I understand the appeal of the Disney Princesses, I really do.  What little girl (and, truth be told, her mother) wouldn’t love to be beautiful and adored and have a life story that ends with “happily ever after”?  It’s no wonder the majority of the pre-K set loves to put on those princess dresses and twirl around, waving their magic wands…until they accidentally swat their younger brother in the face and we have to take the wand away.

Not that such a thing has ever happened around here.

CJ loves dolls.  More specifically, she loves any doll that has hair that can be combed.  Actually, she’ll happily whack away at a stuffed animal with her hairbrush, but dolls with nice long hair…those are her favorites.

She doesn’t cut their hair, thankfully.  But she does like to spray conditioner on it and then comb and comb, and comb some more.  I wish she’d comb her own hair so willingly.

And while she does adore the Disney Princesses, she’s not exactly the girliest girl out there.  So when I was offered a Disney Princess doll for her to comb enjoy, it was no contest.  Mulan is my girl’s kind of princess.

Even though Mulan’s not really a princess.  Just a badass soldier who loves her daddy and oh, by the way, saved China from the Huns.  Not to mention winning over Li Shang, who has got to be the hottest cartoon man ever drawn.

Naturally, CJ loves her new Mulan doll.  She wants to take her everywhere, which means that Mulan has to be strapped into the car seat belt along with CJ.  She’s gone easier on the spray conditioner, which I certainly appreciate, even if Mulan doesn’t know the difference.

I’m impressed by the size of the doll and her elaborate costume.  But what I like best about her is that she’s not so fancy that I feel as if she needs to be put up on a high shelf, where CJ can look but not touch.  Mulan is meant for playing, for pretending, for being a constant companion.

So while Mulan is my girl’s kind of princess, she’s also my kind of doll.

Find Mulan and the other Disney Princess & Friends dolls at Disney.com for $16.95 (or 2 for $25!)