Though the Wonderful World of Disney did once make a Nancy Drew TV movie, the title character isn’t exactly a Disney princess — or is she? The CW’s version of the famous fictional detective finds out something she didn’t know about her heritage, deals with magic and malevolent spirits on a regular basis, and finds herself cursed when it comes to romance. She doesn’t sound so far removed from a Disney animated character.
In fact, Nancy and her Drew Crew have a lot in common with quite a few of Disney's most famous animated characters. They might not all line up exactly with their Disney counterparts, but they certainly have enough in common to make fans look twice.
Bess - Belle (Beauty And The Beast)
One thing that a lot of Disney princesses have in common is their interest in adventure in, “the great wide somewhere.” Bess doesn’t initially go out searching for adventure when she moves to Horseshoe Bay, but for family. Adventure, however, is something she’s always open to.
Bess is one of the people always ready to learn more about the supernatural and anything new, just as Belle is ready to make friends with the furniture and hear every story the bookseller has to offer. Both Bess and Belle are also willing to sacrifice their own happiness to make someone else’s life better. Belle takes her father’s place with the Beast while Bess gives up her relationship with Lisbeth to protect her, and later, her relationship with Odette to save George.
Addy - Moana (Moana)
Introduced in season 3, Addy is an interesting addition to the show. She’s from a First Nation family and very focused on making sure her people’s culture isn’t forgotten. However, she also wants to make sure that the local community, especially the children, have a chance at a bright future.
Addy’s values most closely align with Moana’s. While Moana has to travel the ocean to help her people, Addy has to take over the youth center. Both young women don’t love the boring life. Addy becomes much more interested in Bess when she realizes there is actual magic in her life, just as Moana longs to see what’s over the ocean.
Carson - Chief Benja (Raya And The Last Dragon)
Carson Drew might not be the leader of Horseshoe Bay, but he does command a certain amount of respect amongst the locals thanks to his compassion and his line of work. Carson is also one of the reasons Nancy is so good at mysteries, as he and his wife encourage Nancy’s analytical mind from a young age, helping her go down the detective route.
Carson, like Benja, wants to see the good in people. He also, however, is incredibly protective of his daughter, and would willingly step in front of any sword for her. Nancy doesn’t lose Carson outright like Raya does, but their relationship is strained until they find their way back to each other.
Nick - Eric (The Little Mermaid)
Ned "Nick" Nickerson is a man of many talents. He could have had a football scholarship to college, but he found himself in trouble. His love for books has him helping Nancy follow a trail of clues left for him by Tiffany Hudson. He’s a mechanic, has a head for business, and is always ready to help solve the latest puzzle.
A real Renaissance man, Nick closely aligns with Disney’s Prince Eric. Eric might be the wealthiest man on the coast, but he’s working the sales with the crew on his ship, on a first-name basis with the chef, and even plays the flute. Both Nick and Eric are also never going to turn away from a woman in trouble.
George - Elsa (Frozen)
“Conceal, don’t feel,” might as well be George’s early motto. She is not willing to let anyone see any emotion other than anger when she begins her Nancy Drew journey. Like Elsa though, she thaws when she has the support of people who care about her and are willing to help her understand her issues.
Elsa proves she is the heroine of Frozen, and similarly, there is quite literally nothing George wouldn’t do for her little sisters. George has three instead of Elsa’s one, and she might not have magical ice powers, but she does have the ghost of a French woman living inside of her for months, so she would understand Elsa’s plight better than anyone.
Temperance - Maleficent (Sleeping Beauty)
Temperance Hudson thinks of herself as a woman wronged. She doesn’t see that her own ego and quest for power got her kicked out of the Women in White — and banished from Horseshoe Bay to boot. She’s a lot like the animated version of Maleficent that way.
Maleficent, of course, is wronged when she isn’t invited to a party, and she decides to curse an entire kingdom for the slight. She also becomes a powerful dragon to make sure she gets her way, but she’s ultimately defeated because of the love that Philip has for Aurora, just as Temperance is defeated by the love Nancy has for her home.
Ryan - Peter Pan (Peter Pan)
It might be unfair to label Ryan Hudson as the boy who never grows up as he certainly does a lot of growing in Nancy Drew seasons 2 and 3. However, he is as impulsive as Peter Pan and as naive to the ways of the world as the boy who always got to play pretend.
Living with Carson and Nancy, Ryan is very much like Peter thrust into the real world. Ryan has never had to worry about things like expenses or rules before, but in the Drew household, he finds himself having to learn about grocery shopping and being responsible for chore wheels. Peter Pan would have had the same growing pains as he adjusted.
Amanda - Cinderella (Cinderella)
Amanda Bobbsey plays a large role in season 2 and only briefly appears in season 3, but she’s clearly a dreamer who can’t help but remain loyal to the family that only harms her. Amanda ends up being pulled into her brother or father’s schemes on a regular basis, but she works hard to save her own money to be able to do something just for her — take a trip far away.
Cinderella’s sense of loyalty to her stepmother and stepsisters is more because she doesn’t have anywhere else to go, but she shares Amanda’s work ethic. She doesn’t save money, but she does work on a dress just for her to be able to follow her dream of going to the ball. Amanda doesn’t find her handsome prince in Ace, but at least she gets to travel.
Ace - Dimitri (Anastasia)
When Anastasia was released, it wasn’t a Disney movie. But with the Disney-Fox merger, the animated picture does technically fall under the Disney umbrella, making Dimitri something of a Disney character — and a great fit for Ace.
Dimitri grew up as a kitchen boy in the palace, while Ace does dishes at The Claw. They are both smarter than people give them credit for, and much more observant than others think. Ace always notices when something's wrong with Nancy while Dimitri is the one who picks up on Anya knowing things he hasn’t taught her. They both put the women in their lives first after their initial brushes with breaking the rules. Dimitri is a bit of a con artist, and while Ace isn’t, he has no problem playing the game whether he’s pretending to be a customer to the florist for Nancy or breaking her dad out of jail.
Nancy - Raya (Raya And The Last Dragon)
A newer Disney princess, Raya grows up training to be a warrior and protector of a sacred gem, but her world is shattered by one mistake and the loss of her father. She makes it her personal responsibility to get him back, and she just happens to build herself a found family and save the world along the way.
Raya’s decision not to give up on a seemingly impossible quest, despite her cynical attitude, is not unlike Nancy’s dogged approach to solving mysteries even when she’s at her lowest point of grief. Nancy loses her mother before the series begins, and it affects her so deeply that she changes her path in life. Like Raya, Nancy slowly starts to trust people again and build relationships with those who help her solve her mysteries. She might not get her mom back, but she learns a lot about herself along the way.