
For all the progress that’s been made in the campaign for the advancement of Disney Adults and Childless Disney Guests, the efforts were simply not enough to stave off a barrage of snide comments, tacky social media posts, and degrading online essays against these Disney Parks enthusiasts that has finally resulted in Disney World’s decision to bar these Guests from visiting Magic Kingdom on weekends and over the summer, beginning in August.
RELATED: Disney Adults Are Awful Human Beings. And Some Are Barely Human at All
Since mid-2019, when a female Guest at Magic Kingdom flew into a terrifying fit of rage after her son was forced to wait in line behind other Guests who had the audacity to arrive at the Disney World theme park without any children in tow, Disney Adults–especially the childless ones–have come under attack by Disney lovers and haters alike.
An Irate Disney World Guest’s Tirade Goes Viral
During the angry woman’s tirade online, she called out “childless millennials” who visit Disney World and “throw their money away,” pointing out that, in her opinion, the Walt Disney World Resort is for families, not Guests who have no children. Her post included a plethora of colorful metaphors, lots of capital letters, and 27 angry-face emojis, just for emphasis.
RELATED: There’s No Contest: Magic Kingdom is the WORST Theme Park at Disney World
“DW is a FAMILY amusement park!!!!” she wrote in her post, “yet these IMMATURE millennials THROW AWAY THEIR MONEY ON USELESS CRAP!!!!! They have NO idea the JOY and HAPPINESS it is to MOTHERS WHO BUY THEIR BABIES TREATS AND TOYS!!!!”
But the woman was just getting started. She continued with, “DW is for CHILDREN!!!! People without CHILDREN need to be BANNED!!!!” And, as her sense of entitlement would have it, she went so far as to demand special treatment at Disney World as a mother, writing, “Mothers with children should be allowed to SKIP ALL THE LINE[S]!!!!”
Yes, Please!
As a mother of four, this writer reads that last sentence about Disney owing me a debt of unabashed queue-jumping privileges, based solely on the fact that four kids in the park that day know me as “Momma,” and suddenly, I’m taken to a very happy place, indeed, where every single ride and attraction at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT and Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom is ours for the taking–my husband, my kids, and me. Heck, they might as well exist solely for our enjoyment. Every experience is a walk-on–not because there’s no line, but because the line for others is elsewhere, out of my view, not my concern.
RELATED: Cringe-Worthy Disney Adults Really Are the Worst. Here, See For Yourself
(Cue the tires screeching sound effect.)
And then I remember that everyone in the parks that day is there because they, too, purchased a park ticket. Then the fact that I’m a responsible adult, fellow human being on planet Earth, and Disney fan wholly devoted to honoring Walt’s wishes and Walt’s memory jerks me out of my pixie-dusted fantasy, and I snap out of it as maturity and compassion take over, booting out those terrible thoughts rooted in a disgusting sense of entitlement.
Some People Just Don’t Get It
But among Disney Parks fans, as well as those who despise the very name “Disney,” there’s a growing number of people who are not joking when they say they want adults without children out of Disney’s theme parks. While it’s certainly not the majority that holds to this sentiment, it’s enough of the population that it’s been the subject of social media posts, opinion pieces on Disney fan sites, and even wild, expletive-laden debates, both online and in-person.
RELATED: Disney Adults & Mental Health: What’s the Connection?
Some people are simply hell-bent on the ideology that tells them that having children is a mandatory pre-requisite for visiting the parks, whether for the day or for a two-week vacation. And though the parks never made a formal statement in response to the viral “childless millennials” tirade on social media in 2019–one that, by the way, had been retweeted more than 17,000 times and liked nearly 71,000 times just days after it was posted–the Disney Company seemed to stand in solidarity with “Disney adults” of all kinds when, in 2022, the Company unveiled plans for its brand-new Storyliving by Disney planned residential communities.
The very idea for Storyliving by Disney, as well as the potential for its success, is based on the existence of adults of home-buying age and capacity who love the thought of staying in a state of constant immersion in all things Disney 365 days a year–regardless of whether they have children or not. And to many self-proclaimed Disney adults, such a prospect was not only seen as an exciting and magical addition to the Disney family of offerings, but also as a show of support for Disney adults around the world.
Disney Seemingly Changes Its Narrative
But just months after exciting announcements about Disney opening an interest list for potential residents and about some of the magical amenities available to those living in Disney’s new planned communities were made, a far less magical announcement has come down the pike from Disney–one that involves childless Disney adults who are planning to visit the Walt Disney World Resort.
Beginning August 7, 2023, Guests ages 18 and over with no children will not be permitted to visit Magic Kingdom on Saturdays, Sundays, or during the summer months from June 1 through August 31 annually. As the new restriction doesn’t take effect until August 7 this year, Guests of all ages, whether parents or not, will be permitted at Magic Kingdom on any day, so long as they have a valid park ticket and corresponding Park Pass Reservation, of course.
Beginning August 7, however, Guests 18 and over who want to visit Magic Kingdom on dates through August 31 or on any weekend in the year will be asked to provide proof of parenthood (or legal guardianship) before Magic Kingdom ticket purchases can be made. At this time, it’s unclear what Disney World will accept as proof of parenthood. As that information becomes available, it will be shared as well.
Until then, this writer expects an influx of debate and controversy among fans and haters alike over Disney World’s newest restrictions. Especially when they learn that such restrictions are nothing more than a satirical firing-back at the ridiculous public outrage against Disney adults of any age, regardless of their parental status or lack thereof.
You read that correctly. Disney has no plans to restrict any Guest from Magic Kingdom on any day on the basis of whether they have children. At least for now . . .