Aurora (Disney)/Synopsis

Sleeping Beauty
Aurora's parents named her after the Roman Goddess of the Dawn because she filled their lives with sunshine. Soon after she was born, she was presented to the kingdom at a christening, where she was betrothed to Prince Phillip, the son of King Stefan's good friend King Hubert. Also invited were the three good fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather, who bestow blessings on the newborn princess. Flora and Fauna give the infant princess the gifts of beauty and song, respectively. However, before Merryweather has the opportunity to give her gift, the evil fairy Maleficent arrives. Angered because she wasn't invited to the ceremony, Maleficent puts a curse on baby Aurora. According to Maleficent, before the sun sets on Aurora's sixteenth birthday, she will prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die. Maleficent disappears, leaving everyone in shock and horrified. Merryweather, though unable to lift the curse, could soften it. Instead of death, she would remedy the situation by placing Aurora into an enchanted sleep, only to be awakened by true love's kiss if this was to happen.

Still fearful for the princess's safety, the three good fairies agree to hide the princess as a peasant for 16 years, until the danger has passed. They take the baby to a cottage in the forest and raise her, disguising themselves as her mortal aunts and renaming her Briar Rose.

On Aurora's sixteenth birthday, her "aunts" send her out into the forest, so that they can prepare her birthday party in secret. While Aurora is out, she dreams of meeting a handsome prince, while singing "Once Upon a Dream". At first, she is singing with her forest friends. But she soon meets Prince Phillip, who had followed her melodic voice. Not knowing who Phillip was, or of their betrothal, she believes him to be a stranger, and attempts to leave. However, she dances with him for a bit and ends up falling in love. When he asked for her name, she then left, realizing she wasn't allowed to give her name to strangers. She does, however, tell him where she lives and asks him to meet her there that night.

At home, Briar Rose comes home to a splendid birthday party. She tells her aunts about the young man that she met, but is confused when they aren't happy for her. Flora, Fauna and Merryweather reveal Briar Rose's true identity as Princess Aurora, as well as the fact that she is betrothed. The fairies sadly explain that she can never see the young man again, not knowing that he was actually her betrothed. Heartbroken, Aurora breaks into tears as she heads upstairs to weep on her bed.

The fairies bring the upset Aurora back to her father's castle, take her to a room, and decide to leave her alone for a time. They conjure a crown and place it on her head so that she can eventually come to realize her royalty. While they are gone, Maleficent enchants the princess and leads her up an abandoned tower staircase. At the top floor within the empty room, Maleficent conjures a spinning wheel. The fairies realize the danger and frantically run up the stairs to stop Aurora, but before they can, Maleficent forces the girl to prick her finger, invoking the curse. The fairies arrive, but run into Maleficent, who mocks their efforts to stop her, reveals the fallen princess, who has been cursed, and vanishes.

The fairies place Aurora, now in an enchanted sleep, upon a bed at the top of the highest tower. While putting everyone else in the castle to sleep, the fairies discover that Phillip had been the man that Aurora met after overhearing King Hubert speak of the prince meeting a peasant girl. So the fairies go to the cottage to get Phillip, but are prompted to go to Forbidden Mountain, Maleficent's domain, after discovering that Maleficent has captured the prince. They rescue Phillip from the dungeon and arm him with the sword of truth and the shield of virtue, then have to fend off Maleficent's minions and finally exit the Forbidden Mountain and head for Stefan's castle, but Maleficent conjures a forest of thorns to prevent further entrance which is hacked through by Phillip's sword. Angered at this, Maleficent suddenly appears in their way and transforms into a dragon. After defeating the dragon with help from the fairies, Phillip enters the castle and walks up the staircase to the tower room where Aurora is still sleeping. He gives her a kiss, true love's kiss, which finally awakens Aurora and breaks the curse. Aurora smiles after she realizes that her betrothed and her love are the same person.

The pair go down to meet Aurora's parents and Phillip's father, and Aurora kisses King Hubert on his cheek before sharing a dance with Phillip. While the couple dance, Flora and Merryweather reignite their rivalry on their respective colors as the two fairies relentlessly change the color on her dress with their magic. Aurora's dress keeps changing colors as she and Phillip continue dancing and share another kiss, with the final words in the book, below the illustration of the couple kissing (and the color of Aurora's dress still changing) "And they lived happily ever after."

Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams
Princess Aurora appears in the first Sleeping Beauty story, "Keys to the Kingdom", since the original film, this time as the main protagonist. In the story, Prince Phillip, King Hubert, King Stefan and Queen Leah go off for a Royal Conference for two days. During this time Princess Aurora, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are in charge of the Kingdom until they return. Throughout the segment, Aurora attempts to rely on staying calm during hectic situations but this proves to be a challenge. Later on, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather leave the castle to return Hubert's forgotten speech. Before she left, Merryweather allowed Aurora to use her magic wand during harsh times. Aurora initially thought of this as an easy way to avoid hassle, ignoring her original vow to stay calm. Soon enough, the magic causes more trouble than before having her result to her previous plans which prevail. Aurora succeeds and when the others return, they enjoy a banquette she prepared.

Mary Costa, the original voice of Aurora, was not fond of this story and felt that it did not work.

House of Mouse
Aurora makes numerous cameo appearances in the television series House of Mouse. In "House of Genius", Aurora and Phillip were waiting to be welcomed by Donald but as he slept on the job she commented "and they call me Sleeping Beauty!". In "Ask Von Drake", during Ludwig Von Drake's song, Aurora slept at her time having Ludwig leave an alarm clock by her side. In "Jiminy Cricket", she was advised by Jiminy to use a sewing machine as apposed to a spinning wheel. She also appears in Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse and briefly in Mickey's House of Villains.

Despite her status as a princess, she seems to prefer the simple peasant clothes she wore during her years in hiding as Briar Rose.

Kilala Princess
In the manga series Kilala Princess, Aurora is celebrating her 17th birthday when princesses Kilala and Sylphy, and prince Rei enter her world to find a magical gem. Kilala is mistaken for a maid due to her appearance and is forced to work. Aurora finds Kilala on the balcony and comforts her. She has been told that Kilala is in love with Rei, and tells her of her own story with Prince Phillip and what kept her love strong. The witch, Maleficent, emerges to curse Aurora with slumber once more, but Kilala shields the princess from harm, sacrificing herself in the process. Rei kisses Kilala and, through the kiss of true love, breaks the spell and defeats Maleficent. Aurora then gives Kilala a rose quartz, depicting the importance of being faithful to her dreams if she wants them to come true.

She is last seen witnessing Kilala receive her own special gem: an emerald.

Once Upon a Time
Aurora appears in the second and third seasons of the ABC television series Once Upon a Time. She is portrayed by Sarah Bolger. She was afflicted with the Sleeping Curse by Maleficent and it was revealed that her mother was afflicted with the same curse by Maleficent years before making her the second "Sleeping Beauty". She is cursed by Maleficent, who wanted revenge because her first attempt, to kill Aurora's mother, the original Sleeping Beauty, failed. Aurora began her slumber less than a year before the casting of the Dark Curse. The palace in which she slumbered was untouched by the curse. While she slumbered, Prince Phillip (portrayed by Julian Morris) and Mulan (portrayed by Jamie Chung) journeyed to find her. They were frozen for 28 years while the Curse was in effect, but were able to resume their search after Emma Swan weakened the Curse in Storybrooke. Aurora was awakened by Phillip with True Love's Kiss but soon after Phillip was marked by a creature called a Wraith. He hides it from Aurora and Mulan. When he goes to sacrifice himself Aurora and Mulan follow him. It is there Aurora discovers Mulan has feelings for Phillip too. But he has his soul sucked out of him by the Wraith and is killed. Aurora and Mulan carry his body back to Aurora's palace where Mulan explains the dark curse to Aurora. They hear a sound and find Emma Swan and Mary Margaret Blanchard underneath some rubble. Aurora, thinking that they were responsible for the Wraith's appearance, takes them to a safe haven as prisoners. When Emma and Mary Margaret were thrown into the pit they were eventually brought to the leader who turns out to be Sir Lancelot (portrayed by Sinqua Wells). Aurora expresses her distrust in him to Mulan. She also holds Emma and Snow White responsible for Phillip being gone and wants revenge but Mulan warns her against this. But when her back is turned, Aurora grasps a knife tightly in her hands.

