Distinction between "theme park enthusiast" and "Disney Adult"

[Tony the Tigger]

Well, you and I differ there, as I have no problem accusing people of not caring as much (key words, “as much”). We’re also looking at this from different perspectives.

I don’t feel under any obligation to attempt to manipulate a company to be cleaner by vaguely withholding dollars.

I happen to have not gone as much over the last few years primarily for two reasons: 1. Covid. 2. We saved up for a Disney cruise (as covid died down and fully vaxxed, of course.) We still visited a few times, but didn’t get AP’s.

Should WDW take my reduced attendance as a sign their trash cans are overflowing? Should they assume I’m one of those people upset about portraying gay people (however briefly) in movies? Or I don’t like Star Wars? (Can you imagine? )

Without direct communication, they have no conclusions to draw.

I’m sure plenty of folks’ attendance ebbs and flows for many different reasons, including personal/financial ones.

I will add: we almost always go at off-peak times, and never on weekends. Maybe that’s why I never see what others here complain about. Maybe I’m enjoying myself too much to notice. Maybe if I don’t see drunks at Epcot, I *am* the drunk at Epcot. j/k.

Finally, as a business owner, I have great empathy for public-facing businesses still struggling to get back to 100% with all the lingering effects of the pandemic - increased costs, supply shortages, reduced cash flow, and what is basically an employee revolt: while new hires are getting much more than their predecessors for the same work, they feel underpaid and very likely don’t perform as well as said predecessors. “I’m “only” making $16 an hour, someone else can get the trash.”

 

[networkpro]

How does this map onto the Disney Adult vs. theme-park fan or the "cares enough" vs. "doesn't care enough" models?

It's a matter of detachment for the consumer, some just can't draw a line. I suggest that there are alternative stances other than the two presented for consumption, not somewhere between aficionado and addict, but outside that spectrum.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I don’t feel under any obligation to attempt to manipulate a company to be cleaner by vaguely withholding dollars.

I happen to have not gone as much over the last few years primarily for two reasons: 1. Covid. 2. We saved up for a Disney cruise (as covid died down and fully vaxxed, of course.) We still visited a few times, but didn’t get AP’s.

Should WDW take my reduced attendance as a sign their trash cans are overflowing? Should they assume I’m one of those people upset about portraying gay people (however briefly) in movies? Or I don’t like Star Wars? (Can you imagine? )

Without direct communication, they have no conclusions to draw.

I’m sure plenty of folks’ attendance ebbs and flows for many different reasons, including personal/financial ones.

I will add: we almost always go at off-peak times, and never on weekends. Maybe that’s why I never see what others here complain about. Maybe I’m enjoying myself too much to notice. Maybe if I don’t see drunks at Epcot, I *am* the drunk at Epcot. j/k.

Finally, as a business owner, I have great empathy for public-facing businesses still struggling to get back to 100% with all the lingering effects of the pandemic - increased costs, supply shortages, reduced cash flow, and what is basically an employee revolt: while new hires are getting much more than their predecessors for the same work, they feel underpaid and very likely don’t perform as well as said predecessors. “I’m “only” making $16 an hour, someone else can get the trash.”

That's your choice, and it's fine. Given that these complaints have been going on for years, I'm not going to blame the pandemic. I've also actually heard, with my own ears, execs from TDO brag about how cheap they are, so there's that. That was back in 2011, so over a decade ago. The mediocrity of WDW's 50th anniversary was no surprise to me.

There's plenty of direct communication. Disney absolutely reads social media posts, blogs, Disney forums, and they watch vlogs. This is not including guest complaints they receive in person.

You weren't joking about the drunk at Epcot thing. Admit it.






I kid, I kid lol.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

You weren't joking about the drunk at Epcot thing. Admit it.

I mean, there was that one time…Illuminations drink package…oops. It’s in a TR.

 

[Goofyernmost]

This kind of attitude are why the parks, and the Disney product at large, is not as good as it could be.

It was better when some people, like those in charge, did care.

