Why Elsa Is More Popular Than Anna

Why Elsa is More Popular Than Anna

We all probably have already seen Frozen 3000 times already and have heard “Let it Go” double that. We have already seen Elsas walking around on Halloween night. I counted 26 when I just went out of my house. I seldom saw an Anna on the street amongst the mass of ice blue dresses.

Out of my friends whom I saw the film with, we unanimously chose Anna as our favorite. My parents as well loved her. When I met so many other people professing their love for Elsa over Anna, I was shocked at first. Then I saw it. Elsa had the magic, the song, the power and the beauty that any person would dream of. Despite Anna being more present throughout the film and saving her sister and the rest of Arendelle, Elsa remains the breadwinner in terms of merchandise sales and popularity. The question we ask is why? 

For Children:

Younger children prefer Elsa to Anna due to her ostentatious “Let It Go” sequence. She makes a beautiful castle out of ice and an enviable dress. In addition, she fought Hans and his crew with her ice paying attention to those who prefer action.

She is the definition of society’s standards of beauty, resembling the Barbie doll that many girls play with. She has blonde hair, blue eyes, a symmetrical face and a slim body. She also sports a gorgeous dress. Many children are exposed to this classic style of beauty opposed to “exotic beauty” that is often associated with Jasmine or Pocahontas or kawaii culture associated with numerous Disney characters. As a child, the most advertised characters tended to be Cinderella, Ariel and Aurora, all having one or more of these traits. Anna on the other hand is referred to as a “natural beauty”, wearing little makeup and a simpler dress. She also has ginger hair in two braids, associating herself with more of the cute aesthetic.

She has the magical powers the enamored so many of my school friends and younger family members. Anna is the normal one.

My best friend’s little sister likes Anna more as she is “funny and nice”, but she wants to be Elsa because of her powers as a monarch, ice witch, and an older sister. It is interesting to note that Anna is the relatable role model while Elsa is seen as this thing to aspire to for many young girls. Many young girls want to be Elsa because of her supposed perfection. Many do not see her faults in her personality when they watch the film because younger children generally do not pay attention to the storyline and character development like older children do.  When visiting Disney World over the summer, one girl told her sister that Elsa was the mean one and Anna was the nice one.

This is probably why we see so many little girls dressed as Elsa.

For Teenagers and Adults:

Many teenagers and adults a like face common things like depression, mental illness, shyness, and personal differences that make them want to hide their identity. Many feel akin to Elsa as she is locked up and forced to “control” her powers. “Let it Go” was an empowering song to many of these people.

 Elsa has the beauty and the power that makes her seem like a mysterious “femme fatale”, and an emotionally strong person due to her glamorous appearance. She does not have interest in men, making her appear stronger to people. Nowadays, a woman falling in love is synonymous with becoming dependent on a man and not feminist. This is not necessarily true, as romantic feelings do not make a woman or man weaker in character. This is generally a criticism for Disney, as many princesses end up with a partner somewhere in the film. When both partners (when they are a man and woman) are equally dominant in their relationship and support each other it is feminist. This is opposed to a person simply being a romantic interest. This is something we see in Tangled as both Rapunzel and Flynn save each other. Anna and Kristoff both work to save Arendelle. This “I don’t need a man” idea is what makes people love Elsa.

Many people also find Anna similar to Rapunzel and Ariel for her optimism and naivety, which makes Elsa unique and attractive in this respect.

That is not to say teenagers and adults do not find Elsa better for the same reasons as children. Most people cosplay as Elsa because of her gorgeous dress. Although I prefer Anna, I was thinking about dressing in Elsa’s coronation gown because of how grand it was.

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Disneys New Consumer Cash Cow is Addicting

         Disney has created a new way to rack up the dough through a social game brought from Japan. Tsum Tsum is similar to Bejewled or Candy Crush in which one must find a stream of “Tsums” or cute Disney characters. You can collect Tsums by buying them with coins earned from playing the game. If you find streams of your Tsums then you can earn points to level up your Tsum. Tsums also have skills that are individual to each Tsum. You start with Mickey Mouse who has the least amount of power. He can only eliminate small amounts of Tsums around him. Chip and Dale are largely considered the best Tsum.

Tsum Tsum was originally created by Disney in Japan using the chat app Line. It comes to show how major corporations are using social media to spread their influences around the world. Gamers can submit their scores on Line and compete with friends to find the highest score, making Tsum Tsum an addicting game for the competitive and the socialites alike.

Tsum Tsum has recently traveled overseas to America this summer. Instead of posting scores to Line one can post scores to Facebook, similarly to games like Temple Run. This, in itself is a powerful marketing tool that can be used to spread the popularity of the game. Being bombarded with posts by friends of games can inspire people to download the game and compete with their friends.

If one can recall this is similar to Flappy Bird. Users would capture shot their scores and post it onto Instagram. This helped spread the popularity of that game.

In addition there are coins and rubies that can buy Tsums and lives. You waste one life each time you play a game. You can earn more coins, lives and rubies by finishing missions and achieving achievements. However, these run out fast and you have the opportunity to trade real money for rubies to exchange for lives and coins. Due to its addicting nature, money can easily be earned for Disney if one buys these rubies.

