Chapter 299: The Princess Tea Party**

Despite the initial awkwardness, Gloria quickly warmed up to the group and, within fifteen minutes, had become part of the princess crowd.

“You mean, you all came here just for the princesses?” Gloria asked, her eyes filled with curiosity. It was the first time she had heard of people being so passionate about princess movies, and judging by the nodding faces around her, it wasn't just one or two people.

Indeed, the world is full of surprises.

“Disney hasn’t released a princess movie in a long time. Last year’s 'Dinosaur' and this year’s 'Atlantis' didn’t have princesses. The last original princess was in 1995’s 'Pocahontas,' six whole years ago.”

“And as for live-action movies… Jesus Christ, I can’t even remember. I’d have to look it up.”

The girl with long red hair and shell earrings talked on and on, her cheeks flushing with slight embarrassment as she realized she was rambling. Her eyes began to flicker with nervousness.

“Sorry, I tend to get carried away when I’m excited and end up talking about things you probably don’t care about.”

Gloria blinked, “No, no, I’m very interested.”

The red-haired girl looked at Gloria sincerely, “You’re lying.”

Gloria stammered, “Uh…”

Couldn’t she just pretend not to notice? How were they supposed to be friends if she called her out like that?

The red-haired girl was very serious, “You’re not even dressed as a princess. Saying you’re Cinderella was just an excuse. But I like you. Even though you’re not really interested, you still listened to everything I said.”

Gloria paused, her feelings of awkwardness and embarrassment slowly fading away, replaced by a sense of ease brought on by the girl’s honesty. A smile crept onto her face, “You’re right. I had no idea today was a tea party. I just came to join in the fun, mainly to check out the guys.”

A sincere heart was met with another sincere heart.

Gloria confessed openly and confidently.

The red-haired girl stared at Gloria for a moment, then extended her right hand, “Elaine Cole.”

Gloria paused briefly before taking the girl’s hand, “Gloria Preston.”

Then, Gloria earnestly asked again, “So, Disney is finally releasing a brand new princess. What’s special about her?”

Elaine’s eyes lit up immediately, “This time, it’s not a princess adapted from a fairy tale. Although it’s based on a novel, we all think it counts as an original Disney princess—a commoner princess.”

“Cinderella?”

“No, no, no, Cinderella only became a princess after marrying the prince. This princess comes with her own crown, so it’s different.”

Chatter filled the air, the discussion lively and animated. For a moment, it really felt like being at Disneyland, and the atmosphere reached its peak with the arrival of the real-life Disney princesses in full costume—

Cinderella. Snow White. Belle. Aurora.

One by one, the princesses made their entrances, and the area outside the El Capitan Theatre erupted into excitement.

Unlike Elaine and the other “princesses” who had dressed themselves up for the occasion, the Disney princesses were more professional and glamorous, with their actors embodying the elegance of their characters. Not just their costumes, but their accessories, props, shoes—everything was meticulously detailed. In an instant, the fourth wall was broken, transforming Hollywood Boulevard into a fairytale kingdom.

Regardless of whether “The Princess Diaries” lacked A-list stars or faced tough competition in its release window, the energy of the summer blockbuster season still managed to create a vibrant atmosphere. This was something that could not be matched in any other season, and Disney’s distribution team had successfully seized the moment to generate a craze.

Then, with the four princesses as witnesses, the premiere officially began.

Guests started to arrive one after another.

As Jennifer Love Hewitt made her appearance, a wave of excitement rippled through the crowd at the El Capitan Theatre. Known for her role in “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” her sweet face and stunning figure drew a frenzy of camera flashes from the photographers on site.

In addition to her, the stars of an upcoming Disney Channel series were also present at the premiere of “The Princess Diaries” to gain some publicity and attention for their show.

Notably, Bob Iger, the current President and COO of Disney, attended the premiere alongside several high-ranking executives, underscoring the importance Disney placed on this film. At this time, Iger was still the second-in-command under Michael Eisner, who was struggling with the board of directors, refusing to acknowledge the challenges Disney was facing. Iger’s presence was a subtle indication of Disney’s current struggles.

While it would be an exaggeration to call “The Princess Diaries” Disney’s lifeline for the summer box office, there was no doubt that the film was seen as a crucial piece in restoring Disney’s reputation, possibly serving as a temporary balm for Eisner’s difficult situation. Thus, Bob Iger’s attendance at the premiere was significant.

The media could sense the undercurrents of tension and couldn’t help but worry about the success of “The Princess Diaries” under the weight of these expectations.

Despite the lively atmosphere, the overall excitement seemed lacking.

Especially in comparison to this weekend’s box office competitor, “Rush Hour 2,” which had just held its grand premiere at the Chinese Theatre across the street two days earlier.

The contrast was striking. The “Rush Hour 2” premiere had drawn top-tier stars, including Will Smith and Usher, which demonstrated New Line Cinema’s strong promotional push. The film had achieved widespread awareness, even among those who weren’t fans of the franchise, maximizing its promotional impact.

In comparison, the current excitement at “The Princess Diaries” premiere felt more like a small gathering, a child’s playtime. Despite similar levels of fanfare, the impact was noticeably different. The media, understandably, began to show signs of fatigue—after all, the summer movie season had been relentless since May, and by now, even the most exciting events were starting to feel a bit tiresome. The stark comparison with “Rush Hour 2” only amplified this feeling.

That said, the media knew that they just needed a brief respite before the main stars, Anne Hathaway and Julie Andrews, made their entrance. Then, they could rally their energy to fulfill their coverage duties.

Up ahead, a black BMW slowly pulled up. Some attention remained on the red carpet, while others glanced toward the car, anticipating the arrival of the film’s main cast.

Click.

The car door opened, and the first thing to come into view was a pair of long legs clad in black suit pants, followed by the sight of a white dress shirt.

Ah, a bit of a letdown—another classic black-and-white suit combo, conservative and unimaginative. Such an outfit would barely make a blip in tomorrow’s news coverage, likely failing to secure even half a page of attention.

It seemed that this guest’s agent hadn’t done their job well, or perhaps it was just another Disney executive arriving late to the party.

As these thoughts raced through their minds, the photographers were a tad slower to press their shutter buttons.

But the next moment, they froze—

This!