There are 13 official Disney Princesses: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana, Rapunzel, Merida, Moana, and Raya. These characters make up Disney’s official Princess franchise, beginning with Snow White in 1937 and continuing through Raya from Raya and the Last Dragon.
Not every Disney character who is a princess belongs to this lineup. Anna and Elsa from Frozen, for example, are Disney royalty but are not members of the official Disney Princess franchise. Meanwhile, Mulan is included even though she isn’t a princess by birth or marriage.
Below is the complete list of all 13 Disney Princesses, their movies, when they first appeared, and what makes each character important. I’ll also explain why some popular Disney heroines aren’t officially included.
Complete List of All 13 Official Disney Princesses
Disney’s official Princess website currently features the following 13 characters. This list is organized by the release year of each character’s original animated movie.
| # | Disney Princess | Movie | Release Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Snow White | Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs | 1937 |
| 2 | Cinderella | Cinderella | 1950 |
| 3 | Aurora | Sleeping Beauty | 1959 |
| 4 | Ariel | The Little Mermaid | 1989 |
| 5 | Belle | Beauty and the Beast | 1991 |
| 6 | Jasmine | Aladdin | 1992 |
| 7 | Pocahontas | Pocahontas | 1995 |
| 8 | Mulan | Mulan | 1998 |
| 9 | Tiana | The Princess and the Frog | 2009 |
| 10 | Rapunzel | Tangled | 2010 |
| 11 | Merida | Brave | 2012 |
| 12 | Moana | Moana | 2016 |
| 13 | Raya | Raya and the Last Dragon | 2021 |
The years above refer to the characters’ original feature films, not the dates they officially joined the Disney Princess franchise.
The lineup spans more than eight decades of animation, from traditional fairy tales to action-adventure stories. Disney’s official character list can be checked at Disney Princess.
Meet Every Disney Princess
Each princess has a different story, personality, and connection to Disney animation. Here’s a closer look at every member of the official lineup.
1. Snow White
Movie: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Snow White is the first Disney Princess and the heroine of Disney’s first full-length animated feature film. Her story follows a young princess who escapes the Evil Queen and finds refuge with seven dwarfs.
Her signature appearance includes a blue-and-yellow dress, short black hair, and a red bow. She’s closely associated with kindness, friendship, and her ability to connect with woodland animals.
Snow White helped establish the fairy-tale storytelling that would influence Disney’s princess movies for decades. She remains one of the most recognizable characters in the entire franchise.
2. Cinderella
Movie: Cinderella (1950)
Cinderella is one of Disney’s most famous princesses. Her story follows a young woman mistreated by her stepfamily whose life changes after attending a royal ball with help from her Fairy Godmother.
The glass slipper, pumpkin carriage, blue ball gown, and midnight deadline are among the most recognizable details in Disney’s fairy-tale history.
Cinderella is particularly important to Disney’s theme parks because Cinderella Castle serves as the central landmark of Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
3. Aurora
Movie: Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Aurora, also known as Briar Rose, is the princess from Sleeping Beauty. She is placed under a curse by Maleficent and raised in hiding by three good fairies named Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.
Aurora is known for her long blonde hair and elegant gown, which famously changes between pink and blue in the film.
Her movie is especially notable for its stylized animation and elaborate medieval-inspired backgrounds. Aurora is also the princess represented by Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland California and Disneyland Paris.
4. Ariel
Movie: The Little Mermaid (1989)
Ariel is a mermaid princess and the youngest daughter of King Triton. Fascinated by the human world, she dreams of life on land and eventually makes a dangerous bargain with Ursula.
Her bright red hair, green mermaid tail, and curiosity about the world beyond the ocean make her visually and narratively different from the earlier Disney Princesses.
The Little Mermaid helped launch the Disney Renaissance, a period of animated musicals that would introduce several more members of the Princess lineup.
5. Belle
Movie: Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Belle is the book-loving heroine of Beauty and the Beast. She enters an enchanted castle to save her father and gradually discovers the humanity beneath the Beast’s frightening appearance.
Belle is especially recognizable for her yellow ballroom gown, love of reading, and independent personality.
