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Princess Tiana Officially Joins the Disney Princess Royal Court at Star-Studded Crowning Event in New York City

(Editors' note: Event images available at http://dcp.smugmug.com/Events/Princess-Coronation/11490709_o4Cfb no log-in required)

As Disney's newest Disney Princess character, Tiana will forever be celebrated and recognized as a Disney Princess across all divisions of The Walt Disney Company and will be included in all Disney Princess merchandise programs featuring multiple Disney Princess characters starting this July. The event also celebrated the arrival of the Academy Award-nominated The Princess and the Frog on Disney Blu-Ray, which releases March 16. Disney Princess licensees Mattel and CDI, a division of JAKKS Pacific, co-sponsored the event and showcased the latest Disney Princess and The Princess and the Frog toy and role play lines. Since the beginning of this year, more than a quarter of a million toys featuring Princess Tiana have already flown off shelves.

With celebrities and their daughters in attendance including Tina Fey, Audra McDonald, Kelly Rutherford, Melissa Joan Hart, Nigel Barker, Alessandra Ambrosio, Matt Walton and Amy Landecker, among others, Princess Tiana made her entry in grand style as she exited a horse-drawn carriage on Madison Avenue surrounded by an entourage of adorable little princesses donning their gorgeous princess gowns and walked the red carpet through the New York Palace's famed 15^th Century-inspired courtyard as fanfare trumpeters lined the processional aisle and created a canopy for her entrance. Once Tiana reached the ceremony stage, a royal proclamation was read and Prince Naveen crowned the ninth enchanting Disney Princess as her sisters in royalty - Ariel, Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Mulan, Pocahontas and Snow White - looked on.

"We're thrilled to recognize Princess Tiana and officially announce that she is here to stay as a full-fledged Disney Princess," said Sheila Ullery, vice president of girls franchise development for Disney Consumer Products. "Little girls quickly embraced her independent, strong-willed character and the rich storyline of The Princess and the Frog. We'll continue to showcase Princess Tiana in stand-alone and multi-princess merchandise, including apparel, accessories, costumes, toys, stationery, food, beauty products and home entertainment."

Releasing March 16, 2010 on Disney Blu-Ray Combo Pack and DVD, The Princess and the Frog will bring families much fun and excitement with an array of bonus features and an incredible high-definition viewing experience. Bonus features include deleted scenes, inside access to the animation studios and filmmakers, family activities and much more. The Princess and the Frog Blu-ray Combo Pack includes a Blu-ray , DVD and DisneyFile Digital Copy of the movie all in one package. Combo Packs provide unprecedented value, quality, and versatility with the exceptional picture and sound of Blu-ray and the extended utility of DVD and digital copy of the film in a single package.

The Princess and the Frog product line triumphed at retail last fall, proving that Princess Tiana is here to stay. Among key highlights are: The Princess Tiana Sparkle Doll and the new Transforming Tiana Doll, both from Mattel, have been particularly popular, delivering strong sales. Princess Tiana role play dresses from CDI have been the top selling dresses in the Disney Princess lineup at retailers nationwide. Carol's Daughter beauty products featuring Princess Tiana sold out in just two hours online. The Princess and the Frog Kellogg's fruit snacks have been one of the most popular choices in the snack aisle. Since the domestic theatrical film release, more than 2.5 million books featuring Princess Tiana have sold globally. And this month, Disney Stores sold out of its limited edition Princess Tiana collector doll during the pre-sell period.

Beginning this spring and through the holiday season, Disney Princess licensees Mattel and CDI will release a new assortment of stand-alone and multi-Disney Princess products featuring Princess Tiana. Exciting new toys and playthings featuring Princess Tiana include her addition to Mattel's Disney Princess Sparkling Princess Doll Assortment line (SRP $9.99) and Disney's The Princess and the Frog Princess-to-Frog Tiana Doll (SRP $24.99) where Princess Tiana transforms from princess to frog and back again.

New home decor, apparel and accessories, stationery and personal care items featuring Princess Tiana alongside other Disney Princess characters will be available for the first time beginning in July. Disney Store retail locations nationwide and DisneyStore.com will also release an exclusive assortment of new Princess Tiana products throughout the year.

With Academy Award nominations for Best Animated Feature and Best Song ("Almost There" and "Down in New Orleans," both by Randy Newman), The Princess and the Frog and Princess Tiana are sure to remain in the hearts of Disney fans of all ages for generations to come.

About Disney Princess

The Disney Princess franchise enables little girls to live the life of a princess through world-class entertainment and innovative products that let them act out scenes from Disney's wholesome, timeless and cherished fairy tale film classics. The franchise is comprised of nine beloved Disney Princess characters - Ariel (The Little Mermaid), Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) Belle (Beauty and the Beast), Cinderella, Jasmine (Aladdin), Mulan, Pocahontas, Snow White and Tiana (The Princess and the Frog). Each Disney Princess character has a unique story that empowers girls to imagine and live their very own fairy tales. Disney began branding the characters under the Disney Princess umbrella brand in 2000. Today, Disney Princess is a multi-billion dollar global franchise and worldwide consumer products business that has become a leading girls' lifestyle brand with product offerings extending across categories, including toys and personal electronics, apparel, home decor, stationery, food, personal care, publishing, video games, and theme park and live theatrical experiences. Every month, millions of girls actively engage with each Disney Princess through interactive stories and activities at disney.com/disneyprincess.

About Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a recognized leader in the home entertainment industry, is the marketing, sales and distribution company for Walt Disney, Touchstone, Hollywood Pictures, Miramax and Buena Vista product, which includes DVD, Blu-ray Disc and electronic distribution. Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is a division of The Walt Disney Studios.

About Disney Consumer Products Disney Consumer Products (DCP) is the business segment of The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) that extends the Disney brand to merchandise ranging from apparel, toys, home decor and books and magazines to foods and beverages, stationery, electronics and fine art. This is accomplished through DCP's various lines of business which include: Disney Toys, Disney Fashion & Home, Disney Food, Health & Beauty, and Disney Stationery. Other businesses involved in Disney's consumer products sales are Disney Publishing Worldwide, the world's largest publisher of children's books and magazines, and www.DisneyStore.com, the company's official shopping portal. The Disney Stores retail chain, which debuted in 1987, is owned and operated by Disney in North America and Europe. The Disney Stores chain in Japan is operated under a license agreement with Disney. For more information, please visit www.DisneyConsumerProducts.com or follow Disney Living at YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6213734&lang=en

Disney Consumer Products
Kate Greenberg, 818-544-0039
kate.h.greenberg@disney.com
Norma Rosenfield, 818-591-2264
norma@rosenfieldpr.com
or
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
Amelia B. McPartlon, 818-295-5243
Amelia.B.McPartlon@disney.com