Ranking the Disney Princess Movies (Part 1)

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved the Disney princesses. Their whimsical stories, sparkling dresses, animal sidekicks, and timeless soundtracks have always held a special place in my heart. I honestly think the Disney princesses and their respective films are a beautiful embodiment of the magic and childlike wonder Walt Disney hoped to portray in each of his films.

While rewatching ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ a couple of weeks ago with my sister, I got inspired to write a blog post ranking all of the Disney princess movies in order of how much I like each one and sharing my thoughts on their animation, characters, etc. Because ranking all of the Disney princess movies will be lengthier than most of my regular blog posts, I’ve decided to split my ranking into two parts: ranking the first six films in this post and the remaining seven in the next.

I’d like to first preface my ranking by saying that I’ll be taking into account not only the animated version of each of the Disney princess films but also their respective live-action adaptations. I’d like to additionally clarify that I’m in no way a certified film critic and that my ranking will be purely based on my personal opinion as a lifelong Disney fan.:)

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Starting with Number 13, my least favorite of the Disney princess movies is ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves.’ I’ll admit, I’ve only watched this movie once, and it was over a decade ago. While this movie certainly is a classic Disney film, it’s my least favorite of the Disney princess films primarily due to its somewhat uncanny animation and odd story. I always found it strange that her adoptive mother, who, by the way, terrified me as a kid, was obsessed with being the most beautiful person in the kingdom, so much so to the point of hiring someone to kill Snow White so that it would be true. The dwarves themselves are honestly not my favorite characters, specifically Dopey, whom I remember avidly hating as a child, although I’m not entirely sure why. I think something about his bald head creeped me out, lol. Honestly, aside from her squeaky voice, I don’t necessarily dislike Snow White herself, but I’ve never been a big fan of her character, either.

Possibly the weirdest moment in the entirety of ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ is when thirty-one-year-old Prince Florian, who is painted out to be the hero of this story, kisses *fourteen-year-old* Snow White to break the Evil Queen’s curse and then promptly marries her at the end of the film. Overall, the whole movie is kind of strange and a little (very) problematic. I do, however, have massive respect for everyone who went into creating this movie, and it's pretty impressive for being the first animated feature film produced in the United States. I’m interested in seeing how this movie is adapted into a live-action format in the coming years.

Number 12 on my ranking is the 1995 animated film ‘Pocahontas.’ Honestly, I struggled to rank this film. It’s not my least favorite film ever, but I'm not drawn to pick it when deciding on a movie to watch.

I would say one of its main redeeming factors for me is its soundtrack. ‘Colors of the Wind’ and ‘Just Around the Riverbend’ are both incredible songs that are among my top favorite Disney princess songs. Judy Kuhn did a fantastic job as the vocalist and speaking voice for Pocahontas. I can also tell a lot of dedication and hard work went into producing this film, especially the animation, as this film's visuals are undeniably beautiful in coloring and depth.

Although historically inaccurate, Pocahontas herself was beautifully animated. However, as far as her character in the film, I think she fell a little flat. Her character is somewhat hard to judge, considering how she’s based on a historical figure. Still, aside from the general story and main protagonist’s name, this movie contains major historical inaccuracies, and it’s received its fair share of backlash over the years.

Truthfully, the rest of ‘Pocahontas’ has always felt kind of forgettable to me. Aside from the animation and soundtrack, there are a few things about this movie that I like, such as Pocahontas’s pet raccoon, Meeko, and Grandmother Willow, but not enough to make this film distinguishable as one of my favorites.

Overall, I don’t have much to say about this movie. I like it better than ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,’ mainly because of its soundtrack and visuals, but it’s a little uninteresting to me as a Disney princess film. As far as I know, Disney currently has no plans to produce a live-action ‘Pocahontas,’ although it would make sense why they’re most likely hesitant to do so.

Number 11 on my list is Sleeping Beauty. Honestly, I have mixed feelings about this film. It’s never been one of my top favorites, but there are certain aspects about it that I enjoy. As an animated film, something I’ve always loved about ‘Sleeping Beauty’ is its overall feel. The visuals and soundtrack perfectly encapsulate what I think a fairytale should be. I love how this film is filled with a sense of mystical charm and enchantment.

