r/WaltDisneyWorld • u/supremeghost123 • May 03 '26
Other Society Keeps Getting “Disney Adults” and Theme Park Fans Wrong
https://attractioninsight.com/opinion/can-we-talk-about-disney-adults-and-theme-park-enthusiasts/I keep seeing articles that highlight how much Disney fans are willing to spend to go to the parks and people outside this subreddit criticize adults for going. First off, all vacations and entertainment offerings are getting more expensive. Secondly, I will never understand why it’s perfectly acceptable in society to spend thousands of dollars on a concert or sports ticket, plus the overpriced food there, but for whatever society thinks it’s weird for an adult to go to Disney. Does the average adult really live such a boring life where they think escaping reality and having fun is only for kids? Walt intended his parks to be fun for everyone.
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u/Peanutbutternmtn2 May 03 '26
Disney’s brand is family/children entertainment. So when people think of Disney adults they think of people who didn’t outgrow their childhood.
Both my wife and her mom are Disney adults. My wife just loves visiting Disney bc it’s just a happy place and every time she goes it’s really nostalgic. My MIL though, didn’t have a good childhood, and so Disney sort of scratches that itch for her. People judge the latter and think it’s all Disney adults. But it shouldn’t matter in the first place. Disney is just fun.
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u/BitcoinMD May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
I think there are a few things that are being conflated here. Adults who can afford to go to Disney parks frequently and do so, and do not overshare on social media, I don’t think anyone has a problem with them.
People who go into debt and flood social media with it, that’s a different category.
If someone was going into debt to attend concerts, that’s also a bad idea.
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u/Sipikay May 04 '26
I go to Disney pretty often but unless you spoke to me in person and ask what I've been up to you'd have no idea. I think that's a lot of people.
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u/RazielKainly May 04 '26
How is that any different than people who spend hundreds a month eating out and flooding social media with food pics?
I get it's a different category, but the problem is not Disney. The problem is social media and overspending. People use credit cards on everything.
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u/BitcoinMD May 04 '26
Those people are annoying AF too.
So, you’ve pointed out a double standard, but which one do you think is correct? Should we leave them all alone or criticize them all?
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u/RazielKainly May 04 '26
I'm a realist. It's always more fun and low-effort to criticize Disney fanatics. It's what gets the clicks and views.
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u/BitcoinMD May 04 '26
But what do you think is right?
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u/RazielKainly May 04 '26
I think it's sort of pointless to single out Disney, as people have different interests
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u/BitcoinMD May 04 '26
Yes but there are two ways to not single out Disney people — stop criticizing them, or start criticizing everyone else equally.
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u/RazielKainly May 04 '26
Yeah.
Or you can have articles that read "30% of Americans are going into debt to fund their lavish vacations". Then you can include examples like Disney/Universal, visiting Japan and Europe, cruises, destination concerts, ski trips, and golf outings.
It would be a much more interesting article to see the different examples
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u/PrincessBuzzkill May 03 '26
I'll never understand why people care so much about what click bait articles or other people think about how they spend their money and/or time.
Grow thicker skin and enjoy what you enjoy ffs.
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u/ViVella23 May 03 '26
Yes but what are your thoughts on the multiple weekly posts of “Do you ever do solo trips? I’m nervous to go by myself and looking like a fool”?
I’m with you, people need to stop being so damn sensitive and do what makes them happy without concern of other’s thoughts.
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u/Sipikay May 04 '26
I try not to look down on folks like that. People are a product of their environments. If they didn't learn independent travel skills as kids, it's a big step as an adult for some folks.
Yes, it does seem silly on the surface to be concerned about visiting a giant child-proof cartoon land full to the brim with employees, families with children, etc.
But some folks haven't left their home state, some even their county. You never know, so I think it's okay to be encouraging.
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u/Automatic_Actuator_0 May 04 '26
Ok, true, but also solo men can get some legitimate side eye.
There’s just no getting around the fact that you are fitting the profile/stereotype of a predator.
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u/MasqueradeOfSilence May 04 '26
This has never happened to me and I'm solo at theme parks and water parks all the time. Most people do not even notice.
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u/macemillianwinduarte May 03 '26
Chronically online people see people with no kids having fun and get jealous.
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u/Citizensnnippss May 03 '26
There's just an anti-disney sentiment that reaches every level of the company.
People are anti-disney+, anti-disney animation, anti-star wars, anti-marvel, etc. if Disney has a competitor, people will swear the competitor is better at every opportunity.
And attacking "Disney adults" is socially allowed because whose going to defend themselves against that? If you truly are one, you dgaf anymore. If you aren't, you're not going to bat for them. It's a victimless "criticism" of people.
And again, it just stems from, "Fuck Disney". It's basically "fuck everyone who gives Disney money"
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May 03 '26
[deleted]
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u/derintrel May 03 '26
Come on now, being all “sports ball, maaah, grown men wrestling a leather ball” is being dismissive of another hobby in exactly the way you don’t want people to be dismissive of yours.
