To not understand this Disney obsession?

[Peachyroll]

Adults who love regularly holidaying at Disneyland/Disneyworld and love buying all the Disney merch... what is it you love about it?

@user58486267489

1. when I see photos of peoples holidays at Disney, it seems to be mainly the big castle and photos with people dressed as characters. What actually IS at the Disney parks? Why is watching people in a Mickey Mouse costume exciting past the age of 4? (That sounds so snippy - it’s not meant to. I really don’t understand? I used to love Care Bears but past the age of 4/5 I can’t think I’d have been excited about someone in a costume - still want Care Bears irl rather tragically ;-) ) there are all the different rides ranging from the placid It’s A Small World boat ride to Soarin’ where you’re flying over the world, simulator rides StarTours and more roller coaster types like Thunder Mountain and Aerosmith’s Rock n Rollercoaster. There’s something to suit everyone. There’s also parades, meet characters, shows
2. what are the rides like? there’s something for everyone as previously stated from teacup ride to rollercoasters and the iconic Tower of Terror
3. how many different theme parks are there?! Paris, 2. California, 2, Florida 4. Love them all, these are the only ones I’ve visited
4. what do people do all day there? there is a lot of queuing but if you sort your fast passes and if you don’t mind the single rider queue you’ll save a lot of time
5. which Disney films are people nostalgic for? When I think of classic Disney I think of…. Bambi? The lion king? Are they even Disney? All I am 100% sure of if mickey, Minnie and the big dog! none really, just enjoy the whole experience

I first went at 19 to Florida and didn’t go back until I was in my early 40s and my DC were teenagers, we all love it. You just have to go with it. If you think you’re not going to enjoy it you probably won’t but it’s some harmless escapism. There are rides I just have to go on and others you couldn’t pay me to queue for again, I’m hoping to revisit Florida next year.

That’s really sad @Blizzardbeach

my only word of caution would be, it sounds a bit like you’re ‘enforcing’ Disney on your whole family. Do your kids really love it as much as you? You don’t want them to grow up having never had a non-Disney holiday ‘because mum loved it so much’.

Escapism, fun, entertainment.

I love Disney Holidays. Sitting around a pool or on a beach is my idea of hell.

It's a good job that we aren't all the same really, isn't it!!!

When we were kids we had a book about Disneyland (in California, the only one then, it had only been open a few years) We would have LOVED to go but had about as much chance of a short break on Mars. No one else we knew ever went either.

It is not my sort of thing as an adult but I can't see the problem with harmless stuff that gives people a lot of happiness. Snobbery about it in this case I think and sneering is a much less attractive look than a pair of Mickey ears on anyone.

I know to some extent perspectives just differ, and not everyone will like Disney, blah blah.

BUT I think this is more about your children being really very small! There is a whole lot of childhood between 3 and teens 😂

Paris is the only disneyland I know, I've taken my kids at variously 3, 4 and 10. I've felt that either they have always been exactly the target age, or otherwise it must be great for all ages which is why we've not hit a 'bad' age yet. They were 4 and 10 when we last visited and honestly there were very few rides we couldn't (all) do - Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, Crush, Tower of Terror, RC Racer and Rock'n'Rollercoaster. And tbh I was on the fence about Crush, we walked past when the queue was at 5 mins(!) and I was tempted but I just couldn't work out how intense it might be and was conscious I couldn't have both children sitting next to me so higher stakes if it was a bad idea! Literally every other ride was good for us at least once.

My eldest at 3 also didn't do Big Thunder Mountain, Parachute Drop or Star Tours.

I imagine at 10 months options are much more limited though and some of these do have really long queues (Peter Pan, Dumbo etc) whereas Pirates, Phantom Manor, Cars, Flying Carpets, Slinky Dog have v often been queues of 10 mins or less when we've visited.

I agree the 'fast' food is shit. It's a shame because some of the table service and buffet restaurants really are great, but Paris aren't yet very good at ensuring people know to get these booked well in advance...

Obvs with all of that, preferences still vary and you don't have to like it, but I can't agree it's oriented to teens and adults. The major UK theme parks definitely are, if you compare eg Alton Towers or Thorpe Park the difference to Disneyland Paris is huge in terms of the thrillseeker:family-friendly ratio.

Hilarious....not 🙄

It made me laugh.

It always makes me laugh when people mock what others enjoy. You're not any better than someone because they like Disney 😂

Why do some adults like football, buying all the Kerch, going all the time, watching it in tv constantly, etc?

Or cycling?

Or obsessions over tv/film?

Or gaming?

Or anything really.

For some I assume it's just something they enjoy. It harms no one, so can't really see the issue.

I like Disney in that we've been many times though I don't wear Disney, but all the merchandise , etc. Was a shared interest with my Dd. Not been without Dd, but been to parks in other parts of the world since she's been a older teen/young adult, so no kids with us. We love theme parks and rollercoasters, and the general theming of a decent theme park. It's a nice break from reality every so often. Doesn't affect anyone else.

