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Disney's Princess Collection

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."


Princess Stories Volume Three: Beauty Shines From Within
(September 25/05)

Like the second installment of this series, Princess Stories Volume Three: Beauty Shines From Within collects three animated episodes - with Ariel, Cinderella, and Jasmine providing individual introduction. The first short is called "Giggles," and has clearly been culled from The Little Mermaid television show. In it, an ill-tempered blowfish places a spell on Ariel that causes the earth to shake every time the bubbly mermaid laughs. The Cinderella segment is essentially just a condensed version of the film, and it seems fairly obvious that it's designed to remind viewers of the upcoming DVD release of the film. Finally, there's an episode of the Aladdin TV series called "Eye of the Beholder," in which Jasmine is turned into a half-snake/half-human hybrid by a scheming villain. In terms of supplemental material, the disc includes a "Create Your Own Story" feature and a DVD-ROM storybook.


Sing Along Songs Enchanted Tea Party: Volume 2 (September 25/05)

Sing Along Songs Enchanted Tea Party collects several well-known songs from the Disney universe, and presents them with easy-to-follow subtitles for the viewer. In between songs, a very proper narrator explains what's coming up next - while also offering them a place to sit at a fancy-looking table (due to the tea party theme, of course). In total there are 12 songs here: "So This Is Love" from Cinderella, "Kiss The Girl" from The Little Mermaid, "Forget About Love" from The Return of Jafar, "Something There" from Beauty and the Beast, "Just Around the Riverbend" from Pocahontas, "Some Day My Prince Will Come" from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, "I Wonder" from Sleeping Beauty, "Honor To Us All" from Mulan, "Love" from Robin Hood, "In A World of My Own" from Alice in Wonderland, "For a Moment" from The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea, and "Where Dreams Begin" (a newly-produced song exclusive to this disc). The disc also includes instrumental versions of all these songs, and a featurette in which a group of little girls dance around.


Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams (November 1/09)

Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams collects two stories featuring a pair of Disney's most beloved Princesses, Sleeping Beauty's Aurora and Aladdin's Jasmine. In the first tale, Princess Aurora finds herself tempted to avoid doing any real work when she can just wave around Merryweather's magic wand instead. In the second story, Princess Jasmine attempts to solve the disappearance of a friend's horse. The disc also includes a pair of games, "Aurora Dress Up" and "Find Sahara," and a music video for "You'll Never Lose This Love." And, as expected, a series of Sneak Peeks advertising other Disney releases is also included (Meet the Robinsons, High School Musical 2, TinkerBell, Disney Princess Enchanted Tales, Enchanted, Little Einsteins: Race for Space, Tigger & Pooh: Super Sleuth Christmas Movie, and The Jungle Book: Platinum Edition). The new "Special Edition" also includes a bonus disc that boasts a five-minute sneak peek of The Princess and the Frog, a "Happiness Was Made to Share" music video, and a "Working for a Dream" music video.

© David Nusair