DISNEY INSPIRES FAMILIES TO 'CREATE YOUR WORLD' THROUGH NEW GLOBAL DISNEY PRINCESS PRODUCTS, PORTAL TO THE PRINCESSES VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE AND YOUTUBE SERIES

Legendary Disney Princess Voice Jodi Benson Celebrates the Launch of New Multi-Year Brand Campaign Championing Magic in Imaginative Play

GLENDALE, Calif., Aug. 1, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Disney is kicking off its new Disney Princess 'Create Your World' multi-year brand campaign that encourages fans to embrace their inner Princess magic to create the world they envision and to start making their dreams a reality. Families can experience new opportunities to create their worlds by interacting with beloved characters, including:

• Disney Princess products debuting globally throughout 2024
• Portal to the Princesses, a complimentary augmented reality meet-and-greet with Disney's Ariel, Moana, Tiana and Rapunzel.
• Brand-new series, Disney Princess Create Your World | Making a Disney Song! - premiering August 1 on the Disney Princess YouTube channel.
• Tips from the Child Mind Institute to assist parents with their kids' early development through imaginative play, while embracing wonder and magic.

To celebrate all things Princess, Disney Legend Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid shares, "Being part of the Disney Princess family has been one of my highest honors. Ariel's journey, her confidence and courage to create a better world inspire me to this day," said Benson. "My hope is that her story, as well as all the other adventurous Princess stories out there, continue to inspire all generations to find the magic of their inner Princess, so they too can create the worlds they want."

Disney Princess-Inspired Products
Families and children can embrace the magic of Disney Princess and get inspired to create the worlds they want through Disney's assortment of product, ranging from transforming playsets and building blocks, to detail-rich dolls, movie-inspired costumes, and more.

• Fans can find a wide assortment of Disney Princess products highlighting world building and role play, such as the new and highly interactive Disney Princess Deluxe Day Spa Style Set from JAKKS Pacific, the Disney Princess Market Adventure set from the LEGO Group, and the Carriage to Castle Transforming Playset from Mattel – available globally – as well as new products available on DisneyStore.com. Products from North American brands include American Girl, Disguise, Janie and Jack, and more.
• Adults looking to embrace the Disney Princess magic can enjoy products from iconic US-based licensees such as Barefoot Dreams, DIFF Eyewear, Loungefly, Sassy Woof, Sigma Beauty, Tweezerman, Unique Vintage, Vera Bradley, and more.
• Fans of all ages can enjoy a collection of new titles from Disney Publishing such as the Cinderella Pop-Up Book from Insight Editions and the Leading Ladies! Little Golden Book from Random House Children's, as well as the global release of Rapunzel: Paintbrush Pals (11/19/2024). In addition, Tiana's Perfect Plan, a debut picture book by the voice of Tiana herself, Anika Noni Rose, will be released widely this October. For YA readers, releases from New York Times Best-Selling authors include A Sword in the Slumber by Sara Raasch and Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren.

"Magic is at the very core of the Disney Princess franchise and our company. It's what fuels our stories and the beloved adventures that our characters embark on," said Tracy Thurman, VP, Global Product Design for Disney Consumer Products. "We constantly strive to bring this magic to life in new ways through products, leaning into how kids play and how they want to interact with our characters. It's our hope that children not only continue to believe in the magic of Disney Princess, but that it inspires them to find their own magic within."

Portal to the Princesses: Interact with Disney Princess Characters Virtually
Kids and kids-at-heart will be able to virtually interact with beloved Disney Princess characters – Ariel, Moana, Tiana and Rapunzel – at home on mobile phones through an all-new Portal to the Princesses augmented reality experience. Parents can help their kids choose which Disney Princess they want to meet and then will be prompted to help the Princess create a new experience together, unique to the world of each Princess. The virtual experience can be accessed on any mobile phone through www.disneyprincess.com/ar

Disney Princess 'Create Your World | Making a Disney Song!' YouTube Series
Premiering August 1 on the official Disney Princess YouTube channel, the six-episode video series follows four talented girls who are given the chance to participate in the first-ever performance of a new original Disney Princess-inspired song in front of a live audience at Disneyland Park.

The series follows their journey, teaching young viewers about the world of music and performance as an exciting and inspirational example of how little ones can achieve their goals and create their own worlds. Episodes will be available weekly, with the grand series finale premiering in late August during World Princess Week (Aug. 25-31).

Featured in the series is young singing sensation Claire Crosby, who has become an internet hit since her performance of a Disney Princess musical medley amassed 100 million views on YouTube.

The Importance of Imaginative Play
According to the Child Mind Institute, imaginative play provides a powerful and fun context for children to express their creativity and can facilitate the development of important skills. As kids dive deeper into fantasy play, they embrace extended narratives and create their own pretend worlds – leading to better developed emotion regulation, creativity, language skills, and executive functioning, which are the skills that help self-regulate, plan, and achieve goals.

"Pretend play is what psychologists call the make-believe that kids immerse themselves into when, for example, they imagine that their toys are real animals, pretend to be a prince or princess, or create an imaginary world with blocks and figurines," said Kathryn Keough, Clinical Psychologist, the Child Mind Institute. "This kind of play can help kids develop important social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills, from creative thinking to emotional control."

After all, embracing one's Disney Princess magic is a mix of creativity, imagination, determination, and the belief that one can do whatever they set their heart to. And for young children, the magic of Disney Princess characters is real, while for parents, nurturing this belief in magic and confidence is a cherished aspect of parenthood.

For more information on the new Disney Princess 'Create Your World' campaign, visit princess.disney.com.

ABOUT DISNEY CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the division of Disney Experiences (DX) that brings beloved brands and franchises into the daily lives of families and fans through products – from toys to t-shirts, apps, books, console games and more – and experiences that can be found around the world, including on the Disney Store e-commerce platform and at Disney Parks, as well as local and international retailers. The business is home to world-class teams of product, licensing and retail experts, artists and storytellers, and technologists who inspire imaginations around the world.

SOURCE Disney Consumer Products