Motivations for Visiting Walt Disney World

[JemmaP]

Hello I am new to this forum but I was hoping you could help me

I am a 3rd year undergraduate student at the University of Lincoln studying Events Management. I am currently writing my dissertation on the motivations of non-family guests visiting Walt Disney World, Florida.

If you have previously visited Walt Disney World without children (under 18), or are planning to, it would be greatly appreciated if you could comment and answer some questions based on your personal experiences and motivations. All names will be kept confidential, and all data collected will only be seen by myself and my supervisor. This post, along with all stored data, will be deleted when it is no longer needed. Please only post if you are over 18. If you have any questions about this research, feel free to contact me.

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?
- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?
- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).
- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

Thank you for your help

 

[Matt_Black]

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?

Well, fond memories of previous visits from my childhood and teen years, plus new stuff they added in the late 90s and 2000s that I missed out on.

- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?

As noted above, in part there's a sense of familiarity. Second, I'm on the east coast, so it's closer, cheaper, and I don't need a passport.

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).

For me, Disney as a whole company works better than pretty much any other media conglomerate when it comes to work between different divisions, particularly regarding how their IPs are managed, marketed, and presented to the public. Also, they're very much the groundbreakers for modern theme parks.

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

Well, for starters, there's the nostalgia factor. Being a multi-media company with a long history, I think there are very, very few people today who haven't been touched by movie or TV series or something else made by them, and this likelihood has only increased with recent purchases such as Lucasfilm and Marvel.

Second, as Walt himself said, "You're dead if you only aim for kids." So, at WDW, there's a variety of activities for all kinds of "kids" regardless of age. For the older "kids", you've got golf, spas, adult beverages, ESPN, and more. Outside of actual cities, I think there are very few privately run vacation destinations that match Walt Disney World in scope and variety of activities.

Thank you for your help

You're very welcome.

 

[StarWarsGirl]

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?

I've been going since I was a kid, and the trip I took was with a childhood best friend. We had always talked about doing a trip by ourselves where we could do what we wanted to, so going during a college break was a way to both enjoy ourselves and fullfill a dream. My friend had never done a trip on property or for as long as we were going, so that was a great experience for her.

Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?

Mostly cost, but we were both 18 going on 19, so for young adults being away from parents for the first time, WDW worked the best. We were able to get on property and stay there. I've been enough to know where I'm going. It felt very safe.
I also have a WDW annual pass, so that saved a lot of money on the room and on souveniers.

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).

It was a combination of issues. For one, cost. I was able to get a good amount of discounts at WDW. I love WDW and there's no way that I would go to Central Florida without going there. And we also looked at doing Uni, but we would have wanted to stay on property, and the hotels there have a minimum age of 21. Disney's hotels have a minimum age of 18. So we did just Disney the entire time. It ended up being cheaper for us to do WDW for nine days than to split between Uni and WDW anyway.

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

I've had people in my age group tell me that WDW doesn't have anything for us. To me, this is silly and wrong. In MK, you've got more thrilling options like Space Mountain and Big Thunder Mountain. But then even the stuff geared for kids is still great for adults. I can admire the attention to detail, the overall design, or even just pretend I'm a kid again. I think Disney knows that they need to make attractions that both kids and adults will like.

Epcot has a lot for adults. Even though they've got more kid-based stuff now, it's largely educational, which adults can appreciate. The food over there is great, so that's something else for adults. And of course, there's the alcohol, which I'm not old enough for, but which is certainly more adult.

At DHS, the thrill rides are definitely adult geared. We enjoyed the shows over there as well. Again, a lot of this is stuff that both kids and adults can enjoy. If anything, as an adult, I have a greater appreciation for the shows than when I was a kid.

AK is definitelt for both kids and adults. We enjoyed the shows, wildlife, and of course, the thrill rides.

Overall, Disney makes sure that there's something for everyone, so they've got great food if that's what you're looking for, thrill rides, shows, slower rides...whatever you're looking for, Disney has it.

 

[mavlax20]

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?

My now wife, then fiance, and I planned a trip in which I was originally going to propose to here there (ended up doing it before) but she loves Disney and I loved Disney and remember my trips when I was younger. The trip we went on, June 2013, was something for us to do that we both enjoyed, and we love vacations, and it is fun to plan together, something to look forward to, an escape from the real world.

- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?

Disney World is bigger, and she has been to both, and if we wanted a week long vacation, Disney World is priced right, and you can do a lot more at Disney World in one week vs Disneyland which is smaller. Disneyland Paris is also much further and would be out of our price range.

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).

It kind of goes back to the original answer, previous memories of Disney, it's an escape to another world, we both have always enjoyed Disney, and it you can spend a week there and not get bored, whereas at some other parks that aren't as big, it may be easier to complete everything quicker.

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

I do. Walt Disney said it best, and I don't remember the exact quote, but he catered to families, not just kids. Granted I think that some people who went as kids have those memories that they enjoyed and don't need to have kids to visit the parks, case in point my wife and I. It's great to go as a couple with no kids because we can do what we want, but we can also look forward to going with our future kids. I think Disney caters because there are things in Epcot just for adults to do, like Drinking Around the World. Thrill rides that adults would enjoy and not all kids can do. You have Disney making plans to really use Star Wars in the future, and most of the people with knowledge of Star Wars and excitement, those are adults. Not saying kids cannot be excited about Star Wars, but I think Disney knows that if they can get the adults, then they can get the children, thus it is a win win for them.


Hopefully these answers are good answers, or along the lines of what you were thinking.

 

[Chef Mickey]

Disney is the happiest place on earth and I'm the happiest when I'm there with my family.

 

[GrammieBee]

OK. Here goes.

1. We first visited WDW in 1974 with our children. We enjoyed the park (there was only the unfinished Magic Kingdom) and decided we would visit approximately every four years to see what was new. We have kept mostly to this schedule, with longer gaps when our childen were in college and more frequwnt visits with small grandchildren. Plus, my husband and I are a couple of kids at heart and still mostly enjoy the WDW parks.

2. While we have visited Disneyland, we almost always visit WDW because we also live on the East Coast and can drive to it. Since we no longer care to fly, Disneyland Paris is not in our plans.

3. We like Disney, but we are not Disney fanatics. We go to and like the Disney parks because of their attention to detail, the architecture and their theming of the various parks, lands, resorts and attractions. We do also go to Universal Orlando and Bush Gardens. Just not as often. We can no longe ride any type of motion ride, so several years ago we stopped going to any of the other parks such as those in the Cedarfair or Six Flags group.

4. I wouldn't say that Disney caters to the adult demographic. The original premise of the Disney parks was to have something for everyone. If anything, Disney pushes the Magic Kingdom for parents with small children. Hence the ever increasing number of small babies and strollers. However, there are plenty of alternate activities available for adults such as festiivals, upscale dining, shopping, golf, water parks, bowling, shows, people watching and even expensive retirement homes. While Disney is not everyone's cup of tea, if someone goes there and can't find anything to do, or is bored-----well, they are not even trying to have an enjoyable time or they are looking for something Disney does not offer such as a large number of "thrill " rides.

 

[Jahona]

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?

I'm not sure what my motivation behind going to Walt Disney Word is. It's a place I have fond memories of as a child and those might be why I go back.

- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?

Every time I'm in Anaheim I'm there for business or conferences. I've told myself one day I'll stay an extra day to visit the park but so far I haven't. It might be the stigma that I'm there for work on the west coast that Florida feels more like a vacation. As for Disneyland Paris..... Passport expired and I haven't had a need to renew it.

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).

Disney is a week long affair. The amount of content included at the parks, while some feel its decreased in current years, easily can take up an entire week of vacation. I'll throw in a side trip to Universal but I can do both parks easily in two days. Universal makes a great weekend trip but it's something I haven't done.

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

I think Disney caters to kids of all ages. Adult only isn't really a theme that comes to mind when I think Disney. You experience the parks differently as a child vs. an adult and there is wonder and enjoyment to be found for both.

 

[graphite1326]

motivation: I have close to 500 points racked up on my credit card

 

[JIMINYCR]

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?

DW & I fell in love with WDW on our first visit. We found it had everything we were looking for in a vacation, so much to do in the parks, easy accessibility, transportation and a variety of entertainment and dining options. The pleasant interaction with all CM's we encountered added to our decision that WDW would be a place we would return to. We have never been disappointed.

- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?
Located on the East coast and easier to get to by plane or vehicle.

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).
When staying at a Disney resort we have easy access to everything. The trip is pre-planned to enjoy all that WDW has to offer during a week long or more stay. They make it worth staying on property with so much to do. No other park offers the entertainment or variety of attractions like Disney. When vacationing for a 2 week period, we do take a day trip off property to visit Uni / Sea World or other Orlando sites but our trip is mainly geared to WDW.

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?
Yes. Disney knows their parks and resorts are paid for by the adults and they need to cater to the people who stay to play. The resorts and parks offer late night events/ entertainment that are more adult friendly. The attractions have become more thrilling to satisfy adult thrill seekers and they are adding more seasonal events that are appealing/attractive to adults to attend.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Please only post if you are over 18.

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?
- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?
- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).
- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

Thank you for your help

I'm not over 18 so just ignore my post if you must. d: But I want to answer these questions as well!


- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?
I've been going since the year I was born. My parents basically call me a "Disney nightmare they regret creating." Just addiction and tradition!

- Why did you choose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?
Because of location... Why fly to Paris or California when there's one 5 hours away?

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?
Yes. There are adults that have grown up with Disney just as much as I have grown up with Disney. Disney is part of peoples childhoods. It's something adults can connect and relate to from their past, I guess.

 

[Disneysea05]

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?

I was actually taken for the first time as a child, to Disneyland as well, so i knew from an early age that I could count on visiting the Disney theme parks for a fun time.

- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?

I actually visit both Walt Disney World and Disneyland quite regularly. I also visit the international Disney parks as often as I can, with Tokyo Disney Resort being my absolute favorite of the five Disney destinations.

Each has something special and unique that the others don't, and they all complement each other, so they are all worth visiting. The bonus for the international parks is that they are all located next to world famous cities, so that is more of an incentive to visit.

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).

I do visit Universal in Hollywood and Orlando whenever I feel the urge to, and I do enjoy them. But Disneyland and Walt a Disney World, in general, are just on another level in terms of quality and quantity of offerings. I have been VERY impressed with USO over the last several years.

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

Absolutely, the first thing that comes to mind is the dining at Walt Disney World. I love to eat there. For kids in my family, they would be happy just eating chicken at Disney, but WDW offers much more for the adult diner.

 

[Ariel Savage]

Hello I am new to this forum but I was hoping you could help me



- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?
- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?
- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).
- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

Thank you for your help

My bf and I wanted to take a vacation, but did not see many options. We're not beach people. We didn't want to run around an unfamiliar city either. So family members recommended Disney. We went, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and have been going back for several years. It's a nice, SAFE place to go where we can actually relax. There's stuff to do when you want to do something, and nice resorts to rest at when you just want to relax.
We chose WDW because it contains 4 major parks, rather than Disneyland's 2. While I'd love to see Disney Paris or any of the others, it doesn't make sense for us to travel that far. If I went to Paris, disney would be the furthest thing on my mind.
We did look into adding Universal into our vacation, but we deemed it too expensive to add on.
I think Disney does try to cater to adults with restaurants and shows. But it's convenience is what really wins me over. There's just so much to do there. I don't think that's something I learned until after I had visited the parks several times. There's just so much to do beyond rides, that the whole property feels like a giant resort.

 

[Lost__Girl]

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?
I've always loved everything Disney. My parents took me once when I was little, I went twice in high school with my softball team, and many times as and adult. I never get tired or sick of it and always have a good time.

- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?
I live 4.5hrs away and am an Annual Passholder at Disney World. So it's way more convenient to drive to Orlando.

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).
There's just so much to do at Disney. 4 parks, 2 water parks, Downtown Disney & Disney Quest. So there's more than enough to fill your time there. Even just walking around the different resorts is fun. I also love the fact that from the moment you get to the resort (if you are staying on property) till the moment you leave, everything has that "Disney" feeling. From the details at resorts, restaurants, parks, etc.

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?
Definitely. If you have the right mindset and are young at heart everything is catered to people of all ages. But every park has at least 1 "big" ride/roller coaster, and the World Showcase is a great place for adults to unwind with food and drinks from around the world. There's also all of the restaurants and bars at Downtown Disney that cater to the older crowd.