Part of human progression is accepting change. Even those of us that feel that Disney was better before IP's were added really don't know what IP's are. Almost every single attraction in Disneyland was an IP. What Disney was great at spinning someone else's idea and making it a Disney thing. Whether it was a movie or theme park ride. Disney didn't invent Cinderella or Peter Pan or Snow White. He adapted those intellectual property's with his imagination and spin. Yes, he had a few ideas and many more that his original imagineers came up with (kinda their intellectual properties). He had the imagination and the ability to see an IP and know that he could make a story from it that people would love. His batting average was pretty good, but they were NOT his original ideas. Mary Poppins being one of his biggest adaptation of someone else's idea. All this concern about how everything was sooo much better early on is just not understanding how things progress.

I grew up with the Original Mickey Mouse Club and The Wonderful World of Color. I saw a lot of Disney movies because my parents, like the parents of now, take their kids to Disney movies or buy or stream them. I never set foot in a Disney park until I was 35 years old and I went to WDW. When I think of the difference in flatout quality (technically speaking) those days didn't hold a candle to today's. However, what was there back then would be the atmosphere, the more than you expected nature of the parks, the feeling that everyone was equal once you stepped through the turnstiles. No one back then questioned where the ideas came from, we just enjoyed what had been created for our entertainment. The fact of the matter is it is of absolutely no consequence and carries no weight who had the original thought as long as Disney presented it in such a way that we all could relate. No one gives a damn about who thought of the idea because it doesn't matter at all.

If you really want to know what the difference is it is that you didn't see closed up attractions with no replacement in sight, implied or promised. You didn't have to fight your way to get lunch from a quick service because all of the locations were open., However, none of that matters to someone that has never been before, it only relates to people that had been going in the past. We also saw really fun promotions like "The year of a million dreams" (35th anniversary of WDW). I can remember signing up on line every day in the effort win one of a number of good prizes like free park passes and even a night in Cinderella Castle Suite. Disney used to do things like that but, in my mind, the Disney Adult's went a long way into the reason why they don't do promotions like that any more. On the 25th, for example Disney Adults practically went out of their minds about the Castle cake. Theme Park Enthusiast thought it was great, a fun, whimsical, massively creative (not to mention expensive) way to make WDW a fun place to be during that year or so. Every promotional thing they did the Disney Adults complained about so that it was and easy call when the accountants decided that expenses had to be cut so the executives could make the payments on their yachts. So they are gone.

Times have changed and with the times places like Disney have to change as well. Nothing in life today is the same as it was when I was a kid. Most of the time that is a good thing and in the world of entertainment places that don't change die a slow death. Theme parks react to the will of the people that currently support it financially. It's just the way it is. Theme Park Enthusiasts adjust and adapt to changes, Disney Adults do not.

 

[Jrb1979]

Part of human progression is accepting change. Even those of us that feel that Disney was better before IP's were added really don't know what IP's are. Almost every single attraction in Disneyland was an IP. What Disney was great at was spinning someone else's idea and making it a Disney thing. Whether it was a movie or theme park ride. Disney didn't invent Cinderella or Peter Pan or Snow White. He adapted those intellectual property's with his imagination and spin. Yes, he had a few ideas and many more that his original imagineers came up with (kinda their intellectual properties). He had the imagination and the ability to see an IP and know that he could make a story from it that people would love. His batting average was pretty good, but they were NOT his original ideas. Mary Poppins being one of his biggest adaptation of someone else's idea. All this concern about how everything was sooo much better early on is just not understanding how things progress.

I grew up with the Original Mickey Mouse Club and The Wonderful World of Color. I saw a lot of Disney movies because my parents, like the parents of now, take their kids to Disney movies or buy or stream them. I never set foot in a Disney park until I was 35 years old and I went to WDW. When I think of the difference in flatout quality (technically speaking) those days didn't hold a candle to today's. However, what was there back then would be the atmosphere, the more than you expected nature of the parks, the feeling that everyone was equal once you stepped through the turnstiles. No one back then questioned where the ideas came from, we just enjoyed what had been created for our entertainment. The fact of the matter is it is of absolutely no consequence and carries no weight who had the original thought as long as Disney presented it in such a way that we all could relate. No one gives a damn about who thought of the idea because it doesn't matter at all.

