The term Disney Adult seems to make people cringe.
Cinderella Castle
It has become an online meme and almost a negative to call someone a Disney Adult, but we here at the Disney Food Blog have learned to let the hate roll right off our backs. Over 15 years ago, our founder, AJ, embarked on a mission to create a blog where vacationers could turn to and find answers to all their questions about a Disney vacation. While our blog initially centered on food, we have since created thousands of resources about all things Disney.
So, are Disney Adults really as bad as everyone says they are? Well, if you are a Disney Adult doubter or feel like you have to hide part of yourself out of fear of hate, we dare you to read this, as it may make you rethink your opinion on Disney Adults.
AJ has started a blog and YouTube channel, created endless vacation guides, and now she’s tackling something new… she’s written a book! The book is titled “Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling In Love With) A Magical Subculture and is set to release on August 5th, 2025. Her book is currently available for pre-order right now!!
Mickey Balloons on Main Street
So why would this book change your mind about Disney Adults? According to AJ, there are some fascinating reasons why Disney Adults are the recipients of hate, and they usually have more to do with the haters than with the Disney Adults themselves. A combination of stereotypes, jealousy, fear, self-consciousness, and misunderstanding contributes to subconscious confusion about Disney adults, which manifests outwardly as anger and hate.
Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar
In the book, AJ talks to a wide range of Disney Adults to get to the bottom of this subculture. She has interviewed tattoo artists, therapists, influencers, former Imagineers, current and former Disney employees, and surveyed thousands of Disney Adults to figure out what’s really going on with the stereotypes and what the impact on them is of being maligned online. Are they really as they’re perceived?
EPCOT
Being a Disney Adult is not only about the Mickey ears, marriage proposals, and movie premieres. For most of us, there’s more.
You’ll find the poignant, the wholesome, the generous, the trashy, the entitled, and the obsessive. AJ has met ‘em all. And it’s a roller coaster. These are grown-ups who derive singular, almost obsessive, joy from all things Disney. They’re often maligned in the larger culture and put on a particularly high pedestal, which can be cringeworthy. But in truth, their obsessive fandom hints at a universal desire for pleasure and joy, for magic and escape.
Mickey!
Disney Adults are a telling microcosm of modern America, highlighting the value we place on happiness, consumerism, and escapism, as well as what we deem to be “acceptable” sources of joy. To dismiss them is to ignore something fundamental, sometimes even wholesome, about human behavior. This book dives deep into this misunderstood world, revealing the lives and experiences of this fascinating subculture to better understand its devotees’ unwavering passion for all things Disney, why it offends, and why it matters. But what is it about Disney that transcends nostalgia and captivates adults on such a profound level?
Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland
AJ is not afraid to admit that she is a Disney Adult, and she thinks that one thing that everyone can agree on is that Disney Adults are obsessed. But the child-like nostalgia was only half of the equation. It was just the gateway to obsession, as few other vacation destinations will so happily and effortlessly deceive you into thinking reality simply doesn’t exist. These parks are almost like a drug, and it can become very expensive, but as Disney Adults, we can’t wait to take another hit.
AJ, as a Disney Adult, wanted to go somewhere pristine that would promise, above all else, consistency and joy that required nothing whatsoever of me except a swipe of my credit card.
Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland
AJ’s main point that she tries to get across in this book is that you’re not a bad person, nor are you a permanently damaged person (that’s a big one) if you’re relying on a happy place or a hobby or nostalgia or an obsession to comfort you when you’re in a messy time in your life. You’re a normal person and You. Are. Not. The. Only. One.
Fireworks
If you want to learn more about Disney Adults and why they are the way that they are, make sure to order AJ’s pre-book, “Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling In Love With) A Magical Subculture” today!
Order your copy here!
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Since we’re in our 70’s, I guess that makes us DIsney Adults. The two of us come down from Pennsylvania in the spring and again in the fall to a studio apartment at Bay Lake Tower, facing the MK. We stay a week and hit all 4 parks, though we sometimes skip the Magic Kingdom. We don’t do rollercoasters, and we don’t do character meals, though we do enjoy the buffet at the Crystal Palace, adding a bottle of wine.
Rather than the rides, I guess our favorite venues at WDW are the signature dining restaurants. We enjoy Citricos, Narcoosee’s, Flying Fish and Jiko. We used to enjoy sitting at the sushi counter at the California Grill, but we won’t return until they dump that damn prix fix menu.
Frankly, it’s the atmosphere we like most. Being in a WDW park just FEELS GOOD!
I don’t know if I can consider myself a Disney Adult, not because there’s anything wrong with it, but just because I don’t know if I can compete on that level ? I am definitely a Disney fan, definitely a devotee of the parks for the reasons called out here – the joy, the wholesomeness, the removal from reality, the exemplary standards, the food, everything good “the bubble” brings. I definitely know more about WDW and planning a trip there than most (but not all) people I personally know. I’m looking forward to the book. I think that there’s more support and joy for Disney adults (c’mon, who doesn’t love a good dapper!) than there is hate. Like for anything else, the haters for it are just loud.
AJ congratulations on your book. I have my book on preorder. Can’t wait to read.
I am absolutely a Disney Adult and proud of it!