Disney-based life simulation gameDisney Dreamlight Valleyrecently released its second paid expansion: The Storybook Vale, a land of books and wonder where classic myths and fairy tales come to life. The first part of the Storybook Vale’s plot focused on ending a destructive feud between villains Maleficent and Hades; the second part, to be released in 2025, will involve finding the missing Princess Aurora. The proactive, powerful role thatDisney Dreamlight Valleyhas given to this classic princess is good news for fans of other original generation Disney princesses who have yet to be added to the game, such as Snow White and Cinderella.
Aurora Is Sometimes Considered A Passive Figure In Her Original Film
In the originalSleeping Beautyfilm, Princess Aurora isn’t given much to do - understandable, as she spends a good portion of the film asleep. While she is kind and loving, and the end of the film implies that she will be a good ruler to her kingdom, she is unfortunately a fairly passive figure who needs to be protected by the three good fairies and rescued from her enchanted sleep by Prince Phillip.
Similar accusations of “passivity” have been levied against other classic Disney Princesses - most often Cinderella and Snow White, but sometimes even Princess Jasmine fromAladdinand Belle fromBeauty and the Beast.They are often contrasted with more active “modern” Disney heroines like the soldierMulan, the wayfinder Moana, and the ice-wielding Elsa fromFrozen.
This led some fans to worry that the classic princesses would be “boring,” while others theorized that this was why the likes ofAurora, Cinderella, and Snow White had not yet appeared inDreamlight Valley,despite them being some of Disney’s most iconic characters.
Aurora Is A Powerful Figure Who Rules Storybook Vale
Although she does not physically appear in Part 1 ofThe Storybook Vale, Princess Aurora is established as a powerful figure with significant magical ability - potentially equivalent to that of the player character, who rules over all of Dreamlight Valley. Multiple quests involve locating lost treasures or secret rooms left behind by Aurora, and learning the ways she dealt with the feuding villains and the magical fallout of their arguments.
Players get to know Aurora through the pages of her journal, which have been scattered around the Storybook Vale. These entries portray her as a confident, calm, kind ruler who bonded with the other residents of the Vale - Merida, Flynn Rider, and even Hades - and stood up toMaleficentdespite her previous bad experiences with the powerful sorceress. Aurora also reveals in her journal that she learned magic from the fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, and is capable of using Royal Tools to tend to the Vale just like the player character does.
Future Classic Princesses Could Play A Similar Role
Players who enjoyedDisney Dreamlight Valley’stake on Aurora are excited to meet the princess in person in Part 2 of the Stoybook Vale expansion, as well as seeing other classic princesses given similar roles in future expansions or free updates.
Perhaps Cinderella could take a leadership role in the Valley itself much like the Fairy Godmother does, or rule over the Dream Castle - designed after her iconic palace - which contains the gates to other worlds. Snow White could team up with the Seven Dwarves to expand theVitalys Mines, an expansive mine in the Valley where rare crystals and gemstones can be found. Jasmine, who is theorized to be joining the game alongside Aladdin in 2025, could help keep an eye on Jafar, who previously tried to claim rulership of Eternity Isle during the “A Rift in Time” expansion. Whatever roles they play, Disney’s classic princesses have so much they can contribute, andDisney Dreamlight Valleyshould take full advantage of this.
