My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analyses: "Elena of Avalor" - The Second Disney Junior Property That Was About a Princess and Disney`s First Latina Princess

Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.

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I know that this picture doesn`t look like an adventure. But it will be. I promise ;)

We were instructed to reflect a
bird point of view :)

During the last decade, Disney were truly all about Princesses more than they ever were. It shouldn`t be a surprise, since it`s been the bread and butter of the company and how it was the one who started it all (pardon my intended pun) with Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. But during last decade, Disney were milking that trademark for what it was worth. And that was due to one specific thing: The Princess Franchise. Since the franchise was such a success, it made Disney not only milking that property more than ever. But also introducing more Princesses to their lineup. And also making characters who weren`t technically royal to be royals (*cough, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog, cough*).

This is the instruction of how
to make an angel jaguar :) It`s
not an easy task :)

But despite how there were many different opinions about the lineup and how Disney were both promoting and shunning away from the franchise (proven with the renaming of Tangled

and not including Moana in the franchise at first), the truth is that is was a little overexposed during the 2010`s. So it became a little contrived. However, regarding how Disney made non-Royal races as royals, it was not only proven with aforementioned Tiana, but also with another character: Elena of Avalor.

General Information About Elena of Avalor

Yes, this scepter is
heavier than it looks :)

Released in July 22th 2016, Elena of Avalor was made from the same creator of Sofia the First, Craig Gerber. Just like Sofia, Elena was a Disney Junior show that was created to a toddler/pre-school audience. It premiered on Disney Channel, before it was moved to Disney Junior on July 14, 2018. The show aired 77 episodes through three seasons, ending August 23, 2020. But it also had a TV movie, Elena and the Secret of Avalor. Which showed the origins, airing November 20, 2016. And yes, it introduced a Latina Princess in a fictional Latina Kingdom (right before Encanto came). Yvette Nicole Brown and Tyler Posey were among the cast.

Forgive us for making
a messy front page:)

The second season had guest stars as Whoopi Goldberg, Rosie Perez, Steve Buscemi,

Auli'i Cravalho (Moana), John Leguizamo, Stephanie Beatriz (Encanto), Sofia Carson and (Descendants). The finale concluded with a prime-time one-hour special. As for the reception, it received generally positive reviews, as Elena was praised to be an excellent role model. And it actually had many viewers during it`s prime (4.2 million). President of Disney Junior, Nancy Kanter, wanted to choose one Latino culture. But later on changed tacks and decided to have a melting pot, with different references. Despite how it was daunting for the creators of the show. Elena had cultural advisors and story editor Silvia Olivas drew inspiration from her family and upbringing.

The Plot of Elena of Avalor

Yes, I`m (Shuriki) jealous of
your angel wings :)

As for the plot of Elena of Avalor, it revolves around Elena Castillo Flores. Who`s been freed from the Amulet of Avalor by Princess Sofia. And saved her magical kingdom of Avalor from the evil sorceress Shuriki. As she had been trapped in the amulet for 41 years, while Shuriki ruled the kingdom. Elena must learn to rule as its princess. For being only 16, she follows the guidance of a Grand Council. As her grandparents, cousin Chancellor Esteban and her friend, Naomi Turner. Elena also looks to her little sister, Isabel, wizard Mateo, the Royal Guard lieutenant Gabe, a spirit animal named Zuzo and some magical flying creatures called Jaquins (a mix between a jaguar and a macaw) for guidance and support.

Yes, we`re divine carnivores,
so that`s why we`re posing
like this :)

In the first season, Elena adjusts to her life as crown princess, while learning to master her scepter. At the end of the season, Elena learns from Quita Moz of the Sunbird Oracles that she will facing a darkness and if she fails, she`ll never become queen. In the second season, Elena prepares for her test, while facing Victor and Carla Delgado, who`ve teamed up with Shuriki, who has her powers restored. She also befriends the Sirenas of Nueva Vista, and enlists their help to defeat Shuriki. In the third season, Esteban has been on Shuriki's takeover of the kingdom more than 41 years ago, and is banished from the kingdom. While Elena gets new emotion-based powers after falling into a crystal well in Takaina. She prepares for her coronation as queen, learning to control her emotion magic, and facing down the Delgados' wicked matriarch, Ash.