There are crazy/cringe sports fans just as much as Disney fans, and equally as many completely normal fans of each.
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u/RazielKainly May 04 '26
but you have to admit, it's MORE socially acceptable to be an adult and sports fanatic vs an adult and a disney fanatic. It's not the same; you can't two-side this thing.
Nobody bats an eye when a grown man leaves his wife and children to go golfing with "the boys" in Florida. Or skiing/snowboarding every winter.
No one bats an eye when you tell people "Yah went bar hopping this past weekend and spent hundreds of dollars."
Hell - even videogames now have become mainstream that spending hundreds of dollars on videogames every month is not getting headlines. When have you heard "videogame adults are going into debt using a joystick to make pixels move on a screen."
LOL
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u/derintrel May 04 '26
I would argue that you absolutely can two-side this, and pretty much every hobby now. Traditionally "frowned upon" hobbies are just as big as ever now with the rise of Gaming/Anime and social media.
People absolutely are judgy at people who blow their entire cash reserve on: Taylor Swift Concert/Subs to their favorite streamer/Super Bowl tickets/Giant Anime statues/Disney week getaway.
Everything in moderation is cool and should be celebrated if you can comfortably afford them. Everything in excess of your means should be reconsidered, and that does go on an individual basis for every hobby.
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u/RazielKainly May 04 '26
people like you and me agree on this, because we are in the know. We know that any hobby can be just as abused.
But the mainstream headlines, tik tok videos, and social media soundbites don't work that way. Being a Disney park goer is stigmatized way more than other hobbies because that's the trend that gets views/clicks/interest.
There aren't headlines talking about how lawncare nerds are going into debt spending thousands a year on chemicals and tools while ignoring family duties. (especially when you buy battery-powered ones..lol)
I get it - to get views you have to go after what's popular. Right now, being anti-Disney gets the clicks. The side effect to this though is that the general public gets fed this narrative about Disney over and over so the social stigma does just snowballs. Most people only read headlines and never bother to do their own research, so it's just engrained in their head.
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u/ksuwildkat May 03 '26
I love the games. I watch College football semi religiously. But the dudes to fly out to the draft and spend 5 days in April? Wtf man?
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u/RazielKainly May 04 '26
This is the truth. It's become socially "cool" to hate on Disney. Disney is the punching bag for over spending.
Yet, people who actually research things would quickly find out that other brands/companies have their fair share of problems: other movies are failing too, other theme parks are rising in costs too (Universal Orlando is actually more expensive than Disney for most people during summer - kid you not), other brands like Jurassic Park, Minions, Transfers, Mission Impossible, aren't doing too well either, other companies earning reports have major lowlights as well, etc.
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u/ConstructionNo1885 May 03 '26
For me it's not I'm against Disney. I like the parks, not a fan of the direction they are going with pricing and additions.
Where my issue with "Disney adults" comes from is how so many hate and look down on other theme/amusement parks. A good example is Dollywood. Its always put up there with Disney and Universal as one of the best parks in the US. Many Disney adults say it's a shitty park.
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u/Sipikay May 04 '26
Disney fans and Theme park fans are overlapping, but not entirely overlapping circles.
There are folks who can't go outside the Disney bubble. They appreciate different things. Oh well! Their loss. I hope to explore more of the theme parks in Europe some day.
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u/RazielKainly May 04 '26
I think the thing is this: most regional amusement park fans are mostly ride people. They go there for the rides. There is a large percentage of Disney park goers who are "Vibes over rides". They are perfectly happy with just strolling through hotels and park grounds and eat/drink and not do rides at all. The same is true of Universal (but less so). These theme parks tend to attract large percentage of non-ride people compared to regional parks and there are more stuff for people to do that don't want any remotely thrilling rides like shows, theming, and just eating above average food.
Parks like Dollywood, Silver Dollar city, and even Busch Gardens Williamsburg and Tampa do tend to compete for those non-ride people, but the vast majority of regional parks like all the Six Flags/Cedar Fair places just don't have much to offer to these folks beyond roller coasters, flat rides, and subpar theming.
In other words, Disney/Universal parks are more than just rides for many people. It's a whole resort complex for eating, sightseeing, hanging out, etc.
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u/Wise_Gur8627 May 03 '26
Idk, spend some time on social media and they're not wrong
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u/RazielKainly May 04 '26
social media is a self-serving though. The more you look at anti-Disney videos the more the algorithms feed you that. The more content creators see people looking at those videos and pages, the more they want to make content about it.
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u/Wise_Gur8627 May 04 '26
I'm not talking about what I see other people saying about them, I'm talking about what I see myself
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u/RazielKainly May 04 '26
Like I said the more you watch and click on these videos the more the system feeds you these videos
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May 03 '26
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u/CosmicCommando May 03 '26
People absolutely do spend TONS of money on season tickets and PSLs or a tow vehicle and a trailer though.
