Princess Tiana has arrived. From the new Disney film, The Princess and the Frog, comes a young African-American woman living amidst the enchanting elegance and grandeur of the legendary French Quarter. She is the new princess in town and her name is Princess Tiana. Unfortunately, she has to venture out as the frog princess until she accomplishes her mission.

Princess Tiana will undoubtedly be hailed as a positive role model for all young girls, regardless of ethnicity. Kudos to Disney Studios for going back to their roots and bringing us a movie that once again shows us that “dreams can come true.”

Princess Tiana is not your typical Disney princess kissing a frog. She is a hard-working dreamer and not the kind of person who waits for the star to fall from the sky to grant her wishes. She is determined to make things happen and make her own dreams come true. That’s what makes this frog princess turned so different.

I can’t stop I won’t stop this frog princess

Princess Tiana’s perseverance is expressed in the song “Almost There”, where the young princess expresses to her mother Eudora the desire to open and transform an old run-down building into a beautiful restaurant. She follows the faith and the words of her father James, who taught her the importance of always holding on to her dreams.

Throughout the film, Princess Tiana appears in three different guises. She appears as a child, an adult, and of course a frog princess. This is where the movie gets good. Though logical in her quest to fulfill her life goals and her dad’s dream, Tiana can’t seem to see the trees in the forest. She doesn’t realize what is happening on the way.

Tiana proves her point in the song”almost thereplayed at the beginning of the film:

“I don’t have time to dance!
That will just have to wait a while
I don’t have time to waste time
And it’s not my style.
This old town can slow you down
People who take the easy way

But I know exactly where I’m going
Every day closer and closer
And I’m almost there, I’m almost there
People here think I’m crazy, but I don’t care
Trials and tribulations, I’ve had my share.
There’s nothing stopping me now, because I’m almost there.“

She is determined not to slow down and enjoy herself, such a focused young lady. Tiana is on a mission to get her restaurant. All those other things can wait. She’s not even thinking about romance and she’s clearly not considering wasting her time salivating over a man. There are some women here who need to adopt this approach in some way in their lives (the salivating man part), but that’s another topic.

Princess Tiana can’t stand frogs. They are repulsive to her. Ironically, she meets Prince Naveen, who has been tricked by the “shadow man”. and luckily, he became a frog prince. In his attempt to be charming, but starting completely off on the wrong foot (like a man…ha ha! Just kidding), he somehow convinces Tiana to kiss him. Unlike the result he or she expected, she turns into a frog herself (becoming the frog princess). How ironic for someone who hates frogs! She gets carried away by her frog instincts and this is where her fun adventures begin.