Families visit Walt Disney World Resort to celebrate timeless characters, explore imaginative lands, and create memories together. Between Magic Kingdom’s castles, EPCOT’s innovative spirit, Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ flair, and Animal Kingdom’s natural wonders, there is something for every guest.
Yet, as one recent story shows, even vacations filled with Disney favorites can take an unexpected turn.
The Disney Trip
A 37-year-old father recently brought his family to Walt Disney World: his teenage daughter, Taylor, age 15, from a previous relationship, and his younger daughters, ages six and five, with his wife. Taylor enjoys a close relationship with her stepmother and siblings and is especially fond of Belle from 1991’s Beauty and the Beast.
On the first day, Taylor wore a Belle-inspired outfit, while her younger sisters arrived dressed as princesses. Their dad greeted the little girls with the words “princesses,” but when it came to Taylor, he remarked that she was “a little too old to be a princess but very pretty.”
Though Taylor spent the day enjoying the company of her stepmom and sisters, her father noticed she was less enthusiastic toward him.
A Conversation Beyond the Park
Later, the father received a long message from his ex. She explained Taylor felt left out and hurt by his choice of words. Because Taylor was dressed like Belle and they were at Disney, she argued, it was reasonable to think Taylor wanted to be included in the compliment.
The father pushed back, noting that Taylor had rejected “cute pet names” for years and he thought he was respecting her preference. His ex insisted he was wrong, and even his wife gently pointed out that he could have handled the moment differently and should make an effort to repair things. Still, the father believed he had acted appropriately.
Online Reactions
The father shared his story on Reddit’s “Am I the A******?” forum, where it received nearly 7,000 upvotes and more than 2,400 comments. The response was overwhelming: many users felt he should have treated Taylor with the same enthusiasm as her sisters.
Only-Ingenuity7889 commented: “She was dressed like her favorite freaking PRINCESS. Taylor probably took it as you fawning over your two youngest darlings, then you had to make up something polite for her after your FIVE-YEAR-OLD could read the room better than you did and called you on it.” They recommended a one-on-one outing to reconnect.
MutedHyena360 added: “Your daughters will ALWAYS be your princesses. Even (maybe especially) if they don’t want to be called that. But everyone is a princess at Disney, even your wife!”
Another commenter, Impossible_Rain_4727, wrote: “YTA: Would it have been that hard to simply say, ‘You three look lovely’? Like, you complimented two of your children and ignored one of them—the same one who doesn’t spend a lot of time with you.”
Expanding on this, Gaberahamj explained: “Maybe it wasn’t not being called a princess that hurt her, maybe it was that you singled her out and made her feel less special than her little sisters. Like the fact that she felt more comfortable talking to her mom than talking to you about this says a lot.”
Thousands of comments encourage the father to find a way to mend his relationship with Taylor. After all, at Walt Disney World, every guest—young or old—can feel like royalty.