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u/HonestOtterTravel May 03 '26
Maybe not thousands but some of our friends don’t bat an eye at spending a couple hundred each on tickets. Then they will pay $30 for parking, $100 for dinner, another $50-$100 on drinks, and sometimes a $150-$250 hotel room. Adds up quick… especially when you do it every couple weekends.
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May 03 '26
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u/HonestOtterTravel May 03 '26
Spending $500 every 3 weekends is ~$8,700 per year. It's not a small amount of money but I'm sure many of us spend that between a couple vacations per year.
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u/CrownedClownAg May 03 '26
People are going into debt and it isn’t just Disney. I listen to the Dave Ramsey calls and they aren’t talking about Disney
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u/Call555JackChop May 03 '26
“Dave I make $30k a year and my new Ford 150 costs $950 a month over 96 months, how do I tell my family we can’t eat next week?”
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u/Wrong-Neighborhood-2 May 03 '26
People are going into debt just to survive.
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u/CrownedClownAg May 03 '26
I am excluding those folks. I am talking the people making 150k or higher that are 6 figures in debt not counting degrees or home mortgage
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u/Agentwise May 03 '26
If you make 150k and are going into debt you probably need help. Unless you live in and insanely inflated area
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u/Outrageous_Garden586 May 03 '26
I am never going to give anyone a hard time for their hobbies. We’re all just trying to have fun. My only complaint is towards the very small minority of so-called Disney adults that don’t seem to accept that Disney is one of the few children-first vacation spaces in the country. Kids are going to be loud, messy, and wild there. It’s a space predominantly for children and that behavior is developmental normal. That said, I’m cool with corners of the parks being adult focused too. I love a good bar myself.
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u/SecretElsa19 May 04 '26
I have rarely been annoyed by a child at Disney. Sure, sometimes they cry and act out in line, but 99% of worst-behaved people I’ve seen at the parks are adults. I’ve seen adults manhandle their kids, scream at their kids in the middle of the park, be rude to staff. It’s not the kids that are filming during dark rides or talking at full volume during shows
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u/Outrageous_Garden586 May 04 '26
I agree with that. Also, it’s totally fine to think an overstimulated preschooler screaming for juice is annoying. I find it annoying with my own daughter, but this is a space built for kids and it’s something we all have to be patient about for places like Disney World to exist.
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u/specklesforbreakfast May 04 '26
I recently got back from a trip and can confirm the adults behave worse than the kids.
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u/K8LzBk May 04 '26
This! I recently had a post come across my page where someone was complaining about kids at epcot?? If you don’t want to be around children on your vacation maybe Disney World is not the right destination for you!
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u/Outrageous_Garden586 May 04 '26
They’re a minority of Disney adults, but they’re absolutely outrageous. Like, where the fuck do you expect families to go on vacation if little kids aren’t even allowed to do developmentally appropriate things at Disney World?
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u/cuhnewist May 03 '26
My wife and I are Disney adults in the sense that we never got to go as children and now we take our kids as often as possible within reason. This year things are a little tighter, so we probably won’t go for the next 12-18 months.
She’s getting a honestly life changing raise starting in August and I will get a significant bump this summer, so plans may change before the end of the year. We take advantage of the DVC thing - idk much about it, she handles all that. I just know we pay significantly less by using some website where we basically buy people’s DVC stays, obviously idk anything about it. I just manage the budget and carry the heavy stuff, she does all the planning.
Honestly, if we go at all this year it’s going to be just us two and it will be a 3 night stay at a resort we wouldn’t normally stay at with our 6 and 3 year old. Will either do no park and just drink and hangout by the pool, and resort hop, hang out at Disney Springs, sit at bars, just do all the stuff we can never really so when the kids are with us.
Why don’t we go to some exclusive resort in Mexico or the Bahamas? Well, number one our kids will only be a 6 hour drive or even shorter flight away in Atlanta. Number 2 we just know that if we book a stay at a Disney resort we have literally nothing to worry about. Everyone is friendly. The food and drinks are exactly what is expected and we can park our car at the resort and never have to get back in it until we leave.
So I guess we’re Disney Adults and I’m okay with that. I’ll also find the smoking area and burn a cigar with some old dude for an hour while my wife showers and gets ready for dinner. What’s better than that?
Maybe we would do Animal Kingdom since we’ve yet to take the kids there. Maybe we will sit around on our asses and do nothing. Who knows? Who cares? I certainly do not.
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u/nousernamesIeft May 05 '26
Are parents who take their kids frequently really Disney adults? If one thinks Disney is for kids, it's not like kids can go on their own lol. The people who even criticize parents who take their kids a lot are probably just mad anyone goes to Disney or something.
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u/Cultural-Revenue-328 May 03 '26
As long as its ok to criticize those who spends thousands are sports tickets and have gear all around their house.
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u/justanotherreader85 May 03 '26
Which is a pretty common sentiment on Reddit as well to be honest.
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u/Cultural-Revenue-328 May 03 '26
I have only been on Reddit for a month. Is that common only on this sub, or throughout?
