April 5, 2026

• less than 3 min read

The bounce house is chopped. Since the pandemic, hiring a princess to roll into your kid’s party has boomed as parents search for new, IRL ways to celebrate. But this industry of small, local entertainment companies that specialize in sending out Elsa look-alikes must navigate strict copyright laws.

Ashley Jantz runs Once Upon a Princess in Indiana. When she first started gathering the lacefronts and hoop skirts, she knew of only a couple of other businesses offering similar services in her area. Now, she says there are as many as 15 in the state. Jantz celebrated 11 years in business last month. Here’s how it’s going:

• Once Upon a Princess birthday packages start at $250 for an hour and go up to $300 for 90 minutes for one character. Additional characters can be added for a fee.
• Despite an influx of requests since the pandemic, Jantz told Morning Brew that she’s seen a slowdown in party bookings over the last year, which she chalks up to “everybody tightening their belts a little.”
• Jantz’s company still receives an average of 30+ requests per month, with July and the holiday season being the busiest.

Legal loophole

If you search through your local princess company character list, you’ll probably find a photo of what’s clearly supposed to be Rapunzel from Tangled named something more generic, like “Tower Princess.” This is to try to avoid an IP fight with Disney.

Princess party companies got a big win in 2018 when a New York federal judge sided against Disney in its attempt to sue a business for allegedly confusing consumers with knockoffs of Chewbacca and friends. The judge cited the company’s website, which showcased the iconic character as “Big Hairy Guy.”—MM

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