Cute Kid Note Of The Day: Dear Disney Cruise Line

Today's Cute Kid Note is a very legitimate complaint letter that we'd love to see answered.

Title: Dear Disney Cruise Line

Author: Ethan

Age: 8

Ethan's commitment to brotherhood: Strong. He wants Disney Cruises to cast some "cool guys" for other little boys to meet, since he's not sure if he'll ever take a cruise again.

Guys Ethan thinks are cool: Aladdin, Eric and Jack Sparrow

Guy we think is cool: Ethan

(h/t Reddit)

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Next Cute Kid Note of the Day: 6-Year-Old's Precious Love Note To Mom

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Comments

[Phillygirl1952]

16 seconds ago (10:04 PM)

Sounds like Disney IS indeed as bit sexist!

[Michi chi]

06:29 PM on 02/21/2013

Right on little man. All the kids would have been pleased to see Buzz & Woody even but they only showed up once, had a very long line and several kids didn't get to see them. Yet the princesses were out individually, as a group, roaming around even. A little parity is all he's looking for, why not?

[Cee JGee]

12:12 AM on 02/18/2013

Guys, give him some slack. He's only 8 and maybe his parents helped him write the letter but so what? Isn't that what parents should do? And I don't think he wrote a mean letter; he was merely making a suggestion so other boys like him may enjoy the cruise in the future. I'm sure he's thankful his parents (just guessing here) took him on a cruise for he said that might be the only cruise he can take.

[Christi Adrian-Monson]

06:30 PM on 02/17/2013

So far, the only "whining" I have seen are by adults commenting on this thread. So here are my key responses:
1) Kudos to a child learning (with either a lot or very little parental assistance) how to assess a disappointment (be it from poor luck or an oversight) and express that disappointment in a calm, rational way to those who actually have the ability to address it. (Unlike yelling at the parent company involved over a random blog site like tantruming 2 year olds.)
2) While it is true that Disney has had several years of girl-heavy merchandising (based upon consumer demand), that has actually been turning around over the last couple of years and from what I understand this boy's experience is actually an anomaly... most Disney cruises actually have quite a few male characters to meet. So, instead of assuming a corporation is being intentionally dismissive or slamming them over a 3rd party article, do a little research to see if this is a chronic problem at the current time.

[Alexandra Melius Phelps]

11:39 AM on 02/17/2013

I like the letter and wished that Ethan was able to meet more guy characters. When was this letter written? Because I went on a cruise with my family last year and we saw Aladdin, Jack Sparrow, Buzz Lightyear, and Pinnochio. I thought maybe our cruise was after this letter was written and maybe Disney Cruise Lines listened?

[EveB]

11:38 AM on 02/17/2013

Smart lil man and his request is valid... step up, Disney!!!!!

[dirtydog1776]

07:21 PM on 02/16/2013

The letter is very good, well written and thoughtful. Kudos to Ethan.

You usually don't see writing of this quality at the second grade level.

[Iloveradio912]

07:13 PM on 02/16/2013

Should say, "Sincerely, Ethan's parents trying to exploit their child".

[Patricia Sypke-Ungermann]

11:22 AM on 02/17/2013

actually his parents are teaching him the right way to complain kudos to them for showing their son he proper way to get his message across, maybe if more parents were doing right by their children, these types of things wouldn't get so much attention.

[peedropaula]

02:10 AM on 02/19/2013

And how do you figure that this is exploitation? Exploitation implies that the parents would be rewarded somehow for making this letter public, whether with cash and/or prizes or their own 15 of minutes of fame. Do you know anything at all about them besides the fact that they took their son on a Disney cruise? I sure don't.

[QueenLiteral]

10:38 PM on 02/15/2013

We had princes and Captain Jack Sparrow on our Disney cruise.

[123098]

07:26 AM on 02/15/2013

Did your Cruise not have a huge pirate night where Captain Jack Sparrow was the center of attention. I waited in a long line to meet him. So did every other adult woman on the ship. Maybe your mom saw the line and said NOPE!

[123098]

07:15 AM on 02/15/2013

I am so sorry kid - tell your parents next time to book the Fantasy. I saw Jack Sparrow several times. The Princes were out and about greeting the kids standing in line for the princess picture line. Of course Donald, Mickey, Goofy.....

