Critics slam Disney adults but new book shows comfort and community behind craze

For some adults, their hobby is fantasy football. For others, it is Broadway shows, day-trading or maybe pickleball.

But for another passionate group of Americans — with or without kids of their own — it’s all about Disney.

A recent article labeled Disney enthusiasts “the most hated group online” and such criticism often comes with viral anecdotes, like a 2022 Reddit post from a couple who admitted they skipped catering their wedding to pay for a 30-minute appearance by Mickey and Minnie Mouse.

The couple may not be alone in their dedication. Roughly 1,500 couples get married at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., each year, according to wedding planners.

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And some fans love Disney until death — literally.

In the new book “Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling In Love With) A Magical Subculture,” author AJ Wolfe describes visitors who have scattered the ashes of loved ones on rides like the Haunted Mansion, despite repeated warnings from park staff.

“They take one last trip there before they die,” Wolfe writes. “And they even buy funeral urns etched with images of Disney World’s Cinderella Castle.”

Disney Adults talk about “converting” their loved ones into fans because Disney is a kind of church for them, according to Wolfe, who is also the founder of the Disney Food Blog.

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Wolfe spoke with a San Diego tattoo artist who exclusively inks Disney-related art, and a couple who regularly flew from New York City to Disney World for a single overnight stay, spending the next day in the park before catching an evening flight home. 

“We max out our credit cards to go,” Wolfe wrote of her Disney community. “We count down the days until we can go again and plan obsessively about what we’re going to do, eat, wear, and experience the next time we’re there. We post on social media about how life ceases in between trips.”

She compares the excitement surrounding new Disney films to 1960s Beatlemania.

Journalists covering the parks have noted more child-free millennials and Gen Xers since the pandemic, with after-hours events, food festivals and cocktails catering to an older crowd.

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In 2023, Walt Disney World drew about 48.8 million visitors, according to reports, and the craze extends to Disneyland in California, as well as parks in Tokyo and Shanghai, and worldwide Disney cruises.

Part of Disney’s draw lies in its unmatched reputation, said Roy Schwartz, a New York-based pop culture historian and author.

“Disney is probably the most iconic brand in entertainment,” Schwartz told Fox News Digital. “They’re the most associated with classic, timeless, innocent stories and characters. That’s very appealing to childless adults who’re looking for a way to recapture or keep alive that feeling of delight and comfort.”

“Disney is also the most associated with uncompromising quality — just compare a Disney park with any other kind — which lives up to more demanding adult standards,” he added.

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While Schwartz acknowledges that part of the loyalty is cultivated through savvy corporate strategy, he believes much of it is organic. Adults are searching for community, identity and simple joys, whether it be through Disney, Taylor Swift, CrossFit or political movements.

“Being passionate about anything is great, but it sometimes becomes the thing that defines you,” he said. “I think in some cases, being a ‘Disney Adult’ ticks that box.”

Wolfe admits that Disney adults are buying what the multi-billion-dollar corporation is selling. She describes “smellizer” machines hidden in the parks that pump scents of apple pie, jasmine and roses into the air to entice shoppers. “Everything at Disney is bigger, brighter, and more infused with visuals, smells, feelings, flavors and sounds than what you typically have to process,” she wrote.

Critics often dismiss Disney fans as people who refuse to grow up, but Wolfe describes Walt Disney World as a safe, predictable escape. 

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For her, Disney was still preferable to European, Alaskan or Thai vacations after she became a mother. “They spoke English and used American dollars, transportation was simple and urgent care for my asthmatic kid was highly accessible,” she wrote. “I didn’t have to worry about reading endless reviews and hoping they were honest, only to arrive in the middle of the night at a strange hotel in a foreign town with my toddler in tow and be blindsided.”

Experts agree the appeal has less to do with immaturity and more to do with comfort, connection and fun.

“Sometimes we need to revisit childlike spaces — like Disney — in order to heal our inner child,” Dr. Robyn Koslowitz, a New Jersey-based clinical psychologist and trauma specialist, told Fox News Digital.

Dr. Debra Kissen, CEO of Light On Anxiety Treatment Centers in Chicago, agreed, calling Disney a “turnkey escape.”

“It offers safety, cleanliness, predictable logistics and a reliable emotional arc,” she said. “Adults often use the space more intentionally as a mood reset, a couples ritual, or a hobby.” Some, she noted, dive into Disney marathon races, memorabilia collecting or food festivals.

But fandom can tip into excess.

Kissen advises asking, “Is work, sleep or relationships suffering? Are you spending beyond your means or hiding costs? Can you skip an event without distress?”

“If yes to any, it’s time to set guardrails — budgets, trip frequency, ‘no-park’ months, or diversify your hobbies,” she said.

Schwartz, however, believes the criticism is often misplaced. “What nowadays doesn’t inspire intense online backlash?” he said. “It’s so silly and pointless to judge people over their harmless hobbies.”

“It’s hard being an adult,” he added. “And it seems to be more complicated and exhausting than ever … It’s important to make room for the simple joys in life, whether or not you have kids.”