If you really want to know what the difference is it is that you didn't see closed up attractions with no replacement in sight, implied or promised. You didn't have to fight your way to get lunch from a quick service because all of the locations were open., However, none of that matters to someone that has never been before, it only relates to people that had been going in the past. We also saw really fun promotions like "The year of a million dreams" (35th anniversary of WDW). I can remember signing up on line every day in the effort win one of a number of good prizes like free park passes and even a night in Cinderella Castle Suite. Disney used to do things like that but, in my mind, the Disney Adult's went along way into the reason why they don't do promotions like that any more. On the 25th, for example Disney Adults practically went out of their minds about the Castle cake. Theme Park Enthusiast thought it was great, a fun, whimsical, massively creative (not to mention expensive) way to make WDW a fun place to be during that year or so. Every promotional thing they did the Disney Adults complained about so that it was and easy call when the accountants decided that expenses had to be cut so the executives could make the payments on their yachts. So they are gone.

Times have changed and with the times places like Disney have to change as well. Nothing in life today is the same as it was when I was a kid. Most of the time that is a good thing and in the world of entertainment places that don't change die a slow death. Theme parks react to the will of the people that currently support it financially. It's just the way it is. Theme Park Enthusiasts adjust and adapt to changes Disney Adults do not.

I don't necessarily disagree with what you said and do agree that times change. Where I don't agree is how they have gone about it. They had 4 parks that each had a different theme and were unique. They had a good balance of IP and original attractions. Now it's all IP and it doesn't matter if it fits the theme or not. I know some of you like all the new IP in the parks. For me while I like theming, a major part is how good the ride is. The original Epcot attractions were far more impressive then most of the new additions. Remy and Frozen are awful and cheap way to add IP.

 

[LeighM]

It’s possible. More likely to me is we have expectations of having our minds blown by one single new attraction as if it were our first day at WDW.

Compare Snow White’s Scary Adventures with The Little Mermaid. Both aimed at the younger set. Both fairly tame and simple. Was Snow so brilliant? Mermaid has much more to it. It has more to it than Dumbo, Tea Cups, etc.

The first time I went to WDW, my closest frame of reference was Six Flags. So there was a lot of, “Hmm that’s not what I expected” but also some, “That’s it?”

But overall, there was a charm in the theming, and a comfort in the bubble. It wasn’t until I got home I realized I wanted to go back. The whole was greater than the sum of its parts, as they say.

The Mine Train wasn’t mind-blowing, either. Maybe I’d have more reverence for it if it had been there on my first trip.

Similar to my experience. I was older when I experienced WDW and I loved (almost) everything about it. What I didn't like? Magic Kingdom I grew up going to Busch Gardens Williamsburg which is one of the prettiest theme parks. Magic Kingdom barely had tree canopy, concrete everywhere, no many places to sit, and crowds everywhere. I thought it was soooo ugly. But when I went back to BGW after that Disney trip, I found myself disappointed in the park I grew up loving (and not just because of the new owners). It took a while before I figured it out. WDW, especially MK, creates an experience of inclusion. At MK, multi generational families were able to share a similar experience. Sure, there were some rides some in a group had to sit out. But when I was at MK, I saw so many grandparents riding Dumbo with their grandkids with the biggest smiles on their faces. Making memories that would last. The inclusion of those with disabilities. I didn't see that at BGW. I remembered my grandparents wanting to ride an attraction with me and my Mom at BGW and the ride operator made them get off the ride because they were too old. I cried. The people in lined booed. And it's been over 35 years and I still remember that moment so clearly. And that's why Disney theme parks will always be more special to me than any other amusement park. Because I see that Disney is in the business of making memories. Snow White can be shared with all generations. Just like the new IP added into the parks can be shared with the current generation of youngsters with their own kids or grandkids one day. I can no longer enjoy BGW because I see too many of it's flaws. And for all of the current mistakes Disney is making, they still create that comforting bubble that others don't, or can't, replicate.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I don't necessarily disagree with what you said and do agree that times change. Where I don't agree is how they have gone about it. They had 4 parks that each had a different theme and were unique. They had a good balance of IP and original attractions. Now it's all IP and it doesn't matter if it fits the theme or not. I know some of you like all the new IP in the parks. For me while I like theming, a major part is how good the ride is. The original Epcot attractions were far more impressive then most of the new additions. Remy and Frozen are awful and cheap way to add IP.

