The age gaps between unofficial Disney princesses do not even have a love interest, with Elsa's and Moana's stories focusing on sisterhood and self-discovery. Though traditional Disney love stories are still popular, the age gaps can sometimes be large, which has been getting both attention and criticism.

Snow White, the first Disney Princess, had a traditional romance storyline, but Disney princesses have changed greatly since then. This is partly due to greater attention being paid to the messages that the Disney Princess brand promotes. Modern Disney princess storylines are less likely to revolve around finding romance, with the relationships they enter prioritizing a connection rather than a marriage, and a more healthy dynamic overall. However, while Disney has been controversial for featuring princes who are often significantly older than the princesses, one unofficial Disney Princess reverses this as she's over 8000 years older than her love interest.

The Biggest Disney Age Gap Is In Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Atlantis May Be The Only Disney Movie In Which The Characters Mention The Large Age Difference

Many Disney Princesses are in their teens, while Kida is an extreme outlier based on her age. Atlantis: The Lost Empire's Kida is considered an unofficial Disney Princess as she is a princess in her own culture, and when Milo arrives in Atlantis, he estimates her age at between 8500–8800 years old. As Milo was born in 1882 and Atlantis: The Lost Empire takes place in 1914, Milo is about 32, depending on when exactly his birthday is. This would make the age gap between Milo and Kida between 8468 and 8768 years.

By the standards of the Atlantean lifespan, Kida is roughly the same age as Milo.

Some live-action Disney movies have changed the age of their princess by casting an older actress, but if a live-action adaptation of Atlantis: The Lost Empire was made, this is less likely to be an issue. The Atlantean crystal gives its people extremely long lives, so by the standards of the Atlantean lifespan, Kida is roughly the same age as Milo. Still, Milo is startled when he works out Kida's age when the two ask each other questions about their worlds and this could be the only Disney movie that mentions the large age gap between the characters.

There Are Some Big Age Gaps Between Other Disney Princesses And Their Love Interests

The Age Gap Between Flynn And Rapunzel Is Especially Controversial

It is not always known how old each Disney Princess is, and while many Disney princes and princesses' ages can be estimated, other movies clearly state the age of their princess, like The Little Mermaid when Ariel says "I'm 16 years old, I'm not a child." As Prince Eric is 18, this is a smaller age gap than many Disney Princess relationships. Snow White and the prince are thought to be 14 and 18. Belle and Prince Adam are estimated to be 17 and 21, and the age gap between Rapunzel and Flynn may surprise viewers.

Though Kida and Milo have an enormous age gap in Atlantis: The Lost Empire, the most controversial Disney age gap is the eight-year difference between Rapunzel and Flynn Rider in Tangled. Flynn Rider is 26 years old in Tangled, while Rapunzel is about to turn 18, with her birthday happening during the movie. While Kida and Milo are of a similar age when adjusting for the Atlantean lifespan, Flynn is both older than Rapunzel and has life experience that Rapunzel has not had. This is what makes their relationship controversial, even though the two are presented as a good match.

Why Disney's Age Gaps Are So All Over The Place

Live-Action Disney Princesses Are Usually Older Than The Animated Versions

While Atlantis: The Lost Empire was written in the 1990s, many fairytales were written at a time in which young teenage girls often got married. This meant that the characters that the original Disney Princesses were based on were much younger than a modern audience would expect. As Disney movies tend to keep the focus on the princesses, the prince's age has often been flexible or unclear, though they often appear to be older based on their role in their kingdoms. However, many of the more recent live-action Disney movies address the harsh realities about Disney princesses, including their ages.

The live-action Disney movie princesses often marry later than in the animated movies, if at all, and most live-action Disney movies have cast actresses who are significantly older than their original characters. Snow White actress Rachel Zegler is 23, and while there is still a three-year age gap between Ariel and Eric in the live-action The Little Mermaid, both characters were made two years older. Rumors of a live-action Atlantis: The Lost Empire have circulated for years, but based on the story's context, finding a way to make Milo's actor 8000 years older shouldn't be an issue.