

She manages to escape the tower she is held captive in, and follows the lights, reuniting with her family once again. Years pass, and Rapunzel is believed to be dead. After Rapunzel is kidnapped by Gothel, they are lit by her daughters, Anastasia and Drizella, in hopes she finds her way back to them. The lanterns first appear in the episode " One Little Tear". The lantern eventually arrives at Corona and is seen by King Frederic and Queen Arianna. Afterwards, Rapunzel delivers a lantern to express her homesick feeling and the support from her friends. The letter is about how King Frederic misses his long lost daughter and it leads Rapunzel to feel homesick. In " Happiness Is.", Rapunzel finds the lantern with a letter from King Frederic that was written to her when she was seven years old. In " King Pascal", some of the lanterns are discovered floating onto an island named Tirapai and become the decorations of Lorbs, the natives of the island. In the end events of " Secret of the Sun Drop", many lanterns floated above Old Corona as King Fredric was finally allowing Rapunzel to follow her destiny, as the black rocks had created a path for her to follow, and the lanterns would once again serve as her guiding light home. The lantern left a message and a key from Varian to seek Rapunzel's help. Later, Rapunzel found the same lantern alongside her statue. In " The Quest for Varian", a lantern attaching a letter appeared in Rapunzel's nightmare. The lanterns play another substantial role in the series. She eventually learns her true identity as the Lost Princess and manages to escape Mother Gothel with Flynn and return home. She does end up seeing them with Flynn Rider and is fascinated by them.

While growing up, Rapunzel was fascinated by them and wanted to see them in person. Ever since then, on the princess' birthday, they launch thousands of glowing lanterns into the sky in hope that she will be guided home by them. When Mother Gothel kidnapped the baby princess to keep herself young and beautiful, the lantern launching tradition began.

The King and Queen launched one into the sky, and it rose up into the heavens. The lanterns start out as a celebration for the baby princess Rapunzel.
