Spirit is right. As opposed to making a whole movie about a princess from Eastern Asia, they include Mulan on the standing that Mulan has the heart of a princess. If you ask Mulan in the parks how she’s a princess, she tells you that tghe medal the emperor gave her a royal status as part of the royal family. Personally it doesn’t bother me, as I don’t see how they’re harming anyone. And besides I really like Mulan much more than some actual Princesses like Tiana and Cinderella.
I don’t like the new looks, so i also don’t like Merida’s look… I would like it much better without the glitters and with her bow and arrows.
I’ve talked with other people on another forum who’s opinions are a bit more “progressive” on this issue than I am and seemed to have taken a bit more offense to redesign than I did. I can understand Brenda Chapman’s frustration with not being able to have complete control over the character she’s created, however, I don’t think the redesign is sexist nor do I think it’ll hurt little girls’ self-esteem; kids are a lot smarter than we give them credit for and they’re quick to pick up on what’s real and what isn’t. Disney is, foremost, a toy marketing company, which of course they’re going to try to make their products appeal to kids. Besides, I’ve seen worse sexualization in children’s products than this.
Doesn’t anyone care about movie accurateness? Anyone? Hello? 
Believe me, I find it offensive that because Merida is a girl, made for girls, they felt like making her thinner, glitterier, and “prettier”. That kind of hurts my feelings. What’s wrong with looking like Merida from the movie? She’s no Aurora, but she’s cute enough. And who said every princess has to be a pretty supermodel anyway? But to me, it’s even more important that Merida merchandise look like the movie because of it being accurate! I detest inaccurate dolls and figures of anything.
I do dislike the redesign, I’ve said it before.
But what I don’t understand is that people keep saying they made her “prettier” and “sexy”. I find her rather ugly in the redesign. She wasn’t that beautiful in the film either, but she has much better than here.
Her looks are just off. Exactly like all the others in these new versions.
To be honest, I don’t think this
Looks better than this
I can understand why they made the change; Merida wouldn’t have looked better as a 3D model up against a bunch of 2D models (hence why Rapunzel also gets the 2D treatment).
I do think they look better in the first ensemble.
Their new facial features are beyond off, and they hairs seem poorly groomed. If anything looks “prettier” now, it’s their dresses.
I would also make a 2D Merida, but one that looked more like the original. Just for the sake of continuity. Though if it were for me, I’d just kill that absurd franchise and leave each character in their own universe.
I think Merida is odd looking in the new images. Pretty, but awkward somehow. And I do prefer the 3D of Merida AND Rapunzel. To me it’s all about individual look and accuracy. So to me 2D Merida and Punzie look terrible. I think they’re inaccurate and Rapunzel looks awful, while Merida looks like a harlot. I hate all of the new designs.
I agree with both of you. The only reason I don’t hate the design is because I like to pretend it doesn’t exist, only the 3D renderings of Rapunzel and Merida are for real. But putting that into consideration, why even bother? There are already rendered character poses of the characters, just put those on the merchandising. Save the money in making this new design and give the people who they already know. I would rather see the 2D princesses in 2D and the 3D princesses in 3D. It’s just more simple and familiar.
And like I said, I only don’t dislike the design because I pretend it doesn’t exist. It’s only not horrible because it didn’t exist to begin with, I pretend.
Well I say if you don’t like the merchandise, don’t buy it.
I agree totally! I always wondered why they “invested”(wasted) money to make new designs. Originals FTW!
Its to sell merchandise of course.
Okay, but who buys the merchandise because of the new images? Personally, I’ll still buy it if the new images are only on the tags or box. But if the product depicts the new Rapunzel and/orMerida I refuse to buy it. I don’t want to spend money on that, and have it in my house. Creepy!
Eh. I t doesn’t really bother me that much. I know what the characters are suppose to look like, but I’m not gonna get uptight about it. Doesn’t really matter to me what a character looks like; I know who they are.
Again, if it’s just the packaging that’s one thing. But I don’t want merchandise that’s inaccurate and creepy. To me it’s all about accuracy as a collector. I don’t understand why you want the things, if they don’t remind you of the movies? I’ve never understood that though. I guess I’m just too picky.
Is it a bad thing if I’ve printed out a version of Sparkly Dress Merida for myself? …I think she looks pretty! 
I admittedly kind of enjoy the shininess of her new dress. But I do largely agree with IV that they still can’t touch the originals. I’d much prefer something more movie-accurate with all of them, but oh well.
I just only like and own merchandise(of anything I like, not just princesses) that reaches a level of quality and accuracy. Those designs are both cheap and inaccurate, and looks terrible on dolls and toys etc. Personally I can handle glitter to an extent. But I prefer on dresses that were shiny in the film, like Belle or Cinderella. And not drowning in glitter, just enough to shine.
Here’s my opinion of the glitter.
Okay!
Not okay! 
It might seem like a subtle difference, or even nitpicking, but in terms of collecting, the latter two are junk. Okay for kids I guess.
I’m sure it’s just me, but I can’t tell the difference. I would probably buy either kind, but I’m no expert.
The Elsa has tons of glitter, but her film dress is like that. Mattel Merida has very little glitter. But the new Disney Store Merida and 2011 DS Rapunzel are showered in glitter. And they had none in the films.