Are you a Disney Adult?

[UmbrellaFish]

The top definition for “Disney Adult” on Urban Dictionary: “a millennial adult, with or without kids, that can't stop talking about Disney, including the movies and the parks. Even if they do have kids, they're still way more obsessed with it that their kids ever would be. They probably engage in casual "Disneybounding" and visit the theme parks at least once a year. They are obsessed with everything Disney and probably have a Mickey Mouse bumper sticker and/or tattoo. One of the most terrifyingly intense people you'll ever encounter.”

Do you agree with this definition? Do you consider yourself a “Disney Adult”? Do you think others perceive you as a “Disney Adult”? Are you bothered by the stigma attached with being a “Disney Adult”? Are there differences between “good” Disney Adults and “bad” Disney adults, and if so, what are those differences?

[carolinakid]

I consider myself to be a Disney adult but really only from the Walt era until about the year 2010. I am really turned off by what Disney has become since they went woke...

[Disney's Divinity]

Well, I believe most people here are in their 20's and 30's (some older). I'm not of the millennial generation. I consider myself a fan of TLM, animation in general, and Disney broadly (with some exceptions)--in that order--so not whatever this is. This sounds like the kind of person who gets Disney tattoos, has Disney wallpaper, has no interests other than Disney, goes to the parks 5X a year, etc. It's their prerogative, more power to them.

[UmbrellaFish]

These poll responses are so interesting to me. I understand nobody wants to be a cringey Disney Adult— a total Disney company sycophant, or someone who gets publicly emotional about Disney related things, or whatever other behaviors people negatively associate with Disney Adult. But I also think from the outside looking in, outsiders would say that every member of this forum is a Disney Adult. I’m not exactly the person defined in that Urban Dictionary, but I have nearly 5,000 posts on a Disney forum I’ve been a member of for 16 years. I think most people outside this community would identify me as a Disney Adult, right?

I don’t mind the label— I think it’s funny! It’s really nobody’s business what you like. I really like Disney movies and theme parks. They bring me joy. And I don’t think I’ve ever engaged in super toxic behaviors that people identify in Disney adults— I tried to be skeptical of hagiographies of any Disney figure, for example, even Walt.

Have any of you ever felt stigmatized for being a Disney fan or Disney adult? Personally, I don’t think so except when it comes to my affinity for Disney Princesses in particular.

[PatchofBlue]

Ah, one of my favorite topics. I'll have to parse this one out a little ...

I would consider myself a Disney adult if not for the intense stigma surrounding the specific phrase "Disney adults." I think it's a perfectly legitimate adult interest/fandom, but a wide swath of the internet shows incredible distrust and disdain for people who still go to the parks in their thirties. And I don't really blame "Disney adults" themselves for that stigma.

There's a weird assumption that people who like Disney even into their adulthood have some kind of arrested development and/or haven't been exposed to "real movies" or whatnot. Like ... I took a lot of media arts/humanities courses in college. I won't put myself at the top of the pyramid, but I've seen and appreciated a wide range of films, much more than most of the people who have tried to put me down for being excited for Frozen II.

It's worth noting that adult fandom as we know it today has really only been around for maybe two decades. For the longest time, the larger culture was highly stigmatized against Trekkies or people who read comic books. What's especially interesting to me is the way that, in my experience, fandoms that were among the first to be accepted as legitimate adult interests (often Lord of the Rings, Star Wars/Trek) are some of the biggest gatekeepers that Disney adults face today. Most of the YouTube essays/Op-Eds I've seen decrying how Disney adults specifically are like ruining the state of pop culture and need saving from themselves actually come from people who themselves have professed fandoms, even if they won't use that specific word. They're just assured that they have a healthy understanding of what it means to be an adult fan, it's other people who need policing. Raging over who's Rey's parents are/should be is a noble thing: Wanting the remakes to properly honor their source material is childish.

