I don't think that was the intent of the article. Rather, here was a potential _alternative_ role model which has been rolled back into the "princess" fold. The whole point of Merida, and the reason our family has loved her, is that she's a tomboy. She plays with bows and horses because she finds it _fun_. The message of her character isn't that it's bad to be a girly-girl, but rather that it's OK not to be.

Apparently, many families felt similarly about her character -- that she's a positive role model to have in addition to (not, IMO, in lieu of) the other Disney princesses. Disney changing that seems like a "missed the point" sort of issue -- I definitely had a "what the heck?" moment when I saw the Merida dolls that didn't have a bow, for example. However, I also see the merits of an older Merida as a princess figure. Perhaps she finds she likes dress-up more, in addition to wild rides with mud and bow, as she becomes a teen.