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Aurora (Disney) facts for kids

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Aurora
Sleeping Beauty character
Princess aurora disney.png
Aurora as she appears in Disney's Sleeping Beauty wearing the blue version of her famous color-changing ballgown.
First appearance Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Last appearance Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
Created by
Portrayed by Elle Fanning (Maleficent & Maleficent: Mistress of Evil)
Eleanor Worthington Cox (8-years-old) (Maleficent)
Vivienne Jolie-Pitt (5-years-old) (Maleficent)
Voiced by
Based on Briar Rose from the Charles Perrault's fairy tale
Information
Nickname(s) Sleeping Beauty
Briar Rose (alias)
Affiliation Disney Princesses
Title Princess, Queen (Maleficent)
Family
Spouse(s) Prince Phillip
Children Princess Audrey (Descendants)
Relatives

Princess Aurora, also known as Sleeping Beauty or Briar Rose, is a famous character from Disney's 1959 animated movie Sleeping Beauty. She was first voiced by singer Mary Costa. Aurora is the only child of King Stefan and Queen Leah.

An evil fairy named Maleficent was angry because she wasn't invited to Aurora's baby naming ceremony. So, she put a curse on the princess. Maleficent said that Aurora would die on her sixteenth birthday by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel. To protect Aurora, three good fairies raised her in secret as a peasant girl named Briar Rose. They hoped to keep her safe until her sixteenth birthday. The curse could only be broken by a kiss from her true love, Prince Phillip.

Aurora's story comes from the classic fairy tale "Sleeping Beauty" by Charles Perrault. It also uses parts of "Little Briar Rose" by the Brothers Grimm. Walt Disney looked for a long time to find the right voice actress for Aurora. He almost gave up until he found Mary Costa. Her southern accent was almost a problem, but she proved she could speak with a British accent for the movie.

The animators worked very hard on Aurora's design. They wanted her to look elegant and took ideas from Art Nouveau art. Animator Marc Davis made Aurora's slim look based on actress Audrey Hepburn. Aurora has very few lines in the movie. She speaks less than any other main character in a full-length Disney animated film.

When Sleeping Beauty first came out in 1959, it didn't do very well. This made Disney wait a long time before making more animated fairy tales. Some critics thought Aurora was too passive, like Snow White. She was Disney's last princess until Ariel from The Little Mermaid appeared 30 years later. However, many people loved Mary Costa's singing. This inspired her to become a successful opera singer. Aurora is the third Disney Princess in the story timeline.

Actress Elle Fanning plays Aurora in the live-action movie Maleficent (2014). This movie tells the Sleeping Beauty story from Maleficent's point of view. Elle Fanning also played Aurora in the sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019). This second movie takes place five years after the first.

Aurora's Voice Around the World

When Sleeping Beauty was released in 1959, it was dubbed into many languages. By 1960, there were 10 different language versions. Over the years, Disney expanded to more countries. This meant the movie was dubbed into even more languages. Some of the older dubbings were also updated.

Today, only five of the original 10 dubbings are still used. The animated movie now has 34 dubbings in use. There are also 9 older versions that have been replaced.

In the first Danish and Latin American Spanish versions, the actresses who spoke Aurora's lines were supposed to sing too. But in Danish, Ellen Winther's singing voice was changed. The directors thought it didn't fit Aurora well. In Latin America, Estrellita Díaz passed away before she could record the songs.      Highlighted versions were released between 1959 and 1960     Highlighted versions are a redubbing of an older dubbing

Aurora's Adventures in Film and TV

Her First Movie: Sleeping Beauty (1959)

Aurora first appeared in the 1959 movie Sleeping Beauty. She is the only daughter of King Stefan and Queen Leah. An evil fairy named Maleficent was angry because she wasn't invited to Aurora's christening. Maleficent cursed the princess to die by pricking her finger on a spinning wheel on her 16th birthday.

However, one of the three good fairies, Merryweather, changed the curse. Aurora would instead fall into a deep sleep until a kiss from her true love woke her. Merryweather and the other two fairies, Flora and Fauna, raised Aurora in a hidden cottage. They called her Briar Rose to keep her safe from Maleficent.

Years later, a 16-year-old Aurora met a handsome man in the forest. She didn't know he was Prince Phillip, her betrothed since she was a baby. They fell in love and planned to meet again. But the fairies told Aurora her true identity. They had to take her back to her parents, which made her very sad.

