For the first time ever, Disney will debut a young and stunning Latina princess.

Disney announced that their first Latina princess, Elena of Avalor, will premiere in a special episode of "Sofia the First" on Disney Junior in 2016. She will then be featured on her own animated spin-off series.

"Our creative team has delivered a universal story with themes that authentically reflect the hopes and dreams of our diverse audience," Disney Junior Worldwide Executive Vice President and General Manager Nancy Kanter said in a statement, according to Entertainment Weekly. "What excites us most is the chance to use distinctive animation and visual design to tell wonderful stories influenced by culture and traditions that are familiar to the worldwide population of Hispanic and Latino families and reflect the interests and aspirations of all children as told through a classic fairy tale."

Elena, who escapes from Sofia's amulet, is described as "bold, caring, funny, and clever."

In 2012, an executive producer mistakenly announced that Sofia was going to be introduced as Disney's first Latina princess. However, the announcement received backlash from the Hispanic community who complained that the blonde princess looked "too white" and the network was downplaying her Hispanic heritage, reports Fox News Latino.

As a result, Disney retracted their statement and said Princess Sofia was instead of "mixed-heritage."

"Princess Sofia is a mixed-heritage princess in a fairy-tale world," explained co-executive producer/writer Craig Gerber at that time. "Her mother is originally from an enchanted kingdom inspired by Spain (Galdiz) and her birth father hailed from an enchanted kingdom inspired by Scandinavia. Sofia was born and raised in Enchancia, which is a make-believe 'melting pot' kingdom patterned on the British Isles. Sofia considers herself a normal Enchancian girl like any other. Her mixed heritage and blended family are a reflection of what many children today experience."

Following the new announcement about Elena, National Hispanic Media Coalition President/CEO Alex Nogales, who called Sofia a "counterfeit" Latina, praised Disney for creating a heroine with Hispanic roots.

"We are very happy about it," Nogales told Fox News Latino. "We all know that Latinos consume media, we all know they are the biggest consumers of this kind of media -- so it makes sense, right?"

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