All the Disney Princess movies in order: The complete list in order of year
Disney Princess movies have enchanted audiences for decades by weaving tales of love, bravery, and magic. They are synonymous with Disney as a company, with Cinderella's Castle appearing in the introduction of Disney films and being recreated physically at Disney theme parks. But what is the proper order in which the Disney Princess movies were released?
Since 1937, Walt Disney Studios has been making princess-lead fairytale films, and watching all Disney princess movies in order can be challenging.
How many Disney Princess movies are there? As of 2023, there are 12 official Disney Princess movies, meaning there is a similar number of princesses. You can visit the Disney theme parks to encounter the Disney Princesses in real life.
Disney Princess movies in order of year
What are the 12 Disney Princess movies? If you want to see the evolution of the Disney princesses over time, watch the movies chronologically. Here is a detailed list of Disney Princess movies in order of release with their respective sequels.
1. Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937)
- Princess: Snow White
- Prequel/sequel: Due in 2024
When were all the Disney Princess movies made? Released in 1937, Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs is Disney's first feature-length animated film. Before Snow White, Walt Disney and his team concentrated primarily on animated shorts because no one had ever heard of an animated feature-length film.
In this epic love story, the beautiful Princess Snow White captures the hearts of the seven dwarfs and prevails over a wicked queen's malicious plots. There will be a live-action remake featuring Rachel Zegler in 2024.
2. Cinderella (1950)
- Princess: Cinderella
- Prequel/sequel: Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002), Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007)
Who is the most famous Disney Princess? Undoubtedly, Cinderella is the most famous Disney princess. The classic rags-to-riches story doesn't get much more luxurious and romantic than this story.
In this film, Cinderella is a small girl who grows up being mistreated by her cruel stepsisters and stepmother. When she gets invited to the Royal Ball, a fairy Godmother magically turns her rags into a lovely gown.
However, the magical charm is broken when the clock strikes midnight, and Cinderella returns to her old state, leaving behind a magnificent glass slipper. Soon after, the prince sets off on a mission to find the girl who abandoned the slipper.
3. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
- Princess: Aurora
- Prequel/sequel: None
When you decide to watch the Disney princess movies in order of age (year of release), Sleeping Beauty comes third. In this film, Maleficent, the evil fairy, bestows a curse on Aurora.
Aurora then falls deeply asleep after pricking her finger on a spinning wheel. Ultimately, the spell is broken, and Maleficent is destroyed with the help of the good fairies and some magic.
4. The Little Mermaid (1989)
- Princess: Ariel
- Prequel/ sequel: The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000), The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008)
Ariel, an inquisitive little mermaid, falls in love with a human, Prince Eric. The mermaid becomes a human due to a spell cast by a wicked sea witch, Ursula. To remain human and stay with Prince Eric, Ariel must make Prince Eric fall in love with her.
5. Beauty and the Beast (1991)
- Princess: Belle
- Prequel/sequel: Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997), Beauty and the Beast: Belle’s Magical World (1998), Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Beauty and the Beast, an animated film based on a French fairy tale, should be number five on your Disney princess movies watch list.
When a Beast imprisons her father, Belle teaches him to love and sacrifices her freedom in exchange for her father's. Her love for him breaks the spell that has kept him a beast and turns him into a lovely prince.
6. Aladdin (1992)
- Princess: Jasmine
- Prequel/sequel: The Return of Jafar (1994), Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996)
Aladdin, a streetwise commoner, joins forces with the astute, confident Princess Jasmine to fight against t the wicked sorcerer Jafar and stop his ambitions to take over the kingdom of Agrabah. Aladdin learns to believe in himself along the way with the help of a funny, shape-shifting Genie whose three wishes can change everything.
7. Pocahontas (1995)
- Princess: Pocahontas
- Prequel/sequel: Pocahontas II: Journey to the New World (1998)
Pocahontas is the seventh Disney Princess movie. Pocahontas is the first Native American Princess to be featured in a Disney animated film. Technically, she is not a princess because her father is a chief, not a king, and she doesn't marry a prince.
However, by European standards, she was born into the Native American equivalent of a royal family. Pocahontas is also the first Disney character to be based on an actual historical figure.
8. Mulan (1998)
- Princess: Mulan
- Prequel/sequel: Mulan II (2005)
Mulan is the eighth official Disney princess, even though she was not born nor married into China's royal family. In the movie, China defends itself against invading Huns by requiring one member from each family to serve in the imperial army.
Mulan disguises herself as a man and takes her elderly father's place in the army because the Fa family only has one man. She later becomes China's saviour after rescuing the emperor and the royal household.
9. The Princess and the Frog (2009)
- Princess: Tiana
- Prequel/sequel: None
The ninth Disney Princess movie on this list is The Princess and the Frog. It features Tiana, the first Black American Princess to be featured in a Disney animated film. Tiana is a young woman who works as a waitress to accumulate enough money to open her restaurant.
A visiting prince is transformed into a frog and misidentifies Tiana as a princess whose kiss will restore him to human form. However, after the kiss, she transforms into a frog, and they must find a way to break the curse.
10. Tangled (2010)
- Princess: Rapunzel
- Prequel/sequel: Before Ever After (2017)
The tenth Disney Princess movie on this list is Tangled. When Flynn Rider, the kingdom's most wanted and charming robber, hides out in a mystery tower, he is kidnapped by Rapunzel, a gorgeous and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical golden hair.
Rapunzel, looking for a way out of the tower where she has been imprisoned for years, strikes a deal with the attractive robber. The unusual pair embarked on an action-packed adventure, aided by their friends.
11. Brave (2012)
- Princess: Merida
- Prequel/sequel: None
Merida, the bold and courageous daughter of Scottish Queen Elinor and King Fergus, is a skilful archer determined to forge her path in life. Her disobedience of an age-old tradition infuriates the Highland Lords and causes chaos within the kingdom.
Merida seeks assistance from an eccentric witch, who grants her a cursed wish. Merida must learn the real meaning of bravery and reverse a monstrous curse before it's too late.
12. Moana (2017)
- Princess: Moana
- Prequel/sequel: Due in 2025
What was the latest Disney Princess movie? Moana is the twelfth Disney Princess movie featuring the first Polynesian Princess in Disney animated films. Strange circumstances force Moana to believe they must leave the island as she prepares to take her position as the next village chief of Motunui.
However, her father refuses to let her go out of his fear of the ocean. Later, Moana realizes that she has been chosen to leave the island and restore the heart of Te Fiti before the darkness destroys Motunui and all other islands in the Sea.
Traversing through the world of Disney Princess movies is an adventure filled with nostalgia and timeless magic. The enchantment of these films is a tribute to Disney's storytelling prowess and the enduring allure of fairy tales.
Yen.com.gh recently published an article on Chucky movies in order. Child's Play: Chucky is an American horror comedy film about a famed serial murderer in the form of a doll. The Chucky series consists of nine movies in total.
Watching Chucky movies in order can enhance your viewing experience and give you a better understanding of the plot. But what is the proper order of watching these films based on their release date?
Source: YEN.com.gh