Being an adult and liking Disney...

[ClassyChic]

*Note* If there is a thread like this I apologize, I didn't go through all the threads on this forum. If you need to close this post go ahead.

So I had something happen recently and I know I'm not alone on this. How many of you have had someone tell you, you are too old to like Disney and they weren't just joking with you.

Okay I recently bought the Barbie and Ken set from Toy Story 3 and then I told some people (which I should have just kept my mouth shut) and their reactions were "Aren't you a little old to be playing with toys?" and "Isn't Disney for children, little children?" and "How embarassing for you." Keep in mind I have not played with toys in a long time (I'm 25 BTW). My Barbie and Ken set are still in the box and on a shelf, like a collectible. I'm not mad I just get tired of hearing people say "You're too old for Disney" , ect. Everybody has something in their lives that they enjoy so what if mine is Disney.

So basically I'm just wondering if anyone else gets weird reactions to liking Disney and being an adult.

 

[mrtoffee]

I think you will find most of us on here have experenced something like this over the years. I always get it when I tell people that im going off to Disney on my hols and have even been told that the are things like valium for people like me (although that time itwas a joke).

I think most people interpret being an adult as you are nolonger allowed to have fun and use your imagination, I chose to eother not tell people or just ignore what they say these days. Afterall everyone has an addiction and if mines Disney it's never going to get me in any trouble .

 

[BrizMarc]

I think we have all had it happen before. If it was Star Wars you collected noone would care but people seem to think that Disney is a kids thing. I think people with that attitude are sad that they still cant use there imagination as an adult and have some fun. I like that i can esape from the the world of work and bills and fall into some Disney movies or go to a park or even a collection of Disney related things. Its fun and its not childish. Disney is for all ages and thats what makes it special and its what Walt wanted.

Really dont worry about other people. You can always come "home" to places like the DIS and talk with like minded people and realize how normal you are

 

[BrizMarc]

I think most people interpret being an adult as you are nolonger allowed to have fun and use your imagination, I chose to eother not tell people or just ignore what they say these days. Afterall everyone has an addiction and if mines Disney it's never going to get me in any trouble .

What you said

 

[elaine and the boys]

. Its fun and its not childish. Disney is for all ages and thats what makes it special and its what Walt wanted.:

We're adults with adult responsibilities...definitely not "childish". Unfortunately, I think some adults have lost their ability to be "child-like"....and that's very sad!

There's a big difference between being childish and child-like! Disney nourishes our child-like sense of wonder...and that's a very good thing!

 

[snykymom]

The response I give: "Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional." Peter Pan is my hero!

 

[Natalie_89]

The response I give: "Growing old is mandatory. Growing up is optional." Peter Pan is my hero!

i love that quotation. i have that on my bedroom wall

i have a belle barbie in a box .. well i did until recently when my son decided to open it and get her out . i was well upset

i dont care what people think. i do night work and i sit there all night drawing disney characters and drinking from my disney princess coffee cup. people just think its cute so its all good lol .

 

[Zeldy2]

I get these reactions allll the time at job and I work mostly with womens XD The last time i talked about it at job i got ''There's nothing for an adult to do at Disney!'' I just stared at the person beyond my glasses and it was enough, she just said afterwards ''Oh...... You mean it's not boring as an adult there?'' As if people think there's ONLY children running around there!

 

[Landry]

I get those kind of questions about a lot of things I like to buy/do (Disney, comics, toys, video games, etc.). The typical question is "How old are you again?" to which I reply "12" even if that's not low enough for what I was doing at the time.

And don't fret over buying/displaying toys. I don't do as many "toy runs" as I used to, but I can't step foot in Walmart without wandering through the toy department.

 

[ClassyChic]

Thanks everybody for your responses.
I agree with everything said by each of y'all.
I think it's great that you don't care what others say about liking Disney, I think I'll start to have the same attitude as well.

 

[onnawufei]

We're adults with adult responsibilities...definitely not "childish". Unfortunately, I think some adults have lost their ability to be "child-like"....and that's very sad!

There's a big difference between being childish and child-like! Disney nourishes our child-like sense of wonder...and that's a very good thing!

