Merida Joins Disney Princess Royal Court

Merida, the fiery red-head heroine from Pixar’s 2012 hit Brave, will officially join the Disney Princess “royal court” next month. On Saturday, May 11, 9:30 a.m. EDT, in a special “royal celebration” in front of Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in Florida, Merida will be crowned and become a full-fledged member of the Disney Princess brand. All 10 current Disney princesses (Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana and Rapunzel) will be in attendance. Merida is the first Pixar-created princess to join the Disney Princess club, I mean court.

While this is a by-invitation-only event, it is expected that guests frequenting the Magic Kingdom that day will be able to view some of the celebration as it happens (although the stage might be difficult to see due to the media coverage along with Disney’s own cameras covering the event).

The event will also be the first opportunity to see new Disney Princess-branded products featuring Merida. The Disney fan site InsidetheMagic.net has posted some sample artwork of Merida’s updated look as part of the Disney Princess line.

In its best sense, the Disney Princess brand celebrates the great stories and characters created by Walt Disney Animation Studios and now Pixar Animation Studios and the qualities that these characters possess, including kindness, strength, determination, and confidence. In its basest sense, the Disney Princess brand is a money-making machine for Disney. Here’s yet another take: Disney Housewives.

Sources: The Pixar Times, Inside the Magic