Try and search "Disney Adult" on google, instagram, Tik Tok, or honestly any other platform… it’s a brutal world out there. To be fair, what they’re saying isn’t wrong. My teenage sisters always send me things about being a Disney Adult, and while they love Disney too, it’s not on a scale even comparable to mine (yet). I've found that there are two camps of people with opinions on Disney Adults. One group loves the idea of Disney. They love the rides, the joy, the magic, the movies, and everything else that people like me find solace in. Then the other end of the spectrum are people who believe those of us that love Disney are completely out of touch with reality, immature, unintelligent, crazy, uncultured… the list goes on. Feel free to check out this article written by The Tab in 2020 which highlights the criticisms with a bright neon highlighter.
We live in a world that is learning to accept everyone. We learn to accept who you love, who you are, what you feel is your best self. We welcome all religions, beliefs, and support everyone in their journey’s to physical and mental health. Except Disney adults...
"This is a problem because these stunted Disney stans have no idea how to deal with anything remotely complex, they pretend it just ~isn’t~ happening. If discussions about race, war, or gender don’t happen in the world of Disney, they don’t happen in the minds of Disney adults either!” - The Tab, 2020
I mean… this is pretty extreme. I guess you can always look at the bell curve of people and there may totally be some individuals who feel like that, but I can assure you that I am well aware Disney isn’t a representation of our lives… it’s really the opposite. It’s a place to focus on happiness and magic, and step away from the crumbling crushing reality that is our world right now. I’m not blind to the criticism that the Disney company gets. The workers are brutalized and underpaid. The brand has missed several opportunities to expand diversity and progression. The company itself is 1000% focused on making money now more than it ever was with previous CEO’s and directors, meaning less families and people get to experience the magic in a way that’s worth it. It's not perfect
Attacking an entire group of people who just like… joy?.. seems like a big reach but hey, that’s just me. As much as I love Disney, I still spend most of my time having conversations about the war on gender, race, and bodily autonomy with my family and friends, more so than Disney. I also spend every day working with every type of person. I see patients in their most vulnerable states, talking to them about the horrors they face to find ways to assist them. I promise, I’m well aware of the realities that come with.. living? Tearing apart something someone enjoys is just… for why?
Here we have a comprehensive list of reasons I enjoy Disney:
It feels like home. The nostalgia, music, and smells of Disney bring you back to childhood and happy times. Disney, for me, isn’t tied to trauma or bad memories and it’s one of the few places I can just sit and enjoy myself.
The Disney brand is wildly insightful. Learning the behind the scenes thoughts that go into every movie, ride, and park is so fascinating to me. I don’t think people understand the amount of thought that goes into each decision. Every movie, character, song, and brand decision takes teams of people before implementation and learning about that process is amazing.
The fashion! This sounds crazy but if you go enough, you know there is an entire world of Disney fashion bloggers, influencers, and clothing lines. Choosing a high fashion or modern outfit with a “touch” of Disney inspiration is sometimes more fun than the actual parks. I spend my days planning Disney outfits and I LOVE it.
Despite what people say, I definitely did not set false expectations for myself based on Disney princesses and Disney movies… I’m not really sure where that came from but by the time I was old enough to understand what love was, what beauty is, and how the world works, my references weren’t taken from Disney movies. What I did learn was how to be brave, how to laugh, how to play with others, how to understand emotions, and so many other things. Honestly I think we should focus more on how our parents, friends, and social media talk to our young children, especially females instead of tearing down a singing mermaid but that's your call.
The parks are one of the most diverse vacations you can take. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good beach vacation or a trip to a new town, city, country but you typically do the same things in all those places, right? Go to a beach, enjoy the sun, enjoy the pool or ocean, eat dinner, maybe go 4 wheeling or zip lining depending on where you are and then it’s repeating that every day. Go to a new city you haven’t been to? Wake up, walk around, go on tourist trips, see the sites, try to find good dinner places, go to sleep. I love this. I love traveling and will go anywhere but Disney allows people to take the trip they want and experience all of these things. As someone who has gone so many times, I’m less concerned with getting on every ride. I can spend my days walking around appreciating the ambiance, watching broadway caliber shows, going on rides, watching parades with good snacks and drinks in my hand. I can visit Disney Springs and shop at high end shops while also finding new restaurants all sitting on a beautiful lake and taking in all the views. I can book tickets to cirque shows. I can take boat rides, I can spend my days at the beach or at the pool. I can drive to one of the towns close by for the day and explore it. I can pick from >100 restaurants and bars to eat and drink at.
Disney is a really good place to learn patience and acceptance. Waiting in lines, changing weather, and constantly frustrating human behavior takes some serious patience. You learn to go with the flow and let things go and I’m grateful for that. (I can’t say the same for everyone else there, but you take what you can get)
It’s fucking joyful…. Everyone needs to take a breath and just… smile?
Here we also have a comprehensive list of things that I think are much more ridiculous than a Disney Adult
Sports. Like in general. First of all, 90% of sports is doing the same action over and over and over again which I find incredibly boring. Second, the entire world of professional sports teams is so bizarre to me. You are not on this team, why do you care so much about if they win or lose. If you let a sports team dictate your mood, and you are not on that team, I will judge you.
Dogs being treated as adults. I love dogs, and we live in a world where if you don't LOVE dogs, you hate them. But I don't understand why we give dogs the same attention, if not more, than we do to the rights of human beings?? Honestly I think I hear more and see more about the treatment of our pets than I do about the education system, foster care system, and healthcare system.
Talking on speakerphone and/or listening to videos without headphones and/or facetiming IN PUBLIC. I feel like I don't need to expand on this.
People who are "always late" and treat it like a personality trait. You're not "quirky", you're rude. If you see a repetitive pattern and it is affecting other people, figure out a way to fix it.
Viral videos of the following
Crying on camera
"Act of kindness" that are clearly set up for views
TikToks/Reels of people literally just mouthing the sounds, like you did not create that? You just sat there and said what someone else said?
Spending time judging others about what they choose to do with their free time
Don’t let others steal your joy.
“Remember, you’re the one who can fill the world with sunshine.” —Snow White, Snow White and the Seven Dwarves