Disney Princess is a Walt Disney Company franchise, based on fictional characters who have been featured as part of the Disney character line-up. The main six are: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine, all of whom have royal title by marriage or birth. Recently, Mulan and Pocahontas have been included as princesses as well.Disney recently announced that new Princesses would be added: Princess Tiana, from their 2009 animated feature The Princess and the Frog, will become the first Black princess to join the ranks of Disney Princesses and also Rapunzel[citation needed]. The franchise has released dolls, sing-along videos, and a variety of other children's products, apparel, and even band-aids featuring the Disney Princesses.
In early 2000, when Andy Mooney was hired by Disney's Consumer Products division to help combat dropping sales, the idea for the Disney Princess franchise was born. Soon after joining Disney, Mooney attended his first Disney on Ice show. While waiting in line, he found himself surrounded by young girls dressed as princesses. “They weren’t even Disney products. They were generic princess products,” he mused. Soon after realizing the demand, the Disney Princess line was formed.
Despite limited advertising and no focus groups, the various Disney Princess items released became a huge success. Sales at Disney Consumer Products rose from $300 million in 2001 to $3 billion in 2006. Today there are over 25,000 products based on the franchise.
The princesses to be featured in the line were chosen from classic Disney films. The characters were not chosen specifically for their royal titles, but rather for how well they fit into what Disney executives deemed “the Princess mythology”. Mulan is an example of this concept; she has no familial ties to royalty, but is still included in the character list. Tinker Bell was once included under the same principle before it was decided she was not suited for the "mythology". She now stars in her own Disney franchise, the Disney Fairies.(Wikipedia)
Disney Princess Picture
Disney Princess Image