The Most Popular Disney Princesses of All Time
All the Disney princesses from the best Disney movies are so unique and have such vastly different background stories. But despite their story differences, they actually have a lot in common. Disney princesses are wholesome, true, kind, beautiful, and they have some drama and major strife in their lives.
Whether they are being hunted to be murdered, have to fight wars for their people, maybe they have to protect the theft of their soul, or better yet, they are held up in an enchanted castle far away from those they love, Disney princesses don’t have it easy. Somehow though in the end, they prevail, and often, they do so with their one true love.
It is hard to choose which princess is ultimately the best, and perhaps your choice differs from the one listed here. That could be due to when you were born and which princesses were the most relevant during that time. Or it could be because you analytically looked at the long list of contenders and put the time and effort into ranking which princess came out on top.
While none of the Disney princesses are flops, there is no doubt, one princess just consistently ranks higher than others across the board.
Which Disney Princess is The Most Beloved of them All?
Cinderella is by far the most popular Disney princess to ever come across the silver screen and into our hearts.
Today’s girls and those that lived during her time — in 1950, when Disney released the animated film — fell in love with Cinderella. They hated her horrible stepmother, ugly stepsisters, but loved the pumpkin turned into a sparkling carriage she had that whisked her to the ball.
Potentially, they secretly wished they could have such a magical ride. Let's be very serious when I say, I wouldn't say no to commuting in that setup on the regular.
The story of Cinderella stands the test of time, but Disney’s Cinderella as we know it isn’t the only story that is out there. In fact, the story that was used in the Disney classic is so old that it traces back much farther than the 1950s.
The Impact and Importance of Cinderella
It is believed that the Cinderella version we adore in the United States comes from the “Glass Slipper” version that was derived from the story of Cendrillon. Cendrillon dates back as far as 1697 in France.
Charles Perrault, the author of the Cendrillon version, used influences from much earlier versions of the story that came out of China and Greece. But our adaption of the story of the beautiful slave who found her fairy tale is just one of many hundred variants. In Europe alone, there are more than 500 different takes on the Cinderella story.
Cinderella isn’t just beloved by the masses; it had a very significant impact on Walt Disney the company itself. While Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937 was Disney’s first princess-themed animated film that had massive success, both critically and commercially, it was Cinderella that saved the company.
Even though Disney followed up with many other films which were time-honored and wonderful in their own right, World War II put an understandable strain on the business. Animators and Disney decided to take the risk and go for it when it came to Cinderella.
With the company already in debt, they invested a hefty fortune for the times, and for them, the risk was well worth it. The money from the success of the movie and money made from the residual products kept them afloat and look at where they are today.
How Are Disney Princesses Ranked Across the Globe?
According to 76 countries across the globe, yep, Cinderella still takes the crown as the most popular. But there are so many Disney princesses that we keep fondly in our hearts.
For me, I got to give a shout-out to Ariel. The Little Mermaid was my first videocassette my family bought when we bought our first video cassette player. This was the technology of the times. There was no doubt, my sisters and I were major fans of Ariel, hands down, and still are today.
While I may be fond of Ariel, the world would say:
- If you ask 28 countries, you have to “let it go, let it go” with Elsa coming in at second. But while we love the Frozen star, she is tied actually with Rapunzel having a huge showing as well. Rapunzel was most popular on the content of South America.
- Nine countries dote on the beautiful, smart, and talented bookworm, Belle.
- Then, my Ariel was popular enough to make the top 10 global list. Italy and parts of Africa, particularly, were huge fans.
There are too many notable Disney princesses to litigate that it becomes hard to leave any off of any list. Princess Jasmine is fierce, Pocahontas is tremendously strong, Mulan is determined, and Moana has tremendous pride.
Who is your favorite princess and what do you think is the all-time best Disney movie and movie princess?
Resources— University of Pittsburgh, Cartoon Research, IDS Film
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