Disney PrincessesCheck out Curiosities
Test your Knowledge in the Quiz
Compete for Prizes in the Challenges

Princess Jasmine, from the film Aladdin (1992), was one of Disney's most revolutionary characters, both for her personality and her origins. She was inspired by the character from the Arabian tale One Thousand and One Nights, but received a modern and independent touch, reflecting a woman who defies the traditions of her kingdom.
Originally, Jasmine was designed to be a more “real” princess with more freedom, unlike previous Disney princesses. She is the first Disney princess who does not wait to be rescued, but rather takes control of her life and decisions. The character is one of the first to show concern with the restrictions imposed by her status as a princess, seeking a life beyond the palaces.
In addition, Jasmine was one of the first princesses to have a look that was different from the traditional ones, with clothes inspired by Arabian cultures, and a skin tone that was not often seen in Hollywood animations. Her relationship with the protagonist Aladdin was innovative, showing a more egalitarian couple, where both are protagonists of the story.
The character quickly became an icon of female empowerment, being remembered for her courage, intelligence and for breaking cultural barriers. In 2019, she gained a live-action version, played by Naomi Scott, maintaining her relevance in new generations.

The idea of ​​creating animated films about Disney princesses emerged in the early 1930s, when Walt Disney and his team of animators began to explore new possibilities for their productions. The great milestone was Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), the first animated feature film in history. Inspired by the classic tale by the Brothers Grimm, the film was a resounding success, paving the way for Disney to invest more in stories involving charming female characters.
In the following years, Disney continued to expand its repertoire of princesses with Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959), both based on popular tales known worldwide. The formula that captivated the public was simple: brave, kind princesses with a touch of magic, usually accompanied by stories of overcoming adversity and true love.
Over time, the idea of ​​creating a line of Disney princesses evolved, and in the 1980s, "Disney Princesses" was officially created, a brand that brought together the most iconic characters. The princesses, such as Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989), Belle from Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Mulan (1998), came to represent empowerment and transformation, enchanting new generations. The concept of Disney princesses, more than just movie characters, became a cultural phenomenon that endures to this day.

Brave brought to the world Princess Merida, a young Scottish girl with curly red hair who became the studio's first female protagonist. Unlike the classic Disney princesses, Merida is not looking for a prince charming, but rather her independence and the right to decide her own destiny. The film is set in the Scottish Highlands, and its story was inspired by Celtic folklore, with elements of magic, traditions and Scottish legends.
The creation of Merida began with director Brenda Chapman, who based the relationship between Merida and her mother, Queen Elinor, on her own experience with her daughter. Chapman became the first woman to direct a Pixar film, but was replaced during production by Mark Andrews, although she remained credited.
One of the film's biggest technical challenges was the animation of Merida's hair. Each strand was created individually, resulting in about 1,500 strands of hair, requiring new software to simulate their natural movements. Additionally, Brave was the first Pixar film to have a plot centered on a mother-daughter relationship, something rare in the studio's animations.
Interestingly, Merida is the only Disney princess without a romantic interest, reinforcing the message of self-acceptance and freedom.

Cinderella is one of the most famous fairy tales in the world, but few know that its origins date back more than two thousand years. The first known version appeared in China around the 9th century, with the story of Ye Xian, a kind young girl who receives magical help to escape the tyranny of her stepmother. In the 17th century, the French writer Charles Perrault popularized the Western version that we know today, including iconic elements such as the fairy godmother, the pumpkin carriage and the glass slipper. Later, the Brothers Grimm retold the story in a darker version, where the evil stepsisters even mutilate their own feet to fit into the shoe.
The most famous adaptation came with the Disney animation, released in 1950, which cemented Cinderella as a pop culture icon. The film was a huge success, saving Disney Studios from bankruptcy after World War II. Interestingly, the dress transformation scene was one of Walt Disney's favorites and required innovative animation techniques.
The glass slipper is one of the most striking details in the story, but its choice may have come from a translation error. Some scholars believe that Perrault intended to describe squirrel-skin shoes ("vair"), but the word was confused with "verre" (glass). Regardless, the glass slipper has become a symbol of magic and hope.

