Everyone thinks they know the Disney Princesses. You see them on backpacks, sparkling in theme park parades, and plastered across every toy aisle in the world. But if you actually sit down to look at the disney princesses in order of release, you quickly realize that what "counts" as a princess is basically a moving target. It’s not just about wearing a crown or marrying a prince. Honestly, it’s a multi-billion dollar marketing franchise with very specific, and sometimes weird, membership rules.
Disney didn't even launch the "Official" franchise until the late 1990s. Before that, these characters just lived in their own separate movies. It was Andy Mooney, a former Nike executive who joined Disney Consumer Products, who noticed little girls at Disney on Ice shows wearing homemade princess costumes. He realized there was a massive, untapped market. But there was a catch: to keep the individual stories "sacred," the princesses in the official lineup are never allowed to make eye contact with each other. They each stare off into their own separate worlds, even when they’re on the same lunchbox.
The Golden Age: Where it All Started
1. Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, 1937)
Snow White is the blueprint. Period. When Walt Disney was making this, people in Hollywood literally called it "Disney’s Folly" because they thought nobody would sit through a feature-length cartoon. They were wrong. She’s only 14 years old in the film, which is wild to think about now, but she set the standard for the "damsel" era. Her voice, provided by Adriana Caselotti, had that very specific 1930s operatic trill that Walt wanted to keep unique—so much so that Caselotti was famously under a contract that made it difficult for her to find other voice work. He wanted the voice to belong to Snow White, and nobody else.
2. Cinderella (Cinderella, 1950)
There was a huge gap between the first and second princess. World War II almost bankrupted Disney, and they spent years making "package films" (short segments strung together) just to keep the lights on. Cinderella was the "hail mary" that saved the studio. If she hadn't been a hit, Disney might have gone under. She’s often criticized today for being passive, but if you actually watch the movie, she’s incredibly resilient. She’s a survivor of domestic abuse who maintains her kindness. That’s her superpower.
3. Aurora (Sleeping Beauty, 1959)
Aurora is a bit of an anomaly in the disney princesses in order of release because she’s barely in her own movie. She only has about 18 minutes of screen time and 14 lines of dialogue. The movie is really about the three fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, and the villain, Maleficent. It was also a box office disappointment at the time. It was so expensive to make—using a gorgeous, stylized 70mm widescreen format—that it took decades for it to be recognized as the masterpiece it is. After Aurora, the "Princess" brand went dormant for exactly 30 years.
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The Renaissance Era: Breaking the Mold
When people talk about Disney, they’re usually talking about the 90s. This is when the characters started having actual agency. They wanted things. They had "I Want" songs.
Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989) changed everything. She was the first princess who was a bit of a rebel. Howard Ashman and Alan Menken brought Broadway sensibilities to animation, and suddenly, the princesses were triple-threat performers. Ariel’s desire to be part of another world wasn't just about a guy; it was about curiosity and feeling trapped in her own culture.
Then came Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991). Screenwriter Linda Woolverton specifically wrote Belle to be a feminist role model who liked reading more than boys. She was the first princess to have a bit of a "brainy" reputation. It worked—Beauty and the Beast became the first animated film ever nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992) followed quickly. She’s a bit of a milestone because she was the first princess of color in the official lineup, and the first one not to be the titular character of her film. She was followed by Pocahontas (1995), who remains one of the most controversial entries. Disney took significant liberties with the real historical figure of Matoaka, and many Indigenous groups have pointed out that the film glosses over the brutal reality of colonization. It’s a complicated piece of media that Disney tends to handle very carefully today.
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Mulan (1998) rounded out this era. Here’s a fun fact: Mulan isn't technically a princess by birth or by marriage. She’s a war hero. But because of her "spirit" and her box office success, she was grandfathered into the official lineup. She’s often the favorite of fans who prefer swords to ballgowns.
The Modern Era and the "Official" Rules
After the 90s, things got a bit experimental. Disney tried to move away from traditional 2D animation, which led to a bit of a slump before they found their footing again.
- Tiana (The Princess and the Frog, 2009): The first Black princess. She’s also the only one with a real job. She wants to be a small business owner, which is a massive departure from the "wishing upon a star" trope.
- Rapunzel (Tangled, 2010): The jump to 3D. Rapunzel proved that the "Princess" formula worked in CGI.
- Merida (Brave, 2012): She’s the only Pixar character in the bunch. She also doesn't have a love interest, which caused a huge stir (in a good way) when the movie came out.
- Moana (2016): Like Mulan, she’s not a "princess"—she’s the daughter of the chief. She’ll be the first to tell you that, too.
Wait, where are Anna and Elsa? This is the question that trips everyone up when looking at disney princesses in order of release. Even though Frozen is the biggest princess-adjacent franchise in history, Anna and Elsa are not official Disney Princesses. Why? Because Frozen is so successful on its own that it doesn't need the "Princess" branding. They are their own separate franchise. It’s purely a business decision. The same goes for Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon; she was added to the official lineup recently, but she doesn't always appear in the group shots because the marketing rollout is slower.
Why the Order Actually Matters
Seeing the disney princesses in order of release is basically like watching a timeline of how society views women. We went from Snow White cleaning for seven men to Merida refusing to marry anyone at all. We went from silent protagonists to women who lead armies and run businesses.
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The "Official" list as of now includes: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya.
If you’re a collector or a hardcore fan, keep an eye on how Disney treats these characters in the parks. You’ll notice that they’ve recently started updating the costumes of the older princesses to look more "historically accurate" or at least more detailed, trying to bridge the gap between the 1937 designs and the high-def world of 2026.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors
If you are looking to dive deeper into the world of Disney history or collecting, here are the best ways to engage with the lineage:
- Check the "Official" Seal: If you’re buying merchandise and want it to be part of the "official" collection, look for the specific Disney Princess logo. This excludes Frozen, Elena of Avalor, and Sofia the First.
- Watch the Evolution: To truly appreciate the technical leaps, watch Sleeping Beauty and Tangled back-to-back. The way Disney handles light and hair in those two films—decades apart—shows the peak of their respective animation styles.
- Visit the Archives: If you’re ever in California, the Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco (not the parks!) offers the best factual deep-dive into how these characters were physically drawn and the real women who voiced them.
- Read the Source Material: Most of these are based on folk tales by the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen. Reading the original, often much darker, stories provides a fascinating look at how Disney "sanitizes" folklore for global audiences.