Alone at the castle, Maleficent put Aurora into a trance. Aurora pricked her finger and fell into a deep sleep. The fairies placed her in the highest tower. They also put the entire kingdom to sleep. Meanwhile, Maleficent captured Phillip. The fairies freed him when they realized he was Aurora's true love. After defeating Maleficent, Phillip's kiss woke Aurora. She was finally reunited with her parents.

More Stories: Disney Princess Enchanted Tales (2007)

In Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams (2007), Aurora stars in a story called "Keys to the Kingdom." Her parents leave her in charge of the kingdom for two days. Lord Duke, their helper, is there to assist her. The fairies offer their help but Aurora wants to do it herself. They give her a magic wand just in case.

Aurora is determined not to use the wand. But her duties become too much to handle. She finally uses the wand, but her inexperience causes problems. Giant chickens, green pigs, and cows appear! Lord Duke warns the returning King Stefan, Queen Leah, King Hubert, and Prince Phillip. Aurora has to fix everything without magic before they arrive. She then hosts a banquet for everyone.

Live-Action Films: Maleficent (2014) and Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)

In Maleficent (2014), Elle Fanning plays a live-action Aurora. This movie tells the Sleeping Beauty story from the villain's side. Janet McTeer voices an older Aurora as the narrator. Maleficent curses Aurora but ends up raising her. They form a strong mother-daughter bond. Aurora even calls Maleficent her fairy godmother.

When the curse comes true, Maleficent's kiss on Aurora's forehead wakes her. This is different from the prince's kiss in the original. Aurora defends Maleficent from her father. She eventually returns Maleficent's wings. Aurora becomes queen of both the human kingdom and the fairy kingdom, the Moors.

Elle Fanning returned as Aurora in Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019). Five years have passed, and Phillip asks Aurora to marry him. She happily says yes. Maleficent is hesitant at first but agrees to meet Phillip's family. At dinner, Maleficent is wrongly blamed for cursing King John, Phillip's father. Aurora refuses to go home with Maleficent.

Later, Aurora misses Maleficent and her life in the Moors. She learns that Phillip's mother, Queen Ingrith, cursed the king. Queen Ingrith is also planning to harm the creatures of the Moors. Aurora and Phillip help Maleficent stop the war. Finally, Aurora and Phillip get married.

Other TV Appearances

Aurora appears in the TV series Once Upon a Time. Actress Sarah Bolger plays her. She also made a guest appearance in the Sofia the First episode "Holiday in Enchancia." The magical amulet of Avalor called on her to help Princess Sofia. Aurora helped Sofia find her missing stepfather, King Roland II. She told Sofia to trust her animal friends, just as she had done long ago.

Aurora also appeared with other Disney Princesses in the movie Ralph Breaks the Internet. This was announced at the 2017 D23 Expo.

Aurora in Games and Parks

Video Games

Aurora is a character in the Kingdom Hearts video game series. She is one of the seven Princesses of Heart. In the game Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep (2010), her story follows the original movie. Aurora also appears in Kinect Disneyland Adventures (2011). In this game, she asks players to find different items, like songs sung by birds.

Disney Parks

You can often meet performers dressed as Aurora at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. She appears at Walt Disney World's Epcot France Pavilion and Cinderella's Royal Table. You can also see her in the Disney Dreams Come True Parade. She meets guests at Princess Fairytale Hall in the Magic Kingdom.

At Disneyland California, she is at Fantasyland's Princess Meet 'n' Greet. In Disneyland Paris, she is at Fantasyland's Princess Pavilion and Auberge de Cendrillon. You can find her in Fantasyland and World Bazaar at Tokyo Disneyland. She also appears at the Wishing Well in Hong Kong Disneyland.

The Name "Princess Aurora"

The Walt Disney Company has a special legal right, called a trademark, for the name "Princess Aurora." They filed for this trademark on March 13, 2007, with the US Patent and Trademark Office. This trademark covers making and sharing movies, TV shows, and sound and video recordings.

This has caused some discussion. "Princess Aurora" is also the name of the main character in The Sleeping Beauty Ballet. Disney got the name and some music for its animated film from this ballet. The ballet is performed live and sometimes on TV, and recordings are sold. The trademark was officially given to Disney on January 17, 2012.

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: La bella durmiente (franquicia) para niños

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