Unlike earlier princess stories centered on escaping hardship through marriage, Belle’s story emphasizes understanding others, questioning appearances, and making her own decisions.
6. Jasmine
Movie: Aladdin (1992)
Princess Jasmine is the daughter of the Sultan of Agrabah. She longs for greater independence and resists the expectation that she must marry simply to satisfy royal tradition.
Jasmine is known for her turquoise outfit, long dark hair, and relationship with Aladdin. Her pet tiger, Rajah, is another memorable part of her character.
Although Aladdin is the title character of the movie, Jasmine is one of its central personalities and a permanent member of Disney’s official Princess franchise.
7. Pocahontas
Movie: Pocahontas (1995)
Pocahontas is the daughter of Chief Powhatan in Disney’s animated film. She is portrayed as a thoughtful, independent young woman who values her community, the natural world, and finding her own path.
Her relationship with John Smith and the conflict between English settlers and her people form the central storyline.
Unlike most Disney Princess characters, Pocahontas is inspired by a real historical person. Disney’s film is a heavily fictionalized interpretation of that history, so it shouldn’t be treated as an accurate account of her life.
8. Mulan
Movie: Mulan (1998)
Mulan is one of the most unusual members of the official Disney Princess lineup because she isn’t a princess by birth or marriage.
In her animated film, she disguises herself as a male soldier to take her aging father’s place in the Chinese army. Her courage, intelligence, and resourcefulness become central to the story.
Mulan’s inclusion illustrates that the Disney Princess franchise isn’t limited to characters with royal titles. Disney recognizes her as an official member despite her non-royal background.
9. Tiana
Movie: The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Tiana is an ambitious young woman living in New Orleans who dreams of opening her own restaurant. Her plans take an unexpected turn when she encounters Prince Naveen and becomes involved in a magical transformation.
Tiana is notable for her determination, work ethic, and practical approach to achieving her goals. Her story combines traditional fairy-tale elements with the music, architecture, and culture of New Orleans.
She’s also closely connected to Walt Disney World through Tiana’s Bayou Adventure, which brings characters and settings inspired by The Princess and the Frog into a major theme park attraction.
10. Rapunzel
Movie: Tangled (2010)
Rapunzel is a princess with magical golden hair who has spent most of her life confined inside a tower by Mother Gothel.
Her adventure begins when she leaves the tower with Flynn Rider to discover the source of the floating lanterns she has watched from afar.
Rapunzel is known for her curiosity, creativity, humor, and extraordinary hair. She helped introduce a more comedic and energetic kind of fairy-tale heroine to Disney’s modern animated films.
11. Merida
Movie: Brave (2012)
Merida is a Scottish princess from Pixar’s Brave. She is known for her curly red hair, archery skills, and refusal to follow the traditional expectations placed on her by her royal family.
Rather than focusing on a conventional romantic storyline, Brave centers on Merida’s relationship with her mother, Queen Elinor, and the consequences of her choices.
Merida is particularly notable because she’s a Pixar character who became part of the official Disney Princess lineup.
12. Moana
Movie: Moana (2016)
Moana is the adventurous daughter of the chief of Motunui. She journeys across the ocean to restore the heart of Te Fiti and save her island, accompanied by the demigod Maui.
Moana is defined by her connection to the ocean, her leadership, and her desire to explore beyond the reef surrounding her home.
Although the movie makes a joke about whether Moana is technically a princess, she is officially included in Disney’s Princess franchise. Her membership shows that a character doesn’t need a crown or traditional royal romance to qualify.
13. Raya
Movie: Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)
Raya is a warrior princess from the fictional land of Kumandra. She sets out to find the last dragon, Sisu, and restore a divided world threatened by the Druun.
Her story focuses on trust, responsibility, and learning to work with people who have become enemies.
Raya is the most recently added official Disney Princess in the current lineup. Her inclusion represents another shift away from traditional fairy-tale romance toward action, adventure, and leadership.
If you’re wondering whether another heroine has joined since Raya, see my guide to the newest Disney Princesses.
Why Are There Only 13 Official Disney Princesses?
The Disney Princess franchise is a specific group of characters selected and marketed by Disney. It isn’t a complete list of every female royal character or heroine in Disney movies.