You could almost say that there's a difference when it comes to Disney fandom because Disney's primary target audience is children, but even that's kind of a loose justification for me. While the most recent Star Wars trilogy embraced a more PG13 aesthetic and audience, Star Wars (1977) is like two steps away from The Wizard of Oz. Moreover, if Disney's market is children, then that only increases the need for adults to engage with the stories in a way that the company's primary demographic cannot.

I'm not really one to judge a person who has like Disney tattoos or whatnot, just let people do what makes them happy, but even as loving a thing into your thirties and forties is becoming more and more accepted, there is, shall we say, a lack of nuance in how we discuss Disney adults.

[UmbrellaFish]

There's a weird assumption that people who like Disney even into their adulthood have some kind of arrested development and/or haven't been exposed to "real movies" or whatnot. Like ... I took a lot of media arts/humanities courses in college. I won't put myself at the top of the pyramid, but I've seen and appreciated a wide range of films, much more than most of the people who have tried to put me down for being excited for Frozen II.

Ahh, that’s a good point! My Disney fandom is easy to show off- on my desk at work, I have a photo from WDW, an Ariel pen someone gifted me, a rainbow Mickey Mouse pin on my cork board. But I’m a cinephile beyond Disney, I practically grew up on TCM. I own tons of Criterion and Warner Archive Blu rays. I’ve seen lots of foreign cinema. Sometimes I’m annoyed when people think all I watch are Disney movies.

[Vlad]

I like to consider myself a Disney fan. I'm not that obsessed with Disney, it's not something that I want to be known for. I like to visit the Parks. Before college, I used to visit the park in Paris once a year. It's an aspect of my life I like to keep private, as I do understand that some people may be turned off by it. I do like to talk about Disney movies with others, especially if they bring it up in conversations. My apartment is not decorated only with Disney stuff either, I do have some original theatrical posters, 3 figurines I bought from Disney parks, and some framed lithographs and autographs, and of course art-books, storybooks, VHS tapes, DVDs, Blu-rays and 4Ks.

[Farerb]

I never thought about it and I really don't care for labels. Some people might consider me a Disney Adult and some might not, depending on how they see it.

I don't really care about the parks, or most of what Disney does. I only care about their animated movies, Disney's legacy and history, which I noticed that most Disney Adults don't really care about? Like the details of the behind the scenes, the people involved other than Walt Disney or whoever is the CEO at the time. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but this is where my internet in Disney lies, while typical Disney adults care more about merchandise, going to the park and not really think about any of that stuff, at least from experience. Like ask someone what is a multiplane camera and what was the first movie that had a use of it and I doubt most Disney Adults would know the answer.

I do own a modest collection of merch, mostly Beauty and the Beast stuff, but I prefer to spend my money on Blu-rays and art, making of and history books (like Disney War) whereas I am a member of a local Disney group where people there constantly post their collection - dozens of figures, dozens of funko pops, etc...

It reminds me that someone at work told me that there would be a Disney Home store and he was surprised that I didn't care about it at all because he thought I'd get excited.

Am I the tackiest person for not wanting a Mickey bed or Mickey chairs?

[UmbrellaFish]

I always say working for Disney made me a Disney adult. I had moved away from the fandom in a lot of ways, but after working at the parks and visiting dozens of times with friends, I have a level of connection, nostalgia, and knowledge of the theme parks that means they will always be significant to me. Before working for the parks, I think the only Disney merch I owned were the DVDs. Now I own a lot more!

That furniture is something else, Farerb! I’m sure it gives some people great joy, so more power to them. Not something I would want. Maybe for a nursery, although I often dislike Mickey’s color scheme (red, yellow, and black) for decorating.

[Mooky]

I've heard of the term "Disney Adult" before, usually with a negative connotation. There are countless threads on Reddit detailing people's experiences with them. I personally don't think of Disney Adults as any more extreme than any other fandom that takes its passion too far (*cough* Star Wars *cough*), but even being a "regular" Disney fan is stigmatized and frowned upon, and I can only imagine it must be doubly difficult for people who are DAs. So, more power to them for being willing and able to ignore that kind of criticism and stand firm in their affection for Disney.