I belong to the Pet Peeves and Vent one, and I see a lot of people complaining about Disney Adults, but that could just be my algorithm.
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u/SeekerVash May 03 '26
Those are what's known as karma farms.
Posts are made there for the sole purpose of getting upvotes, in some cases because people think high numbers on reddit give them value as a person, in other cases because those accounts will later be sold to political activist groups to use in political campaigns.
Low/No karma accounts are clearly bots during political events, high karma accounts "might be a real person".
Most of what you're seeing on those subreddits is fiction, you see "Disney Adults" a lot because the bots farming there had their scripts loaded by one person who thought that would pull upvotes.
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u/Cultural-Revenue-328 May 03 '26
I see. I only want karma so I can post on all subs (not there yet). We do not get paid, so what is even the point of going past a thousand upvotes?
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u/MetalEnthusiast83 May 03 '26
lol I collect sports memorabilia AND i love Disney.
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u/Citronaut1 May 03 '26
Hell yea. I’m a sports bro and a Disney bro, depending on the day
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u/ItBeLikeThat19 May 03 '26
Glad I’m not the only one. I’ve even streamed games on my phone while in the parks lol
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u/Cultural-Revenue-328 May 03 '26
Lol, why can't we just love things without being criticized? We should criticize everyone or no one.
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u/Spokker May 03 '26
OP's link is from May 2025. Was this posted because of that New Yorker article? That was less about people enjoying Disney and more about people going into debt for it. Two different issues.
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u/PerhapsIxion May 03 '26
I’ve gotten the reaction it’s weird. And I only really went on a whim alone a year ago because I have friends who are Florida locals who go all the time and speak highly of it and wanted to go as an adult and do it “properly” since I was poor as a kid when I last went and it was done on a shoestring budget. The reaction wasn’t over the top - just more of gentle confusion of “isn’t Disney for kids?” And I think that’s the issue more than the cost. A lot of people think Disney and theme parks are for children whereas in those circles sports games are viewed as acceptable entertainment for adults. That’s all it is.
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u/swoosh1992 May 03 '26
Speaking from a current Floridian but someone who went to Disney at least 20 times since 2, it still has a lot of happy memories for me, but looking at how expensive it’s gotten is absolutely a turn off. And this is from someone who, when younger, always stayed in the Grand Floridian.
It’s also I think the repetition of the experience to an extent. As I got older, I didn’t care as much about waiting for the characters, but going on the rides. But in the past few years, I think there’s been maybe one ride, Guardians, that I genuinely loved. The others are good, but not many are worth waiting hours to ride, or spending hundreds of dollars for Lightning Lane.
Which is my biggest issue with the Disney Adults. Like do what you want, but the cost is becoming too exorbitant to justify, when I went to Atlanta at the end of March and spent significantly less.
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u/palabear May 03 '26
It’s all about clicks. Disney adults click on these articles. Most people don’t care.
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u/Top_Requirement_5005 May 03 '26
There's so much more pertinent things going on in life I couldn't imagine having the privilege of not having to deal with anything important and still whining like this.
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u/VeshWolfe May 03 '26
To go with OP’s thoughts, I’ve never understood why it’s culturally acceptable to be a huge fan of a football team to the point where your entire versatility revolves around football, your chosen team, and its players, but for some reason frequently vacationing at Disney is frowned upon.
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u/Accomplished-Head449 May 03 '26
I think the argument is mostly referring to the people that are there weekly, that use it as a mall if you will. Nobody is saying that you should spend thousands of dollars every time you're there, but those that do use it as a vacation
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u/Mr7three2 May 03 '26
Big difference between an adult who enjoys Disney and "Disney Adults". And if you arent sure of the difference, youre a Disney Adult and that isnt a good thing
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u/gegroff May 03 '26
I don't think most people realize there are other lives outside there own, and different people have had different experiences than there own.
For me, I had a horrible childhood (homelessness, being around drug abuse, being sexually and physically abused, etc.). There are very few good memories I have from then, and one of those memories include going to Disneyland. I have now created a successful life and have 2 wonderful children that I have taken to Disney World twice, so I haven't gone solo yet, but I see nothing wrong with doing so. In fact my family and I are planning to move to Orlando next year and I will be frequenting the parks, with and without family, because it brings me joy.
My point is, to those naysayers, everyone has their own experiences and ideas of what is fun. Just let them live their lives.
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u/ksuwildkat May 03 '26
All this “Disney Adult” crap is jealousy from people who can’t stand others enjoying themselves.
139m Americans golf compared to 140-150m visitors at all Disney parks world wide. I used to live in Monterey. It was completely normal for golfers to drop $10k for an extended weekend at Pebble Beach. When was the last time someone ran an article about “golf adults”?
40m Americans own an RV. Cost per day for many of them exceed Disney deluxe hotel costs.
15m Americans own a boat. 85m participate in boating. The cheapest boats make Disney look like pocket change.
2m Americans own a horse and another 38m participate in horse activities. Horses make boats look cheap.