That explains why membership doesn’t always follow a simple set of fictional rules:
- Mulan: Included even though she isn’t royalty.
- Merida: Included despite originating in a Pixar movie.
- Moana: Included as the daughter of a chief rather than a traditional European princess.
- Anna and Elsa: Not included despite being royal characters in the Frozen films.
There isn’t a single universal in-story rule that determines inclusion. For the official roster, Disney’s own Princess character listings are the most reliable reference.
For a shorter explanation of the count alone, see my guide to how many Disney Princesses there are.
Are Anna and Elsa Disney Princesses?
Anna and Elsa are not members of the official Disney Princess lineup. They are central royal characters in the Frozen movies, but Disney markets Frozen as its own franchise.
Elsa becomes Queen of Arendelle during the first movie, while Anna eventually becomes queen in Frozen II. Their royal status within the story doesn’t automatically make either sister part of the Disney Princess brand.
Frozen has its own merchandise, attractions, entertainment, and character collections. This is one reason Anna and Elsa are often shown separately from the official Princess characters.
For more detail, read why Anna and Elsa aren’t official Disney Princesses.
Are There 15 or 40 Disney Princesses?
You may find Disney Princess lists online with 15, 20, or even 40 names. These aren’t official Disney Princess franchise counts.
A 15-princess list often adds Anna and Elsa to the official 13. Longer lists may include other royal characters and Disney heroines who have never been part of the formal franchise.
Examples of unofficial or honorary characters commonly included in expanded lists are:
- Anna and Elsa from Frozen
- Mirabel from Encanto
- Asha from Wish
- Giselle from Enchanted
- Kida from Atlantis: The Lost Empire
- Megara from Hercules
- Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
- Elena from Elena of Avalor
- Sofia from Sofia the First
Some of these characters are actual princesses within their own stories. Others are heroines who share qualities with the official lineup. They shouldn’t all be described as Disney Princess franchise members.
For a more extensive comparison, see my honorary Disney Princesses guide or the explanation of who the 40 Disney Princesses are.
Who Was the First Disney Princess?
Snow White was the first Disney Princess, appearing in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937.
Her film was Disney’s first full-length animated feature and established a storytelling approach that would later influence Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, and the princess movies that followed.
The official lineup eventually expanded to include characters with much different backgrounds, personalities, and stories. Today, it encompasses traditional fairy-tale royalty, adventurers, warriors, and other heroines.
If you’re interested in the film itself, see my article on the first Disney Princess movie.
Which Disney Princess Movies Should You Watch in Order?
If you want to watch the movies in the order the official princesses first appeared, start with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), followed by Cinderella (1950) and Sleeping Beauty (1959).
Continue through the Disney Renaissance movies, including The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Pocahontas, and Mulan. The modern films begin with The Princess and the Frog and continue through Tangled, Brave, Moana, and Raya and the Last Dragon.
That sequence covers the original animated features associated with all 13 official characters, but doesn’t include sequels, live-action adaptations, or movies featuring unofficial princesses.
For the full viewing order, see my Disney Princess movies in order guide.
Where Can You Meet Disney Princesses at the Parks?
Disney Princesses appear at different Disney parks through character meet-and-greets, dining experiences, parades, and entertainment.
At Disneyland California, Royal Hall in Fantasyland is a dedicated location for greeting Disney Princesses. At Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, Princess Fairytale Hall is another major princess greeting location.
Character availability changes, so you shouldn’t expect every member of the official 13-character lineup to appear in the same park on the same day.
For specific experiences, see my guides to meeting Disney Princesses at Royal Hall and Disney Princess character dining.
The Official Disney Princess List Explained
The current official Disney Princess lineup contains 13 characters, beginning with Snow White and ending with Raya in movie-release order.
The most important thing to remember is that the official Disney Princess franchise doesn’t include every Disney character who is royal, heroic, or associated with fairy-tale storytelling.
For an accurate roster, use the 13 names in the table above. For a larger list that includes unofficial princesses, queens, and heroines, treat those characters as a separate category rather than adding them to the official count.
Disney’s official Princess website is the best reference for checking whether the company has added another character to the lineup.
