Disney has come out with dozens of great movies over the years, and their most popular franchise is definitely their princess collection. Disney princesses have been around for decades, starting with Snow White in the 1930s, and they each have their own story to tell.
While every princess takes their own journey and has a different personality, in many ways, the girls of Disney are very similar. The princesses serve as role models for many young children, and it's important that kids see themselves represented in their idols. Since all children are different, there should be more differences among the princesses! Here are ten ways that Disney could make their next princess unique:
Disabled
One thing that every Disney princess has shared is that they are able-bodied. Around 2.8 million children aged five to fifteen have some sort of disability, and these kids rarely see themselves represented on TV or in movies. It's important to show that even someone as glorious as a princess can have a disability, and disabilities can be considered beautiful. Disabled people can accomplish great things, and for a child to see a princess with a wheelchair or cane living their lives would be great for their sense of self-worth. Art by Alexsandro Palombo.
Based On A Real Princess
We love seeing fictional princesses like Elsa (from Frozen, 2013) and Ariel (from The Little Mermaid, 1989) come to life, but bringing real historical characters into their own movie is a whole different experience.
Pocahontas (1995) taught Disney fans about a real Native American girl, and it would be awesome to see another royal lady become a cartoon and earn some young fans. With all of the real princesses that have ever existed, there are plenty of ladies to choose from to feature in the spotlight and share their stories with new generations!
Can't Sing
It's true that Disney princess movies are usually musicals, and we love that about them! However, it would be interesting to see a princess, similar to Merida (Brave, 2012), who cannot or does not sing at all, just to be different. The movie could still be a musical, and it could feature other characters singing. It could be a joke that the princess can't sing, or it could be a point that is never really mentioned. Fans have even suggested that it would be funny if a princess was unable to sing but had really good rapping skills! How great would that be?
Religious
Religion is a very important aspect of many people's lives, and it's always interesting to learn about other people's cultures and religious traditions. As far as the existing Disney princesses, most of them don't really have a set religion, although we know that Belle at least celebrates Christmas in Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997). Disney could easily make a princess movie that touches on religion at least a little bit, and it would be a good opportunity to teach some children about a religion other than their own.
Plus-Sized
Out of all the children who love to watch Disney movies, chances are that many of them will grow up to be plus-sized. There are not nearly enough role models and characters aimed at children who are not skinny, and while there is nothing wrong with being skinny, all sizes deserve to be represented.
Kids need to know that there isn't just one kind of body, and all different sizes can be beautiful. A Disney princess with some curves would be the perfect opportunity to showcase this. Art from Huffington Post UK.
Tom Boy
One thing that Disney princesses tend to have in common is that they are usually pretty girly. They wear dresses, have long hair, and many wear jewelry, three things that are thought of as feminine. These days, it's becoming much more acceptable for girls and women to take part in more masculine activities and ways of dress. The tomboys of the world are desperate for a pants-wearing short-haired princess who plays sports, and we agree that a "boyish" princess is long overdue. Not every little girl wants to wear princess dresses, but maybe if more princesses wore pants, they'd be more likely to want to dress up as one!
POC - Princess Of Color
Over the years, Disney has featured several different races in their princesses. Tiana (from The Princess and the Frog, 2009) is African; Pocahontas, the first princess of color be the star in a Disney film, is Native American; Mulan (1998) is Chinese; Moana (2016) is Polynesian; and Jasmine (from Aladdin, 1992) is Arabic and was the first non-white princess to appear in a Disney movie. There are many other diverse races in the world, and it would be great to give more kids the chance to see their ethnicity reflected in a Disney princess. It's also another chance to learn about other countries and their cultures.
President's Daughter
A princess is the daughter of a King or Queen, two types of rulers. Why not have a girl added to the official Disney princess lineup that is the daughter of a different kind of ruler, like the president?
We already got to see Pocahontas, the daughter of a chief, become a Disney princess, and it would be interesting to further explore the concept of what it means to be a "princess" in the non-traditional sense of the word. What better way to do that than with the daughter of a president?
Independent
Snow White once sang, "Someday, my prince will come," and she set the scene for many Disney princesses after her who longed for a man to make their lives complete. Times are changing, though, and many women are completely happy living life on their own and choosing not to marry. Disney has started to portray this with Brave when Merida refused to marry a man just because of tradition. Elsa and Moana also had stories that did not include a romantic interest for them, and their movies did great. We are ready for another princess who does not need a man!
A Prince
While the Disney princess lineup has mainly been marketed towards little girls, plenty of little boys love Disney movies as well. Maybe the next Disney royalty character shouldn't be a princess at all - it should be a prince. It's been a while since we've had a Disney prince as the main character of a movie. In fact, it only happened once with Aladdin. The rest of the princes have taken a backseat to their leading ladies, and we need to change that! It's time for some new stories and new princes to take the wheel at Disney!