Everybody knows thatDisneyboasts a massive catalog of films, and among them, one very popular bunch are princess movies. Yet, among these productions, there is one movie in particular that stands out from the rest for a number of reasons:Enchanted, the 2007 musical fantasy rom-com. Directed by Kevin Lima and starring Amy Adams, Patrick Dempsey, and James Marsden, this film serves both as a tribute and a parody of classic Disney films, and features Giselle, a soon-to-be princess who is banished from her animated kingdom and sent to the real world, which is entirely foreign to her.
Enchantedwas a box-office hit and claimed a special place in audiences' hearts. And maybe that was the reason why, in 2010, plans for a sequel with more adventures of Giselle and Robert began to be discussed, though the production got rescheduled several times (viaScreen Rant). 12 years later, rumors became a reality andDisenchanted, the long-awaited sequel, wasfinally released on Disney+. This time, Adam Shankman was in charge of the direction and the main actors reprised their roles, except for Rachel Covey, who was replaced by Gabriella Baldacchino. Also joining the cast were Maya Rudolph, Yvette Nicole Brown, Jayma Mays, and Oscar Nunez, among others. Just likeEnchanted, its sequel featuresmany musical numbersand a plethora of references to Disney’s most popular princess films. Let’s go over some of these nods.
Sofia The First
Disenchantedtakes place eight years after the events of the original film that ended with Giselle, Robert and Morgan living happily ever after. In this sequel, there is a new addition to the family: Sofia, Giselle and Robert’s baby girl. The child’s name is a nod to a Disney character that is extremely popular among the little ones: Princess Sofia, the main character inSofia The First. While she is best known for the TV series, this character was first introduced in a movie calledSofia the First: Once Upon a Princess, which premiered on Disney Junior in 2012.
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There are two strong references toAladdininDisenchanted, and they both involve Giselle. When she discovers that her wish is turning her into a villain, she heads into town to find Morgan and ask for help. However, her villainous persona is determined to take control of her, which makes it very difficult for Giselle to accomplish her goal. Along the way, she stops by the marketplace and engages with the vendors, just as Jasmine did in Agrabah. In fact, the outfit she is wearing to go unnoticed also resembles the one Jasmine wore in the 1992 film. By the end of the movie, Giselle uses the magic wand to become the town’s queen, yet her wish is half-fulfilled: even though she now holds the crown, no one recognizes her as a power figure. The same thing happened with Jafar inAladdin, since once he became the Genie’s master, he used two of his wishes to become the Sultan and the world’s most powerful sorcerer.
Perhaps the most obvious nod toFrozeninDisenchantedis the involvement of Idina Menzel, the actress and singer who voices Elsa. Her characterNancy performs “Love Power,“a song that refers to the power of memories, the thing that eventually saves the magic of both Andalasia and Monroeville, just as it happens inFrozen 2. This song also states “let it grow, let it glow,” a clear wink to the hit song “Let It Go.” Furthermore, Morgan’s room in the new house is very similar in style toFrozen’s castle.
After Giselle wished for her life to be a fairy tale, Monroeville was transformed into Monrolasia and its residents into characters in a fairy tale. In her new reality, Giselle turned into a wicked stepmother who loves to mistreat Morgan, who now lives in confinement in a tower at the top of the house. The exterior of the tower looks a lot like Rapunzel’s inTangled. to escape from there, Morgan also climbs out of the window, but she uses a rope made of sheets instead of her own hair. Furthermore, the dress that she is wearing during her visit to Andalasia also bears some similarities to the princess' iconic outfit.
The Little Mermaid
Morgan’s character is clearly inspired by all those Disney princesses who were longing for more than what they knew, such as Ariel, Belle, and Rapunzel. That’s why many of her outfits and attitudes resonate so much with the audience. During her performance of “Perfect,” one can clearly see that Morgan is not entirely comfortable with her surroundings, just like Ariel inThe Little Mermaid. But on top of that, Morgan pays homage to the timeless scene in which Ariel sings “Part of Your World,” as she leans against a rock with a wave crashing right behind her.
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Beauty and the Beast
There are many references to this 1991 film, especially once Giselle makes her wish. For starters, she discovers that all the inanimate objects in the house were brought to life: from the cutlery to the household appliances, passing through the broom and the garbage can, in a clear nod toBeauty and the Beast. During the song “Fairytale Life (After the Spell),” the ensemble chants “Be our guest,” referencing one of Disney’s most popular songs. In addition, Morgan draws inspiration from Belle’s story, outfit and theme song in her solo number “Perfect.”
Sleeping Beauty
Disenchantedfeatures an obvious nod toSleeping Beauty: fairies. When Giselle and her family first arrive at their new home in Monroeville, they find that there is still plenty left to do around the place, and quickly become overwhelmed. But three strangers who are gardening approach the family to brighten up their day. These characters clearly reference Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, Aurora’s good fairies. Their attires bear the distinctive colors of these fairies, even more so when Monroeville becomes Monrolasia. All three take care of Sofia as the good fairies took care of Aurora.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Giselle shares many, many traits withSnow White, among them, her ability to talk to animals. However, there is another character who also shares many features with one from the 1937 movie: Queen Malvina. Not only is her outfit very similar to the Evil Queen’s, but she even has her own Magic Mirror! Yet, the main difference between both queens is that Malvina doesn’t want to be the fairest of them all, but rather the most powerful one.
Cinderella
Cinderellais the princess movie that is most often referenced throughoutDisenchanted. While in the original film, Giselle was the one who, on some level, played the role of Cinderella, in this film, it is Morgan, who suffers the torment of her wicked stepmother and is forced to sneak out to attend the ball. Not only that, but she also suffers the shredding of the dress she intended to wear to the event and, in Andalasia, undergoes a major costume transformation just like the 1950s princess. Moreover, Tyson, her crush, shows up at the event wearing a very similar outfit to the one worn by Prince Charming. Giselle, for her part, shares many things with Lady Tremaine, Cinderella’s evil stepmother. She even owns a fat cat resembling Lucifer! These are not the only references toCinderella: Malvina’s minions resemble Anastasia and Drizella, not to mention the importance of the midnight hour for the effectiveness of spells and curses in both films.
