On March 25, Venice High School was supposed to host its own Spring Fling with a Tangled theme and a $15 entry charge but because it’s now canceled I can say “I was looking forward to enjoying it.”

Speaking of Tangled, let’s discuss how each of us has a favorite Disney princess that we watched as children, but there are also others that we don’t particularly care for.

Tiana from The Princess and the Frog

My beautiful black queen. Tiana from The Princess and the Frog is what I would say is my favorite Disney princess, because Tiana was the first African American princess in Disney history. 

She is such a strong woman of color who stands up for her beliefs, as she should. I was even her for Halloween since I love her so much.

 She is a source of inspiration and hopes for young girls of color around the world. She definitely helped me with my confidence growing up. She is also my personal favorite because she made me feel like everyone no matter what skin color, race, or ethnicity you are, it doesn’t matter—you can still be a princess.

I like her a lot because she reminds me of myself in some ways. She reminds me of how strong I am. Princess Tiana is an independent woman who is unafraid to take charge and make her own decisions. She is passionate, driven, and determined to make her dreams come true. 

Now tell me that isn’t what a princess should be.

She strives for her dreams and achieves them as she should. Princess Tiana is an example of what hard work, dedication, and perseverance can do. She pursues her goals with tenacity and is not afraid to take risks. She is an incredibly inspiring role model for young girls everywhere.

Mulan from Mulan 

 Talking about brave and strong women, my girl Mulan is the best princess because of her bravery, respect for her family, and willingness to sacrifice her own happiness in order to save her father. Whoa now—don’t get me wrong I love my family so I totally respected the sacrifices. 

Personally, though I don’t think I would sacrifice my happiness for anything anyways. Mulan has shown us that a princess does not have to be the traditional princess in order to be the best. I just think she’s the best example of what a princess should be.

Elsa from Frozen

I also have princesses that I dislike, such as Elsa from Frozen. She is not one of my personal favorites to be honest because of her lack of friendliness. 

I used to compare her to other Disney princesses, who were known for their outgoing and friendly personalities. Still, I think Elsa’s behavior towards others was often seen as cold and distant, which can be a negative influence on young girls who may mimic her behavior. 

Aurora from Sleeping Beauty 

Sleeping Beauty is not the best princess in my opinion due to her lack of agency, personality, and reinforcement of harmful gender stereotypes.

 I think it is important to promote more diverse and empowering representations of princesses in media where women are portrayed as strong, independent, and capable of making their own decisions. Plus Sleeping Beauty was the only Disney princess movie that used to scare me when I was younger because the whole part with the curse with MaleficentIt.  It just gave me the vibes of death and fear. To be honest, the darkness of the forest, where Aurora meets her prince, creates a sense of isolation and danger that can be terrifying for children. 

Final Thoughts

In general, I adore all princesses, and I’m sure we all have our personal favorites, and ones we don’t like. I certainly do. Overall I do think Disney princesses are a good thing because they can have positive effects on children’s development. One benefit is the development of imagination and creativity. Children often engage in an imaginative play inspired by the stories and characters of Disney princesses. This type of play can lead to increased creativity and cognitive development. For example, children may act out scenes from the movies, create their own stories with the characters, or design their own costumes and props. Additionally, Disney princesses encourage positive values such as kindness, bravery, and perseverance.