A Lot or a Little?
What you will?and won't?find in this TV show.
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Educational Value
very little
Although a country is never specified, the show exposes viewers to various Latin cultural markers including music (banda, contrapunteo, etc.), dance (merengue, flamenco, etc.), architecture, and some Spanish language.
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Positive Messages
a lot
Elena's journey from princess to queen involves many mistakes, but she always turns them into learning opportunities and shows a willingness to heed the advice of those who have more knowledge and experience. Excellent messages about integrity, making positive decisions, working together, respecting elders, friendship, and finding your path in life.
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Positive Role Models
a lot
Excellent all around. Elena is a typical teen, driven by a sincere desire to succeed but often getting ahead of her own abilities and knowledge. Even so, she learns from every experience and surrounds herself with people who can help her do the best job. Her family is a source of strength for her, and her grandparents and sister are invaluable resources when she needs guidance.
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Diverse Representations
a lot
After Disney's first
botched attempt
at a Latina princess, Elena Castillo Flores and the Latin-inspired world of Avalor feel polished in comparison. The world of Avalor simplifies several cultures into a Latinidad pastiche, which could easily have felt careless in its execution. (The decision to sprinkle post-colonial Spanish throughout the series lands strangely, for example, given the show's mostly pre-colonial setting.) Thankfully, the writers were intentional in their research, and all references are rooted in reality. But for all its groundbreaking celebration of Latin culture, which shouldn't be discounted, Elena of Avalor takes shortcuts in other areas: Afro-Latinos are absent, and portrayals such as the Japanese-inspired Satu or Jewish kingdom of Galonia blur the line between "simplistic" and "stereotypical." And while the show does center confident women and female relationships, other aspects of diversity -- disability, sexuality, body size, skin color, etc. -- are missing.
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Violence & Scariness
very little
A brief scene shows Elena's parents zapped by a sorceress, and it's implied that they die. Sword fights, some skirmishes, and other magical exchanges, but no serious injuries.
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Products & Purchases
very little
As with most Disney productions, this series inspires a merchandise line marketed toward kids.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that
Elena of Avalor
features Disney's first Latina princess and incorporates many aspects of different Latin traditions and Indigenous folklore, showcasing them through music, dance, and some Spanish language. But the cultural vagueness -- and absence of darker-skinned Latinos -- leaves ample room for Disney to continue expanding on its roster of Latin characters. As it stands, Elena is an excellent role model -- imperfect and impulsive but eager, determined, and kind. A few scenes of sorcery might be scary for very little kids, and one results in the presumed death of two characters (though it's not shown and only alluded to). Expect positive messages about friendship, family relationships, and respecting other people's experience and knowledge, as well as honesty, fairness, and empathy. This funny, heartwarming series is a worthy addition to the Disney princess collection.