Another thing I liked about this film is the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather, who also play a fairly significant role in the Disney Junior show ‘Sofia the First.’ Their chaotic attempts to throw Aurora a surprise 16th birthday party without the use of magic and their petty arguments are some of my favorite parts of the movie.

Aurora, the story’s main character, also referred to as Briar Rose, has never been one of my favorite Disney princesses. With just 18 lines of dialogue, she wasn’t allowed much room for character development. However, from what I can understand about her character’s role in the 2014 live-action ‘Maleficent,’ Aurora, played by Elle Fanning, is portrayed with a more developed personality than in the initial ‘Sleeping Beauty’ film. Although I haven’t personally watched the ‘Maleficent’ film, I’ve heard pretty good things about it and hopefully will get around to watching it in the future.

Truthfully, the love story in this film is really cute. Prince Phillip has a very charming personality, and I love the scene where he and Aurora dance together in the forest to the song “Once Upon a Dream,” which I actually performed a ballet number to a couple of years ago when I was still dancing recreationally. However, similar to my issue with Prince Florian and Snow White, the age gap between Prince Phillip (23) and Aurora (16) is slightly off-putting.

Overall, I love the vibes of this movie, but again, it’s just not my favorite. Like ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,’ and ‘Pocahontas,’ I’ve only seen this film all the way through once.

Number 10 on my list is the movie that inspired this post, ‘Raya and the Last Dragon.’ I watched this for the first time when it was released on Disney+ in 2021 and thought it was pretty good, but after rewatching it a couple of weeks ago, I honestly enjoyed it a lot more than I did the first time I watched it. While I don’t think this movie is the best Disney princess movie I’ve ever seen, it's incredibly underrated and deserves more praise, especially the animation.

Raya herself is a highly complex main protagonist, and her backstory and combat skills are really interesting to watch throughout the film. I felt like her relationship with her father and her determination drove Raya to unexpected depths, providing the opportunity to explore a grittier side of her character. I especially love how this film showed how Raya’s view of the world had become extremely jaded over time and portrayed how the conflict between the different territories of Kumandra affected not just the leaders of those territories but the next generation as well.

Although I’m not the biggest fan of the actor Awkwafina, I feel like she captured the dragon Sisu’s essence really well, and the diverse cast of side characters added quite a bit of unexpected depth to the story. I liked Namari’s character, partially due to her unique look but primarily because of her conflicted character. Watching her wrestle between trusting others and doing what her mother expected of her was really interesting and added a layer of complexity to her character.

The story of this film is solid but definitely not as fairytale-esque as other Disney princess films. Raya falls into a similar category as Moana as a strong, independent female protagonist who “doesn’t need a man,” which, if I’m being honest, I don’t necessarily *hate,* but I would love to see the return of characters similar to Rapunzel, who fall in love but are also perfectly capable of being strong and independent.

The soundtrack and animation in this movie are nothing short of beautiful. Despite my feelings toward more recent Disney animated films, I can’t deny that their animation has continued to push the boundaries of visual and digital beauty. The dragons' luminescence, the smallest water droplets' detail, and each character's swift but fluid movement are an incredible testament to the talent that went into animating this film. Paired with the atmospheric soundtrack of James Newton Howard, this movie is a visual and sensual work of art.

Number 9 is ‘Beauty and the Beast.’ I went back and forth a lot about this movie's ranking placement, specifically in deciding whether or not I should put it above ‘Raya and the Last Dragon.’ I personally think I look and act the most like Belle out of all the Disney princesses, but truthfully, I have mixed feelings about her film. The overall story and visuals of both the animated and live-action adaptation of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ are beautifully executed. Still, characters like Gaston and Lefou push this movie further down in my ranking and make it hard for me to love it entirely.

Belle is such a kind and spirit-filled protagonist, and her relationship with her father is incredibly sweet. Her love for reading and longing for adventure honestly reminds me a lot of myself, and I love how she makes an effort to see the best in everyone regardless of appearance. While Emma Watson’s portrayal of Belle in the 2017 live-action adaptation is fine, I feel like instead of adding to the depth of her overall character, her character fell a little flat, especially with Emma’s over-autotuned singing.

