Disney Princess Collection 2
Princess Party Volume Two (February 20/05)
This second installment in a presumably ongoing series of "party" DVDs from Disney features a whole lot of games for young girls, but there are also a couple of actual cartoons on the disc to keep older viewers engaged. The first is an episode of the Aladdin television show entitled "SandSwitch," and features Princess Jasmine as she must convince all her friends that she - not the villainous Sadira - is Aladdin's fiancee (Sadira has conjured a spell convincing everyone that she's to wed Aladdin). The next cartoon comes from the world of Beauty and the Beast, and features a wacky misunderstanding as Fifi (the feather duster) becomes convinced that Belle is having an affair with Lumiere (the candelabra). Also included in this section of the disc are a music video and something called "Princess Virtual Environment" (which is essentially just a series of clips set amidst pink clouds). The next section of the DVD contains seven games, all of which have been aimed exclusively at little girls (some can be played solo, though most require a group of at least three or four participants). Finally, the disc comes with a "Party Planner" for parents.
Princess Stories Volume Two: Tales of Friendship (February 20/05)
Unlike Princess Party, this disc places more of an emphasis on storytelling - thus allowing parents to leave their kids in front of the TV for a little while. The central attraction here are three stories, from Aladdin, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves, and The Little Mermaid. Both the Aladdin and Little Mermaid segments appear to have been culled from their respective television shows, with Belle and Ariel popping up beforehand to introduce their episodes. In the case of Snow White's segment, though, we're presented with a series of clips from the film as Snow White narrates (the whole thing plays out like an interactive storybook, complete with different options for the viewer). It's fairly silly, but it seems obvious that kids will get a kick out of it. Under the "bonus features" section of the disc, a compilation of clips set to music is included, as well as a short Princess quiz and a how-to guide for making your very own "friendship wreath."
