The Case of the Best Disney (or Pixar) Princess Part 4
Welcome Back, Cassettes! This week we’re following up with our fourth episode of our Disney Pixar Princess March Match-Up!
In this penultimate episode we have all winners from past rounds so every Princess will have already been talked about before. Next week will be our last round and the final winner will be announced!! So even though March is over our March Match-up still has one culminating episode!!!
Special Thanks to Becky Hecker for appearing on this episode as a guest judge!
To refresh everyone’s memories we have included some past information about the Princesses, along with a few new fun facts!
Eilonwy vs Ariel
Eilonwy
Princess Eilonwy of Llyr appears in “The Black Cauldron” (1985)
Voiced by Susan Sheridan
Her first appearance was in the 1964 novel “The Book of Three” in the Chronicles of Prydain; she appears in four out of the five books
Does She possess magic?
Possibly. She has a magic orb called a bauble that the Horned King thought would show him where the cauldron was located
Instead of an animal side-kick she possesses a magical orb
Eilonwy is brave, never seeming to be afraid of the Horned King even when being trapped in his dungeon. She helps Taron escape and joins him on this mission despite the fact that she doesn’t have to
Eilonwy is opinionated and speaks up when things don’t seem right; she’s also affectionate to Gurgie when no one else seems to be
Her film The Black Cauldron (1985) performed poorly commercially which explains her lack of status as an official Disney Princess
Although Eilonwy is a lesser-known princess, she it notable for her bravery and intelligence; she never fails to believe in herself and will not tolerate nonsense from the people around her
Fun facts about Eilonwy!!
She is a 12 year old girl
Although in the book she is described to have red-gold hair in the movie it is blonde
She along with Taran, Gurgi, and Hen Wen were included front and center on a mural (that is sadly gone now) in Florida’s Magic Kingdom Town Square Theater
Ariel
First appearance in the Hans Christian Anderson fairytale, though the character she is based on has no name
She is “officially” the fourth Disney Princess after Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora (although there were other princesses before her)
The Little Mermaid (1989) is the known as the film that started the Disney renaissance, and for that reason quite possibly the most important Disney animated classic; It saved the studio
It’s worth noting that without Ariel, no other Disney princess after the 1980’s would exist
Voiced by Jodi Benson, Ariel is a strong-willed and passionate character known for her beautiful singing voice
Although she follows the trope of falling in love with someone she didn’t know, her headstrong personality set the stage for Disney princesses of the renaissance and after
Ariel is loving–she has many friends that help her on her quest to be with her true love
Her song “Part of Your World”
The Little Mermaid was also the first Disney film scored by Alan Menkin, who’s music is partially responsible for making Disney the animation powerhouse of the 1990s
Fun facts about Ariel!!
She has six older sisters named Attina, Alana, Adella, Aquata, Arista and Andrina. Ariel is the only one of her sisters whose name does not end in “A”.
Ariel is age 16
Unlike her sisters as a mermaid she does not tend to wear any hair accessories
Atta vs Rapunzel
Atta
The older princess and heir to the throne on Ant Island, Atta defeated Dot in our first round due to her relatability and leadership
Her film A Bug’s Life (1998) was only the second Pixar film
The survival of the entire ant population on her island is set on her shoulders, which is a tremendous responsibility
In all of these films, we see the princess face a struggle. However, that struggle rarely has to do with actually leading their people in the way that Atta is faced with the threat of the grasshoppers
Fun facts about Atta!!
Atta is named after the genus of ant of the same name.
Speculated to be about 27 years old
In bloopers, Princess Atta cracks up several times during her scene with Hopper. These cracks ruin take after take until Hopper goes to his trailer in exasperation. Julia Louis-Dreyfus was known to do the same
Rapunzel
Her character and story has loosely been adapted from the Brothers Grimm fairy tale.
This movie expands upon why Rapunzel was locked away in a tower away from everyone else.
Disney added Rapunzel’s healing power which adds to her character
Rapunzel is the first Disney Princess that holds a magical power of her own with a movie centered around her and that power.