In addition Disney has released a new line of toys dedicated to the game. Tsums take the form of toys that can be purchased online. In addition they sell Tsums from Japan that aren’t yet released in the United States such as the Alice in Wonderland collection.

Playing this game I personally find myself playing it out of boredom or when I’m waiting on a long line or on a bus or train. I find the Tsum toys adorable, especially the Alice in Wonderland ones. I can say I’m Disney’s ideal target customer.

Big Hero 6

Big Hero 6

Well, Disney is using it’s rights to Marvel well by scheduling to release Big Hero 6 on November 7, 2014. With the release of oscar winning Frozen (2013) and oscar nominated (and deserved) Wreck It Ralph (2012), expectations are high for another Disney animated feature film. This will be Disney’s 54th animated picture.

Big Hero 6 is based off a series of Marvel Comics concerning the main character Hiro Hamada. Hiro Hamada is a robotics prodigy. When a mysterious and dangerous plot unfolds in San Fransokyo, Hiro Hamada turns to his robot best friend Baymax. They then transform Hiro Hamada and his friends Baymax, Honey Lemon, Fred, Go Go Tomago and Wasabi into high-tech heroes, thus forming Big Hero 6.

(Left to Right) Wasabi, Honey Lemon, Baymax, Hiro, Fred and Go Go Tomago

It seems like a worthy investment for Disney. The fact that it was based on a Marvel Comic may attract more audiences as well as those who read the comics previously. The main characters include both girls and boys which will appeal to both genders of children. After the success of Frozen and Wreck It Ralph more people would be excited to see the films as critics rave that Disney is going through a new Renaissance. However some fear that it may end up as a stereotypical action-adventure movie marketed towards boys.

In addition to all of that the animation looks wonderful in the concept art:

 

Overall, it looks like a worthy wait for Disney’s Big Hero 6.

Disney Doll Reviews

Anna Classic Doll

Quality Compared to Price: 9/10

The doll is good quality, especially for being intended for children. It is very detailed, including the detail on Anna’s bodice and dress similarly to the movie. It includes her gloves, hat, cape and even her white streak. Her boots include the same yellow pattern featured in the movie. Her cape has heart clasps similar to how they were pictured in the movie. She has rosy cheeks covered with freckles. Her eyes are in a very Anna-esque position. She has green side glancing eyes. The main issue I have is that if her gloves are taken off they are difficult to put back on again. In addition her her hair is long only on the sides of her hair with braids while the middle is cut short.

Similarity to Movie: 8/10 As mentioned before, this Anna doll is extremely detailed for being a toy. Of course it is not going to be as detailed as the limited editions. Her eyes are more green than the blue which is shown in her concept art. In addition her cape does not have the details that it does in the movie or like the limited edition dolls.

Box: 9/10 The box was fabulously packaged. The background is of Arendelle and there is patterns running down the sides of the box. This seems to be a pattern used in many pieces of Frozen merchandise. There is a picture of Anna’s animation on the corner of the box. The back of the box includes a picture of Anna and Elsa. This is the only fault. Most of the dolls in the classic collection have a character description. This makes the Anna doll different from the rest of the collection.

Collectability: 4/10  With all Anna dolls sold out on the Disney store, she is being sold on the market for double the price. It is also the first edition of the Anna doll. First editions tend to be more movie accurate. This means that Anna would be the most detailed out of all the editions that may be made of her excluding limited editions.

Elsa Classic Doll

Quality 8/10: The doll is of good quality compared to its price. However, this doll is not as detailed as the Anna doll. Elsa has a blue dress with a glitter bodice. She has a glitter blue cape with snowflake patterns on it. There is a slit on the left side of her dress. Her hair is long and platinum blonde. The top of her hair is covered with pushed back bangs, stiff with gel. She has plain blue mary janes that are not as detailed as Anna’s boots. She also has slide glancing blue eyes and thin lips.  Overall she is a detailed doll that compliments Anna’s wonderfully.

Similarity to the movie 5/10: Elsa’s emotions do not compare to her emotions in the movie. She looks happy here. She is a character representing fear and depression and she has the same expression as Anna, a character who represents love and compassion. Her character is not as easy to capture in doll form compared to Anna. All of the doll’s features are beautiful but her doll does not capture the true nature of Elsa. Her hair is also too dark compared to her almost white hair. In addition her dress is not as detailed as Anna’s, which is understandable, considering her dress is made of ice.

Box: 9/10 The box was fabulously packaged. The background is of Arendelle and there is patterns running down the sides of the box. This seems to be a pattern used in many pieces of Frozen merchandise. There is a picture of Elsa’s animation on the corner of the box. The back of the box includes a picture of Anna and Elsa. This is the only fault. Most of the dolls in the classic collection have a character description. This makes the Elsa doll different from the rest of the collection.

Collectability: 5/10 Elsa is surely a more popular character than Anna in terms of merchandising. This doll is the first edition of Elsa’s classic doll. This doll is also sold out and is not as accessible as Anna’s doll is. It is an essential starting goal for beginning collectors to get this doll before reaching into their pockets deeper for the limited edition dolls. This doll is not a limited edition.