The Trademarks of Elena of Avalor and Comparisons to Sofia the First

We`re the triceps girls :)

In many ways, Elena of Avalor is filled with the trademarks that we expect from a Disney Princess and from the Revival era: a Princess who`s energetic and adorkable, who sings, has animal sidekicks and also a family. But it`s remarkable how it gives her a little sister (something that could`ve been seen as a cue from Frozen). And while Gabe could`ve been perceived as a love interest, surprisingly enough he wasn`t (since we live in a time where Disney doesn`t give a love interest to a Princess anymore), preceeding Moana. And it introduces an interracial friendship between Elena and Naomi. And yes, in the true Princess mold, Elena has a song in every episode.

This is what happens when
you have nothing to do all
day :)

But since Elena was released at the heels of Sofia the First, a comparison is both superfluous and inevitable. But unlike Sofia, Elena was about an adult Princes. And unlike Sofia, Elena had a song in every episode. But unlike Sofia, Elena never featured any cameos from the official Princesses and was never a vehicle for it. And it`s contradictory how despite how both Sofia and Elena were catered to milk the Princess brand, they still were never included in official lineup. Cause unlike Sofia, Elena could`ve been included for the lone sake of being an adult (just look at Merida from Brave). But as for the popularity, the truth is that Sofia was the more popular show and more viewers than Elena.

Elena`s Ethnicity

Since Elena of Avalor was made to milk the Princess franchise, it`s easy to call it calculated (no offense). But yes, the most headscratching thing about her is how Disney catered her to be Disney`s first Latina Princess. While there were rumors that Sofia would be Disney`s first latina Princess (which was something that was misquoted), Elena truly filled the bill. But Gerber saw the pleas for a Latina Disney princess while working on Sofia. Which is always an issue that is made for scrutiny. And while there`s nothing wrong to make a Latina character royal, it`s still contrived to make one anyways (and please don`t take my remark the wrong way, cause I don`t mean my it in an offensive and racist way). But at least with Elena they made a fictional, Latino Kingdom, as opposed to in Frog. Where Tiana was royally married to a Prince, who also came from a fictional kingdom. But oh well.

However, regarding the criticisms around this issue, Melissa Lozada-Oliva from The Guardian feared that Disney would generalize and "flatten" Latino diversity. Noting that Elena's character isn't indigenous or Afro-Latina, but a thin, light-brown Latina princess from Avalor instead. And despite how she`s influenced by Mayan and Chilean culture, her race and ethnicity is based in Disney fantasy. And comparing her own identity to Elena`s. Media and cultural studies scholar Diana Leon-Boys wrote in her 2023 book, Elena, Princesa of the Periphery: Disney's Flexible Latina Girl said the events were a hollow and flexible representation of Latinidad. But if there was one episode that was scrutinized, it was Festival of Lights. Which included Latina Jewish princess Rebekah. Sarah Aroeste from Kveller praised the inclusion, but also argued that Disney could`ve gone further and made her a full-Sephardic Jewish character. Adam Eliath of the J. The Jewish News of Northern California called the episode a missed opportunity. Irene Katz Connelly of The Forward both praised and criticized the episode for it`s progression and regression.

Epilogue

At the end,
Elena of Avalor is another entry in Disney`s evergrowing jungle of properties and franchises. And sure, it`s needless to say that it was created to milk the Princess brand. But that being said, it`s not a bad way of milking the brand. As for my own personal opinion about the show, I found it cute and endearing enough, despite how there was very little outstanding about it. While it`s obvious made for an preschool audience, the show is still endearing enough for those who likes those types of series.

And Elena is nicely designed, as she looks somewhat as a Latina version of Princess Jasmine in Aladdin. So it`s an honorary and decent show on it`s own right and deserves to get credit for it`s ambition and exectuion when Disney were truly almost all about Princesses. But while that being said, since this entry was meant to synergize it`s 10th Anniversary, there`s nothing else to wish Elena of Avalor Happy 10th Anniversary and may you continue to have many more.