The House of Mouse has also added women superheroes, some with superpowers and others just plainly empowering as normal people. Once upon a time, Disney characters would follow the conventional route of a helpless white princess and her handsome Prince Charming, but more recently, we’ve seen princesses of different backgrounds, princess who can kick butt and stand up for themselves, and some even without a love interest. They have only been getting better with representation in recent years, especially with Raya and the Last Dragon, which included their first southeast Asian 'princess' character. Throughout the years, Disney has expanded its range of characters, thereby demonstrating the importance of representation.

But that was just one example of how Disney movies can portray their girl characters in a positive light, with many Disney heroines breaking free from the norm. In 2003, singing group sensation, The Cheetah Girls from Disney Channel’s movie of the same name defied the traditional damsel in distress storyline when they covered i5’s girl power anthem, “Cinderella.” With lyrics like, “Don’t wanna depend on no one else, I’d rather rescue myself,” and “I can slay my own dragons…my knight in shining armor is me,” they put a new spin on girls and women's expectations, proving they can thrive on their own.

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