Did Disney Finally Get The Memo? Surprising New Cruise Ad Has Viewers In Tears

A new ad for Disney Cruise Line is receiving rave reviews online thanks to its pro-family messaging and touching storyline.

The 90-second ad “Midnight Magic,” which debuted on Sunday during the Academy Awards, focuses on a father’s bond with his son. 

It opens with a father walking his infant son around on the ship in the middle of the night. The ad follows the pair as the son grows into an older kid and then a teen who briefly rejects the ritual. This heartwarming tale ends when the adult son knocks on the door and asks his now elderly father to go for a late-night walk on the cruise ship with him and his young daughter. 

Social media users loved the message of present fathers, family traditions, and making memories.

“Challenge any father to watch this without crying,” one commenter wrote. 

“You crushed it with this one!!  Dads are amazing and well worth those quiet moments of reflection and the impact it has on kids. Love this!!!” another said. 

Other commenters delighted in the company promoting traditional values once again.

“Back to the basics Disney..  your BRAND was built on this RIGHT HERE….,” one person responded.

“You guys really nailed it with this,” another reply said. “More of this from this brand, please. It’s what it’s supposed to be.”

“The culture shift is real, this Disney cruise ship ad aimed at dads is fantastic,” echoed another.

“Disney has brought families closer together for generations,” said Asad Ayaz, Chief Marketing and Brand Officer for The Walt Disney Company. “This campaign embodies what guests tell us time and again: that the Disney experiences they cherish most are the ones spent with the people they love. We’re grateful to make that kind of Disney magic a reality.”

The ad comes as fans speculate over Disney veering away from the woke path it had been traveling down. The entertainment giant ended 2024 by erasing a trans character from one of their shows, followed weeks later by walking back their DEI policies.

While Disney hasn’t done a complete about-face, the company has been less controversial over the last year, especially as compared to when it was bragging about a “not-at-all-secret gay agenda” in 2022.