Opinion: Should Elena Of Avalor Become A Disney Princess?

The Disney Princess brand is one of Disney’s most popular brands, with billions of dollars in merchandise sales alone. Ever since it began with Snow White back in 1937, Disney has continued to grow the lineup of characters with a number of classic fairy tale adaptations and all-new stories inspired by folklore.



The latest princess to join the lineup is Raya from 2022’s Raya and the Last Dragon, which was inspired by Southeastern Asian culture. The next princess to join could be Asha from the upcoming 2023 Disney animated film Wish.



However, over the years, there have been multiple characters featured in Disney films that many fans have been advocating to become part of the brand. Examples include Megara from Hercules, Jane from Tarzan, Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame and Kida from Atlantis: The Lost Empire. In fact, ever since Disney acquired 20th Century Fox in 2019, fans have been begging for Anastasia to join the lineup.

But what about the somewhat forgotten Disney Princess? The one from 2016? Disney’s very first Latina Princess? Have they already forgotten Elena of Avalor?

For those who aren’t aware, Elena of Avalor was first introduced in 2016 as an offshoot of their other Disney Junior series Sofia the First. The series follows a young princess named Elena who had just recently been trapped in a magic amulet for 41 years after an evil sorceress took over her kingdom. She takes the throne as ruler (alongside her grandparents and younger sister) and encounters various creatures and magical beings from Latin American folklore. The series is full of magic, music, and plenty of action.

The series was created by Craig Gerber, the creator of Sofia the First, and is currently running the Firebuds television series. After noticing that Disney was lacking a princess character based on Hispanic culture, he decided to create a series that took inspiration from Latin American folklore, mythology, music, customs, and culture. He was very careful not to name any specific real-world countries but rather took influence.



The series ran for a total of 3 seasons with 77 episodes from July 2016 – August 2020. There was even a made-for-television film Elena and the Secret of Avalor, which served as both an origin story for the series and a crossover with Sofia the First. It premiered in November of 2016 and helped fill in some of the gaps when the series first premiered months prior.

Not only did Elena have her own line of merchandise, but she also even appeared in costume at the Disney theme parks to take pictures with guests.

Many were certain that she would eventually become part of the lineup, as many had before. But sadly, she hasn’t really been seen since her series finale. While it is true that Disney likes to wait until a particular brand of merchandise has run its course before adding them to the princess lineup, there has sadly been no trace since. 



With Disney constantly pushing for more diverse characters in their media, you would think having a Latina princess would be considered progressive. But apparently, her not having a theatrical film automatically disqualifies her despite her marketability and already existing fanbase.

Hopefully, in the future, Disney will be looking to expand the lineup, and her name may be brought up in the conversation. Until then, all we can do is wish upon a star for that day to happen.

What do you think? Should Disney make Elena part of the official Disney Princess lineup? Would you want to buy an Elena of Avalor princess doll for your collection?