Disneyland Paris refuses to let three-year-old boy do ‘Princess for a Day’ experience

Illustrated rainbow pride flag on a pink background.

Disneyland Paris has apologised after blocking a three-year-old Frozen fan from its ‘Princess for a Day’ package just for being a boy.

Three-year-old Noah was “buzzing with excitement” when he and his mum Haley McLean-Glass saw photos of the Princess for a Day experience on Facebook, which offers kids a princess makeover.

Writing on her blog, proud mum McLean-Glass said: “If there’s such a thing as a Frozen superfan, Noah is it!

“He wears his beloved Elsa dress all day every day…he even refuses to take it off at bedtime.”

McLean-Glass decided to treat Noah to the Experience as an early Christmas present and sent Disneyland Paris an email to clarify whether her son would be welcome.

However, the response from Disneyland Paris specifically said that Noah would not be allowed to be a Princess for the Day because of his gender.

 

Disneyland Paris Email
The email that Noah’s Mum received from Disneyland Paris Photo: Hayley McLean-Glass / Sparkles and Stretchmarks

Disneyland Paris’ website describes the ‘Princess for a Day’ package as a chance to: “Grant every little girl’s wish with a real Princess’s make-up and hair-styling session; a fairy tale transformation they’ll treasure forever.”

Elsa has been a popular character for young children since her 2013 debut in ‘Frozen.’ Last summer, actress Charlize Theron was labelled a ‘bad parent’ for allowing her son to dress up as the ice princess.

In open letter to Disneyland Paris, McLean-Glass expressed her surprise and pointed out the double standards.


She wrote: “Nobody would see any harm if it was Jack Sparrow or Spiderman…not even if Noah was a girl….but because he’s a boy and Elsa is a Princess it’s ‘not allowed’.

“You simply stated he wasn’t allowed to book it because “He’s a boy”….what are you afraid of? What exactly will happen if a boy wears a dress? Will he burst into flames?

“Will he grow up to be *Shock horror* GAY and I might sue you for it?”

Related: Adele let her son dress as ‘Frozen’ princess for Disneyland

In a statement to ITV News, Disneyland Paris said:  “We are taking this situation very seriously and sincerely apologise to Hayley and Noah for the distress caused.

“An isolated incident, the cast member’s response is not reflective of any policy or belief held here at Disneyland Paris. We are going to ensure this does not happen again.

“Diversity is near and dear to our hearts and we want to make sure that all our guests enjoy their experience at our resort.

“Of course, both boys and girls are welcome to enjoy The Princess For a Day experience in addition to all our other special activities.”

PinkNews has reached out to Hayley McLean-Glass for comment.

Last year, a mum posted a brilliant response to a stranger who mocked her three-year-old son’s Elsa dress.

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