who loves her family. She is more than able to just live the life of a soldier, Mulan does it well. Comic relief in the movie is provided by the dragon Mushu, played by Eddie Murphy. There are tense moments in the Mulan movie, but all ends well. And they lived happily ever after.

Tiana, The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog (2009) is the newest in the long line of Disney Princess movies. Just released in 2009 this Disney movie is set in 1912 New Orleans. Princess Tiana starts out as a waitress who longs to own her own restaurant. She meets Prince Naveen of Maldonia who has been turned into a frog by an evil doctor. When Naveen pleads with Tiana to kiss him to reverse the curse instead of him turning back into a prince, Tiana turns into a frog. What ensues is the mayhem of their trying to become human again. And they all lived happily ever after.

Rapunzel

Rapunzel (2010) is another Disney Princess movie due out in November of 2010. Originally from the Grimm Brothers fairy tale, Rapunzel was kept in a tower with no doors and only one window by an enchantress. Every night the old witch would call, "Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair, so that I may climb the golden stair." Rapunzel then would hang her long hair out the window so the witch could climb up. One day a prince hears Rapunzel singing and sees the old witch climbing up. When the witch left the prince called up to the trapped princess and she lowers her hair, he climbs up. They fall in love and then must escape the evil witch. We will have to wait until November to see how Disney portraits Rapunzel.

Did you notice the last line in each of the paragraphs about the Disney Princess movies? It’s a common thread the movies have with each other. The good old fairy tale ending…and they lived happily ever after! It’s a bright ending to all these princess movies filmed by Disney through the years, one that always makes us smile.

Each of the Disney Princess movies shows a strong female personality. It is through their struggles and victories the characters are good role models and that's why the Disney Company continues to make Disney Princess movies.

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