All the Disney Princess Movies in Order, Including Some “Unofficial” Heroines
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Time for a princess party! If you're here, you love all things royal, sometimes romantic, always heroic, and occasionally sparkly. Here are all of the Disney Princess movies in chronological order by release date (not by when they take place... I'm not trying to figure out when The Little Mermaid is set, you guys) for your organizational pleasure. I've even included fun facts and tidbits about which Disney Princess movies have sequels, prequels, spin-offs, and of course live action remakes.
Please note, Disney nerds, that I'm including some Disney ladies that are not in the "official lineup" of Disney Princesses–because frankly, I do not care. I do not represent Disney Parks. I am not selling Disney merchandise. I am just a lady with a laptop. I can call Esmerelda and Anna a Disney Princess if I want to! I am vaguely aware that these characters are "inducted" into the Disney Princess sorority franchise, and I'm interested in who the House of Mouse has and has not included, but that's not what this list is about. It's about the stories and the characters themselves. Disney princess stories have come from fairy tales, classic literature, and even history. The range, as it continues to expand, is something to celebrate.
One more bit of housekeeping: these movies are obvi on Disney+ so there are streaming links below, but don't forget that there are other ways to watch these movies! Go to the library. Buy your fave on Blu-ray so you can binge the special features and/or fall asleep to the repetitive sounds of the the menu screen. Dig up your old tapes... just kidding, I know barely anybody has a VHS player anymore. With the WGA and SAG striking against streaming networks like Disney+ (though not calling for a boycott) it doesn't hurt to throw support at alternatives. Now, let's bring on the princesses!
Snow White and the Seven Dwarves (1937)
Prequels/Sequels: No!
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? Soon, in 2024!
The first Disney princess is still one of the most recognizable figures in pop culture. We quiz ourselves on the names of the dwarves. The story might not 100 percent hold up, but most of the songs do. What I really like about this princess movie is how scary it is when you're a little kid, but in a way that entertains rather than scars you for life. The jealous Evil Queen really is evil!
Cinderella (1950)
Prequels/Sequels: Cinderella II: Dreams Come True (2002), Cinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007)
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? Yes, in 2015!
The classic rags to riches story doesn't get much more lush and romantic than the original Disney animated film. I always really liked Cinderella, mostly because of her mouse and bird friends. They've got her back when her step-family bullies her because they love her! She makes them little clothes! The fairy godmother, handsome prince, and happy ending are just icing on a charming cake.
Peter Pan (1953)
Prequels/Sequels: Return to Neverland (2002)
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? Not really, but Peter Pan & Wendy (2023) is underrated IMHO!
At one point, Tinker Bell was part of that official Disney princess lineup thing I was talking about, but the powers that be retired her. But since there are soooo many Tinker Bell spin-off movies, including one where Tom Hiddleston is the voice of a young Captain Hook and sings, I think she should count. She may be a fairy, not a princess, but she's fabulous!
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Prequels/Sequels: No!
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? Not unless you count Maleficent movies!
The last of the OG Disney Princesses shares elements from the women who came before her. She takes a big nap like Snow White. There's an evil woman out to get her, like Snow White and Cinderella. She has fairy friends like Tinker Bell... and Cinderella. What they don't have that Aurora has, though, is a meet-cute with her prince. And a dragon. We can't forget that dragon!
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Prequels/Sequels: The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000), The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning (2008)
Shorts/Series: No, but there is a '90s TV show you can stream.
Live action remake? Yes, in 2023!
The Disney renaissance kicked off with a princess who was a little less passive in her story than her predecessors. That's because she's a moody teenager! She makes bad choices and learns from them! This is also the beginning of Alen Menken and Howard Ashman's reign at Disney. The songwriting duo brought musical theatre to animation with funny, heartbreaking, gorgeous songs that stand the test of time.
Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Prequels/Sequels: Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (1997), Beauty and the Beast: Belle's Magical World (1998)
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? Yes, in 2017!
Technically, those "sequels" are set during the events of the original movie. I've always found that to be kind of funny. Nobody wants to see movies about Belle and Prince Adam, just the Beast! Anyway, whether you think Belle is the thinking girl's Disney princess or a cautionary tale about Stockholm Syndrome, Beauty and the Beast is a quintessential film.
Aladdin (1992)
Prequels/Sequels: The Return of Jafar (1994), Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996),
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? Yes, in 2019!
Jasmine sometimes feels like she was plucked out of a 1950s screwball comedy. She's a rebellious princess who wants to see the world, sneaks out and runs right into the fast-talking street rat who steals her heart. It's basically Roman Holiday!
Pocahontas (1995)
Prequels/Sequels: Pocahontas II: Journey to the New World (1998)
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? No!
For this Disney princess film, the House of Mouse turned to history and the story of a real life princess. I just wouldn't use this movie as a textbook, if I were you. It's entertaining and romantic, but far from historically accurate.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
Prequels/Sequels: The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002)
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? No!
Like Tinker Bell, Esmeralda is a former member of the official Disney Princess line-up. And like Tinker Bell, I think that's a little unfair. She's as much of a co-lead as Jasmine is in Aladdin. Her outfit is as iconic as Belle's. She may not be royal (roooyal) but she's a Disney Princess!!!!