Mulan accompanies Emma and Mary Margaret on their journey to find their way back to Storybrooke but Aurora secretly follows them. When Mary Margaret is alone Aurora seizes the opportunity and holds her and knife-point and holds her responsible for Phillip's death. But Mary Margaret easily overcomes her and pins Aurora to the ground stating that what happened to Phillip was not her fault and that she knows what it's like to lose someone she cared about. Mulan and Emma return to see what is going on. Emma is furious Aurora tried to kill her mother, but Mulan says she will deal with Aurora on her own terms. Later, Mulan is seen telling Aurora to keep up and that it is her own fault for being cold as she should have stayed on the island. Emma takes pity on Aurora and gives her her jacket to keep her warm. At the castle, Aurora and Mulan keep guard at the gate. Later, Aurora agrees to help Mary Margaret and Emma with trying to find another way home as it will give her a chance to channel her anger.

Aurora discovers Captain Hook beneath a pile of bodies, and Hook attempts to deceive the four of them by stating he survived Cora's attack on the camp by hiding under some dead bodies. Emma is not buying his story and pulls a knife on Hook's throat, stating that she wants the truth and she can tell when a person is lying. She then ties Hook to a tree and whistles for the ogres, and begins to walk away. Aurora believes that he may be telling the truth, but then Hook reveals his true identity as a shocked Mary Margaret pulls his hook out of his satchel. He states that he was working with Cora, but will now join forces with Emma and her team. He leads them to a giant beanstalk stretching up into the sky, Aurora lagging behind, stating that there is a magical compass at the top, but first they must deal with the giant. At the beanstalk, Aurora volunteers to go up, as she says she has no one left to her in this world, but is overridden when Emma says she will go up instead.

After Emma departs, Mulan suggests that the remaining three women split time taking watch. Mary Margaret volunteers to watch first, but Aurora refuses to sleep, saying she is having nightmares since her sleeping curse. Mary Margaret reassures her, saying the dreams will go away in time as she, too, also dealt with the after effects of the sleeping curse. Later, Aurora wakes up screaming from a nightmare, and Mary Margaret comforts her as Mulan looks on. Aurora describes her dream, in which she is in a windowless doorless room with blood red curtains and flames. Another person, a man, is looking at her from across the room, and she is scared. Mary Margaret comforts her and coaxes her back to sleep. When Mulan moves to cut down the beanstalk, Aurora asks why. Though Mulan was acting on Emma's orders, Mary Margaret tackles her to the ground to stop her from cutting it.

After Emma jumps down from the beanstalk, Aurora wonders where Hook is, and Emma replies that he is being temporarily watched and that the group has a ten hour head start, so they should take advantage of it. It is later revealed that she and Henry Mills, Emma's son, are experiencing the same nightmare. Aurora is seen sleeping when Emma and Mary Margaret pass by. We see her in her nightmare screaming and becoming engulfed by the flames when Henry reappears with the necklace given to him by Mr. Gold and puts out the flames. He tells her his name is Henry and she shouldn't be afraid. She is awakened by Mary Margaret and explains to her and Emma that there was a little boy in her dream, and his name was Henry. She's later captured by Cora, who tries to use her to get what she wants by revealing that Phillip's soul is in another world.

She refuses to help Cora and is knocked out cold, but Hook releases her and it's revealed he took her heart which Cora uses to manipulate Aurora. Cora and Hook then imprison her and the others in an enchanted dungeon. After the spell on the dungeon is broken, Aurora voluntarily stays behind because she knows that she cannot be trusted since Cora has control of her heart. When Hook and Cora are about to escape to Storybrooke in a portal, they attacked by Snow White, Emma and Mulan. At one point during the battle Cora vanishes and Aurora's heart almost falls into the portal, but Hook saves it because he feels that it is not right for a girl to lose her heart especially to him. Mulan then returns to Aurora and puts her heart back in her body. The two of them then resume their quest to save Phillip.

She appears in the season finale where she, Phillip and Mulan find Neal washed off the coast in the Enchanted Forest. They take him back to the palace and tend to his injuries. Upon awakening, she asks who he is, to which the man responds with his name, Neal. Hastily, Aurora rushes over to bring water to him while Neal wonders where this is. She says him he is in their kingdom, and further questioning prompts Prince Phillip to tell Neal they are in the Enchanted Forest. Shocked, Neal murmurs he is back, which causes Aurora to think he's a native of this land, but Mulan points out his clothes are foreign and similar to Emma and Mary Margaret's. At the mention of Emma's name, Neal realizes they are acquainted with her as well, and tries to explain he needs to save Emma from harm. In attempting to move from the bier, Neal struggles to sit up as his wound is not yet completely healed, but despite that, he is set on finding out if Emma and Henry are alright. Aurora queries if Neal is Henry's father, and goes on to fill him in on how she once met Henry in the Netherworld. She mentions having harnessed the power to walk the dreamworld and find others like her, and it's possible to find Henry. Neal asks if she can find Emma to let her know he is alive.