As for myself, if we go strictly by that UD definition, then no, I wouldn't consider myself one. While there may be some overlaps with being a Disney Adult, I rather think of myself as an adult fan of Disney (I genuinely hope this phrasing doesn't come across as pretentious and feeling superior to DAs because that's not my intention), and I'm mostly focused on animated films and their history. I own DVDs, Blu-rays and 4Ks of Disney movies and several 'art of' books. Merchandise-wise, I limit myself to Mattel's '90s dolls and LEGO Disney sets. My apartment is not decorated top-to-bottom with Disney products or Disney posters -- in fact, I find that kind of display of fandom, Disney or not-Disney, tacky and off-putting. In general, my life doesn't revolve around Disney in a way I feel a "true" Disney Adult's life does. People in my life know I love Disney movies, and I don't feel embarrassed talking about Disney movies with people or engaging in debates and trying to correct any misconceptions they might have, but at the same time I don't bring up Disney in conversations unless the topic comes up on its own.

Another thing, I feel like being a full-on Disney Adult is inherently linked to being a Disney Parks enthusiast, and thus something exclusive to the US, Japan, and the trifecta of France, the UK, and Germany, and people who grew up having access to and visiting the parks. I'm not sure if most people from the rest of the world care that much. I don't generally enjoy amusement parks and I've only been to Disneyland Paris once, and while a fun experience at the time, I'm in no rush to go back there, or visit either of the US ones.

[Disney's Divinity]

I agree, Mooky, I simply consider myself a fan of many things (Disney being one). Also, likewise on the point about decorating. For me, Disney merchandise has its own space, I wouldn't have that out in the living room, kitchen, etc.

[UmbrellaFish]

Another thing, I feel like being a full-on Disney Adult is inherently linked to being a Disney Parks enthusiast, and thus something exclusive to the US, Japan, and the trifecta of France, the UK, and Germany, and people who grew up having access to and visiting the parks. I'm not sure if most people from the rest of the world care that much. I don't generally enjoy amusement parks and I've only been to Disneyland Paris once, and while a fun experience at the time, I'm in no rush to go back there, or visit either of the US ones.

I think this is a good point. The parks are a whole thing. There is a certain level of exclusivity attached to them and a lot of misunderstandings, too.

[blackcauldron85]

I do consider myself to be a Disney Adult, but I agree that to most people, being a DA means that you are obnoxious as a theme park guest. I love the parks (WDW is my home park), but I'm not a mean person who cuts in line and steals a kid's candy and gets in fights, you know? But I do have a lot of Disney tattoos and merchandise and clothes and books, movies, etc.

[Wonderlicious]

That definition of the Disney Adult is an exaggeration and a stereotype, but as with many a caricature, I think that there's definitely some truth in there. I am definitely a Disney fan, but I wouldn't come close to fitting that definition of a Disney Adult, mostly because I have a lot more interests other than Disney in my life, and I'm critical enough to stop my love turning into blind veneration. Even at the real height of my love for Disney as an adult (late teens and early/mid 20s), where Disney played a bigger part in my personal interests, I think I had enough interest in other things and a high enough level of critical thinking to stop me from truly going into Disney Adult territory.

I have an emotional investment in them and their products, which has personally made the company's recent struggles somewhat of a bitter pill to swallow, but I'm critical enough to not become an apologist for all their actions (e.g., I'll defend them against some of the attacks from the hard/far right, but not against some of their really crappy remakes). I've bought Disney merchandise and memorabilia as an adult, but I'm no obsessive collector, and my house isn't exactly a shrine to The Walt Disney Company.

Also, the thought of practically every vacation I go on being a Disney one really doesn't appeal to me. Even if I took out some of the logistical and economic barriers to it (not living in a country with a Disney park, and the fact that Disney hotels and parks are pricy), there are so many other countries and places I'd love to visit and revisit, that just going to Disney parks and resorts would just seem a waste of time and money to me.

In short, I am a Disney fan, but it doesn't fully define me.