I'm aware of that, but I don't see the massive difference that everyone is talking about. Yes, DHS was set up as a working studio, but that didn't work out plus after they had to change the place because it was no longer a working studio it became barely a half day park. The theme never changed just how they displayed it. I venture to guess that there aren't many thing in there that didn't require some studio to create the basis for the attractions. Hollywood being synonymous with movies fits actually better than the later part of the original layout.

EPCOT Center, to many of us was great, but the public did not. Anyone that went there near the opening knows the numbers of people that were drawn into the park and by the time they made changes that demand had dropped down to a trickle. Then it became a drinking game and to some degree will remain that unless they ever get around to creating something that will save the park. In my mind they still have a ways to go yet, but it is either try to appreciate the changes or possible lose the park completely. I know that we love to think that all of it will go on forever, but it won't. Epcot is not the theme that it once was and the only thing that creating the illusion that it is would be World Showcase as a mini Worlds Fair. Anyone that has ever actually gone to a Worlds Fair know the hodge podge of things there are to see. Usually specific to the countries represented, but Worlds Fair also have unrelated entertainment ride parks that go with it.

The remaining two are pretty close to the original intent, but again in order to stay current sometimes they have had to skirt the original concept and add somethings to expend the demand age wise. The only chance of healthy survival is parks not named MK to attract not to young and not to old guests that will come back with memories of having fun and not just "Wow, was that ever lame" commonly expressed by teens and young adults. It has to be looked at through many different eyes not just our own. It's a different world then it was in Walt's time and we older adults have to learn to adjust to it or just get run over by it.

 

[Jrb1979]

I'm aware of that, but I don't see the massive difference that everyone is talking about. Yes, DHS was set up as a working studio, but that didn't work out plus after they had to change the place because it was no longer a working studio it became barely a half day park. The theme never changed just how they displayed it. I venture to guess that there aren't many thing in there that didn't require some studio to create the basis for the attractions. Hollywood being synonymous with movies fits actually better than the later part of the original layout.

EPCOT Center, to many of us was great, but the public did not. Anyone that went there near the opening knows the numbers of people that were drawn into the park and by the time they made changes that demand had dropped down to a trickle. Then it became a drinking game and to some degree will remain that unless they ever get around to creating something that will save the park. In my mind they still have a ways to go yet, but it is either try to appreciate the changes or possible lose the park completely. I know that we love to think that all of it will go on forever, but it won't. Epcot is not the theme that it once was and the only thing that creating the illusion that it is would be World Showcase as a mini Worlds Fair. Anyone that has ever actually gone to a Worlds Fair know the hodge podge of things there are to see. Usually specific to the countries represented, but Worlds Fair also have unrelated entertainment ride parks that go with it.

The remaining two are pretty close to the original intent, but again in order to stay current sometimes they have had to skirt the original concept and add somethings to expend the demand age wise. The only chance of healthy survival is parks not named MK to attract not to young and not to old guests that will come back with memories of having fun and not just "Wow, was that ever lame" commonly expressed by teens and young adults. It has to be looked at through many different eyes not just our own. It's a different world then it was in Walt's time and we older adults have to learn to adjust to it or just get run over by it.

I know it's a different world and things have to change with the times but I think there is a better way to do it. My whole issue is with how they just slap IP on everything cause thats what they think the fan base wants. IMO the way they add IP now feels cheap like how Six Flags adds DC IP to their rides. It used to be about integrating an IP into a good ride. It feels lazy now with how they do it. Frozen is a good example of that. The worst part is how so many think these rides are so good.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I know it's a different world and things have to change with the times but I think there is a better way to do it. My whole issue is with how they just slap IP on everything cause thats what they think the fan base wants. IMO the way they add IP now feels cheap like how Six Flags adds DC IP to their rides. It used to be about integrating an IP into a good ride. It feels lazy now with how they do it. Frozen is a good example of that. The worst part is how so many think these rides are so good.

Yes, but like I said that perception of IP's is what we think is the way it should be. I doubt that most newcomers to WDW have any feelings at all about IP's. To them it is just a form of entertainment.

