Are Disney Fairies On the Verge of a Renaissance?

Upon a recent glance at the New York Times Bestseller list, I came across a rather wild book topping the Young Adult Hardcover list. Spending seven weeks on the list, Wings of Starlight written by Allison Saft was standing strong across the wide breadth of Young Adult novels at bookstores across the country. You might not be familiar with the title, but what if I told you this novel was a prequel to the Tinkerbell series of direct-to-DVD films that began almost twenty years ago?

Pixie Hollow, for a time, was all the rage within The Walt Disney Company. The Tinkerbell series of films, set within the magical world of fairies, launched six films and a Disney Channel animated special. The characters appeared in the parks, on ample merchandise, and helped to create a cohesive brand out of Tinkerbell’s origin story. However, the franchise has sat dormant since the release of 2015’s Tinkerbell and the Legend of the NeverBeast. So, imagine my surprise seeing a novel set within the world of Pixie Hollow doing gangbuster business a decade later.

Pixie Hollow, funnily enough, began its journey as a franchise through books. Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg introduced the world to Pixie Hollow, Tinkerbell as a character with an actual voice, and the online video game Pixie Hollow. It sparked a mini craze, leading to sequels and helping to set up the eventual direct-to-DVD films.

Back at the first D23 Expo when the plans for Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland expansion were announced, a plan was shared to incorporate Pixie Hollow into the new area. (As we all know now, a lot of that initial announcement never came to fruition. I never got to make Aurora a birthday card and I remain peeved!) The laundry list of characters from the world (Tink, Fawn, Rosetta, Terrence, etc.) were once a park mainstay, but only seem to return for special events nowadays. Pixie Hollow was at the forefront of Disney’s franchise mechanics and had long seemed DOA.

Then, something interesting happened: Tokyo DisneySea opened their new Fantasy Springs area, which included a new Tinkerbell-based attraction. Whilst short and sweet, the adventure takes guests through the various seasonal climates that can be found throughout Pixie Hollow, even including a moment of Tinkerbell talking to guests. The ideas lived on! Fairies are real!

Then, cut to February of this year and a brand-new story direct from Pixie Hollow has reinvigorated fans of the series and the characters. Is there a way for Disney to return to Pixie Hollow, full-time?

The recent literary return makes sense considering the increase in fantasy novels that have taken over the zeitgeist. As A Court of Thorns and Roses and Fourth Wing have become hardcover blockbusters, the fervor for stories about fairies and mystical lands are at an all-time high. So, seeing Disney capitalize on that with their “forgotten" franchise is rather exciting. Could this tip the company off to the yearning for more Fairy stories?

An obvious way to return them to their place of popularity could be through a Disney+ animated series. In a time where Pixar and Marvel have succeeded with their own original animated series for the streamer, it's interesting how Walt Disney Studios’ brands have yet to see the same fate. We all know that Moana and Tiana’s series were scrapped, but is there still a place for an original series from Disney Television Animation?

As a lover of the Disney Fairies brand, these small bits of storytelling that are beginning to pop up are quite exciting. It brings hope that the franchise isn’t as squashed as one might initially have suspected. Could we be on the verge of a Fairyssance? I sure hope so.