Mulan, one of Disney's most iconic princesses, was inspired by the true story of a young Chinese girl who, according to legend, disguised herself as a man to fight in her father's army. The original story comes from the Chinese poem Ballad of Mulan, which dates back to the 6th century. She portrayed a brave and fearless woman who defied the norms of her society to save her family.
In the Disney film, released in 1998, Mulan does not fit the typical standards of the company's princesses, being a heroine not only for her beauty, but for her bravery and intelligence. She defied tradition by going to war, showing that true strength comes from within. The production was a landmark in bringing Chinese culture to the forefront, with a memorable soundtrack, including the famous song Reflection, which became an anthem of self-discovery.
Despite criticism that the film did not fully reflect Chinese culture, Mulan is still admired as a symbol of female empowerment and courage. In 2020, the film gained a live-action version, further bringing to light his legacy as one of Disney's most inspiring figures.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is a classic Disney animated film released in 1937. It tells the story of a beautiful princess pursued by her stepmother, the Evil Queen, who wants to get rid of her for jealous of her beauty. Snow White escapes and finds shelter in a house with seven dwarfs, but the Evil Queen discovers where she is and tries to kill her with a poisoned apple. Fortunately, a prince charming appears to save her. The film is a milestone in animation history, with catchy music, lovable characters and a positive message at the end. The film is considered a milestone in animation history and was the first animated feature film produced by Disney. It set the formula for many of the animated films that followed, with catchy music, lovable characters and a positive message at the end. "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a timeless classic that continues to delight children and adults around the world.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was the first animated feature film produced by Disney and took about three years to complete. Walt Disney risked everything to make the film, mortgaging his home and selling his life insurance policy to finance the project.

Prior to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, many critics and film industry executives considered animation to be suitable only for short comedy films. But the success of "Snow White" proved that animation could be used to tell an exciting and complex story. The idea of making a film about "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" was not originally Disney's. In fact, the story was based on a folktale by the Brothers Grimm.

Disney's animation team carefully studied the movements of animals and humans to create more realistic animated characters. They even hired an actor to do dramatic scenes that helped the animators bring characters like the Evil Queen to life. And it was the first film to have a soundtrack released separately on disc.

The movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs) was a huge success at the box office and, when adjusted for inflation, is still one of the most successful films of all time. The film was released again in 1944, 1952, 1958, 1967, 1975, 1983 and 1993. The names of the seven dwarfs are Dopey, Zangado, Feliz, Soneca, Dengoso, Atchim and Mestre, and they were based on distinct personalities and characteristics.

The cost and length of the movie Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were too high, so some scenes had to be changed. In one of them, the evil Queen imprisoned the prince and kept him in her castle. This scene was used in the 1959 production of the film "Sleeping Beauty".

Sleeping Beauty is an animated film produced by Disney in 1959. It tells the story of a princess named Aurora, who is cursed by an evil witch named Maleficent. The curse says that Aurora will prick her finger on a spindle and die on her 16th birthday. However, the good fairies Flora, Fauna and Primavera manage to alter the curse, causing Aurora to sleep soundly until she is awakened by true love's kiss. Throughout the story, we see the good fairies fight against the witch Maleficent, who wants to keep the curse and prevent Aurora from being saved. Prince Philip, a brave young man, is the hero who must fight the curse and wake up Aurora. The film is known for its incredible animation, memorable soundtrack and iconic characters such as the villainous Maleficent and the good fairies. It continues to be loved by many generations as a timeless Disney classic.

The best-known version of the Sleeping Beauty story was published by the Brothers Grim in 1812 under the title Sleeping Beauty. This version is considered to be based on both Giambattista Basile's version Sun, Moon and Talia, extracted from Pentamerone and published in 1634, and the version by the French writer Charles Perrault, published in 1697, in the book Tales of the Mother Goose with the title of the Sleeping Beauty in the Forest, that was inspired as well in the story of Basile.

Sleeping Beauty took about six years to produce and cost about $6 million at the time, making it the most expensive film produced by Disney at the time. The film is based on the fairy tale of the same name written by the Brothers Grimm, but Disney changed some elements of the original story.

The Sleeping Beauty film features a different art style than other Disney films, with more stylized lines and a more limited color palette. This was inspired by medieval and renaissance illustrations. The animator responsible for bringing Maleficent to life, Marc Davis, studied the personalities of snakes and bats to create the character's look and behavior.

The song "Once Upon a Dream" from the film Sleeping Beauty is based on an excerpt from the play "Ballet by Tchaikovsky" and is sung by Aurora and Filipe in a duet. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Score, but did not win. However, the soundtrack is still considered one of the best in Disney history.

The main character of Sleeping Beauty, Princess Aurora, was voiced by American actress and singer Mary Costa in her original English version. Directed by Italian-American Clyde Geronimi, Sleeping Beauty had the following actors doing the other original voices: Bill Shirley (Prince Philip), Eleanor Audley (Maleficent), Verna Felton (Flora), Barbara Luddy (Primavera), Barbara Jo Allen ( Fauna), among others.

Walt's intention was to make the three fairies look like old ladies who frequented the local market at the time. And his idea was to make the three the same, but it was not possible, since the illustrators did not authorize this idea.