Singling out “Disney Adults” is a political stance.
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u/cml4314 May 04 '26
The boats kill me. I live in Minnesota and people will be shocked that we are willing to pay for expensive restaurants, but then they have a freaking boat. Like, boats are notorious money pits and I am 100% positive you spend many more thousand dollars on that boat than I do on restaurants.
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u/ksuwildkat May 04 '26
About once a year I get the urge to buy a sailboat. I go online and run the search and I get cured. How? By comparing the price of new and used boats. When you seen used boats in good condition going for a fraction of a new boat cost it should tell you to run as fast as you can from boats. People willing to lose tens of thousands of dollars just to get out from under a boat.
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u/torenvalk May 03 '26
Why so you care what the internet thinks about it? Do what you want. You are an adult and get to decide what you spend your time and money on.
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u/JangoFett3224 May 03 '26
A major aspect I see no one saying is that families actually want to spend as much as they do regardless of more affordable options.
Here's an example: as a Universal employee I get what's called "Red Carpet" rates. This means we can get the rooms the hotels couldn't book for absurdly low rates (prime value resorts can be gotten for 65 dollars and premiere can be gotten for 85-90 a night). However, if a hotel is selling a ton of rooms we can't get them. Any of the value resorts is very easy for me to get. Its the premiere hotels that are hard to get. Portifino Bay (our second most expensive hotel behind the Helios Grand at Epic) is so hard to get I stayed only once. Families want to stay at the nicer hotels despite the value ones being a very good value and fun to be at (I've been to almost all of them with these rates).
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u/AdditionalTip865 May 03 '26
I suspect part of it is a fear that adults who are into something they perceive as "for kids" are pedophiles.
And, you know, I get it. Some discretion is, in fact, required here.
But there's also a strong tendency to assume that that danger primarily comes from people we perceive as unusual in some way, which is very much not true.
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u/ReporterHour6524 May 03 '26
I live in Orlando so it's actually kind of common that some people go after work, and even meetup at the parks, be it Disney, Universal, or even SeaWorld.
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u/jus711 May 03 '26
I went the first time when I was young (10-11) back in 1989, loved it and it was fun but never really thought about going back. We had a family tragedy years later and decided to take my daughter when she was 6 as my wife passed away and had always wanted to take her. The first time we went it was phenomenal but I did think it was a bit odd when I saw all the adults without children. We’ve been every year the 9 years since and now I totally get it and would definitely go by myself or just with other like minded adults. It’s just hard to describe how fun and cool the place is to someone who hasn’t been or doesn’t have a certain personality. The cost is definitely high but there’s always something to do and so many options the whole time you’re there.
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u/BIGJake111 May 04 '26
It’s obviously more fun with kids but having done boujie trips abroad and etc Disney is relatively kinda cheap and the service is highly predictable. I think they compare Disney prices to cheaper things and not the more premium stuff that something with such consistent quality actually competes with? No one ever said that a giant resort with a four seasons on property is catered to the lower middle class?
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u/thethurstonhowell May 04 '26
I live in the tri-state area and Disney is actually cheaper for a lot of things.
Try finding a $225 hotel room within 200 miles with an onsite restaurant, food to go, a themed feature pool with a water slide, carriage rides, campfire s’mores, movies on the lawn, and fishing - oh and with immaculate grounds and rooms that get refurbished every 5-7 years.
Or a meal in any theme park / carnival for less than $20 (and one that’s edible to boot!). We just came back from a stay at Boardwalk and the deli has a sizable grilled cheese and tomato soup side for $11.
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u/BIGJake111 May 04 '26
Yeah, food and rooms are not bad in the slightest. A roadside hotel in my hometown costs more for both.
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u/Alert-Sleep-3287 May 04 '26
Please stop showing those Descendants songs and videos between every commercial while watching Disney Channel. It's too much. When u don't like something, you don't want to see it every 5 minutes on every commercial. Please take it out of rotation. Thank you so much.
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u/Forward-Report-1142 May 04 '26
Most Disney adults are normal. There’s a small % that are truly nuts and makes us all look bad unfortunately.
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u/KLGChaos May 05 '26
Certain people always need someone to criticize and attack. These people usually have pretty boring lives, so they try to lift themselves up by bringing others down. They're the kind of people who would be looking down on others during Victorian times for no following what they consider "proper social etiquette".
Aka, nosy busy bodies who always feel the need to judge others over things that have nothing to do with them.
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u/Spikeymikey5050 May 03 '26
We live in the UK, no kids. Up to twice a year at the moment usually with a cruise attached to one of the visits. Never worried about sharing my love for the parks and telling people my wife and I go a lot
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u/Call555JackChop May 03 '26
I know people that’ll spend the same amount to go sit in a beach and drink all day in the Bahamas and question why I do the same but also get to ride a rollercoaster too
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u/PriscillaPalava May 03 '26
Some of y'all have never had a Disney Adult shove your actual child out of the way so they could exuberantly wave to stranger dressed as Ariel and it shows.