Assuming a laying spot on the bier, Aurora attempts to find with Emma or Henry in the dreamworld. A moment later, Aurora awakens to notify Neal she was unable to to make contact. However, Neal recalls his father always had plans, and could have left something behind if he ever came back to the Enchanted Forest. He has hopes of finding such an item and using it to get to Emma and Henry by traveling to his father's castle. Prince Phillip raises the question of who his father is, and Neal admits it's Rumplestiltskin. While Aurora and Prince Phillip stay behind, Mulan and Neal head off towards the castle.

When Mulan is offered to join Robin Hood's band, she stopped by Aurora's to share the great news, but before Aurora shares a great news of her own: she and Phillip are expecting their first child. After the two are happy to hear both of their respective revelation, Mulan and Aurora exchange happy tearful hugs and say goodbye.

Sofia the First
Aurora appears in the Christmas Special Sofia the First: Holiday in Enchancia.

She tells Sofia that she needs to count on her animal friends to find her dad.

Curiously, Aurora doesn't sing, making her the first Disney Princess to not sing on the show. The reason for this is possibly due to the criticism of her previous singing voice actress's singing ability in Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams, or the decision not to include a song could be owed to time constraints as the episode itself is roughly only twenty-three minutes.

Maleficent
Aurora appeared in the live-action feature film reboot Maleficent as Maleficent's rival. Elle Fanning portrayed her in the movie.

Songs
Songs performed by Princess Aurora:
 * I Wonder
 * Once Upon a Dream
 * Keys to the Kingdom (and Reprise)
 * When You Love Someone
 * If You Can Dream

Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep
In Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep, Aurora's back story is more or less the same as it was in the film. By the time Terra arrives at the Enchanted Dominion, Aurora has already been placed in a deep slumber under the influence of the curse laid by Maleficent. When Terra reaches the tower and meets Maleficent, she uses the darkness in his heart to temporarily take control of his body and forces him to take Aurora's heart. Her heart was kept in Maleficent's castle until Ventus comes to retrieve it with the three fairies. Although her heart returned, the curse is not broken. Prince Phillip eventually escapes with Aqua's aid and reaches the tower where he kisses Aurora and breaks the spell.

During the ending credits, she and Prince Phillip are seen dancing in the audience chamber of the castle, just like at the end of the movie.

Kingdom Hearts
Sometime after the events of Birth by Sleep, Aurora was captured once more and her world was devoured by the darkness. It is unknown at what point of the original story Aurora was taken to Hollow Bastion by Maleficent (as there is a 10 year gap between Kingdom Hearts Birth by Sleep and Kingdom Hearts).

Aurora's likeness first appeared in Kingdom Hearts on a red-tinted pillar in the Awakening world. She was depicted in a state of sleep, suggesting that she had already been captured and imprisoned by Maleficent at this point.

She is first seen in Hollow Bastion when Maleficent attempts to open the Final Keyhole. Maleficent had placed Aurora in a standing glass case in the wall, alongside the other Princesses of Heart. Her heart leaves her when the Keyhole is partly opened, but is returned to her when Sora sacrifices his own heart to save her and the other Princesses, particularly Kairi. Upon awaking, Aurora stays in Hollow Bastion with the other five Princesses to keep the darkness from consuming the world. She also reveals Maleficent's origins to Sora. After Sora sealed the Keyhole, she and the other princesses remain in Hollow Bastion to protect it, along with the Beast, Yuffie, Leon and Aerith.

When Sora finally sealed Kingdom Hearts, Aurora is returned to the Enchanted Dominion.

Kingdom Hearts II
While Aurora does not make an appearance in Kingdom Hearts II, her name is found to be part of the password to access the DTD in Tron's world. In addition, many characters from her world appeared in the game, including Flora, Fauna and Merryweather; and Maleficent with her pet raven, Diablo.

Kinect Disneyland Adventures
Aurora appears in the game as a meet-and-greet character outside the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique in Fantasyland. She assigns a few tasks to the player, including helping her prepare a party for the Good Fairies and searching for birdsongs. She also participates in the Mickey's Soundsational Parade and Princess Fantasy Faire mini-games.

Disney Parks and Resorts
Princess Aurora is a meetable character at Disney Parks around the world. She is usually at Fantasy Faire in Disneyland Park or in stage shows that include a princess scene. If it is not her and Prince Phillip, it is Belle and Beast or Ariel and Eric.

