Disney princesses at Disneyland Paris: the franchise in the park

At Disneyland Paris, the princesses are everywhere: in the parade, in themed restaurants and even at the Disneyland Hotel, devoted entirely to the royal world. But who are they really, and how many are there officially? Here’s what you need to know about this franchise before you go and meet them.

This article covers the franchise and how the park celebrates it: the parade, the themed restaurants, the royal world of the Disneyland Hotel, the Mon Rêve Royal experience and World Princess Week, at the end of August. If you’re looking for how to see the princesses in person, the practical guide is here: meeting the princesses at Disneyland Paris.

Disney launched the Disney Princesses franchise in 2000, at the initiative of Andy Mooney, then head of Disney Consumer Products. The idea: group the most popular heroines of the animated films under one brand, rather than promoting them film by film. The very first Disney princess is still Snow White, heroine of the studio’s first animated feature film in 1937.

The franchise highlights three recurring values: courage, kindness and a love of adventure. It has grown over the years, following the release of new animated films, up to its current line-up of 13 members.

There are now 13 official Disney princesses. Here are their names, listed below in order of their film’s release. Twelve of them have made up the franchise for several years. Raya is the latest to join: her film came out in 2021 and she officially joined the franchise in 2022.

At Disneyland Paris, though, you can’t meet her all year round: she mainly appears during World Princess Week and at special events.

On my visits, I’ve come across most of the Disney princesses, in the parade, at the castle or at meet and greets. Here are my photos, in the order of the list above.

No. Elsa and Anna aren’t part of the Disney Princesses franchise. They belong to the Frozen franchise, which Disney runs separately: that’s the main reason they’re not included, and one of the most common mix-ups, because they often appear alongside the other princesses.

Another argument often put forward: Elsa becomes queen during the story, and queens aren’t associated with the princess line. Other heroines are also left out of the franchise, such as Giselle (Enchanted), Elena of Avalor or Vanellope.

There’s no detailed public rulebook, but these are the criteria commonly accepted for joining the franchise:

These criteria explain why some princesses aren’t royal in the strict sense. Mulan is the only character included for her heroic act, with no royal birth or marriage. Pocahontas, a chief’s daughter, along with Merida, Moana and Raya, also show that the franchise looks beyond royal blood.

At Disneyland Paris, the princesses aren’t limited to one place. You’ll find them in several parts of the resort (parks, hotels and Disney Village), depending on what you’re after: a meet and greet, a meal, an atmosphere, a souvenir.

The Princess Pavilion, in Fantasyland (Disneyland Park), is the dedicated spot for meeting them in person: this is where the princesses take centre stage, for a chat and a photo. How to get in and how it’s organised (virtual queue, time slots) are explained in the guide to meeting the princesses.

Several princesses appear in the daily parade, each on her own float. It’s a chance to see them all at once, with no queuing, just by finding a spot along the route. Depending on the current programme, cavalcades (short one-off parades) also feature the princesses at other times of the day.

Some restaurants offer a meal with the princesses, such as the Auberge de Cendrillon in Disneyland Park. You eat in a royal setting while the princesses go from table to table. I’ve had lunch there: the advantage is combining a meal and meet and greets in a relaxed setting, without queuing separately. Details of character dining are in the guide to meeting the princesses.

The Disneyland Hotel, at the entrance to Disneyland Park, reopened with a theme devoted entirely to Disney princes and princesses. Every floor and many of the shared spaces pay tribute to a heroine. It’s the place in the resort that goes furthest with this theme, right down to the details of the decor.

Mon Rêve Royal is the makeover experience for children: princess (or knight) hairstyle, outfit and accessories, with the team on site looking after everything. It’s a separate service, very popular, especially with younger children.

The resort’s shops give the princesses plenty of space: outfits, dolls, accessories, soft toys and souvenirs for each heroine. The range grows especially during World Princess Week.

World Princess Week is an event held once a year, for a week (usually at the end of August): the princesses take centre stage, and it’s also when you may come across rarer princesses such as Raya.

The dates and programme change every year. Find the current edition in the seasons and events calendar.

The Disney princesses anthem is called "Starting Now", released in 2021 as part of the Ultimate Princess Celebration. The original English version is sung by Brandy, with a multilingual music video bringing together around fifteen artists. In France, the song is called "Aujourd’hui" ("Today") and is sung by Cerise Calixte, the French voice of Moana.

To see and meet the princesses in person during your stay, follow the guide to meeting the princesses at Disneyland Paris. To explore all the other characters you can meet in the parks, browse all the character meet and greets. And if the male heroes interest you, see also the list of Disney princes.