The term “Disney Adult” can evoke a range of emotions, depending on who you say it to. To outsiders, it’s used as a slur to slam people without children who frequent Disney Parks and some who broadcast their adventures on social media.
To the outside world, it’s easy to mock Disney Adults; after all, they are grown men/women who occasionally dress up like children’s characters at a theme park. And there are those times when Disney Adults force the photographers to take dozens of pictures of them in different poses in front of Cinderella Castle, forcing people with children to wait forever.
There is also a misconception about Disney Adults that the outside world doesn’t really see: the vast majority of them just enjoy going to the parks and not drawing attention to themselves or posting on social media. It’s a way for them to relax, just like any other hobby or vacation.
However, it turns out that the biggest misconception about hating Disney Adults is that it doesn’t come from the outside. Most Disney Adults feel criticism and anger from people within their community.
Author A.J. Wolfe told Business Insider:
It’s something that everyone has an opinion on, but nobody really understands. The really difficult thing about being a Disney adult is other Disney adults. There’s this judgement, this hierarchy, and this status thing that goes on with Disney Adults.
Wolfe explained that Disney Adults can be the most judgmental about where someone stays or what they wear. There is also a difference between Disney Adults who frequent Disneyland in California and Disney World in Central Florida.
Those distinctions can cause friction with the Disney online community. However, one of the largest issues within the Disney Adult community has been significant changes coming to Disneyland and Disney World.
With Disney closing fan-favorite attractions like Muppet Vision 3D, Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and DINOSAUR, a rift has opened within the Disney Adult community between those who have access and insider information and those who don’t. Those who get access to Disney events and information fear losing that access, so they can’t criticize Disney, while those without that access are free to express their unvarnished opinions.
This has caused a rift in the Disney Adult communities on social media and reinforces Wolfe’s point about the community. Despite that, Disney continues to cater to Disney Adults by creating new adults-only bars in its parks, as the company rakes in cash from its most diehard fans.
So, while people on the outside hate Disney Adults, self-loathing is evident, and Disney Adults hate other Disney Adults, too.
What are your thoughts on Disney Adults? Let us know in the comments.