 

[jloucks]

I never set foot in a Disney park until I was 35 years old and I went to WDW. When I think of the difference in flatout quality (technically speaking) those days didn't hold a candle to today's. However, what was there back then would be the atmosphere, the more than you expected nature of the parks, the feeling that everyone was equal once you stepped through the turnstiles. No one back then questioned where the ideas came from, we just enjoyed what had been created for our entertainment. The fact of the matter is it is of absolutely no consequence and carries no weight who had the original thought as long as Disney presented it in such a way that we all could relate. No one gives a damn about who thought of the idea because it doesn't matter at all.

I think, based a lot on my family experience, that going to the parks as a child and/or teen amplifies the "pixie dust" or "Disney Adult" effect on ones psyche. Do you think that you not going as a kiddo has helped you keep a less "dusty" perspective on the parks?

To put it another way, if you had gone as a kid & teen, do you think you would be a flagrant pixie dusting Disney adult now?

For me, as a child and young adult visitor, that experience has given my perspective of the parks a bump up in opinion, one that they may not longer deserve. But.... I go anyway....because.... reasons.

 

[jloucks]

People of all ages have always loved Disney, but in the last decade the trend of the "Disney Adult" has grown tremendously. A "Disney Adult" isn't just an adult that enjoys Disney, but rather an adult that has made Disney, the brand, their entire lifestyle and personality. We see them everywhere now. They go to the parks "Disney-bounding" and gush over every single shoe-horned character insertion. They vlog about it. They become social media "influencers" entirely around it. They largely don't know and don't care about WDW's history and legacy, and applaud at classic, beloved stuff being removed in place of new, lazy IP insertions. They see the new characters on the Epcot parking lot signs and think "wow, so cute!" because thematic integrity doesn't matter to them, and they can't even comprehend why others would be upset about it. To them, Disney Parks = a celebration of Disney IP and nothing more.

The distinction between the Disney Adult and someone who simply loves quality theme parks and themed entertainment has to be made clear. I would wager that most of us on here are the latter. Enjoying Disney media alone does not make one a "Disney Adult", but even if you fully embrace that, you're likely here on WDWMAGIC because you also loved WDW for the unique, one-of-a-kind quality immersive experience it provided.

For most of WDW's existence, it was possible to have a WDW vacation without being constantly bombarded by Disney, the brand. Sure, the characters and IP were always there, but they weren't everywhere. There was always a balance. You could spend a week at WDW and see very little "Disney" stuff if you wanted. You could love WDW for everything it had to offer without being someone who cares about Disney, the brand, and their IP. This is, unfortunately, no longer the case, and the company is rapidly moving further and further away from that version of WDW.

The irony, is that for most of WDW's existence, WDW adult fans often had to justify their enthusiasm because WDW has never been good at marketing itself as a place with something for everyone in its advertising, always instead opting for shots of characters hugging kids and teacups and Dumbo. "Why do you like Disney World so much? Isn't it just for kids?" "Well no, actually, (massive list of awesome all-ages and even some adult-oriented things to do)." At which point that person could, if they cared enough, do some research into all that WDW actually offers and see that you were right.

But today, the opposite is true, WDW IS that version of itself it has always marketed, where you are bombarded with characters and IP at every step. The current version of WDW caters almost exclusively to kids and the Disney Adults who eat the branding up. Those of us who are simply lovers of theme parks and themed entertainment now have to justify that we like it, largely because of how it used to be, and not because of the Disney-brand fest that it now is.

So yeah. A Disney Adult and a fan of WDW/Disney Parks, while not exclusive, are not the same.

I think I saw this phenomenon first with some friends that decorated a large portion of their house in Coke paraphernalia. Even painted their walls red and white checker. They had the plates, curtains, cups, toilet seats, etc.

Many ages ago when I was in my 20's, I went through a serious Star Trek phase. Pretty much entire house decorated in Star Trek stuff.

Nowadays, you have the Marvel universe that people go nuts over.

Don't get me started on professional sports.

The one thing they all have in common, is that when you step back and look, they are all a little.... Silly? Ridiculous? Wasteful? Fun? Unrelatable? Disconcerting? Weird? ...obviously I don't know the exact answer.