Hope all of that helps!

 

[PMC0849]

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?

I had not been to Disneyworld since 1989, in 2007 my then girlfriend and I decided we should go. Her parents were going to be there for a conference, so we used that as our excuse. I was excited to see Disney World as a 24 year old instead of a 6 year old. We had a blast. Seven years later, and now married, we went back twice, once in early winter 2014, this was a trip with my parents, 2 brothers, and one of my brother's girlfriend. We discovered during this big trip, we had the most fun just the two of us. We also really wanted to try the Epcot Food & Wine festival, Dapper Day, and the Halloween Party, so we returned in fall of 2014, just the two of us, and had an incredible time. I guess my original motivation was, curiosity, later followed up with having fun with my SO, and enjoying feeling like a kid again.

- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?

We chose Disney World, over the other Disney parks, mostly because of location. Twice we were coming to Orlando from New York, and once from Detroit. Flights were more affordable than going to Los Angeles, or Paris. We have said if we ever are on a trip to Paris, or Los Angeles, we would maybe visit the Parks there for a day or two. Walt Disney World feel more like a destination, where Disneyland seems like an attraction within a destination.

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).

We did go to Universal for a day during one of our trips, and we would like to visit there again. But, any trip to Universal would be a brief stop on a larger trip to Disney World. There just doesn't seem to be as much to see at Universal. I also feel like Disney does such an amazing job of making you feel like you are in a fantasy land, while Universal tries hard with their theming, but it just feels like they are trying to be Disney, and not successful. Our main reason for visiting Universal, was to see Springfield, and all "The Simpsons" stuff there.

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

I do think Disney does cater to the adult demographic, I think they could do better. The Epcot Food & Wine festival is a great example of how they cater to adults. The World Showcase during this time, is more like a giant bar than an amusement park. This may not be enjoyable for most adults, but we had a lot of fun during this. The adult to child ratio in Epcot's world showcase during this event clearly favored the adults. In general I think Epcot appeals to adults more than it does children, but that is just my experience, and opinion. Downtown Disney, and the Boardwalk area, also have some establishments that cater to adults, such as Jellyrolls on the boardwalk, which is only for people over 21.

Often times on this forum, someone will suggest Disney build restaurants, or hotels that only allow adults. These comments usually cause many angry debates. While I don't have children, I tend to disagree with this idea. I have found that most of the signature restaurants, especially the times I choose to have dinner, which is usually between 8:00-10:00 PM, are devoid of children. I am sure other people have had different experiences than I have with this. Now there will be children at every Disney hotel, I feel like there are some that may not appeal to children quite as much. The Epcot resorts, and Grand Floridian come to mind. While these hotels are impressive, I would think kids would find them boring, when compared to something like Art of Animation, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and others.

Now, I do think they could do more to attract more adult visitors. More thrill rides would be a big start, hopefully the upcoming Avatar land, and Star Wars expansions can add some. I wish I could get alcohol in the Magic Kingdom too, I know it is available at Be Our Guest restaurant, but I mean getting a bear, or a drink while I am walking around in the hot Florida weather would be nice. Personally I also feel Disney doesn't market itself to adult visitors well. I had no idea the Epcot Food and Wine festival was a thing, until late in 2013.

Sorry I babbled on a little longer than expected.

 

[Redhawk]

I agree with most everything said by those who have answered before, so will just add a bit more.

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?
Original motivation was that I had been several times since childhood and always loved it, wanted my boyfriend (from Brazil) to see what Disney World was all about. Now it's repeat visits for us as a married couple. Our first trip was in 2007 and was wonderful so it became a special memory for us and a vacation destination worth re-visiting. Two weeks ago we made our 4th trip.

- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?
A 2.5 hour direct and relatively cheap flight from our East Coast city vs a full day traveling (with expensive airfare) in each direction to Paris or California. Florida is a warmer, sunnier climate that is close by, and we would rather do other tourist things in Paris. (Although if we ever have time we might visit Paris Disney for a day as we've heard it's nice.) We usually have done short visits. Our most recent trip was only 3 nights but were able to have 73 hours of "Disney" time from check-in to check-out. Also, we like the "world" aspect of being in a self-contained vacation situation, especially for such a short trips. Now that we've been together several times we know what we want to repeat, what new things we want to try, etc. so can maximize our time. The short trips go by so fast, now we've decided next time it has to be at least 5 nights or more.

