Ariel still needed to be rescued by the prince, but (IIRC) she's the first one to really go "I am going to live my life and not sit around waiting." Jasmine's passiveness, IMO, was mostly because she realized that even though she didn't like them or want them, she had duties and responsibilities that she couldn't really run away from. Even when she did run away, you didn't get the feeling that she'd really be able to do it, because she was the heir. I think Mulan and Megara likely likely their ulitmate expressions of that. Though, in a way, I want to push Nala, too. She's far secondary, but she's the only one who went to those lengths to find food for her tribe, and she's what kickstarted Simba getting his act together.

And in CCS, you have relationships of every sort that are important, not just romance.