Disney Adults have garnered quite a reputation over the years — and not all of it has been pleasant.
©Disney
Being a Disney Adult certainly isn’t always easy, either. Being fans of the House of Mouse means spending our days daydreaming about the best restaurants in Disney, changes coming to the parks, and our favorite entertainment in each park. And, while being a Disney Adult comes with plenty of joys, it also comes with plenty of pain.
We wanted to know the joys and pains of being a Disney Adults, so we headed to our Facebook to ask the experts — our readers! It turns out, there is a LOT of joy… and quite a bit of pain, too.
Hollywood Studios
It will probably come as a shock to no one that one of the biggest pains Disney Adults have on the regular is simply not being able to go to the parks as much as one would like! Short of working at Disney World or working for us here at DFB, few people can be in the parks every single day — but we know it’s a dream for many Disney Adults.
Others resented the way that the parks have changed over the years. Nostalgia is a heck of a drug and we definitely know what it feels like to miss the parks of yesteryear. Especially now, with so many changes on the horizon at both Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom. We know we’re going to miss Tom Sawyer Island and the Rivers of America, and we already miss DinoLand U.S.A., too!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Another pain we saw mentioned more than once was simply the pain of being a local Disney Adult and having to deal with the parking lot that Central Florida traffic can be! No matter where you live in relation to Disney World — north, south, east, or west — chances are you’re going to have to put up with some traffic at some point on your visit.
EPCOT
But, of course, none of us would be Disney Adults if it didn’t bring us tremendous amounts of joy, right? And, overwhelmingly, what brought our readers the most joy was that first feeling you get when you walk into the parks — and just being in the “Disney Bubble” in general. Knowing that your transportation, dining, and entertainment are all taken care of is such a relief.
Hollywood Studios
We couldn’t help but chuckle at one reply that said their joy was “being able to acquire all the fun things I could only dream about of just look at when I was kid, but then almost immediately letting it spiral out of control just as fast.” And we have to say, we know that feeling all too well.
Pandora
Even the planning process brings some of our readers joy — no matter how stressful it might be, quite a few of our readers think that deciding which parts to go to, what restaurants to dine at, and what rides you can’t wait to go on is just as exciting and joyful as actually being at Disney World.
Walt Disney Statue in EPCOT
Disney Adults might get ridiculed online, but don’t let the haters get you down. We’ve all got to stick together!
In the meantime, we’ll be on the lookout for more updates from Disney World. Make sure you stay tuned to the Disney Food Blog for the latest news from Disney World and more!
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Best part about being a Disney Adult – I am 54 years old, my first two trips to WDW were in 1975 and 1976 staying in the old family tent camper in Fort Wilderness. The 1980s and early 1990s were spent staying in the trailers at Fort Wilderness, and yes back then they did not have cabins, they had trailers (which were later replaced with trailers dressed up as cabins). For those who hate the new cabins at Fort Wilderness all I can say is GET SOME PERSPECTIVE.
Back then I looked wistfully at hotels like the Contemporary, Polynesian, and Grand Floridian and dreamed of someday staying at those resorts. Well, as an adult I am a Disney Vacation Club member and I stay exclusively at Disney Vacation Club resorts all of which are AMAZING. I got to WDW a lot and every time I go I think of that kid who dreamed of staying at the Deluxe resorts.
I’m proud to be a Disney adult, but am surprised yhe financial pain is not listed here. I lived in Florida as a small child so my parents took me a few times, but I did not get to visit between 1977 and 2014. When I finally got that first trip, through saving and extra jobs, I was able to do a trip for four people consisting of nine days at the Polynesian, which included a deluxe dining plan for everyone, transport on the Disney express bus from MCO, park tickets, and a couple of special events. Total cost for the trip? About $15k, $2k of which was nothing but spending money, including buying extra suitcases to bring all our stuff back! And it was extra magic to have our stuff delivered to us! Nowadays, that same experience would probably cost twice that amount.
I will be 70 years old, in a few days. I’ve been going to WDW, since I was 18 years old. I am a DVC member and have stayed at every DVC resort in WDW, except the new Poly Island Tower, but it is on my bucket list. I have no regrets with the number of vacations that I have spent at WDW. Always had a wonderful with my kids when they were little, and now as adults. Have been taking my young niece with me to WDW, for the past few years. It never gets old watching kids experience WDW for the first time, especially the fireworks!
My only wish is for more ride through attractions that do not involve roller coasters or spinning. Spending a day in the park with motion sickness is not enjoyable.