* Release Date of the Film: This is the most common method, but it doesn't always reflect the princess's actual timeline within their story.
* Timeline Within the Story: Some princesses exist in historical periods, while others are in fantastical worlds with unclear timeframes.
* Canonicity: Disney has sometimes retconned or changed the order of events in their films, leading to inconsistencies.
Here's a possible chronological order based on release date and in-universe timeline, with notes on any inconsistencies:
1. Snow White (1937): The very first princess, set in a vague medieval era.
2. Cinderella (1950): Set in a European country during a period resembling the 18th century.
3. Aurora (Sleeping Beauty, 1959): Set in a medieval kingdom, likely around the 14th century.
4. Ariel (The Little Mermaid, 1989): While not set in a specific time period, the film features technology like ships and a mermaid's voice, suggesting a more modern era.
5. Belle (Beauty and the Beast, 1991): The story is vaguely set in 18th century France.
6. Jasmine (Aladdin, 1992): Set in a fictional Middle Eastern city, the film's aesthetic suggests a pre-modern era.
7. Pocahontas (1995): Set in the 1600s during the early colonization of North America.
8. Mulan (1998): Set during the Northern Wei Dynasty in China, around 5th-century AD.
9. Tiana (The Princess and the Frog, 2009): Set in New Orleans during the 1920s.
10. Rapunzel (Tangled, 2010): While the story is set in a fictional kingdom, the setting and technology suggest a medieval era.
11. Merida (Brave, 2012): Set in the Scottish Highlands during the medieval period, likely around the 10th century.
12. Anna and Elsa (Frozen, 2013): Set in a fictional Scandinavian kingdom, the film's technology and architecture suggest a vaguely medieval era.
13. Moana (2016): Set in ancient Polynesia, around 2,000 years ago.
14. Raya (Raya and the Last Dragon, 2021): Set in a fictional Southeast Asian kingdom called Kumandra, which appears to be based on ancient Southeast Asian civilizations.
Note: This is a general guideline, and some details might be open to interpretation. Additionally, Disney continues to add new princesses, so this list may evolve over time.