Did you enjoy Walt Disney World better as a kid or an adult?

[Walt Disney1955]

I went to Disney World at ages 10, 14, 16, 21 and 29 just 5 months ago. Suffice to say I loved it each time. But call me crazy, but I loved it more when I was 29 then when I was 10 even, and I loved it as a 10 year old. Am I crazy or do many of you agree with this sentiment?

I went last October. I hadn't been since I was 21, barely out of my teens. So here I am 29, a grown man, and I am married for a year and am taking my wife for her first time.

I said to myself "Okay listen, don't get too disapointed if it just doesn't feel the same anymore as when you were younger. You're a grown man now, things change."

But within 5 minutes I knew that it was for real. As a 250lb. man I was as figgety as a 10 year old when we were boarding the monorail to get to the Magic Kingdom. Crazy eh? So without a doubt like a fine wine WDW has gotten better with age with me. Is it because I can appreciate it better now and still hit all the rides? I don't think so because I ALWAYS appreciated it.

So what do you think? Do you like it better now?

 

[BigRedDad]

I enjoyed the idea of WDW more as a kid. As an adult, I appreciate everything that WDW has to offer more and in a different way. One of the best feelings is the excitement in my daughter's eyes. It is something that cannot be replaced.

 

[thewhitequeen]

Adult.

 

[DizneyPryncess]

Adult for sure. The thing I like most about Disney are the details like hidden mickeys, theming, little secrets, magic certificates, etc. This was stuff I knew nothing about as a kid but it keeps me going back as an adult.

 

[maggiegrace1]

Loved it as a kid..we went every year 2-3 times a year and it was wonderful..some of my best childhood memories are from going to WDW with my family...

That being said..I love it now as an adult also..just as much but in different ways...loved the first and many times Drew and I went together as a couple..we went every year for 10 years until we had Maggie..the one year we did not go..and then every year since Maggie was born is wonderful..seeing Disney through your childs eyes is something that you can not explain unless you experience it yourself..

Every year we go with her gets better and better..

So, after that long story of my life....

I guess my answer is both..so many wonderful amazing things from when I went as a kid and now as an adult...the memories just increase

 

[ClemsonTigger]

So much is lost on young folks going to the world.
They enjoy it in their own way, but there is so much more to enjoy as an adult.

 

[Nicole220]

Adult, for sure.

 

[harveyt0206]

Definitely as an adult. While I always had a great time as a kid and it is because of all my trips as a kid that I have such a great love for all things Disney today, I simply love it more now than then. Also, there is so much more to do now than when I was a kid.

 

[Walt Disney1955]

Ah good to know I am not alone. I went in early 1991 the first time and was 10. To be honest with the exception of adding Splash Mountain to the MK not much has changed. Glad to know I am not the only one who loves it even more as an adult. When we have kids I'm sure I'll love it through their eyes because to be honest I loved it through my wife's eyes too for her first time

 

[foreverbelle]

Easy as an adult. You can appreciate things a lot better. Besides I can actually ride all the ride unlike I could when I was a kid.

 

[SirGoofy]

A kid. I really don't understand why everyone is saying as an adult. Sure, you can appreciate all the little details better, but you think it's REAL when you're a kid.

 

[Studios Fan]

I have parts I liked better as a kid and I have parts I like better as an adult so it would be hard to say.

 

[draybook]

I'm not sure if my vote counts because I grew up in SoCal going to DL about 4-5 times a year until I was 14, then I went during the summer when I was 15.

It wasn't until 2008 that I was able to take my wife and kids, so there was a 16 year span where there was no Disney parks being visited. That being said, I think my love for Disney is greater now.

It was pretty cool seeing the east coast version on the Haunted Mansion.

 

[HopLow]

A kid. I really don't understand why everyone is saying as an adult. Sure, you can appreciate all the little details better, but you think it's REAL when you're a kid.

I totally agree. There's something so immersive about being there as a kid. It's like you've gone to another world where the magic is real. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love going there now, but I can see the mechanics of it all and it loses that feeling it once had.

 

[LeafsFanNL]

Oh, as an adult for sure,

I visited MK in 1979 when I was 13, we just booked our 4th trip in 4 years on Tuesday!! WL here I Come!!

HB

 

[Pongo]

I liked it best when I was a junior and senior in high school. What would you consider that? Adolescence?

That.

 

[pixiesteno]

I went when I was 8, 12, 16 then not again until I was ... wait still counting ... 41. I think I appreciate WDW more now as an adult. However, when I went as a kid there was only the MK for theme parks. We would only stay a day and can you say e-ticket rides! I think that a large portion of the underlying themeing that Disney does to immerse you is lost on children.
I would agree that as a kid you do think it is much more real than as an adult. I distinctly remember throwing at fit at age 8 because I was terrified that the "Rocket to the moon" ride or whatever it was called was very, very real! Yes, I was the screaming, crying 8 year old that everyone probably really wanted to silence. Sorry.
I do think that as a child and adolescent that I was intrigued at the behind the scenes stuff and the resorts of the time that I found in a book we bought there. I argued for years as we were scheduling trips with my mom about there being a restaurant in the castle and she said no. I know I read it in the book. Having enjoyed dinner there in 2005 I am happy to say that I was right. :lol: One of the most important things is WDW is for all ages, there is something for everyone to appreciate.

 

[Hobnail Boot]

Adult for sure. I have a bad memory, so my only recollections of going to WDW when I was younger are random. I do know that's when I became fascinated with the parks. When Savannah got a Disney Store, I used to go there all the time looking for stuff on the parks (it's where I got my first Disney book, Since the World Began). I was unable to go in high school but since graduation I've gone at least 4 times a year. I guess when you're paying for it out of your own wallet it adds a little magic to it! :lol: Nowadays, I'm into the theming and design of the parks more than the characters and such. My friends and I take our time riding attractions and enjoy eating at different locations, finding hidden Mickeys, and going to areas we've never bothered to go to before. I guess now it's more relaxing as well.

 

[Perfect Harmony]

It's hard to decide! I've been Disney lots of times now, at ages 6, 10, 12, 16, 17, 19, and soon 21. At 6 and 10 it was all pretty real and very easy to jump into the magic. At 12, we went to Disneyland and CA, so it was brand new, but I was starting to get into the behind-the-scenes stuff. In the 16-17 years my family went there several times, so it was a little too much over a short period, and I was being a moody teenager about it. As a 19-yr-old, I felt really caught in between but was starting to get the adult feel for WDW. And when I go back in the spring, I think I'll have the more aware, fully-appreciative aspect.

It's true that I miss the full belief and magic, but it's nice to be able to appreciate the creativity and vision. I didn't like World Showcase at all when I was a kid, thought it was boring, but now it's one of my favorite places to spend a whole day.

 

[Hrudey3032]

A kid. I really don't understand why everyone is saying as an adult. Sure, you can appreciate all the little details better, but you think it's REAL when you're a kid.

Well as a adult I get too experience the parks again as if I am a big giant kid.i go from being 35 years old to 10 again as soon as I walk thru the gates to any of the parks.Is that better?:lol: