There was a royal debut for a line of dolls inspired by Disney’s first Black princess.
 
Disney Consumer Products unveiled the line of dolls inspired by its forthcoming film The Princess and the Frog in New York on Monday.
 
The film, set in New Orleans, stars Princess Tiana, who is Disney’s first Black princess (voiced by Dreamgirls star Anika Noni Rose). “It really is a dream come true for me in reality,“ Anika said of her role.

Anika (who already looks like a Disney princess) was there for the big reveal at the American International Toy Fair.  She seemed almost moved to tears when she was presented with a one-of-a kind Princess Tiana doll created especially for her by Mattel.
 
There are a few different versions of the Princess Tiana doll, which will no doubt grace catalogs and commercials alike this holiday season.  Fortunately, the dolls will be pretty affordable; they’re expected to retail for $10 to $15.
 
The full line of toys boasts vivid, bayou-inspired tones of blue, green, gold and purple. According to Disney, more items in the line will be released later, including playsets, costumes and colorful accessories.
 
The Princess and the Frog marks a return to Disney's classic 2-D animation and should be released some time during the holiday season. The film has been generating buzz since the project was announnced back in 2007. Since then, it has undergone some script changes. For example, Tiana used be a chambermaid named Maddie (no...really).

Did we mention that Oprah is voicing Tiana's mom in the movie? 

Seeing the dolls for The Princess and The Frog almost makes us wish we were still young enough to play with them.

-- Sonya Eskridge
Photos courtesy Disney Consumer Products