Tiana

[Edlover]

I want to start off by saying that I'm not a racist, nor am I trying to play the race card.

My family and I recently had the pleasure of sailing aboard the Disney Magic. With that said, when the characters came out for pictures, the line for Princess Tiana only had about 10 people. (including our fam) However, the line for the other characters held hundreds of people. We are an African American family and my very own daughter wanted to leave Tiana's line and go to the others line. I guess she felt as though our line wasn't important, considering the other kids her age was in a different line. My wife felt extremely sorry for Tiana, but I assured her that Tiana's line was so short because she was a new character, not because of the color of her shin. (gotta keep wifey happy) Surprisingly, Tiana continued to wave and smile and seemed as though she was accustomed to the lack of attention she was given. I'm just saying

 

[GS for life]

She is one of my daughters favorites, and we are white. We always have to see her in the parks, and we have her doll. I am happy that my 9 year old only sees the character, not the color.

 

[rpk113]

problem is, Tiana isn't a classic.. yet.... give it a few years.. She's here to stay

 

[luvmy2babies]

You may consider changing the title of your post.

Anyway, I haven't cruised yet, but we have been to Magic Kingdom several times since Tiana came on the scene and trust me, there is no lack of attention for her there. My daughter wants to see her every time and there is always a line. We are African American too, but there are a lot of different races in the line when we go and I have seen plenty of caucasian children dressed as Tiana in the parks, full Bibbity Bobbity Boutiqued out.

My daughter has specific things she likes about each princess really.

 

[su_A_ve]

It's an issue of popularity. They are not from the classics. Except for Ariel maybe, but that's because the movie has been out for a while and she has her own rides at MK.

On the Wonder, this past Feb, the last night all characters come out, including the princesses. Most kids were going for Mickey and Minnie, while the princesses were left pretty much by themselves...

My .02...

 

[Rogillio]

Give it time. Some of the other princesses have been around for 70 years and are well known...by kids and by parents. I will admit that I have never heard of Tiana till you mentioned it and then I remembered reading something a while back that Disney had introduced a new princess and she was black.

So I think she will grow in popularity. But kids will usually favor the character they can most identify with or want to be. I think more kids favor Cinderella than Pocohantis. Redheads might favor Areil....brunettes Snow White? Boys favor, Tarzan over Peter Pan?

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

There you go!, one cruise and then another!.

We were on the fantasy in November, and my wife a I commented how the line for Tiana, was longer then Snow White!

I also found it great to watch all the kids greetings all the princesses, with the same glow and joy. Such positive role models for the little girls to know they can grow up to be anything or anybody, no matter what color or race they are!

Walt would have been pleased,

AKK

 

[Zooshoveller]

We are white. My DD's first favorite princess is Jasmine and second is Tiana. I think it's wonderful that there are so many different princesses that we can choose a favorite based on their qualities/personalities and not by their skin color. One of her best friend's (who's AA) favorite is Cinderella. Our neighbors are Brazilian and their DD loves Ariel. <3

 

[ajh88]

Who knows why Tiana's line was shorter? Maybe other kids has visited her already, or were making rounds and hadn't gotten to her yet? Maybe she came out a few minutes earlier or later than some other princess? Maybe among this group of kids, she just wasn't the most popular?


I think that kids walk into a room filled with princesses, want to meet them all, and just gravitate towards the first one they see. I think Tiana is an extremely popular princess - which is why she continues to meet daily even 3+ years after her movie came out. She is just in that transitional time between being the "new" princess and being a "classic" princess.

ETA: Our experience with character lines in general on our recent Dream cruise was much different - there were relatively short lines for most character meets - never more than probably 30 people or so in line, with the exception of Jack Sparrow. We waited longest to meet him! I can't imagine "hundreds" of people in a line at any given time for a character on the ship - that would have been madness!

 

[Lisavince3]

I would think and hope that it has more to do with the fact that TPAtF is a relatively new movie and she is a relatively new character rather than a race issue. We are Caucasian and I know my 3 DDs would have LOVED to have seen Tiana on our cruise!!

 

[OrangeCountyCommuter]

I want to start off by saying that I'm not a racist, nor am I trying to play the race card.

My family and I recently had the pleasure of sailing aboard the Disney Magic. With that said, when the characters came out for pictures, the line for Princess Tiana only had about 10 people. (including our fam) However, the line for the other characters held hundreds of people. We are an African American family and my very own daughter wanted to leave Tiana's line and go to the others line. I guess she felt as though our line wasn't important, considering the other kids her age was in a different line. My wife felt extremely sorry for Tiana, but I assured her that Tiana's line was so short because she was a new character, not because of the color of her shin. (gotta keep wifey happy) Surprisingly, Tiana continued to wave and smile and seemed as though she was accustomed to the lack of attention she was given. I'm just saying

Movie was not a hit......

