Disney adult

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An adult man wearing a Disney Monsters, Inc. collectible.

A Disney adult is an adult who is a devout fan of The Walt Disney Company.[1][2] Common hobbies of Disney adults include visiting Disney theme parks, collecting Disney merchandise, cosplaying Disney characters, and consuming content on the Disney+ streaming service.[2]

Buzzfeed News described Disney adults as a "polarizing fandom" that receives scrutiny and ridicule from others.[1] While polarizing, regular adults, influencers, and celebrities identify as Disney Adults proudly.[3]

Origin and History

Practices associated with the phenomenon, such as Disney weddings, date back decades to the 1990s.[4] Disney World's marketing in 1996 included an advert aimed at adults, promising "A World of Magic Without the Kids!"[5]

Amanda Brennan, former head of editorial at Tumblr, identifies that website as the origin of the Disney adult fandom, specifically the practice of "DisneyBounding", a type of informal cosplay where adult visitors dress in the color palette of their favorite Disney character. She sees the millennial generation as having more "freedom to follow their own obsessions" and it being more socially acceptable for them to have juvenile interests.[4]

In 2019 a Facebook post went viral in which a parent complained about childless millennial couples obstructing her family's experience at Disney World.[4] This post then turned into a meme that was widely shared on social media making fun of Disney Adults, specifically millennials in their 30s who didn't have any children still going to the parks often.[4]

The Disney Adult Experience

Disney Adults and The Walt Disney Company fans participate in many different offerings Disney provides. Specific park offerings, merchandise, and events are meant to foster a community for Disney Adults. These events are marketed to Disney Adults with the promise of nostalgia especially in response to the movies from the 80s and 90s and Disney Channel entertainment.[6]

Disney Theme Parks

Overall there are 12 Disney parks worldwide located at 6 different resorts.[7] Each offers different incentives through rides, characters, entertainment, and events. At the Theme Parks, Disney Adults can meet their favorite characters, buy merchandise, and go to special events.[2] Disney Adults often visit all these different theme parks for their vacations while also going on Disney Cruises and on Adventures by Disney trips.

Two women posing in front of Cinderella's Castle at Walt Disney World Resort for the 50th Anniversary

Different Disney Parks offer different things specifically for adults. At Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort, you can "drink around the world" at the different restaurants and festival booths. Both Disneyland and Walt Disney World host marathon weekend-long events, and Halloween parties, and offer pin trading.[8][9] Not through the official Disney Company you can participate in Dapper Day, Pin trading meet-ups, and local gatherings.[10]

Collectibles

Disney Adults buy a lot of Disney merchandise, including but not limited to ears, spirit jerseys, toys, Loungefly bags, pins, and limited edition items. Some people might buy things from their favorite movies like Jorge Arias, who has been growing his Disney Cars collection for over 16 years.[11]

Different Disney parks also offer different things that Disney Adults can collect such as pressed pennies, character autographs, popcorn buckets, and ornaments. These collectables can cause problems, in 2022 a Limited Edition Figment popcorn bucket was released for the International Festival of the Arts at Epcot at Walt Disney World. Before the bucket was realized, it was known that the character Figment had a cult following within the Disney Adult community. When it was released, lines were at least 6 hours long and buckets were being added to eBay for at least $100.[12]

Community

In light of criticism and hate, many Disney adults have come together to create a community for one another. Disney Adults meet-up and make friends with other likeminded individuals at events such as Dapper Day and Disney marathons. They then continue going to the park together and traveling to other parks together.[5]

Online, the Disney Adult community and large and growing. Social Media has played a big part in the community feeling of Disney Adults, allowing fans to post about their new collections, tattoos, upcoming trips, and getting tips for future vacations. Facebook has hundreds of different Disney groups including Disney Crafts for Disney Fans, Disney Nation, Disney World Addicts, and more.[13] Instagram has also allowed Disney Influencers and content creators to meet and come together and share their art.[2]

Criticism and Controversies

The Disney Adult term is often used negatively towards people describing them as obsessed with something that is meant for kids. Some of these claims have been based on things Disney Adults have done. In an article by The Rolling Stone, the author found many people described Disney adults as cringing and naive, relating their love of Disney to escaping real life responsibilities.[4]

While the Disney Adult community tries to stay inclusive a majority of big Disney fans are middle-upper class white women. These women often get heat as being known as a "Karen" and leaving a bad impression for other Disney Adults.[4] For the most part Disney adults are just told that they need to grow up and leave Disney for the kids.[5]

Demographics

A January 2024 survey of self-identified Disney adults found that 71% were aged between 25 and 44, and 80% were female. 91% expected to remain a "Disney adult" for the rest of their lives.[5]

Many A-list celebrities enjoy going to theme parks, purchasing merchandise, and watching Disney Entertainment. Ariana Grande, Chris Evans, Kourtney Kardashian, and more have been seen participating in Disney Adult activities and sharing them on social media. [14] Actor and musician John Stamos has DisneyBounded at the parks with his wife and has spoken about his love for Disney in TV and news interviews.[14]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Blackmon, Michael (7 July 2021). "Disney Adults Don't Care If You Hate Them. They're Having Fun Anyway". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d Krause, Amanda. "Disney adults share why they're dedicated to the fandom despite being called 'weird' and 'immature'". Business Insider. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  3. ^ "Disney Adults Are Onto Something, Actually". Bustle. 2023-06-14. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Dickson, E. J. (21 June 2022). "How 'Disney Adults' Became the Most Hated Group on the Internet". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
  5. ^ a b c d Tait, Amelia (24 February 2024). "The "Disney adult" industrial complex". New Statesman. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
  6. ^ "Why Disney Is Sorry It Invented Disney Adults | the disney food blog". 2022-12-20. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  7. ^ Molly (2023-10-31). "How Many Disney Parks Are There?". Disney Experiences. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  8. ^ "Run Disney". www.rundisney.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  9. ^ disneyland.disney.go.com https://disneyland.disney.go.com/shops/downtown-disney-district/disneys-pin-traders/. Retrieved 2024-04-16. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. ^ "Events". Disney Pins Blog. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  11. ^ Beever, Busy (2022-03-08). "Top Disney Collections In The World - Busy Beever Auctions And Estate Sales". busybeever.com. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  12. ^ "The Big Disney Issue Exposed by the Figment Popcorn Bucket". AllEars.Net. 2022-01-26. Retrieved 2024-04-16.
  13. ^ "Facebook "Disney" Group Search". Facebook. April 16, 2024.
  14. ^ a b "'My Idea of Heaven': 17 Stars Who Are Disney Superfans". Peoplemag. Retrieved 2024-04-14.


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