Hercules (1997)
Prequels/Sequels: No!
Shorts/Series: No shorts, but there was an animated series in 1998.
Live action remake? No!
Unlike Tinker Bell and Esmeralda, Megara was never officially included in the Disney lineup, and I think that's nonsense as well. What is she, too iconic? She's also kind of an anti-heroine, which is cool for a Disney cartoon IMO. Let princesses be a little bit bad! (They obviously embraced that more a few years later with Frozen.) And as for Disney princess anthems, "I Won't Say (I'm In Love)" is one of the best.
Mulan (1998)
Prequels/Sequels: Mulan II (2005)
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? Yes, in 2020!
The last princess of the Disney Renaissance Era had a lot to prove. She knows her strength doesn't lie in traditional gender roles, but it isn't easy to make other people see that. She saves her family and her country! She's not technically a princess, but a job offer from the Emperor is nothing to scoff at.
The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Prequels/Sequels: No!
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? No!
Tiana and her manic pixie dream man Prince Naveen make each other better. Like Aladdin, Hercules, and Mulan before it, the central romance relies heavily on romcom tropes. It's just a shame that they're frogs for the majority of the movie, not their gorgeous selves! But over 10 years after the last Disney Princess, this movie was a throwback in every way–from the songs, to the gowns, and the goofy animal sidekicks. The Princess and the Frog even had a really, really scary villain in Dr. Facilier as well.
Tangled (2010)
Prequels/Sequels: Before Ever After (2017)
Shorts/Series: There are a lot of shorts.
Live action remake? No!
How did it take so long for Disney to make a princess movie about Rapunzel? It's actually kind of wild when you think about it. The 2010 film embellished the classic fairy tale quite a bit. In the traditional story, Rapunzel is an ordinary girl locked in a tower who is rescued by a prince. But in Tangled, Rapunzel is the princess and the man who finds her is... well, I wouldn't call Flynn Ryder *ordinary* but you know what I mean. He's a charming thief like Aladdin. She's a missing princess like Sleeping Beauty. Can I make it any more obvious?
Brave (2012)
Prequels/Sequels: No!
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? No!
Pixar's first princess–and first film with a female protagonist, like, period–doesn't really have songs, or a love story, or an adorable sidekick really. But she does have royal responsibilities, a journey of self-discovery, magic, and great hair.
Frozen (2013)
Prequels/Sequels: Frozen II (2019)
Shorts/Series: There are soooo many shorts, mostly starring Olaf, and a Lego series.
Live action remake? No!
Two princesses for the price of one! (Spoiler alert, they aren't both princesses for long.) I'm not jealous of the mothers that had to hear "Let It Go" 50x a day back when this movie came out, and probably still now, but sometimes I am jealous of the girls that get to grow up with Elsa and Anna. They're so different! Elsa is powerful, independent, and a little bit bad. Anna has one of the best romantic comedy trope-filled plots I've ever seen in an animated film. Instead of expecting one female character to be everything to everybody, they said why not two sisters who complement each other (and are everything to each other)? Nailed it.
Moana (2016)
Prequels/Sequels: No!
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? No!
Moana is... a perfect Disney Princess. Well, unless your favorite and most essential part of these movies is the Disney Prince. Couldn't be me, but that's valid! And in that case, you're out of luck. Moana's great love is the sea. However, she has the royal responsibilities of Jasmine, Elsa, and Merida. She saves her people like Mulan and Pocahontas. She longs to explore and see the world like Ariel, Belle, and Anna. She feels a little out of place, like so many of the Princesses in this canon. And she has absolute bangers in her movie's soundtrack. Moana is (almost) everything we love about Disney Princess movies rolled into one.
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Prequels/Sequels: No!
Shorts/Series: No!
Live action remake? No!
The most recent Disney Princess movie arrived quietly at the beginning of 2021, when most folks still weren't going to the movie theater and it cost a lot to rent a movie on Disney+. So you may have missed it. Remedy that immediately! Raya and the Last Dragon is about a Disney Princess on a quest, like Frozen and Moana, in a fictional world filled with magical lore. Raya should have ended up with her rival Namaari, but Disney's still in its LGBT+ representation baby steps era.
More princess-y movies on Disney+, also in order for some reason
The Black Cauldron (1985)
The Princess Bride (1987)
Rogers and Hammerstein's Cinderella (1997)
Anastasia (1997)
Ever After (1998)
The Princess Diaries (2001)
Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
The Princess Diaries 2: The Royal Engagement (2004)
Enchanted (2007)
Princess Protection Program (2009)
Into the Woods (2014)
Disenchanted (2022)
I spent years of my life arguing with people and insisting that Anastasia was not a Disney princess, and then thanks to a corporate merger it ended up on the same streaming service as Belle and Jasmine. Who woulda thought? Not me! So, in that spirit, above are some other princesses you might bump into while watching the Disney princess movies in order on Disney+. Heck, you could also include Princess Leia and put on Star Wars!
And, once again, I kindly and enthusiastically encourage you to mix it up and search for princess movies (Disney or nah) outside of Disney+ every now and then. Roman Holiday anyone? Shrek?? There's a princess for every occasion.
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