Why Disney Captivates Adults | A Personal Reflection
Most people I encounter quickly learn of my love for all things Disney and then without fail I get the usual "Ew, a Disney adult" look followed by an awkward attempt to avoid the subject. What is that about? I wouldn't call all adults who enjoy Disney a "Disney adult" in the stereotypical sense - it comes with such an exaggerated connotation. I am an adult who loves Disney. Not all of us dress as characters or decorate our entire house with Mickey Mouse stuffed animals, Funko Pops, and Mickey ears! Although even then, who cares? It is not like you have to visit their house or dress up alongside them. Couldn't it easily be compared to adults who love sports? They also dress up, often decorate their house with jerseys and memorabilia, and spend absurd amounts of money to enjoy their passion! Why don't we have a name for those adults? "Ew, a sports adult." Again, who cares? Let people be Disney adults and sports adults. Be any kind of adult you want.
But you've read this far, aren't you a little curious why Disney holds a special place in so many adult hearts? I can't speak for everyone, but let me invite you into my own mind for a few moments. I spent many of my childhood years growing up in San Diego, California. If you don't know, that is only about an hour drive north to Disneyland. When I lived there, I paid a whopping $389 for my annual pass, allowing me to visit on any non-blackout days. At such a low price, I only had to visit the park two or three times to get back the full value of my pass. After that, I was going for free! I think that may be girl math but I am counting it. My friends and I would visit after school or work just to get dinner. We'd go every other weekend, ride Space Mountain, grab a churro, and head back home for an afternoon at the beach.
For most people, Disneyland is an occasional trip, and they go with a list of expectations. Given the rising costs each year, people want to get the full value of their money. Unfortunately, this mindset can set you up for disappointment before you even arrive. You might not get on all the rides you want. Some rides might be closed for refurbishment or due to technical issues. It might be far too hot outside. In fact I'm often shocked at how cold night can get and end up buying a sweatshirt! Yes, there will likely be crying kids, and you might get shoved or run over by a stroller or six. Let's set our expectations realistically - it's a park full of real people, from all over the world. Disney can work a lot of magic, but they cannot control all the guests manners' or ensure that every ride runs without a glitch. After all, rides are just machines, some quite old! 
Imagine if we let go of that long list of expectations and simply took the park in. I understand many people don't have this luxury, especially if they've flown across the country and maybe saved up for a lifetime for this one trip. I was so lucky, my expectations were generally low since I had already been on every ride and eaten at every restaurant. Even if you can afford to do this for only 20 minutes, try to let go of your expectations. You might see a whole new world in front of you when you stop racing through your checklist. What I get to see are families and loved ones making memories to last a lifetime, years of inspiring history at every turn (not the boring stuff from your school books), pure innocence left and right from all ages, and the chance to leave your worries behind and forget the reality that can be adulting. I mean, do any of us actually enjoy being adults? Have you ever stopped to notice the amount of effort and detail put into the parks for us? So much is done at all hours of every single day to keep you fully immersed in fantasy. Once I learned the extent of these efforts, I had a much larger appreciation of every part of the parks.
My best example is walking from Main Street into any other land. When you are evenly between each land, you can quite literally be in both places at the same time. You can hear the Main Street horses clopping around, smell the popcorn butter, and have a view of the castle. Yet at the same time, you can hear the birds of Adventureland beckoning, see a bright green jungle ahead, and smell the musky Jungle Cruise river. Keep walking, you'll notice how smooth the transition is. Suddenly, without warning, you are entirely immersed in Adventureland, and there are plenty of trees thoughtfully placed to block your prior castle view. Disneyland doesn't even allow buildings near its property to exceed a certain height. Notice you cannot see outside buildings while in the park? You are completely immersed at all times. I can't think of another place that cares that much. It must be acknowledged! Next time you go, pay attention to the ways Disney has catered to your imagination. Let me know what you find.