Disney adult
A Disney adult is an adult who is a devout fan of The Walt Disney Company.[1][2] Common hobbies of Disney adults include visiting Disney theme parks, collecting Disney merchandise, cosplaying Disney characters, and consuming content on the Disney+ streaming service.[2]
Some people, including influencers and celebrities, proudly identify as Disney Adults.[3] Buzzfeed News describes the phenomenon as a "polarizing fandom" that has received scrutiny and ridicule from others.[1]
Origin and history
[edit]Practices associated with the phenomenon, such as Disney weddings, date back decades to the 1990s.[4] Disney World's marketing in 1996 included an advert aimed at adults, promising "A World of Magic Without the Kids!"[5]
Amanda Brennan, former head of editorial at Tumblr, identifies that website as the origin of the Disney adult fandom, specifically the practice of "DisneyBounding", a type of informal cosplay where adult visitors dress in the color palette of their favorite Disney character. She sees the millennial generation as having more "freedom to follow their own obsessions" and it being more socially acceptable for them to have juvenile interests.[4]
In 2019 a Facebook post went viral in which a parent complained about childless millennial couples obstructing her family's experience at Disney World.[4] This post then turned into a meme that was widely shared on social media making fun of Disney Adults, specifically millennials in their 30s who didn't have any children still going to the parks often.[4]
Disney Adults are sometimes seen by others as embarrassing or naive for enjoying material ostensibly aimed at children, with sociologist Idil Galip saying that the financial and emotional investment in maintaining the commercialized hobby "almost signals a break from regular society or real life".[4]
Demographics
[edit]A January 2024 survey of self-identified Disney adults found that 71% were aged between 25 and 44, and 80% were female. 91% expected to remain a "Disney adult" for the rest of their lives.[5]
See also
[edit]- Dapper Day – Unofficial biannual event at Disneyland
- Disneyana – Walt Disney Company ephemera
- Disneyland social club – Organized group of Disneyland fans
- Donaldism – Disney comics fandom
References
[edit]- ^ a b Blackmon, Michael (7 July 2021). "Disney Adults Don't Care If You Hate Them. They're Having Fun Anyway". BuzzFeed News. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ a b Krause, Amanda. "Disney adults share why they're dedicated to the fandom despite being called 'weird' and 'immature'". Business Insider. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ "Disney Adults Are Onto Something, Actually". Bustle. 2023-06-14. Retrieved 2024-04-14.
- ^ a b c d e Dickson, E. J. (21 June 2022). "How 'Disney Adults' Became the Most Hated Group on the Internet". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 7 February 2023.
- ^ a b Tait, Amelia (24 February 2024). "The "Disney adult" industrial complex". New Statesman. Retrieved 27 February 2024.
