There is no girl who has never dreamt of being a princess… surely the Walt Disney Company has built such a magical world that is hard to forget. The all times favorite Cinderella and Snow White have set a grand precedence for the so-called modern princesses which instills the spirit of love, more and more in the hearts of all. Disney Princess is a Walt Disney Company franchise, based on fictional characters that have been featured as part of the Disney character line-up. The main six are: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine, all of whom have royal title by marriage or birth. Recently, Mulan and Pocahontas have been included as princesses. In 2007, Disney announced that a new Princess would be added: Princess Tiana, from their 2009 animated feature The Princess and the Frog, who will become the first African American princess to join the ranks of Disney Princesses. The franchise has released dolls, sing-along videos, and a variety of other children’s products, apparel and even band-aids featuring the Disney Princesses. The promotion feature has been given immense importance as this works well for the sale of the products. In early 2000 the idea for the Disney Princess franchise was born, when Andy Mooney was hired by Disney’s Consumer Products division to resolve dropping sales issue. Soon after joining Disney, Mooney attended his first Disney on Ice show. While waiting in line, he found himself surrounded by young girls dressed as princesses. “They weren’t even Disney products. They were generic princess products,” he mused. Soon after realizing the demand, the Disney Princess line was formed. Despite limited advertising and no focus groups, sales at Disney Consumer Products rose from $300 million in 2001 to $3 billion in 2006. Today there are over 25,000 products based on the franchise. The princesses to be featured in the line were chosen from classic Disney films. The characters were not chosen specifically for their royal titles, but rather for how well they fit into what Disney executives deemed “the Princess mythology”. Mulan is an example of this concept; she has no familial ties to royalty, but is still included in the character list. Disney Princess Enchanted Tales is an upcoming direct-to-video animated film being produced by Disney Toon Studios. The film is to contain a new Cinderella tale as well as a new Mulan tale, and is to center around the theme of honesty. It is scheduled for release sometime in 2008. Gold is a running theme through all new products and packaging with the princesses dressed in golden gowns, enabling DCP to convey to girls that the golden hearts of the princesses are reflected in the golden outfits they wear. Further, it allows the program, to have a cohesive statement at retail. Wal-Mart plans an assortment in toys and home aisles while Toys “R” Us will have a feature shop with cross-category products. Target will also support the line in a big way. Retailers will also support a national promotion with a grand prize of a trip to Disney World, including a stay at Cinderella’s Castle. Publishing will also relish Season of Enchantment with the gold color scheme being added to character art, castles, and tiaras. Books such as Disney Princess Treasury will be refreshed with detailing and all six princesses wearing gold gowns. A Princess Jewels program will launch in 2008, a concept that features the Royal Classic Jewels Collection, a collection of precious jewels and jewelry that have special stories. But being a princess isn’t only for little girls anymore. The brand has matured over the years with an eye toward appealing to maidens of all ages. Disney Consumer Products recently engaged in its most aggressive outreach with a collection of wedding gowns inspired by the spirit and style of Disney Princesses Ariel, Beauty, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, and Snow White. Kirstie Kelly For Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings collection is headed to bridal shops this month with gowns priced between $1,100 and $3,500 and a “Maidens” for bridesmaids collection at bridal boutiques. The collection will soon expand to include jewelry. No doubt the brand will live happily ever after. The company has not just pivoted around the young teens and pre-teens but has come up with an innovation and consumer friendly ideas. “While our core market has been young girls two to six, there are other moments in a girl’s life when you want to be a princess and our bridal collection was the perfect opportunity to give women a chance to be one on their wedding day,” said Franklin. There are still kingdoms full of opportunities left for Franklin and her team to scope out. The next big thing is identifying new international markets. “It’s fascinating to us that girls in India, China, and Russia have the same play patterns in dressing up and playing out the Disney lifestyle and we’ll continue to grow those emerging markets,” Franklin says. Disney’s California Adventure Park (DCA) is a theme park in Anaheim, California, adjacent to Disneyland Park and part of the larger Disneyland Resort. It opened on February 8, 2001. The park is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company. This 55-acre theme park was constructed as part of a major expansion that transformed the Disneyland area and its hotels into the Disneyland Resort and consists of five areas: Sunshine Plaza, Hollywood Pictures Backlot, The Golden State, A Bug’s Land and Paradise Pier. Most of them are meant to resemble various aspects of California, its culture, landmarks and history. http://www.ticketluck.com/theater-tickets/Disney-On-Ice/index.php