By Monique
Disney is making historic ground once again with their Princess line of merchandise and programming. Ground that should have been covered eons ago. But in any event, let’s congratulate Disney on introducing the first Latina princess to its roster. Hooray!
Princess Elena of Avalor has been announced as Disney’s newest princess. The character, which will be voiced by Aimee Carrero (ABC Family’s Young & Hungry) will make her debut on her own Disney Junior show, Elena of Avalor, in 2016. The show is a spin-off of Sophia the First, on which the character first made her appearance.
According to USA Today, Elena is described by Disney as “a confident and compassionate teenager in an enchanted fairy tale kingdom inspired by diverse Latin cultures and folklore.”
Elena’s backstory is surprisingly dark for a Disney Junior show, which makes me wonder if this show would play better to a Y7 audience rather than preschool. Elena’s parents and her kingdom were taken by Shuriki, an evil sorceress. Elena was able to save her sister and her grandparents, but now that she’s the heir to the throne, she needs proper guidance to be able to take over as queen. Dark right?
In any event, Elena’s got friends as she goes on her journey towards maturation— a flying mystical animal named Skylar and a wizard-in-training named Mateo.
I’ll probably check out the first episode of Elena of Avalor just to see what’s going on, but I really love the character design.
If I collected dolls, I’d be itching to buy the Elena doll once it comes out.
What do you think about this upcoming show? Give your opinions in the comments section below!
Photo credit: Disney (from Picasa)
Julian 