Why Disney Princesses Can Never Acknowledge Each Other

The Disney Princess franchise is one of the most popular and profitable branches in Disney’s extensive universe, and while its characters are often shown all together in merchandise, they never look at each other, and there’s a good reason for that. Walt Disney Pictures has become a powerhouse in the world of animation, and even though it has explored a variety of genres and styles (including live-action movies), it continues to be best known for its animation achievements. Out of all those movies, the ones that have become the most popular are those led by female characters and who share certain characteristics, making way for the exclusive group of Disney Princesses.

The first movie to join this franchise was the one that started it all: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, which in a way also helped set the basic (though not official) requirements to be a Disney Princess. As years have passed and Disney has produced a lot more animated movies, more characters have joined the Disney Princesses group, which is currently formed by Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Pocahontas, Jasmine, Mulan, Merida, Tiana, Rapunzel, and Moana. Although the official requirements to become a Disney Princess are only known to those working at the Mouse House, all these have in common that they were either royal or married into royalty (or in some cases, they performed a heroic act), have an animal companion, and at least one musical number. Of course, they also have to be popular enough to be profitable, and they have even shared the spotlight with the rest of the Princesses in this franchise, but there’s one subtle element that keeps them apart even when together.

Although each member of the Disney Princesses franchise has her own merchandise, no matter how recent or old their movies might be, they are often put together in t-shirts, backpacks, blankets, all types of toys, and more as they are ultimately an exclusive group within Disney. However, whenever the Disney Princesses are grouped together, they never acknowledge each other, and they don’t really look like an actual, cohesive group. If you pay close attention to all those group images of the official members of the Disney Princess branch (it’s important to remember that Frozen’s Anna and Elsa aren’t official Disney Princesses), you’ll notice every Princess is looking in a different direction, and as it turns out, this is done on purpose.

An article published by the New York Times in 2006 (via Cosmopolitan) revealed that, according to Andy Mooney (who played a key role in developing the marketing and product side of the Disney Princess franchise), the Princesses never make eye contact when grouped in order to “ensure the sanctity” of their individual “mythologies”, as if unaware of the others’ presence. Unlike other universes, that of the Disney Princesses isn’t a connected one, though there are various theories on how there are various links between them. With that in mind, it’s not a crazy idea that they are purposefully arranged in a way that they don’t look at each other when grouped, though it can sometimes look weird. It’s worth noting, however, that the Princesses were brought together on the big screen for the first time in Ralph Breaks the Internet, where they even made a sleepover with Vanellope. Although this goes against what Mooney explained, it’s important to note that Ralph Breaks the Internet included Anna and Elsa as Disney Princesses, so this crossover doesn’t really count.

There are many mysteries behind the Disney Princess franchise, of which some have been solved as years go by, such as why they never acknowledge each other when grouped, but others might never be, as are the exact requirements to be part of this group. It’s unlikely that this move to “ensure the sanctity” of their mythologies will change at some point, and fans will ultimately decide if it makes sense or if it just makes their merchandise and promotional material look strange.

About The Author

Adrienne Tyler
(3274 Articles Published)

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Adrienne Tyler is a features writer for Screen Rant. She is an Audiovisual Communication graduate who wanted to be a filmmaker, but life had other plans (and it turned out great). Prior to Screen Rant, she wrote for Pop Wrapped, 4 Your Excitement (4YE), and D20Crit, where she was also a regular guest at Netfreaks podcast. She was also a contributor for FanSided’s BamSmackPow and 1428 Elm. Adrienne is very into films and she enjoys a bit of everything: from superhero films to heartbreaking dramas, to low-budget horror films. Every time she manages to commit to a TV show without getting bored, an angel gets its wings.

When she’s not writing, you can find her trying to learn a new language, watching hockey (go Avs!), or wondering what life would have been like had Pushing Daisies, Firefly, and Limitless not been cancelled. Breakfast food is life and coffee is what makes the world go round.

Guillermo del Toro said “hi” to her once. It was great.

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