We've been to 4 resorts - Florida DW, DLP, Hollywood and Japan. DD's aim is to visit the final two in Shanghai and Hong Kong but covid got in the way. We've been to DW about 10 times plus the others.

But we are very fortunate. We can also afford to do other holidays and have travelled to numerous places and had a wide range of holidays of varying types. So we don't just have the same type of holiday in the same place, as we get to go away 3-4 times a year minimum and like a mix.

I didn't realise there was a Disney obsession, I don't know anyone obsessed with it. My son went to Disneyland a few years back with his then girlfriend and her little one. They had a good time, especially the child, but he wouldn't bother to go back. I don't think it would appeal to me but I suppose if I was out there on holiday and Disneyland was nearby, I'd go to see what it was like.

Queuing with children is stressful though???

It's about managing expectation and being prepared. Being prepared and organised can help minimise queue times.

Dd has been to theme parks from being very small and Disney World from being 2. She's never had an issue with queuing even it the hot summer weather. We made it fun with games and chat. As she got older we'd play things like headbandz on the phone. And she'd chat and play with other children in the queue. And in the US the anerixans particularly love to chat to you if you're from somewhere else in our experience - so you are distracted.

We always were organised with FAst Pass, and which park for each day, etc so we minimised our queuing a lot.

It’s probably just that you don’t know anyone obsessed with Disney. I don’t think this thread is talking about adults who occasionally dig out a Disney film and have been to Disneyland once or twice, it’s more adults who make EVERYTHING about Disney, who go to Disneyland for every holiday, always want Disney themed gifts etc.

I know 2 people like this, one is a 50yo man who enjoys dressing as the female Disney characters in his free time (Elsa, Ariel, Mulan etc), the other a woman in her late 30s who is a strong TRA/rainbow-type person.

So perhaps it’s no wonder I have negative connotations of it

We very recently went to Orlando. Before we went I was very ‘meh’ about the whole thing, but went along with it because I knew the dc would love it. We normally spend our holidays exploring/doing outdoorsy stuff.

We had an amazing time - we all loved it and I would definitely go back. It was not at all what I was expecting - it was genuinely magical and enormously impressive. Everything is incredibly well done and it isn’t all aimed at little kids (although obviously some of it is - this is mostly at Magic Kingdom). There was so much joy in it.

Dc are 10, 12 and 13 - perfect ages for Florida imo.

*I know 2 people like this, one is a 50yo man who enjoys dressing as the female Disney characters in his free time (Elsa, Ariel, Mulan etc), the other a woman in her late 30s who is a strong TRA/rainbow-type person.

So perhaps it’s no wonder I have negative connotations of it *

Understandable
I love Disney and rainbows but am definitely not a TRA. Its just something I have always liked and only has positive connotations to me.

If you think the parks are strange, just look into Disney Cruises! The prices are utterly bonkers and clearly aimed at (high earning) adults.

I quite enjoy a visit to DP Paris every couple of years.

I do have children. I enjoy their enjoyment. But I also enjoy myself. The rides are fun. The atmosphere is great.

We never buy merchandise. It's not our thing.

Why do people insist on saying "I don't get it" when what they really mean is "I don't like it and I look down on people who do like it"?

There is nothing to 'get' about people liking Disney, Harry Potter, football, Love Island or whatever, other than the pretty simple concept that different people like different things. If you don't even get that, you must be really quite dim. By all means dislike things that other people like, but fgs stop pretending you think that there's some mystery about it that you don't understand. There isn't.

I started watching videos on YT, Disney guide I think, it's based on the American one. I can see why people would like going there regardless of age, sunny, things to do all in one place, stuff for all ages etc. What I can't understand is how 'normal' people ie not wealthy people afford to go. Based on these videos, you seem to need to pay for tonnes on top of the ticket prices. I also did not realise there are different parks and you have to pay for each one. I just thought, if you were going to Disney you would see it all for one (big) price.

I've never queued more than 10 mins for a ride at Disneyn and we've been at peak times like Christmas. You just need to do your research, pick your park days, sort out your fast lane passes well.

I think @ChagSameachDoreen needs to be taken to Bibbity bobbity boutique and turned into a princess so shes not a sour puss

@Fairislefandango yes and no. Some stuff I don't personally enjoy but I can understand why other people would - you can see the attraction even if you don't share it. Other things are just mystifying and you can't work out why anyone would want to do them.

I'd put Disney in the first category.

YABU

I've been to Disney World only twice (once as a child, once as an adult) but I love it and long to go again (had a third holiday booked there when covid hit and it was cancelled). I'm not one of these who goes to the parks and wears ears or collects badges or wants to meet the characters. I can't remember the last time i watched a disney film so not crazy on them either. I just love the atmosphere and love the theme park aspect of it. I enjoy the slower paced rides (the Avatar rides are the best!), the entertainment, the food. I also love the Disney water parks.

Everyone has different likes and dislikes. I probably don't like some things that you do.

Good luck with that in the future. Theres no more fast pass system . It's now a paid lightning lane system

Spot on.