[David Mieczkowski]

12:35 PM on 02/14/2013

As to whether this kid's complain is actually valid in point of fact, consider this. What if the cruise had a lot of princess on board as well as Mickey and Donald for the boys, and for female characters had Minnie, Daisey, Clarabell Cow (Goofy's girlfriend) and Malificent? Or, put another way, a bunch of anthropomorphic mamals who happened to be female, and an evil witch Queen? What if boys were encouraged to dress up like princes at dinner, given significantly more photo op chances to pose with the princes, and the ship had a whole shop dedicated to prince cothing and paraphernalia? The girls could also buy stuffed Minnie, Daisey and Clarabell characters if they wanted, and the gift shop did sell evil witch costumes, after all. Any little girl who would complain to Disney (and not her parents, mind), would be a spoiled brat, amirite?

No, if you've ever been on one of Disney's ships, you understand how much attention is paid to every detail, and you understand how nothing is unplanned. They push princesses because princesses sell additional merchandise. They push Mickey and Donald and Goofy because young kids like anthropomorhic animals, and they sell merchandise. They do not put any of the characters on the ship to make the kids happy, per se. There is always an upsell opportunity with all of them. Princes aren't on the ship because princess don't sell, even if an 8 year old boy thinks meeting some would be cool.

[Steven Linn]

08:49 PM on 02/14/2013

For the most part your spelling and grammar was on point, so I'll give you a B+ for that and actually listen to what you said.

I agree with your points there, of course. Most companies are driven for the profit motive, and as you said, princes don't sell. The majority of people going on cruises are adults, and those adults must be living with a comfortable amount of compensation (or they probably wouldn't have been able to afford a cruise, let alone take their kids on one), so they would be much more willing to dish out that extra buck for things they like.

If having princes were profitable, believe me: they'd have princes.

[viciousvirago]

10:54 AM on 02/14/2013

I love this kid's moxie. And he's right: get some real heroes they can look up to. Jack Sparrow does not come to mind, but it is, afterall, Disney.

Where are all the real heroes today? We never hear about them. It is soooo important for little boys to have genuine, real-life heroes. Where are they? Name some for me, please.

[indigocrash]

03:08 PM on 02/14/2013

With any luck, their fathers. Hopefully.

[viciousvirago]

04:56 PM on 02/14/2013

But, as we all know, fathers have been leaving mothers to cope on their own for generations now. You ever see black fathers pushing a baby carriage? And Latino boyfriends stick around until the kid is maybe 3 and they're gone.

I wish, fervently, that every little boy had a daddy to look up to. My husband died when I was still pregnant and I tried to be both mom and dad, but a woman can do only so much. There is that intangible thing that only fathers can give a little boy.

I know it sounds old fashioned, but: if girls wouldn't keep getting pregnant, this would not be happening. Abstinence doesn't work; the pill does. So do condoms. I feel sorry for all the little boys with no real heroes.

[Christi Adrian-Monson]

06:18 PM on 02/17/2013

Hercules, Eric, Phillip, Quasimodo, Phobos, Handy Manny, Aladdin, Flynn Rider, Arthur, Merlin, John Smith... Of course your comment does give point to why there is so much more female driven merchandise... People remember the Princesses and yet forget the Princes. They're there and luckily Disney has been reintroducing them but for a long time, it was the girls driving the market and so it only makes sense to stock up on that merchandise. Disney is a great family oriented company but don't be naive... the ARE a COMPANY. They are going to provide what is demanded. To carry merch lines and hire actors for special appearances and have them sitting ignored while the princess stuff has lines around the corner and back is fiscally irresponsible.

[Mommy2Katie]

07:22 AM on 02/14/2013

We went on the same ship. We met Captain Hook on the ship. Maybe not in the "cool" crowd, but a male none the less. LOL And Chip and Dale were on the ship. And Stitch was on the ship. Mickey was on the Ship. Goofy. Donald Duck. Pluto.

[Tigerbob]

07:11 AM on 02/14/2013

Good boy. Disney to me is mostly for girls but they do need stonger male characters.