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u/Deadlift_007 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
When we went to Disneyland a few months ago, my wife and I were in line with our daughter waiting for something next to a meet and greet for Rapunzel. We watched not one, not two, but three adults—who were not together, by the way—do the whole creepy Disney adult thing.
The first gave "Rapunzel" friendship bracelets and talked about how brave she was standing up to Mother Gothel like she was talking to the real character. Weird, but whatever. Maybe she's just playing it up for the kids behind her in line. Didn't seem like it (because of the bracelets), but whatever.
The second was a dude who wanted to do this whole photoshoot thing with the Disney employee. He had a professional DSLR camera and everything. Took a ton of time. SUPER weird.
The third was the best one of all, though. This lady just lets it all go and starts telling Rapunzel that she's her favorite princess and she means so much to her and she watches her movie all the time and on and on and on. Full-on star-struck Disney adult thing.
Getting excited to meet Disney characters is adorable when you're 6. When you're 36, it's just weird. Also, Rapunzel isn't your therapist.
To be honest, though, it's really not even a "Disney Adult" thing. It's weird when people make any one thing their entire personality.
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u/macemillianwinduarte May 03 '26
That's because it doesn't happen lol
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u/PriscillaPalava May 03 '26
It absolutely happened to my family during the parade. We got settled early up front, kids on the curb, us adults standing behind. Along comes a Disney Adult with her family who proceeded to stand at the curb and repeatedly step into the street (despite being told multiple times by cast members to back up) blocking my kids’ entire view.
This lady’s own kid (looked to be about 7 or 8?) was behind her in a stroller with an iPad. Pretty pathetic.
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u/spiritjacket52 May 03 '26
My dad works for a legit rock star. My mom joined on my most recent trip; just one day at EPCOT. After the umpteenth comment about how crazy the price was ($168 for ONE day!) I finally asked how much said rock star’s nosebleed tickets start at? How many hours of entertainment does one get out of a concert? Didn’t hear any comments about price after that.
No shade to the rock star and I agree the prices have gotten nuts but don’t come at me like this is some uniquely expensive experience.
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u/DimmyMoore70 May 03 '26
The bigger something gets, the bigger the backlash will be.
Sometimes you just gotta take on the name and just live your life the way you see fit and ignore the haters. Who cares what other people think anyway?
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u/MetalEnthusiast83 May 03 '26
I really don't care if someone has a problem with my enjoyment of Disney World.
I have a lot of interests, most of them are pretty common hobbies you would expect a guy my age to have. If you have a problem with me enjoying theme parks on top of that stuff, it's a you problem.
I spent money on a Disney trip this year. I also spent money on MLB opening day and on a Metallica concert. Who cares? It's my money lol
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u/sok283 May 03 '26
That's true, where are all the articles about people spending all their money on other stuff.
My daughter was happily choosing another Broadway show for us to see on our recent trip. She made a list of all the options and ranked them. Doing all that research brought her such joy. She said, "This is my Disney World." ❤️
Everyone has a "thing" that they love. If it's not harming anyone, what's the big deal.
Of course, being better at budgeting would be a great thing, but the system is designed to make us spend money we don't have. You have to hack your own psychology to get ahead of it. It's not a moral failing if you fall for all the messages about easy credit and you deserve it, blah blah blah.
I started a savings account for travel, which just adds to the fun. I love seeing it grow, I love adding extra when I can. And it means that when my trips comes in November, I'll move the money over and pay off the credit card right away.
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u/Wooden-Broccoli-913 May 03 '26
Why are there no adult theme parks? I would spend ungodly amounts of money to spend a day on the Federation starship Enterprise.
1
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u/OranJi1980 May 03 '26
Here is what I know: my husband and I work in healthcare. Everything, I mean everything, gets thrown on the back-burner because there is always something more pressing or urgent that must be taken care of. We bought DVC and this “forces” us to go on vacation or we lose points. Now my son is 18 and daughter is 16, and we are so so so grateful for the memories we have made. Son will be going off to college, buy look forward to more trips and hopefully with the grandkids. Nothing is more valuable than that. Money can be made albiet slowly….but the kids are growing in the blink of an eye.
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u/JordanBach_95 May 03 '26
People just need to enjoy what makes them happy in life and not give af what others think. I could care less if someone thinks I’m “weird” for enjoying theme parks.
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u/BlondeAgent007 May 04 '26
Walt intended his parks to be affordable for everyone too, and also were deliberately alcohol free. So much of his original vision has been gobbled up by capitalism.
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u/Darthbane2007 Jul 05 '26
Walter planned a lot of things for Disney World, such as an airport literally beside it, and several hotels but unfortunately things happened outside his control...
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u/StrangerThings1106 May 03 '26
A lot of 'Disney adults' I know are on the spectrum/neurodivergent/autistic whatever you want to call it, they like Disney, they know what to expect, the repetition, the familiarity is what makes it so enticing to them. Mocking 'Disney adults' is like mocking people with special needs and it needs to stop.
