“Disney replied to tell me he can’t have it….because he’s a boy”.
Hayley McLean-Glass, a mother of three, has taken to social media to tell of her dismay after her son was refused admission to the Princess for a Day experience at Disneyland Paris.
Noah is four-years-old and “loves Princesses, especially Elsa” with Hayley explaining that he knows every single word to Let It Go and most other Frozen songs”.
The family is planning to visit the popular resort in November and as her son is such a huge Disney Princess fan, Hayley wanted him to enjoy the full ‘Princess’ experience that Disneyland Paris has to offer and was extremely taken aback when he was refused entry.
At this point, you’re probably wondering why and Hayley explains that the fairytale kingdom said that Noah couldn’t participate because of his gender and instead suggested a “tailored gift-pack with some Princess themed items such as an autograph book, cuddly toy, playset etc”.
This prompted Hayley to write an open letter which she shared on her parenting blog and also share the story via her social media accounts, generating a huge response.
She explained how she was so angry “not just for Noah, but for ALL little boys who Disney won’t allow to indulge their love of Princesses…Walt Disney himself said “If you can dream it you can do it” … apparently this doesn’t apply to little boys who dare to want to be Princesses at Disneyland Paris [sic]”.
However, in a post shared today, Hayley has explained that Disney has since contacted her to say that the response she received “is not reflective of their policies and have promised to update all of their staff on this”.
Furthermore, the wording on their website which discusses “granting little girls’ wishes” will be adapted to make it more inclusive.
You can read Hayley’s latest “word on the Disneyland drama” here.
Main image via Instagram: Sparkles and StretchMarks