Rapunzel Wedding Doll

Quality: 10/10 Her dress is highly detailed copying each design and symbol featured in the short. Her neckline has gold trimming and puffy sleeves. Rapunzel also has a crown and veil. No complaints.  

Similarity to Short: 7/10 Rapunzel is very detailed, her dress matching the short’s extremely well. Her face however does not capture Rapunzel as well as Anna’s doll does. This may due with the character’s appearance. Her eyes are also blue on the doll compared to her green eyes in the movie and in the short.

Box: 9/10 It is a very detailed box similar to Anna and Elsa’s. It has gold and pink vines coming down the sides. The bottom of the box features the name Rapunzel framed by similar golden vines. The box’s bottom is a magenta with light pink designs and symbols seen in Tangled. The back of the box is a Standard Classic doll back with a character description and other Tangled dolls featured on it. There is a golden necklace featuring charms related to Tangled on it.

Collectability: 4/10 It is very rare that Disney comes out with a Rapunzel doll with her short brown hair. In addition it is not certain if the 2015 editions of Rapunzel will have a wedding doll. This is the doll that Disney doll collectors may want to get their hands on before the next editions of dolls come out. It is not sold out currently. When the Anna and Elsa dolls get back into stable stock supply in the summer, this would be the most collectible doll on this list. This is the first edition of the wedding Rapunzel doll.

Maleficent Disney Film Collection

Quality:  10/10 The quality of this doll is superb. Her black clothes and horns are designed and made excellently. The doll also captures the high cheekbones that Angelina Jolie wears (they are prosthetics) in the movie. She also comes with a staff.

Similarity to Movie: 9/10 The doll resembles her character well. Her cheekbones, eyes and clothing all resemble the movie. She has green eyes, pale skin and dark lips which resemble her character. She has a dark dress resembling her character. She also comes with a staff, which is a nice touch that brings her powerful personality in. The only problem is the jawline. In the movie, Maleficent has a sharp, straight jaw that is not shown here.

Box: 6/10 The box is detailed with black birds and trees, adding the very dark nature to the film. 
There is a dark, night background in the back of the doll which adds to the dark theme. It is hard to 
see the doll in its box because of this. All the dark colors mesh in with each other and it is harder
to see her clothes. However, it does make the face of the doll pop.   The main issue is the shape 
of the box which is not the best. It is not a rectangle and has an odd curve on the front.

Frozen Merchandise: Sold Out

Frozen is the most successful animated feature in all history, making over 1 billion dollars worldwide and is in the top ten most successful films of all time. The film has captured millions of people’s hearts. The film and Elsa’s power ballad Let It Go, won Oscars.

It will be unsurprising that children everywhere are eager to dress up as the leads Anna and Elsa, and many collectors and children are on the race for Frozen dolls and plushes. The Anna and Elsa Limited Edition dolls (of 5000) sold out in minutes when it came out at 12 am Western Time.

The problem? The lack of merchandise. Frozen’s success was unplanned and unexpected. Disney had produced too many pieces of Tangled and Brave merchandise and limited the Frozen merchandise much less than the other princesses. Frozen dolls, dresses, plushes, tumblers, placemats, fork and spoon sets, cups, shirts, nightgowns, mini-dolls and other pieces of merchandise are being sold out in hours. Dresses and dolls are almost impossible to attain at the current moment.

The Elsa dress, arguably the most coveted piece of merchandise is being sold for hundreds of dollars on ebay, while costing roughly $50. One woman payed 600 pounds each for Elsa and Anna dresses. Angry parents are swarming the Disney Store’s social media page demanding Frozen merchandise.  

Parents and collectors (such as myself and primarily toys) are scavenging eBay and other sites to find merchandise for their children or themselves. The cost and demand is skyrocketing especially after Frozen’s Oscar win in March as well as it’s DVD release.

Examples of Frozen Merchandise

How to Find Frozen Items

Where to find these items? Every Saturday at the Disney Store of course. Store openings on Saturday will be your chance to enter in a raffle to buy the Elsa dress and to purchase dolls and select plushes that are rarely found online or on weekdays. You still may have the chance to purchase smaller Frozen themed items such as utensils or books and t-shirts as they arrive at your local Disney Store.

Target, Walmart, JC Penney and Toys R Us are known to carry Frozen merchandise made by Mattel and other non-Disney companies. Dolls are hard to find, especially Elsa dolls. However playsets, accessories, non-toy merchandise and sometimes even dresses are seen in stock. On my recent trips to Target I spotted so far an Olaf plush, an Anna dress, a bunch of Elsa wands, an Anna accessory kit, two comforters, books, a fleece blanket and an Elsa and Anna costume trunk on separate trips. Elsa Ice Playsets were at times available on both Walmart and Toys R Us’s online stores.

NowInStock.net is a beneficial site to use on conquests for Frozen merchandise. So far I was able to score Anna and Elsa classic dolls, an Olaf plush and Frozen blankets thanks to this website and the persistent following of the Disney Store website. (I absolutely adore them). In the end determination and hardwork pays off. Good luck to all those searching!

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