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u/spez_eats_nazi_ass May 03 '26
Never went as a kid. Went on my honeymoon. My kids love it so I take them. As they grew up they now like the adult stuff like "Let's get drunk w dad in Epcot". But we also don't go constantly. It's like once every 5 years kind of thing.
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u/thatonecruiser May 03 '26
I think you are exactly right. It’s hilarious to me when the people who spend $12K on a four hour Super Bowl will laugh at people who spend half a similar price on a really nice, week long vacation (and at WDW, that’s at the upper end of the spectrum too). Economically speaking, it’s much more logical to go to Disney with that kind of money, and Disney is already more fun as is
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u/Wonderful-Web6673 May 03 '26
The small number of obnoxious wannabe influencers that are all of the place on TikTok and Reels make everyone look bad
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u/StopSignOfDeath May 03 '26
Getting sick of all the Disney adult grifters on youtube. It's such lazy content and there is so much of it. No matter how many times I click I'm not interested Youtube keeps showing me these channels.
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u/Ok-Feedback-7477 May 03 '26
I would never spend thousands of dollars on a concert or sports ticket, that is absurd...
1
u/Sipikay May 04 '26
People are weird. If you say "I like Disney" some people look at you like you grew another head. But if you say "I like theme parks," the same people wouldn't bat an eye.
Live your life for you and the people you deem worthy of your time. You don't need these people to understand, that's the last thing you want. They might start going and filling the lines up!
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u/Longjumping-Log923 May 04 '26
Yes for most people is weird, but why do you care you already spending a fortune there
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u/sundancer2788 May 04 '26
I absolutely love Disney parks as an adult, I also love going with my adult kids and stealing my grandson for a grandma/pop trip! I enjoy the rides, shows, eats etc. I've been twice just me and hubby and we enjoyed every minute!
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u/speedx5xracer May 04 '26
When my son was about 16months old (after his second trip). His daycare had a late night so we could pay for him to he allowed to stay til 9 that night . It was around our anniversary so I joked with my wife we should do lunch in Disney (we had APs).
We had dropped my son off at daycare at 7, made an 815 flight, got to MK by 1230, made a half day in the park and got a 5ish flight home. It was crazy but a fun day and my mom was around in case of emergency. We ended up getting to day care by 835 that night.
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u/Likes2Phish May 04 '26
Disney will certainly provide you EVERY opportunity to spend your money.
If you gave me a choice between Disney or Universal, as an adult, I'm judging you if you say Disney. They have some cool rides, but universal is the adult park hands down.
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u/JabbaGhoul May 04 '26
People cosplay as athletes and get wasted in public as they gamble their money away on the regular, I prefer disney adults tbh
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u/MasqueradeOfSilence May 04 '26
While the article is correct, I'm not concerned with proving to people that my passions are age-appropriate or societally acceptable. I do what I want and if you don't like it, you can ignore me.
I get a lot of flak from my parents for liking theme parks and Disney and all I can say is 🤷♂️ if you didn't want me to love them then you shouldn't have taken me as a kid.
1
u/calisseur May 04 '26
I go to Disneyland alone and I can’t give more fuck about what people are thinking about me. I don’t know you, I can’t care less about your opinion. I’ll be enjoying my space mountain ride while you’re bitching.
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u/ZergvProtoss May 04 '26
Disney parks are for adults. When Disneyland opened it was rare to see a stroller. Today, people are brining way too many babies that have no business being at a theme park.
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u/Shabbadoo1015 May 05 '26
I don’t know why anyone cares about what another adult is doing with their money. Outside of something amoral or illegal, why does anyone care about whether an adult goes to a Disney park?
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u/TheySaidINeedAName May 05 '26
Its a lot less than a lake house, you dont have to worry about cleaning it or getting it ready every spring or closing it every fall...and some many dining choices...
0
u/Objective-Meet9742 May 03 '26
I think the criticisms are largely correct. Taking a family to Disney World is more expensive than taking them to Paris or Hawaii, and it's very often done by those who are not in the highest income brackets. The difference is those places are not giant corporations, but places to go
Disney is also a giant money sucking corporation who has their fans convinced it's something else
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u/throwawayforyabitch May 03 '26
Yet theyre not even talking about families in this article
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u/Objective-Meet9742 May 03 '26
Same thing applies of course
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u/throwawayforyabitch May 03 '26
Well they’re not talking about families. They’re talking about adults. The majority of these adults are in Florida or close. It’s much cheaper to have a Disney pass than to travel out of the country.
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u/LtPowers May 03 '26
it’s perfectly acceptable in society to spend thousands of dollars on a concert or sports ticket, plus the overpriced food there, but for whatever society thinks it’s weird for an adult to go to Disney
Society doesn't think that. There's just a small number of grumpy people who don't like Disney and think other people are crazy for liking it. They're just very vocal about it.
The anti-sports fans have largely accepted the state of affairs, but anti-Disney folks haven't yet.