I am soooo guilty of being a bit of a Disney Adult. I get back from the parks with stupid amount of branded loot that I wind having significant buyers remorse over buying. I get in the parks and I just love the Brand for some, probably not mysterious, reason. When I get home, not so much.

Others have said it before, but I do agree that there is a grey area where Disney Adult, Pixie Duster, and Theme Park fan overlap.

I think the only way to be a pure Disney Adult is if you make your living pushing the Brand. Then, maybe, you can filter out everything else and just focus on the Brand and what it does for you.

 

[jloucks]

Hate to break it to some of you, but to non-Disney people like most of my friends and family, everyone posting on these boards would a "weird" Disney Adult in their eyes.

Oh no, we all know it is true. Talking this much about Disney is a little weird.

My defense being... I know a lot of your personalities and am also here to just hear what you have to say about whatever. It would not have to be about Disney. I could listen to what dog slippers your dog was wearing over the holidays and be fascinated.

Disney Dog slippers of course.

 

[Tony the Tigger]

I think I saw this phenomenon first with some friends that decorated a large portion of their house in Coke paraphernalia. Even painted their wall reds and white checker. They had the plates, curtains, cups, toilet seats, etc.

Many ages ago when I was in my 20's, I went through a serious Star Trek phase. Pretty much entire house decorated in Star Trek stuff.

Nowadays, you have the Marvel universe that people go nuts over.

Don't get me started on professional sports.

The one thing they all have in common, is that when you step back and look, they are all a little.... Silly? Ridiculous? Wasteful? Fun? Unrelatable? Disconcerting? Weird? ...obviously I don't know the exact answer.

I am soooo guilty of being a bit of a Disney Adult. I get back from the parks with stupid amount of branded loot that I wind having significant buyers remorse over buying. I get in the parks and I just love the Brand for some, probably not mysterious, reason. When I get home, not so much.

Others have said it before, but I do agree that there is a grey area where Disney Adult, Pixie Duster, and Theme Park fan overlap.

I think the only way to be a pure Disney Adult is if you make your living pushing the Brand. Then, maybe, you can filter out everything else and just focus on the Brand and what it does for you.

As a Gen Xer, I think we are very nostalgic, and we decorate more freely than our parents. It’s a little more “my room in high school” than my Grandma’s house.

I’ve evolved to a “less is more” approach - a piece or three representing something I/we love without going overboard. We’ll opt for the Disney picture frame that is all white but has some random Mickey head shapes here and there so you wouldn’t even notice it if you didn’t look closely. We have a vintage Haunted Mansion poster framed in a room that’s more of a “rec room” (along with a Jaws movie poster lol.)

My first time going was in my late 20’s. It was completely out of financial reach for my family as a kid.

 

[Goofyernmost]

I think, based a lot on my family experience, that going to the parks as a child and/or teen amplifies the "pixie dust" or "Disney Adult" effect on ones psyche. Do you think that you not going as a kiddo has helped you keep a less "dusty" perspective on the parks?

To put it another way, if you had gone as a kid & teen, do you think you would be a flagrant pixie dusting Disney adult now?

For me, as a child and young adult visitor, that experience has given my perspective of the parks a bump up in opinion, one that they may not longer deserve. But.... I go anyway....because.... reasons.

Actually, I could have been listed as a Pixie Duster from the moment I entered the property in 1983 until about 2018. To me it wasn't so much the content of the parks but the way we were looked at by management. I never had a problem with changing things when they got stale, but to just stop something with no replacement to me was an insult. To make me have to search for a place to have lunch and still sit wore thin especially when I could see a huge quick service area boarded up and empty. They surely also never backed down on admission prices. My last visit was in November of 2019 and that was only for two days. The three other days of my trip were in Universal, where also stayed in one of their new resort hotels for the entire trip.