The character Gaston is…for lack of a better description, not my favorite. His arrogant personality makes him extremely unlikable to me, and paired with his partner in crime, Lefou, he’s a misogynistic, egotistical, overall annoying character. And yes, I know he’s supposed to be, but that doesn’t make his character anymore entertaining to watch. Instead I just find myself irritated by his personality and inflated ego. Luke Evans’s portrayal of Gaston in the 2017 adaptation of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ makes his character somewhat tolerable, and his singing voice is amazing. However, I’m still not a fan of Gaston’s personality.

I don’t have much to say about the cast of enchanted castle of enchanted objects. However, I will say I honestly really liked their live-action counterparts. The Star Wars and (formerly-obsessed) Lord of the Rings fan in me loved watching Ewan McGregor and Ian McClellan as Lumiere and Cogsworth, and their characters provided quite a bit of comic relief throughout both films. The iconic song “Beauty and the Beast,” sung by Mrs. Potts (Angela Lansbury in the animated version and Emma Thompson in the live-action adaptation), is one of my favorite Disney princess songs of all time, and it has such a magical feel to it. The entirety of the ‘Beauty and the Beast’ soundtrack is definitely one of the most iconic out of all of the Disney princess movies, and I love how fairytale-esque it is.

The Beast himself is an interesting character, and his character development throughout Beauty and the Beast is well-executed. I love how his character is portrayed in the live-action adaptation, especially in the original song, “Evermore,” which shows a more emotional side of his character and demonstrates his love for Belle by letting her go instead of continuing to hold her captive in his enchanted castle. This may be controversial, but I actually don’t mind the appearance of his human form and think he’s relatively handsome.

Overall, this movie is beautiful. I love the soundtrack, and the visuals and characters (except for Gaston and Lefeu) contribute to the magic of this classic fairytale. Both the live-action and animated versions of this film are enchanting in their own way and act as excellent examples of the magic of Disney storytelling.

The last movie/s I’m going to rank in this post, and number 8 on my ranking list, is ‘Aladdin.’

Jasmine has always been such an iconic princess to me. Her long, silky dark hair, stunning Middle Eastern-inspired outfits, and kind and determined personality majorly contribute to this movie’s ranking placement and my love for her character. Aladdin also has such a charming and genuine personality. Despite a few minor lapses in his judgment throughout the film, his compassion for others and his love for Jasmine make him an incredibly endearing character and an excellent protagonist.

The soundtrack and visuals for this film are incredibly beautiful and unique. “A Whole New World” is one of my all-time favorite Disney songs, and I honestly can’t count the number of times I’ve listened to this song. The original song ‘Speechless,’ sung by Naomi Scott in the live-action adaptation, is also a favorite of mine. I love the combined use of 2D and 3D animation in the 1992 version, and while the 2019 live-action adaptation of Aladdin contains an extraordinary amount of CGI, combined with the costuming, both of these movies are visually stunning in their own way.

Truthfully, the primary reason why this movie isn't ranked higher on my list is because of the Genie. Yes, he's iconic, and Robin Williams did an excellent job playing Genie in the animated film, but his character's chaotic and spastic personality is not my favorite. When the live-action adaptation of this film came out in 2019, I was more than a little disappointed in Will Smith's performance as the Genie. To me, he felt extremely disconnected from the original character and I've heard Will Smith's "Friend Like Me" against my will too many times to count. I respect that the Genie is some people's favorite part of 'Aladdin,' he's just not for me.

Out of all the Disney princess movies, Jasmine and Aladdin’s falls into the higher stakes category. Characters like Jafar and a combination of story details make this movie pretty intense and honestly a little socially problematic if you consider that Jafar makes the wish for fifteen-year-old Jasmine to be forced into falling in love with him. However, I’d have to say that overall, I think this movie’s plot is well-written and exciting. Jasmine and Aladdin’s love story is one of my favorites, placing this movie higher on my ranking.

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I’ll be honest, a lot of these movies were hard to rank. Each Disney princess movie is entirely unique, and I like each one for different reasons. I honestly can’t say I avidly hate any of these movies; there are just some I’d rather watch more than others.

I’m hoping to get part two of this post written sometime within the next month. :) I’ll admit, I underestimated how long this post would take to write as I experienced a couple of major life events that have kept me preoccupied most of this summer. It did, however, give me the chance to rewatch several of the older Disney princess films in my free time, and I’m not complaining about that. :)

If you’ve gotten this far, thanks for reading! Feel free to leave any comments on my ranking or your thoughts on any of the films I ranked in this post below!