Agreeing 100%! I'm constantly reminding people of this in one way or another. Though I can also be pretty childish at times, I do have to admit. (I'm 29 and end up sticking my tongue out at someone at least once a day. Usually my DH, but sometimes my coworkers.)

i dont care what people think. i do night work and i sit there all night drawing disney characters and drinking from my disney princess coffee cup. people just think its cute so its all good lol .

I do day work and I sit in my cubicle filled with Disney stuff, Ninja Turtles, Hoops and Yoyo and paper stars while drinking from my Disney villains coffee cup. And I get a lot of compliments on that coffee cup too!

 

[roomthreeseventeen]

My aunt expressed surprise a few weeks ago that such a "sophisticated" adult could be so into Disney.

 

[SydneyFalco]

I get a little defensive about my interests sometimes, including my Disney World fetish. I have a lot of hang-ups with my interest in juvenilia, but not TOO many of those hang-ups come from liking "kids stuff" as, y'know, a basic thing to do. I'm more worried about liking "tacky stuff", or "lowest common denominator stuff", or "too mainsteam or corporate stuff". Although the fact that my interests are juvenile distresses me, too.

I have a university education, a fairly high-paying job and a happy, six year old marriage. I'm also guessing that I am far better read and more cultured than the average Joe by a rough country mile. None of this makes me any the more secure about my need to concentrate on, and blog about, only juvenile geek stuff: namely comic books, movies, sci-fi, and Disney World. Even the fact that there are grown men (so to speak) who, judging by THEIR blogs and web sites, are far more deeply mired in this sort of stuff than I am, to the point of collecting toys meant for kids and watching little more than anime or playing video games (none of which I really do), does not make me feel better by comparison.

In fact, it usually makes me feel worse. I am not one hundred percent its healthy, even at the moderate level. But I usually reassure myself that just about every other preoccupation that North American adults have (even some of the most common and ordinary) is just as artificial and silly, when you deconstruct them. I would much rather be a WDW nut than someone who watches _________ every week or listens to ___________ or loves ___________. (Examples redacted so not to potentially offend.)

Still, when I tell people I'm going to Disney World, I'm usually not that worried theyll think I'm a boy-man, but moreso that they're thinking, "This poor dope, he prefers fake crap to a real trip."

When it comes to having a "childlike nature", XKCD did a great cartoon that summed up how I feel just about everyday. (Apologies, but this link is from my blog--it's just easier to find it this way.)

 

[ZephyrHawk]

The correct response for anyone so rudely telling you that you're too old for Disney is, "Huh, and here I was thinking you were too young to be banal."

 

[MikeNY]

We typically get "You're going to Disney World again?" as a response when asked where we're going on vacation, and have learned to just politely smile as we mention that we have a vacation home there (thank you DVC!). This helps us determine who we really want to be friends with! LOL

 

[goslingl]

HI! Disney is my escape from reality. My mother did not understand for a lot of years why I love Disney so much. I can not wait to introduce my grand daughter to everything Disney.

 

[Figment_Fan]

My coffee cup is Disney. I have a couple of dragons on my desk that were bought at Cinderella's castle, when there was still a shop there. My fondness for Disney is known by co-workers, family, and friends. It perks conversations. It opens dialogue - good or bad. Actually, very much, mostly good.

I'm still young in mind, while my body becomes less able to do what I could 30 years ago. I can still walk many miles at the parks, and do so with pride and sense of accomplishment. I never want to lose that sense of wonder and feeling of hope that I get every time I'm at WDW.

I work in a system dealing with divorce/neglect/and juvenile delinquents. I can go to Disney and watch as families smile, and people (for the most part) treat each other with respect and enjoy watching other people recieve the magic as much as getting it themselves.

So, when somebody does tell me that my fondness for Disney is childish or some other such nonsense. I generally inquire if they have some other enjoyable diversion or if not, hope that the visits on Christmas Eve by those three ghosts don't bother them too much on an annual basis with my greatest sympathetic demeanor.

 

[Taja]

Terrific thread!

My BFF and I grew up at Disneyland. When we were younger--much younger!--and heard that WDW was in the works, we wanted to visit. Unfortunately, life decided to take a big bite out of our lives for a number of years. Disney seriously took a back seat as we matured into our adult lives.

