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UPFRONTS 2013: The Overachievers 
Disney said today that it is introducing a new princess fairytale line beginning next year with the launch of Sofia The First, which will premiere as an animated TV movie in fall 2012 and continue as a series set to bow in spring 2013 on Disney Channel and Disney Junior channels worldwide. It will be the first time among Disney’s storybook princesses franchises that the main character is a little girl, who is whisked off to a glamorous but often confusing castle world of royalty, pomp and new step-siblings after her mom marries the king. The idea is to target the preschool demo. 
“In Sofia, we have a ‘peer to peer princess,’ a relatable girl experiencing the same social issues as our young viewers – learning how to fit in, making new friends, conquering new skills and building sibling relationships,” said Nancy Kanter, SVP Original Programming and General Manager of Disney Junior Worldwide. Ariel Winter (ABC’s Modern Family) will provide the voice of Sofia; the voice cast also includes Sara Ramirez (Grey’s Anatomy) as Queen Miranda; Wayne Brady (Whose Line Is It Anyway?) as Clover, a wise-talking rabbit; and Tim Gunn (Project Runway) as Baileywick, the family’s Royal Steward. Existing Disney characters also will be involved: Sleeping Beauty fairies Fauna, Flora and Merryweather will play headmistresses at Sofia’s school, and Cinderella and other princesses will make special appearances. Craig Gerber (Disney’s Pixie Hollow Games) developed the series and wrote the movie; he is co-executive producer and story editor. Jamie Mitchell (Special Agent Oso) is executive producer and director of the series.
Disney Unveils New Princess With ‘Sofia The First’ TV Movie, Series
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Great. Just what the world needs. More Disney princesses.
Uh, dude, you’re probably not the target demographic.
I’m a parent of two girls. I may not be the target demographic, but I’m definitely collateral damage. Thankfully, both are just over the age for this sort of thing. But I never found the whole Disney princess thing to be the best examples for my kids, which is why I kept it out of the house as much as I could.
I appreciate that a lot of parents find the princess overkill disturbing, but even in the bad old days, when princesses needed to be rescued by Handsome Princes (oh blush, oh sigh), little girls could recognize that the princess was the *star* and driving force of the story. I would’ve been heartbroken if my parents had kept princess paraphernalia out of the house. As horribly over-merchandised as it currently is, playing princess still helps encourage imagination.
On the other hand, I grew up to be a freelance writer, so maybe you’ve got a point. Better they should play professor-with-tenure.
Much happiness and success to them both!
Imagination has never been a problem with either of my children. They don’t need Disney-fied princesses to spur their imagination. Not sure why you’d even think that. I simply don’t like how they reinforce gender stereotypes and project certain female images.
how sad for your children. disney is a wonderful world for young and old. i have enjoyed them for fifty plus years. keep it going disney.
Hey Tim W.,
Do you have a problem with Disney Princesses? If so, You would probably end up getting a problem with the Walt Disney Pictures Logo, or The Symbol of The Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World in Florida, Or The Symbol of Disneyland Park in California being a Princesses’ or a Princes’ Palace(CASTLE).
You need to cut out drinking your royal haterade.
Personally, I`m looking forward to Sofia The First.
The Princesses have almost been nearly THE MOST Neglected Brand of Disney in Disney Broadcasting now, and I`m glad that someone is gonna carry the banner for the princesses now.
Thank you, Sofia !!!
And look forward to next year’s launch of Embriana, the adorable fetus princess who navigates the Royal womb. Industry insiders see it as a peer-to-peer princess for the lucrative not-yet-born market.
Ugh! Another princess show. As the mother of a two year old, it feels like 97% of choices for toddler girls involve Disney princesses or Dora’s midriff.
When my oldest daughter was about 12 she went to see The Beauty and the Beast with some of her friends. When she got in the car after the movie, asked her, “How’d you like it?” She said she didn’t like it that much. “This smart girl falls in love with this great beast, and then, at the end, he turns into this wimp prince.” It’s always good to remember that our girls have a brain..
Finally! A princess my 6 year old can relate to! Falling in love with a prince and getting married is NOT what she dreams of right now. Give yourself a HUGE pat on the back for this one! :>
I understand making content that merchandises well, but this is just sad. This totally lacks any originality or inspiration. And it will be one big commercial for over-priced plastic junk made by underaged girls in asian factories. Like I said… its just sad.
It’s actually a really sweet script and an empowering story. Yes, she is a princess, but the show is really about a young girl finding herself, growing up in an unfamiliar place, and coping with new siblings. Also, there is music.
Why all the princess hate? Did Kate Middleton steal your lunchbox?
What they’d like you to think is they have created a younger princess, one that to younger girls can relate to, in order to appease parents unhappy with the “fall in love and get married” scenero of the the regular princess line. What they are really doing is creating a platform to ensnare younger and younger audiances, as well as those whose parents have kept them on the fringes, in order to compleatly dominate the industry.
actually, what they are really doing is creating a show for young single moms to watch with their children, as the MOMS dream of rescue by a handsome prince…
I’d like to remind the princess-haters about the latest one- Rapunzel. During her time as an unwitting POW, she kept herself constructive, educated, creative, and entertained. After she broke out of her bondage, she proceeded to make friends and allies with gentlemen she COULD’VE made snap judgements about at the Cuddly Duckling (teaching us all to get to know people before writing them off) and saved the handsome-but-SO-not-a-prince leading man a number of times. No shrinking, mewling flower was she- she was armed with a frying pan and knew how to use it in self-defense or to protect those she cared about.
Geez… by the way most of you are acting about the new princess is like you guys are a bunch of little kids. grow up. quit being a bunch of haters. nobody forces you or your kids to watch it.