The Little Mermaid is an animated film produced by Disney in 1989, based on the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen. The film tells the story of Ariel, a mermaid who dreams of living in the human world and falls in love with a human prince named Eric. Ariel makes a deal with the sea witch, Ursula, to become human and have the chance to be with Eric, but that comes with a price - she has to give up her voice in exchange. Ariel then faces many challenges as she tries to win Eric's heart before the spell expires. The film is beloved for its memorable soundtrack, which includes songs like "Part of Your World", "Under the Sea", and "Kiss the Girl". It is also known for its iconic characters, including Sebastian the crab and Flounder the friendly fish.

The Little Mermaid movie was a major milestone for Disney as it marked the beginning of the "Disney Renaissance", a time when the company began producing successful animated films again after a period of decline. in the 1970s and 1980s. The film was a huge box office and critical success, and remains a beloved classic for many generations.

Disney used Pixar's computer program for the first time in the animation The Little Mermaid (The Little Mermaid). This program made it possible for drawings to be loaded into a computer with an infinite color palette and, in this way, very subtle combinations could be created. Before that, the process was manual and time-consuming.

Sherri Stoner was the inspiration behind Ariel's moves, and actress Alyssa Milano was the model for the mermaid's face, which produced animated shows like "Tiny Toon Adventures" and "Animaniacs" inspired the moves. However, Ariel was originally going to be blonde, but to avoid any resemblance to the movie "Splash" - which featured a blonde mermaid - it was decided to give Ariel's hair the beautiful red hue. Here her face was created from actress Alyssa Milano.

It's notorious that Mickey Mouse and his troupe are capable of popping up anywhere in Disney's magical realm. They are often seen, hidden, in various films. More recently, though, they've been sighted under the sea during a performance by King Triton. Mickey, Goofy and Donald Duck were among the spectators.

Disney's version has many variations on the original story, published in 1837. For example, the sea witch is a marginal character in the book - she has no name. In the cartoon, she is known as Ursula, with visual characteristics inspired by the famous drag queen and actress Divine. Another variation is that the ending is different: in the tale, the mermaid disappears and turns into an ethereal spirit, much more tragic than the ending in the animation.

The song "Part of Your World", which describes Ariel's longing to join the world of humans, was nearly scrapped. In a preview test with an incomplete version, one of the children present seemed more interested in the popcorn than the melody. The director deemed it necessary to eliminate her, but the animators and composers requested one more chance. When the full version was presented to an adult audience, it became a huge hit.

The inverted story of "The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea" (2000) tells the journey of Melody, daughter of Ariel and Eric. Although Ariel wanted to become a human girl to live her life on earth with Prince Eric in the first film, her daughter desperately wanted to become a mermaid. Although interesting, the film was not as successful as its predecessor.

Sebastian, the most beloved crab in animation, is famous for his hilarious concern for Ariel's well-being. In the dubbed version in Portuguese there is no sign of his characteristic Jamaican accent, but in the original English version the original interpreter brought the character to life with his unique accent. American fans were surprised to discover that the character's originally intended accent was English.

Ursula, the villain of “The Little Mermaid”, is considered an octopus, but she only has six legs. The reason she is part human may explain the lack of her other two legs. Disney's original idea was to create a thorn or scorpionfish that had many thorns covering its body, but this was scrapped as it was considered too terrifying for a child audience.

Ariel's Story; Part III: The Little Mermaid's Secret (The Little Mermaid III: Ariel's Beginning) was a movie released on August 26, 2008. King Triton and his queen Athena rule the seas with love. On the day the king gave the queen a music box as a token of her love, a pirate ship killed Athena. The king couldn't bear to hear the music, so he banned music in the kingdom. Ten years passed and King Triton's daughters grew up: Ariel, the youngest, did not understand why music was forbidden and why the same activities were done daily. She then discovered a secret club, where music played every night. She also found out that Sebastian, the king's right-hand man, was the leader of the club. Ariel and her sisters began to attend the club secretly, but Marina, the jealous housekeeper, found out and told the king everything. The king arrested them all, confined his daughters to the castle, and destroyed the club.

Rob Marshall reimagines the animated musical classic The Little Mermaid for the big screen. The story revolves around Ariel, the adventurous young mermaid, daughter of King Triton. She is eager to discover the world beyond the sea and when she visits the surface, she falls in love with Prince Eric. Though mermaids can't interact with humans, Ariel follows her heart and makes a deal with the evil Ursula, the Sea Witch. This gives him the opportunity to experience life on land, but at the same time puts his own life and his father's crown at risk. Film released in 2023, and stars Halle Bailey, Jonah Hauer-King, Javier Bardem and Melissa McCarthy with Daveed Diggs, Jacob Tremblay and Awkwafina in voice roles.