CULVER CITY — Even before Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog,” featuring it’s first African-American animated princess, hits nationwide movie theaters Dec. 11 it is already proving to be a fairy tale merchandising bonanza.

Tweens and young tots like Madaleine Zaragoza, who turns 2 the day before the film’s release, have become enamored with the image of Princess Tiana, voiced in the movie by Anika Noni Rose.

Madeleine was visiting the new Disney Store at the Westfield Mall Sunday along with her parents, Gabriel and Monique, both attorneys, who live in Long Beach.

“It’s been a very long time in coming for a princess of African-American descent, so we’re looking forward to just having that image being portrayed for little girls who want to emulate Tiana or adorn themselves with the merchandise,” Monique Zaragoza said. “I think it’s an image that our little girl can be proud of for many years to come.”

The store’s front section features an array of film-inspired merchandise, including dolls, dresses, fluffy toys, shoes, slippers, T-shirts, purses and books.

But the product line also includes a “Princess and the Frog” Wii computer game, bedding, a beauty brand and a selection of fruit flavored snacks inspired by the movie.

According to Disney Consumer Products, the Princess Tiana items are already outselling other Disney Princess items by double-digit percentages. More than 45,000 dolls have sold in less than a month with 17,000 selling in a recent week alone.

“It’s typical with any major Disney film to see movie-inspired product available as early as six weeks prior to the film’s release and the same is true for ‘The Princess and the Frog,’” said Mary Beech, vice president franchise development and marketing for Disney Consumer products.

“However, the historic nature of the [film] has generated tremendous consumer excitement well in advance — and sales thus far have been very strong, something that is remarkable for characters with which fans are not yet completely familiar.”

Reyne Rice, toy trend specialist at the Toy Industry Association, believes the character will provide an inspiring role model.

“Generations of little girls have experienced the enchanting and magical stories of the Disney princesses,” she said.

“Now with Princess Tiana, as the first new princess in a decade, they will experience a new adventure, woven by the master storytellers at Disney.”

Loosely based on E.D. Baker’s novel “The Frog Princess” and the classic Brothers Grimm fairy tale “The Frog Prince,” Disney puts a mystical, New Orleans twist on the girl-kisses-frog-falls-in-love-with-prince saga.

In the first hand-drawn animated movie, since “Toy Story” creator John Lassiter became chief creative officer of Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios, the movie is co-written (with Rob Edwards) and directed by the filmmaking team of John Musker and Ron Clements (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin”).

The film’s score is composed by award-winning songwriter and musician Randy Newman.

Leading a stellar lineup of voice talent is Rose (“Dreamgirls”), Terence Howard (Tiana’s father, “James”), Oprah Winfrey (Tiana’s mother, “Eudora”), Keith David as the evil “Dr. Facilier” and newcomer Bruno Campos as “Prince Naveen.”

For Rose, the opportunity to become Disney’s first Black princess was an “amazing” honor.

“The first time I fully saw the character was at a public singing event at a toy store in New York,” she revealed recently at a press conference at Walt Disney Animation Studios in Burbank.

The film was shown at exclusive presentations Wednesday in Los Angeles and New York.

“I was singing and then they hit play and I saw my face — but a little better. I couldn’t even breathe. It’s amazing, there are no real words when your dreams take off and become bigger than you ever imagined.”

Asked if she aspired to be a princess as a little girl, Rose recalled: “I don’t remember asking my mother to be one, but I think I did wonder if there would ever be a chocolate brown princess.

“I mean they named it Snow White. But I think Tiana will mean different things to different people depending on when they grew up. For my nephew, it will be the norm. For my mother, it will be something she’s been waiting for and for my grandmother, something she probably thought she’d never see.”

Howard said the timing of the movie was perfect, alluding to the “two princesses we now have in the White House.”

“This was one of the easiest roles I’ve ever had because I was essentially talking to my own daughters,” he added.

“[Disney] gave me the words, but the inspiration in how to say it came from a natural inclination to teach my children.”