No one has a clue who she is




My African American friend who was with me at WDW wanted to know "who is the chick in the green dress"

 

[wcw57]

race has nothing to do with this.....the fact is that Tiana is a "minor" princess....such as Mulan or Jasmine. Princesses either resonate with children or they don't (I don't much care for Jasmine and don't get Mulan at all).

It would seem that you cannot create "classic" characters by simply trying to appeal to the broadest spectrum of race/creed/ethnicity (you pick)...the character must be LIKED.

Of course, I didn't even mention Pocahontas.....and why should I? Try as they might, the character just didn't click like Rapunzel did/does.

Anyhow, as a previous poster stated.....time changes things.

BUT Ariel and Belle reached classic status immediately because their films were GOOD! I loved Princess and the Frog but can understand how kids might not.

and, of course, the Minions, from some other studio, are BIG hits and I don't think they have attracted a large bright-yellow, one-eyed demographic of fans.

 

[NY Disney fan]

Movie was not a hit......

Disney's Princess and the Frog may not have been a hit but (as I have seen it several times) it is most like the old classic Disney cartoons than the Little Mermaid or Beauty and the Beast. I find that intresting. Princess and the Frog has very much a 1950's Disney vibe to it.

 

[RweTHEREyet]

Well, I loved the movie, thought it to be a hit.

I am someone, and I know who she is and would be thrilled to see a short line for her as I would love having another picture taken with her.

When we were at DL, her line for pictures was long, and when she moved out from New Orleans Square to the waterfront, she was surrounded by tons of people clamoring for a picture and an autograph.

That being said, the classics will always have a much bigger following, has nothing to do with color.

 

[Zooshoveller]

I want to start off by saying that I'm not a racist, nor am I trying to play the race card.

My family and I recently had the pleasure of sailing aboard the Disney Magic. With that said, when the characters came out for pictures, the line for Princess Tiana only had about 10 people. (including our fam) However, the line for the other characters held hundreds of people. We are an African American family and my very own daughter wanted to leave Tiana's line and go to the others line. I guess she felt as though our line wasn't important, considering the other kids her age was in a different line. My wife felt extremely sorry for Tiana, but I assured her that Tiana's line was so short because she was a new character, not because of the color of her shin. (gotta keep wifey happy) Surprisingly, Tiana continued to wave and smile and seemed as though she was accustomed to the lack of attention she was given. I'm just saying

Would you have felt bad for any other princess if their line was really short? You said your very own daughter wanted to go to the other lines. Is that a problem? Would you be upset if Tiana wasn't her favorite princess?

 

[Rogillio]

Mulan - Asian cross-dresser
Snow White - Caucasion
Pocohantas - Indian
Tiana - African
Jasmine - Arab
Ariel - Part fish
Belle - Country gal with only one parent (she is my sweetheart, guess I'm a beast)
Cinderella - Orphan girl

I'd say that was a pretty diverse group of princesses.

 

[NY Disney fan]

For what its worth, my blonde haired daughter always chooses a black doll over a blonde haired one. I never understood that. As a matter of fact, when I told her she can pick out any Disney doll she wanted she picked Tiana. On another occassion we went to the 99 cent store and they had little doll cheerleaders, the white version and the black one. She picked the black one.

 

[ktb2002]

Mulan - Asian cross-dresser
Snow White - Caucasion
Pocohantas - Indian
Tiana - African
Jasmine - Arab
Ariel - Part fish
Belle - Country gal with only one parent (she is my sweetheart, guess I'm a beast)
Cinderella - Orphan girl

I'd say that was a pretty diverse group of princesses.

Lol that pretty much sums it up right there, although very minor you left off Princess Sophia who is Hispanic.

 

[smallblackstars]

I don't think it's anything to do with the colour of her skin, as others here are saying it's probably because she is a much newer princess. She is my DD's favourite princess, she watches the Princess and the Frog at least once every day. We waited for over 2 hours to see her in MK last year as the line was closed right as we got to the front so we just waited for her next meet and greet. She made a terrible error though, she brought Prince Naveen with her and my DD took one look at him, rushed past Tiana and ran into his arms and said she was the 'new Tinana' (this is how my DD says her name) and 'old Tinana' could come home to Scotland with mummy!!!

 

[ajh88]

Movie was not a hit......

No one has a clue who she is




My African American friend who was with me at WDW wanted to know "who is the chick in the green dress"

I guess it depends on how you define "hit" - it was the number 1 animated movie the year of its release, grossed over $250 million worldwide, and was nominated for 3 Oscars. Sounds like a popular movie to me - maybe not in the realm of a Pixar movie or Tangled, but not a flop by any means. I guess Tiana has always been a popular princess in our house and became an instant 'classic' to us, but obviously not to all.