Voiced by Mandy Moore, Rapunzel is free-spirited and rebellious
Despite the fact that she is literally locked away, she doesn’t see herself as someone in need of rescue
When Rapunzel leaves her tower, she does so on her own and only because it’s her decision to do so
Rapunzel is a trusting person, never truly questioning why she’s been locked away until she finally sees the outside world
Her character undergoes a great change throughout the film, but her strong will and faith in others still stands, despite the fact that the person she trusted most lied to and manipulated her
Fun facts about Rapunzel!!
Purple is often seen as a color of royalty which may be why Rapunzel wears it for much of the film
Rapunzel is depicted as 18, which is an 8 year age gap between her and her love interest Flynn
Since no one had ever animated so much hair before, special software had to be employed to animate her 70 feet long hair
Elsa vs Belle
Elsa
The older sister to Anna and Queen of Arendelle, Elsa is voiced by Idina Menzel
In our first round, Jacob chose Elsa over Kida for her ability to overcome the fear of being herself and ultimately giving herself up for the kingdom that shamed and refused her in the first place
In a magical sense, Elsa is the most powerful princess on our list (the second being Rapunzel)
Elsa is a fighter throughout the entire film
She takes down the men that come after her with weapons
She only allows herself to be taken after deciding not to hurt anyone else
She distances herself from her sister despite the fact that she loves her; Elsa wants to be herself and believes this is only possible if she is to be alone
Elsa shows audiences how you can be happy alone and as yourself; she also demonstrates the dangers of not embracing your true self
Although many may see Elsa as the hero of Frozen, it’s Anna’s love for her that saves the day and teaches Elsa how to end the winter
Fun facts about Elsa!!
In all of the songs she sings her magical powers are also present
Elsa is 21 by Coronation Day
Elsa as a child wore her hair in a braid, showing her carefree and innocent personality. As she grows up, her hair is put into a bun, revealing confinement and isolation. As soon as she sings “Let it Go” she pulls her hair back down to a braid.
Belle
Based on the protagonist in La Belle et la Bête, Belle is voiced by Paige O’Hara
She is known as the most beautiful girl in town despite the fact that she is also considered “peculiar”
It’s important to note that Beauty and the Beast (1991) was the first ever animated movie nominated for Best Picture at the Oscars
The critical acclaim this movie received helped cement Disney’s place as an animation juggernaut and put the Disney Renaissance in full swing
Belle is smart and kind, known for disregarding her own dreams of adventure in exchange for her father’s freedom
Because of Belle’s indifference toward conventional beauty, she is able to accept the beast for who he is and saves him and all the people in his castle from a lifetime of torment
Fun facts about Belle!!
She was the only Princess with Hazel eyes until the appearance of Vanellope von Schweetz
Belle is 17 years of age
Paige O’Hara has a website where she makes and sells fan artwork https://www.paigeohara.net/
Snow White vs Tiana
Snow White
Based on the fairytale by Brothers Grimm, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was Disney’s first full-length animated film
This film paved the way for more animation and showed audiences in 1937 that animation was a legitimate art form
Although Snow White is young, she learns to adapt to a new life very quickly when she discovers that the queen wants her dead
Snow White is charming, innocent, and loving
Animals are naturally drawn to her because of her beautiful voice and gentle nature
Snow White has no issue taking care of the dwarfs in exchange for a place to live, which shows how resourceful she is and willing to do her fair share
Without Snow White, animation may not have been the same! Critics were sure that this venture was a mistake for Disney, only to be proven wrong
Snow White helped create a formula that has entertained and inspired many generations
Fun facts about Snow White!!
Her dance moves in the movie were infamously used for Maid Marian in Robin Hood
In 1987, Snow White was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
She is the youngest Princess in the line-up, being only 14 years old.
Tiana
Voiced by Anika Noni Rose, Tiana is the last of the 2D animated princesses
Tiana is arguably the hardest working of the princesses, her work ethic and restaurant dreams being a major plot point of the film
Tiana is not royal at at the beginning of the film and has no interest in being a princess, yet she eventually falls in love with Prince Naveen
It’s important to note that Tiana is the only princess from the United States (where Disney Animation is located); The only Disney princess in the 20th century, and the first and only African American Disney princess
Tiana is her own hero, determined to solve her own issues and ready to make her own dreams come true through hard work
Ultimately she learns not to focus too much on her dreams, but to find a balance between work and other important parts of life
Fun facts about Tiana!!
She is left-handed just as her voice actor Anika is
She is 19 years old
She was human for only 19 minutes of the movie