Minnie Mouse is the captain of all Disney cruises now

Mickey Mouse was first unleashed upon the world in Walt Disney’s 1928 cartoon “Steamboat Willie,” where the little mouse in pants was captaining a ship. He presumably has held that job for the last 91 years, but now he has been relieved of duty. That’s because it’s Minnie Mouse’s turn behind the wheel.

For the first time since the cruise line’s founding in 1995, Minnie Mouse is taking the helm of the Disney Cruise Line, reports Florida Today.

Captain Minnie will make the rounds of all the ships in the Disney fleet, including the Disney Wonder, Disney Magic, Disney Fantasy, and Disney Dream, wearing her new uniform of a captain’s hat, red jacket with the captain’s insignia, and either a white skirt or (gasp!) pants. On board the ships, Captain Minnie will hopefully inspire youngsters of all genders to seek out careers in the nautical arts, and spread the inspiring message that she can do everything Mickey can do, hopefully while earning the same paycheck for the same job.

“Our Disney characters have a unique ability to inspire and connect with children, and we know Captain Minnie will encourage young girls around the world to consider a career in the maritime industry,” Jeff Vahle, president of Disney Cruise Line, said in a news release.

Of course, inspiring young women to captain their own ship is more than a job for one mouse. That’s why this year, Disney Cruise Line is sponsoring four scholarships at the LJM Maritime Academy in the Bahamas for female cadets who aspire to be ship captains and shipboard leaders. The scholarships, one for each of the ships, include tuition for two years of the three-year program and require one year of service aboard a Disney ship, the release states.

The news was announced on April 18, 2019, and if you think we were slow to pick it up, remember that Disney took 40 years to get Minnie Mouse a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.