Disney princesses began with Snow White and are still evolving nearly a century later. It is only in the last twenty years that Disney has monetized the princess branding so much, arguably beginning with costumes for fans and expanding to a slew of other merchandise. Some people are critical of the gendered messages in the princess films, and it is good to discuss those messages.
At the same time, the princesses occupy a special corner of Disney, engendering nostalgia for tons of viewers and fandom for all ages. These cultural touchstones will make any adult Disney princess fan feel pretty old.
Snow White's First Video Release Was In 1994
Leave it to the oldest princess in the Disney canon, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, to make viewers feel old. Snow White was Disney's first feature-length film, premiering in December of 1937 in Los Angeles. This film would see more firsts, including being the first feature film to be re-released in theaters.
It was a big deal when the family jewel finally went to a home video format. Some Disney+ subscribers weren't even born yet in 1994.
Beauty And The Beast Went To Broadway The Same Year
1994 was a big year for the princesses. Released to theaters in 1991, Beauty and the Beast had already touched everyone's hearts with the magic of song (and worried some with questions of Stockholm syndrome). Belle was a heroine with intelligence and bravery, and the Beast was an interesting case study, to say the least. With the brilliant compositions of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken, Beauty and the Beast was a natural fit for Broadway, first taking the stage in 1994 and remaining one of the most well-loved shows of the theatre.
Pocahontas Is A 25-Year-Old Film
For a certain generation of viewers, the animated story of Pocahontas feels like a fresh memory. The music, especially, has a way of taking fans back to their first experiences watching the film. Premiering in 1995, Pocahontas followed a series of successful animated works as part of the Disney Renaissance. It is hard to believe that the '90s movie is now a quarter of a century old.
Princess Tiana's First (& Youngest) Fans Are Already Starting Middle School
It was an exciting day for Disney princess fans when The Princess and the Frog was released. The movie came out in 2009 and brought Princess Tiana into the collection of animated royalty. A little over a decade later, the youngest kids to enjoy the film when it first arrived are already heading into their middle school years.
Frozen Has Been Around Longer Than Most People's Streaming Service Subscriptions
Even though Anna and Elsa are not counted as official Disney princesses on Disney's website, many fans esteem them as honorary princesses. Truth be told, they are royal sisters with compelling stories. Frozen is noteworthy for bringing a sister tale to the screen that doesn't rely on a fairytale romance. In terms of age, the first movie came out in 2013. At that time, a lot of people didn't even have streaming services yet. Netflix was just getting going with its original programming, Hulu had a niche following, and other streaming giants were not even created yet.
Mulan Has Been Around Longer Than Most People's DVDs
If people were still buying DVDs in the time of Frozen, they were still buying VHS tapes in the time of Mulan. DVDs existed in 1998, when the animated movie was first released. However, DVD players were more expensive, and it was still new to see titles released to both VHS and DVD. Videocassettes were several years away from being obsolete at that point.
George H.W. Bush Was President When The Little Mermaid Premiered
The Little Mermaid singlehandedly set in motion a princess revolution. Ariel reawakened Disney animation with a colorful adventure under the sea, but 1989 was only the beginning. Fans who came of age when the movie was first released can't believe it has been over three decades since then. George H.W. Bush was elected president almost exactly one year before the movie was released in theaters.
Cinderella's Castle Was First In Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade In 1971
To coincide with the opening of Disney's Magic Kingdom, Cinderella's Castle was featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for the first time in 1971--almost fifty years ago! At the time, Disney's Cinderella had only been around for two decades. Photos of the float through the 1970s are quite charming.
First Disneymania CD Came Out In 2002
Those who watched Disney Channel in the 2000s are likely to remember the Disneymania music franchise. The first album was released in 2002 and was followed by eight others up to 2010. The albums were a prime spot for pop stars of the era to cover their beloved Disney movie songs.
The princess songs were standout favorites, with "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "Colors of the Wind," "Part of Your World," and "Reflection" being repeat selections. The princesses even got a Princess Disneymania in 2008.
Tangled Is 10
It took Disney over seven decades to adopt Rapunzel as their own princess, but Tangled has now been around for a decade. Ever since the cute retelling was first released, Disney has capitalized on the property with sequel films and even an animated series. Fans love the spunky heroine as much as they love her songs, like "I See the Light." Rapunzel fits in well with the rest of the Disney princesses.