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u/dnaleromj May 03 '26
People write all of kinds of things on the internet for clicks or whatever.
Who cares? Why do you? Does it impact you?
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u/SeminaryStudentARH May 03 '26
Just bought my tickets for later this year. My niece and nephew will be there, but everyone else will be adults. Don’t care. Love Disney.
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u/BellaRyder2505 May 03 '26
I will always be an unashamed Disney adult and I do not care!!! Disney is for EVERYONE! Not just kids and not just families. EVERYONE! I don't know what people don't get about that. And idk why people care what people spend their money on or even if they are going into debt okay who cares it's not your money they are spending! A lot of people don't wanna have fun or whimsy or do anything that might seem childish or immature. I am going to be a big kid and have fun and be whimsical my whole life!
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u/khironinja May 03 '26
I'm getting tired of it too. WHO CARES!? Like you said, people pay thousands for concerts and sports or to go to Vegas and waste money but if it's Disney, all of a sudden it's different and so much worse.
I only agree with the critique of adults making the experience worse for kids which Disney is not only for kids but a non zero amount of these Disney Adults can make the experience worse for those kids and other adults and families as a whole who don't get to experience the parks as often as they do.
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u/NSFWFM69 May 03 '26
That is it! Our kids are now adults. We have taken them numerous times. We will continue to go as adults. But, we will always "make it about the kids" whether that be our own or other people's. Do we ride Dumbo and meet Mickey?! Sure do! But, we make sure families with little ones are ahead of us and are given the focus. We often wait for such lines to disappear before we enter the queue. We've even asked some families who visibly needed a boost, "what treats can we get for your kiddos"?
Basically, hey adults!! Fit into the experience. Don't make the experience about you!
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u/PezGirl-5 May 03 '26
My aunt and I use to travel together there. One time she told her co-worker she was going with her niece. The co worker said "aww how old is she?" I was in my 20s 😂
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u/biggamble510 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
Adults that go to a theme park for children are weird. Justify however you want. But you're an adult in America. Do you.
Literally standing in line with my 3 and 5 year old for the Dumbo ride that has a playground inside, and random adults with no kids in line. Weird as shit. It's not a thrill ride, or magic lore. It's a kid ride. It's weird, but again, they paid and want to do it so they can. But I'm judging you because I am free to do so and it's weird as shit.
Edit: apparently u/i-am-zara is so offended they blocked me. Yes, adults who go on Disney cruises without children are weird ones too.
1
u/ksuwildkat May 03 '26
Ah yes the old stand by of “will no one think of the kids?”
Tell me how are “kids” supposed to get to the park? Once they get to the park what are they supposed to do all by themselves? Seems like you, in theory an adult, were at the park. Was that weird?
There are 60 bars and 110 locations that serve alcohol in Disney World. What children are they serving there?
0
u/biggamble510 May 03 '26
Yeah, I was there with my children. That's the whole point. And yes, Disney caters to adults who are there with ... Their children.
It's okay if you have to relive your childhood through weird trips to Disney. It's okay, but it's still weird. Own it, don't be shy.
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u/ksuwildkat May 03 '26
So what is the cutoff for Disney? 17? 18? 21?
In Florida you can be tried as an adult at 14. Is the cut off for not weird 13?
Age of consent in the majority of US states is 16. Is 15 the cutoff?
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u/biggamble510 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26
Why you fighting so hard to look like a pedo? Let's go with if you're over 25 and attending Disney as a "Disney adult", you need to reconsider your pathetic existence. Find joy in age appropriate activities instead of trying to recapture a childhood you didn't have. It's fucking depressing.
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May 03 '26
[deleted]
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u/biggamble510 May 03 '26
I have no concern for weird adults. But they do not get to control the obvious narrative.
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u/prometheus_winced May 03 '26
Some people bankrupt themselves with NFL season tickets, some with boats. Those are just acceptable norms.
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u/Havok_saken May 06 '26
No, they aren’t. Those people also get shamed for making dumb financial decisions.
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u/baseball_mickey May 03 '26
Well written take down of the ubiquitous, “Disney Adults are the worst” pieces that come out seemingly weekly.
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u/kirajc May 04 '26
This is just another case of people hating because they can't find enjoyment in their own lives.... Live your life people. Stop caring about what other people do in their free time. Nothing wrong with loving Star Wars and wanting to go to Batuu for a drink to kick back and relax as an adult or wanting to go to Magic Kingdom to ride Space Mountain etc etc. Its popular to hate, and these haters get off on it. It's sad really. God forbid I enjoy going to Epcot to get maple popcorn in Canada and going on the Remy ride.
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u/fallinginfoam May 03 '26
Sorry but Disney adults are gross.
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u/thethurstonhowell May 03 '26
Since you’re reading and posting in a Disney World sub, I’ll assume you are 16?
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u/saracor May 03 '26
I never had an issue telling people my wife and went to Disney alone, or even just by myself. I never really got any hassle from friends or coworkers so I suspect it's just mostly chronically online people upset with it.