I do believe that it's a big part but it's not the only. It also comes with learning something from their story and growing as characters. I love Cinderella and Snow White, I do think they have distinct personalities, but they don't really grow much as characters in their stories. I think Ariel did but she's not as well-developed as some of the other Disney Princesses like Mulan, Rapunzel, Merida, and Tiana. I do think Ariel is well-developed but her character development could have been a lot better. But a character needs to have an established personality in order to be a character to begin with. How can they grow as characters if they don't actually have character?

Um.... that's the basic requirement. That's like rule #1. A character doesn't have to be well developed to have a distinct personality, but they have to have a distinct personality to be well developed.

I think so.

I guess. :/

everyone has a pretty different personality, so I think making a character very distinct and complex fleshes them out and makes them human

I agree with what KataraLover, princesslullaby and justinfangrrl said. A lot of the princesses I really love are critcized for "not fitting in" with the other, especially Tiana, but that's what I like about their personalities.

To be developed whether having a personality or not as long as you actually learn from your mistakes you develop as a character, but not having a character doesn't mean you can develop it if that makes sense. Just because you have a personality doesn't mean you develop, jut like Snow White who has a personality, but she stays the same the whole movie. I'll admit Ariel has a personality but I honestly don't think she develops and she stays the same the whole movie, never really learning from her consequences. I know most don't think Elsa has a personality, but I strongly believe she does. Even if Elsa doesn't have a personality (Which she does) she still developed, from a shy and depressed girl to a stronger, more out there and less afraid to open up the gates woman. Somewhat yes, somewhat no, but I don't think this really applies to any of the princesses.