A drop of sunlight falls to the ground and grows into a magical flower with the power to heal the sick and injured. An old woman named Gothel finds it and uses it to keep herself young for years by singing an incantation. Centuries later, the Queen becomes ill during childbirth, and so the flower is found. She is healed and gives birth to a daughter they name Rapunzel, whose golden hair is now the source of the magical power.

Later that night, Gothel kidnaps Rapunzel and hides her in a tall tower, raising her as her own child. Gothel knows that if Rapunzel's hair is cut, it will turn brown and lose its magic, so Rapunzel's hair is left to grow. Every year on Rapunzel's birthday, her kingdom sends thousands of lanterns into the sky in hopes that the lost princess will return. On the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Rapunzel asks Gothel to let her see the floating lights.