Disney unreal pricing of a place to sleep kept me away from that part anyway, except for one test week. The largest feeling I derived from that was a feeling that my pockets were being picked and that was a decade ago. I see that it is worse now but I have no plans to go back. I lived WDW for decades. Heck, my daughters, who loved the place, were concerned about my sanity at one point. But the glitter wore off and then sealed by the actions of the company in the last two years. The degree of difficulty to just visit a theme park is overwhelming and I believe unnecessary. The cost is so high that I was able, in 2016 to tour Europe for a month, all expenses including a ten day transAtlantic cruise back to the states for less then the cost of one week at WDW just to see a 5 foot mouse. Maybe it was old age, I don't know, but that long time obsession completely disappeared. I still love theme parks, but I no longer need the Disney fix. I enjoy being part of the discussion forums but my posts are not always positive. To show just how far I have fallen, for the past 20+ years I have had a decorative Disney auto license plate frame that reads "WDW, been there, done that, doing it again" has been removed and replaced with a more generic frame. That's 48 WDW trips, 1 Disneyland trips and 1 visit to Disneyland Paris over the last 37 years.

 

[Jrb1979]

As a Gen Xer, I think we are very nostalgic, and we decorate more freely than our parents. It’s a little more “my room in high school” than my Grandma’s house.

I’ve evolved to a “less is more” approach - a piece or three representing something I/we love without going overboard. We’ll opt for the Disney picture frame that is all white but has some random Mickey head shapes here and there so you wouldn’t even notice it if you didn’t look closely. We have a vintage Haunted Mansion poster framed in a room that’s more of a “rec room” (along with a Jaws movie poster lol.)

My first time going was in my late 20’s. It was completely out of financial reach for my family as a kid.

I'm in my 40s and went when I was in my teens a few times and was blown away by the story telling of the dark rides. After that I didn't go back til I was in my late 30s and it didn't have the same affect. I loved the older attractions that are still there when I was a kid but the new attractions are mostly meh. They severely lack the good storytelling they used to have. I only go to Disney for the storytelling cause the rides themselves aren't thrilling enough.

A lot of that feeling is cause over the last 6 years I've been to 20 different parks and been more blown away by the innovations in the amusement park rides then what Disney is putting out.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Oh no, we all know it is true. Talking this much about Disney is a little weird.

It’s only weird if you’re not a fan.

For the most part, everyone is passionate about something. It’s okay to have an outlet where you can talk about something you’re passionate about with other people who share the same passion, as long as there’s a healthy balance. My boss’ husband is an avid beer collector and trades with other beer collectors and I’m pretty sure he goes to conventions.

There’s something for everyone.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

As a Gen Xer, I think we are very nostalgic, and we decorate more freely than our parents. It’s a little more “my room in high school” than my Grandma’s house.

I love this analogy. I think a house should be fun and full of memories so my house is full of photos, souvenirs, and other things that put a smile on my face when I look at them.

The big difference between my high school room and my adult house is presentation, what used to be pinned to the wall is now in a nice frame and what used to sit on a cheap bookcase is now in a display case with glass doors and lighting.

My older friends houses still tend to be more elegant, they are very pretty but remind me of the rooms we weren’t allowed in as kids, look but don’t go in or touch anything.

 

[Poseidon Quest]

EPCOT Center, to many of us was great, but the public did not. Anyone that went there near the opening knows the numbers of people that were drawn into the park and by the time they made changes that demand had dropped down to a trickle.

I don't think that's a fair assessment though. High crowds in a park like Epcot in the 80s (perhaps around 20,000 people) would be considered light crowds today. It's been a while since I've done the math, but that original park was an absolute capacity monster. If I recall correctly, I believe at any given hour, the rides were capable of handling around 18,000 people. Not including the large open pathways, numerous high capacity shows and a ton of interactive exhibits, of course the park would feel empty. It's not a testament to its lack of popularity, so much as it is to the foresight of management to want to provide an experience that handles crowds exceptionally well.

 

[Jrb1979]

I don't think that's a fair assessment though. High crowds in a park like Epcot in the 80s (perhaps around 20,000 people) would be considered light crowds today. It's been a while since I've done the math, but that original park was an absolute capacity monster. If I recall correctly, I believe at any given hour, the rides were capable of handling around 18,000 people. Not including the large open pathways, numerous high capacity shows and a ton of interactive exhibits, of course the park would feel empty. It's not a testament to its lack of popularity, so much as it is to the foresight of management to want to provide an experience that handles crowds exceptionally well.

I agree with your assessment. I have always been a big proponent of finishing off Epcot as originally planned with each country having an attraction that wasn't IP based. I understand IP is a big of part of the Disney parks but I don't think every attraction needs to be IP based.