What’s so bad with disney princesses? Nothing at all.
I like that there are the princesses. But I think they are way over-marketed. However, I don’t blame Disney for that, I blame parents for buying the junk. Disney just fills a need.
Parents need to stand up and take responsibility for their children’s interests.
With Sofia, Disney is again just marketing to what’s popular. But at least this new princess can hopefully teach our young children some positive lessons that apply at their age.
What’s so wrong with a princess who learns that what matters most is how you are on the inside, not the outside? It sounds like this show is going to teach some valuable lessons to little girls, as opposed to teaching them to wait around for Prince Charming. There’s not a lot of good programming for little kids these days, but this sounds like it’s going to hit the mark.
I don’t consider Disney Princesses to be bad role models (as clearly most of you do). The early ones don’t give great messages, but the 90′s and later ‘princesses’ are great role models. Belle teaches that beauty is only skin deep, Mulan that women can be just as strong as men, Pocahontas that racism is wrong and Tiana that hard work pays off. Who cares if they all found love while teaching us those lessons?
Maybe Sofia will teach lessons just as useful and important as the princesses that came before her.
I know Mulan wasn’t a “princess” but can’t we have more stories like hers? The whole princess phase isn’t that big of a deal. Yes I’ve bought way too much Disney princess toys for my 5 year old. Yes everyone can argue the hidden undertones of waiting around for prince charming to save you from a horrible life and take you to your happily ever after. But is it that big of a deal there’s a baby princess or whatever? I remember consuming my life with My Little Pony. And has anyone ever watched it now? Horrible unfinished story lines. I turned out ok. It’s really not the end of the world and I can’t believe I took time to read these comments and comment myself.
i have to agree with the one parent on here my 5 year old daughter is not thinking about marriage and its about time they come out with a toddler princess way to go Disney =)
Well I and a son but he has nothing todo with what I’m right sofia is not the first priness dose no one remeber meldoy ariels little girl that movie was about family and finding hereself not a man!
Thank you Disney! I really feel sorry for some kids! Some parents are taking this “gender specific” idea too literal! Watching disney princesses does not automatically render a girl hopeless and think nothing but marriage! Yes the older princesses were not much more than a story with no learning but it is just a STORY! Atleast the princesses are well spoken, well-manared and polite. Better than barbie’s fashion show and other cartoons I’ve seen. I let my daughter choose what she wants. She loves cars, dinosaurs but I can’t deny her or the fact that she REALLY loves ponies and princesses. I did not force it nor do I deny it for her. She picked her favorite color and it’s purple with glitter. I didn’t! Today’s princesses in Disney are actually good role models for somet girls. Look at Tina. They even took the original princesses and made new movies about friendship and other life lessons. I can say at the least that I’d rather my daughter be subjected to disney princesses than worse things out there. If you want an example how Disney princesses affect women then there is me. Grew up loving Sleeping beauty, ariel, etc. My parents installed that these are movies and stories like a book. Am I hopeless? NO! I worked hard through my jobs up until I had my daughter at a respectable age, My husband and I work hard at our marriage and I know from common sense the reality of love versus the movies I grew up watching. My favorite hobby is working on my step dad’s 68 camaro with him and I HATE manicures! See there is this thing called being a responsible parent and installing values and reality with children. Stop blamming stuff and step up! I think my parents did a wonderful job in raising a balanced, good hearted, independent woman and I grew up being a GIRL! I loved pink, tea parties, princesses and dressing up. Do your job and don’t deprive you children the joys of immagination and PRETEND play! It was fun being a princess with my friends and I can’t believe people deprive their children of that because it’s “too gender specific.” Guess what! Most girls like GIRL THINGS! My daughter chooses what she likes and the majority of things are GIRLY THINGS! I didn’t force anything!
I was about to comment but than i read your post and realized i didnt have to, you have said everything i would have. I think soem of these parents are ridiculous, disney movies are harmless and to say otherwise is just crazy. Its up to the parents to instill the difference between fantasy and reality and stop trying to blame others(disney princess) for nto being able to do your job. And yes i have an 8 yr. old daughter who loves princess’s and who also loves reading,softball,basketball, among other things.
I think they should make a little kids movie cause they don’t have many choices
You parents need to grow up and it’s good for toddlers to expresse their imagination more than Dora or Diego Disney princess movies expresse their imagination and yes it is true that they can already have a good imagination but you just can’t stop expressing it they can learn it from other things but Disney princesses have different stories and teach different things along with creating different images in their head.
Hey Jane there is other choices for you and your two year old other than Dora and Disney princess if your two year old only likes that than let her keep liking it. If you want to expand your options than show her things like Disney jr and nick jr and PBS kids on those channels parents are safe to let their young ones watch while they go and do somethingelse so try it
i think disney movies, princess or not. all have good morals to them. and they teach kids more than, marry a man with a shit tone of motherfuckin money. there are alot of underlying points. i love disney movies. and i will always play them for my children because i want them to know that they can do whatever they want in life. and it teaches them to always work hard. and have a good attitude
What is wrong with princesses….other than the whole fall in love get married thing,all princes stories and i honestly think we could take advantage of those lessons ex.in ariel the lesson is obey your parents
who the he’ll do you think you are. People say that Disney is not a good example??? Well little kids don’t get those ‘Stereotypes’ ok same with teens may not get son adult jokes or saying. So what if they’re bringing out a new princess, it goes to show that they are making alot if money and besides it is for kids so why are you commenting? Listen kids like movies they can relate to, I have a six year old and she said she llikes real life kind of movies. My little one watches princess lifestyle and she still acts gross and Bes disgusting so how is of a bad example. Give everyone one good reason why they shouldn’t make another movie!
I love how all of the princess defenders are basically functionally illiterate.