Summary
TheDisneyprincesses are the stars ofDisney’s huge catalogue of movies. Despite their royal status and fairy-tale adventures, they’re often surprisingly relatable, causing children everywhere to love them (and want all the merchandise with their faces on). They’re brave, kind, and resilient - everything you want in a role model.
When overcoming their various plights, whether that’s waking up from a curse or actually taking control of their own destiny, they have some great and memorable dialogue that often sticks with you after the credits roll. These are the best quotes from Disney princesses that we’ll always remember.
10“No, I Will Not Stop. For Every Minute For The Rest Of My Life, I Will Fight."
Rapunzel, Tangled
Rapunzel doesn’t have the best start in life. She’s kidnapped from her royal family home and made to stay in a tower by the evil Mother Gothel. Though Mother Gothel pretends to be a good mother to Rapunzel, it’s all a ruse so she can keep control of her magic, youth-giving hair.
When Rapunzel finally breaks free of Mother Gothel’s grasp and learns that shecanlive her own life outside the tower, she tells Mother Gothel that she can try keeping her in all she wants, but now she knows about the outside world, she will never stop fighting to be there. It’s a pivotal moment in the movie that shows how much Rapunzel has grown.
9“How Dare You? All Of You! Standing Around Deciding My Future? I Am Not A Prize To Be Won!”
Jasmine, Aladdin
A common trope across all media is for the female love interest to be a prize for the male protagonist, but that’s not something Jasmine wants to be. When Aladdin (pretending to be a prince) and Jafar are trying to prove to Jasmine’s father why they’re worthy of Jasmine, she overhears them and steps in.
She declares that she’s not a prize for anyone, and doesn’t leave her father out of the scolding either - the Sultan is certainly encouraging Jafar and Aladdin’s misogynistic behaviour in this scene. Luckily, Aladdin learns to treat Jasmine as an equal pretty soon after that.
8“You Said You Trust Ping. Why Is Mulan Any Different?”
Mulan, Mulan
For a large part of the movie, Mulan is pretending to be Ping, so she can join the all-male Chinese army and honour her family. As Ping, she grows close to General Li Shang, but Shang feels betrayed when he finds out Mulan’s true identity.
Later in the movie, Mulan tries to warn Shang that the evil Huns are going to infiltrate the city, but Shang refuses to trust her because of her deceit. Mulan asks Shang why Mulan is any different to Ping; they’re the same person underneath, after all. It’s a great moment that not only serves as a catalyst for Shang trusting the real Mulan, but also highlights how Shang needs to confront his pre-conceived notions of men vs. women.
Ariel, The Little Mermaid
Ariel is naive, that’s undeniable. But she also has an open mind and bounds of curiosity, which is encapsulated in this quote. Her father, King Triton, and his advisor Sebastian, try to warn Ariel that the human world is dangerous and not a place for mermaids, but all she can see is the wonderful things waiting to be discovered there.
Her positive outlook is downright infectious, especially as she then launches into Part of Your World - one ofthe best ‘I Want’ songs in Disney’s entire catalogue- and makes you take her side in wanting to explore out of the sea.
Tiana, The Princess And The Frog
When Dr. Facilier taunts Tiana about how her father worked hard but never achieved anything as a result, she doesn’t fall for his manipulation. She sees that, even if he didn’t get what he wanted, he had something irreplaceable: his family’s love.
It’s an important lesson for Tiana to learn too, as she’s been working tirelessly to achieve the dream of running her own restaurant for a long time. Luckily, this is a Disney movie, so she gets both loveanda restaurant in the end. Still a good message to hammer home though.
5"I Want Much More Than This Provincial Life."
Belle, Beauty And The Best
As an avid reader, Belle dreams of a more exciting life than living in a little town where every day is the same, and she certainly wants more than being married to Gaston of all people. During the reprise of the song Belle, she expresses as much.
This quote (and the rest of the song’s lyrics) excellently represents Belle’s desire to do and see more than the average life she’s expected to live. It’s something we’ve all felt and dreamed of, encapsulated in a short lyric.
4“I’m A Damsel. I’m In Distress. I Can Handle This. Have A Nice Day!”
Meg, Hercules
Meg stands outamong the Disney Princessesfor being snarky, sarcastic, and cynical, not wanting to fall in love after having her heart broken by her previous boyfriend. She’s also fiercely independent and rejects the stereotype of needing to be saved.
This quote directly subverts the damsel in distress stereotype, which is perfect for Meg’s character. She might be distressed, but she’s not going to stand around waiting for someone else to save her - she can handle herself.
3“The Past Shouldn’t Be Feared, For It Guides Our Future.”
Moana, Moana
Moana is certainly wise beyond her years. Living on the Polynesian island of Motunui, she is closely connected to the ocean and is chosen to return the goddess Te Fiti’s stolen heart. Her parents, however, want her to focus on becoming the island’s future chief.
Throughout the movie, Moana becomes more in touch with her people’s history, as she learns they used to be voyagers on the sea before Maui stole Te Fiti’s heart. This quote tells us how important it is to learn from our pasts, rather than run from it.
2“You Speak Of Justice, Yet You Are Cruel To Those Most In Need Of Your Help."
Esmeralda, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame
Frollo is easily one ofthe most evil villains in Disney movies, and Esmeralda isn’t afraid to stand up to his callousness. When she learns of how Frollo has been mistreating Quasimodo, she realises how hypocritical Frollo is to talk about justice, but be the one inflicting injustice on the people in Paris.
When Frollo tries to silence her, Esmeralda resiliently repeats “JUSTICE!”, showing Esmeralda’s courageousness to stand up for what she believes in and to call out Frollo for his cruelty.
1“Our Fate Lives Within Us. You Only Have To Be Brave Enough To See It.”
Merida, Brave
Fate is something that’s typically explored in a romantic way in Disney movies - the couple was fated to meet and fall in love. In Brave, however, Merida wants nothing more than to change her fate and avoid the betrothal that’s being forced upon her.
She learns that we can be responsible for our own fate. We don’t just have to sit there and let things happen to us, as we’re all in charge of our own lives and destinies. It’s a great message that we can all learn from and live by.
Despite Brave being a Pixar movie, Merida is officially considered a Disney Princess.