Aurora has her own spell card known as "Aurora's Rose Petals" in the attraction Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom.

Aurora also appears on the princess themed float in Mickey's Soundsational Parade as well as in Jubilation!, Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade and Flights of Fantasy Parade.

For meet-and-greets, Aurora can be found at the Magic Kingdom's Town Square Theater. In Epcot, She can often be found in the France Pavilion.

Aurora is also present for the Fantasylands of both Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland. Aurora also makes meet-and-greet appearances aboard the Disney Magic.

Fantasmic!
Princess Aurora appears during the Princess Melody, but not in every showing. Aurora also reappears riding Steamboat Willie at the top with other Disney Princesses and many other Disney characters.

Dream Along with Mickey
Aurora appears dancing with Cinderella, Snow White and their princes. Aurora assists Cinderella and Snow White in making Minnie dreams come true as being a princess. Aurora reappears at the end and celebrate with other Disney characters the defeat of Maleficent and her minions Captain Hook and Mr. Smee.

Differences from the source material
Princess Aurora is based on the two fairy tales "La Belle au bois dormant" by Charles Perrault and "Little Briar Rose" by The Brothers Grimm. The stories were later merged into one. She keeps much of her character continuity from the original stories but there are also many differences:

Version by The Brothers Grimm

 * A frog foretells the birth of a daughter to the queen after she has taken a bath.
 * The princess's name was Briar Rose (which is later adapted into the Disney version for the peasant disguise).
 * Only twelve Wise Women are invited to the feast to celebrate the princess's birth.
 * The uninvited thirteenth Wise Woman (due to there being only twelve golden plates) cries in a loud voice that the princess will prick herself with a spindle in her 15th year and die from it.
 * When the twelveth Wise Woman gives her gift to soften the outcome of the wicked prophecy, she states that the princess will instead fall into a deep sleep for 100 years, locked in her current physical age.
 * The King has all spindles in the kingdom burned, just like in the movie.
 * It is one day in the 15th year that Briar Rose pricks her finger when handling the spindle.
 * She falls upon the bed within the tower where she encounters the old woman who was busily spinning her flax.
 * The sleep spell spreads over the castle and everyone inside falls asleep.
 * Over time a hedge of thorns grows and 'hides' the castle, but the vane of the roof.
 * Many princes attempt to enter, but are killed but the tightly clustered thorns.
 * As the altered spell says, Briar Rose falls asleep for 100 years, but 'awakes' from her sleep after a kiss is bestowed upon her by a king's son.
 * The castle awakes from its sleep and the couple are married.

Version by Charles Perrault

 * The princess is never named (the name of Aurora used in the ballet is reused for the Disney character).
 * Seven fairies found in the realm are invited to be the princess' godmothers at the christening and bestow their gifts at the banquet back at the castle.
 * The uninvited eight fairy (who was long supposed to be dead or enchanted) declares that the princess will prick her hand on a spindle and die from it.
 * The seventh fairy undoes the result of her aged kinswomen's gift that the princess will fall into a profound slumber that will last a hundred years and be awoken by a king'son.
 * The king forbids on pain of death that spindles and spinning-wheels be kept in the house.
 * It is one day after the 15th or 16th years that the princess pricks her hand from the spindle.
 * It is upon the floor of the tower that the princess swoons onto after taking hold of the old serving-woman's spindle and is later placed upon a gold and silver embroidered bed in the castle's finest apartment.
 * The seventh fairy is summoned and casts a spell of sleep over the castle,except the king and queen who sadly depart.
 * Her magic also brings forth a forest of trees big and small with interlacing brambles and thorns that shield the castle (the towers are still seen, but from a distance) and to safeguard the princess.
 * After a hundred years, a king's son who was from another family from the sleeping princess 'awakes' her (though he only kneels by her side).
 * The castle awakes and the prince and princess are married in the castle chapel.
 * After being secretly married, the princess bore two children, a girl, L'Aurore (Dawn) and a boy, Le Jour (Day).
 * The prince had a stepmother, whom hated the princess. She sent the young Queen and the children to a house secluded in the woods, and directed her cook to cook the three of them. The cook was humane and told the stepmother that a goat was the young girl, a sheep was the young boy.
 * After finding out that the cook had lied and the princess and her children were safe, she prepared a tub to cook them in. After the prince caught his mother, she threw herself into the tub and was fully consumed, and everyone else lived happily ever after.