In 1981, I managed a quick visit to WDW (only MK at that time) on a business trip to Washington D.C. Then, in 2003, I discovered the FTP (stay 4, get 3 nights free) and called my BFF. She was having a rough year. Her DH had a heart attack just before Thanksgiving in 2002. He was doing well, but driving her crazy because he was working too much and kind of ignoring the doctors.

Knowing their financial situation (her DH is self-employed and he wasn't able to work for nearly three months after his heart attack), and that I had some Rapid Rewards credits that needed to be used, I called and asked her if she would like to go to WDW for a week. She would have to purchase food and park tickets, but I could cover airfare, car rental and hotel, since I had to pay those anyway--and those extra Rapid Reward credits had to be used, didn't they?

She was reluctant at first. Who wanted to go to WDW at our age--without children and/or grandchildren (she is a young grandmother! *LOL*)? What would we do? And going away for an entire week?

She discussed it with her DH--who dislikes queueing for anything!--and he told her to go and enjoy herself!

So we went for eight nights, stayed CL at YC and completely relaxed and enjoyed ourselves. This was a once-in-a-lifetime visit for her.

Or so she thought! I called her about Free Dining in 2006, and we were able to arrive on the final day for check-in! We stayed 10 nights this visit.

A week after we returned home (we live in different states), she called and said she wanted me to plan a trip for the two of us, her DD, and DGD to WDW for December! Two rooms at a value resort (Pop Century--we stayed there for FD)--her treat! *LOL*

Long story short, too many things happened and we didn't make it until 2007--with the addition of her 14-week-old grandson! They had a great time--I was injured and really should have cancelled, but I enjoyed bits and pieces when I wasn't in too much pain. And it was fun watching her DD and DGD experience WDW for the first time!

During one of our telephone calls in 2009, my BFF mentioned that it seemed weird that we weren't going to WDW and we needed to plan another visit soon!

We might make in in December 2011. Fingers crossed!

BTW, her DD had said the 2007 visit would be their only one. Guess who has been on the computer pricing a return visit to WDW several times during the past two years?

 

[JenSop]

Goodness me! There is nothing wrong with being a Disney lover as an adult!

I've loved Disney since I first started going as a kid. And I love it just as much as an adult.

People don't really ever give me a hard time, though, I have to say. I look really young for my age to begin with, and have a very youthful energy and enthusiasm.

Plus, I work a lot in theatre, so people kind of get it when I explain to them that Disney is like a total immersive theatrical experience. I tell them that a ride isn't just a ride - it has a storyline, a set, and props, etc. You are surrounded by the total experience when you're at Disney!

Usually people will hear me out when I tell them some of the fun stuff for adults.

Most people who don't get it usually haven't even been there, so they don't even know what they're talking about!

 

[~Tinkerella]

I'm 52 and a Disney fanatic!!!! Love going to the WDW, and hopefully one day soon we will make the trek to the other coast and visit Disneyland. Like SydneyFalco I'm well educated, high paying job, three kids - one married and two in college.

I have always loved Disney - my mother is a two-time cancer survivor (10 years cancer free this year) and that time in my life just reinforced to me that as the saying goes - "life is short - eat dessert first" - I want to enjoy my life and have fun and if that means trips to WDW that's no ones business by my own. My DH and I are essentially empty-nesters and enjoy spending our time together - we ride, we walk, we enjoy the surroundings. We took our girls last Fall after graduation and had a wonderful time with them at WDW and then took a Disney cruise - in November just DH and I are going. Wanted to see the Christmas decorations. We're staying at POP!!! Sure, we can afford the deluxe resorts, but why pay all that money to sleep and shower - and, we are children of the 70's and thought the resort would be fun - that's what it's all about FUN!!!!!

I love snykymom's quote, I may grow older but I don't have to grow up - I'm a huge Tinkerbell fan - sitting at my desk right now using my Tink cup. Have Tink coffee mug, slippers, night shirt, etc. OP - you live your life in the ways that make you happy and to the nay sayers - they are just missing out!!!!!!!!!