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).
After the first two Disney visits as a couple I thought during my early planning phase that we should add in a day for Universal, but we haven't quite had time to do that and the motivation is still low although our curiosity is high. I'm thinking (as the planner of the couple) that this fall or next year we might take a short trip (3 nights max) to stay on property at Universal, and only do Universal. After that I have a feeling we would include a one-day visit there in a future "Disney" trip if we have time. My husband will enjoy the thrill rides and film tie-ins more than I, but I'd like to see/ride the Harry Potter things.

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?
They do, although of course not as much as they now cater to families with small children. We love thrill rides but also shows and attractions -- so I'd say they cater to adults who are young at heart. Recently I danced along with a Hollywood Studios street show where we were in a pretend commercial shoot and I had a blast. I could say they cater to adults when the Cast Members interact with adults as well as children. A CM host in the Haunted Mansion played a little in-character game with me and then we both got a good "boo!" on my husband.

The fine-dining restaurants seem more adult and the additions like Downtown Disney are great for adults who want to step slightly off the main property for entertainment. I also think adults truly appreciate the deluxe resorts such as those in the Boardwalk area (we prefer Dolphin and Swan which are definitely more adult, with less kid/Disney stuff and a good spa) and the Grand Floridian. I personally feel the amount of things for adults is fine and hope Disney won't keep thinking "more alcohol" is the way to cater to adults. I'd go to a different place if I wanted to hang out with drunk people on my vacation!

 

[kdl121]

What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?

I had been to Disneyland a couple times as a child, but when I was 18 I was able to experience a Disney park (Tokyo) without parents, just me and my best friend. We had a spectacular time, did everything WE wanted to do, without adults telling us to do this or that. So my motivation for going to Walt Disney World in the next couple years is to have another adult experience, just me and a couple friends. None of us have been to WDW, so it'll be a first time trip for all three of us, and I would just really like to see what there is to do there, before I start having kids.

Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?

Like I said, I had already been to Disneyland a couple of times ... and sure it may have changed, but I just wanted to visit a different park. I didn't want to leave the continent, because I know if I were to travel to Paris or Tokyo I would want to explore the country as well. This WDW trip will be JUST Disney, no other exploring, not even Universal Studios. This means more time to appreciate Disney, but also cuts down on travel expenses and not having to move from hotel to hotel.

Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal etc).

Sorry, I feel like I keep answering your questions in previous questions! This'll be my first trip to WDW, and Florida in general. There's so much to see at WDW, with four theme parks, and I just don't want to feel rushed for time. I'd rather spend two or three days in each for the four theme parks than spend a day in each or skip one of them, just to go see Universal Studios (which I'm not interested in doing at this stage in my life).

Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

I think they may cater a lot towards children, but I definitely think they cater to adults as well. Firstly, children are brought to Disney parks by adults, and Disney knows this. Having adult-only things, like certain rides and merchandise, ensures adults will want to come back as well, and not just come for the sake of making their children happy. Also, a lot of young adults (university students) come for holidays like Spring Break, and some couples come and they get engaged at Disney or they get married at Disney. So yeah, I think Disney tries really hard to cater to all-age demographics.

 

[WDW!]

1.What motivated you to go visit Walt Disney World?
-I went as a child and loved it so much. I go now as an adult with my husband (we don't have kids) and when we walk under the train onto Main St USA all the "outside" world disappears.
2.Why Did you chose to visit Walt Disney world in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?
-WDW is all I've known but, we are going to plan a trip to Disneyland next year.
3.Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different them park?
-I enjoy Disney way more than the other parks. I have gone to Universal & Sea World, they just aren't for me.
4. Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?
-Disney is for children 1st, but Adults can have just as much fun if not more! I don't think there is a HOW, I think its in the adults attitude towards it all. If you are more of a beach person then WDW is not for you.

 

[LuvtheGoof]

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?

I have been going to WDW since 1978. I was at EPCOT only a few short months after it opened. My wife and I both love WDW with everything that it has to offer. We joined DVC several years ago, and now make multiple trips every year.

- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?

We have been to DLR, and found it to be very nice. It wasn't better or worse than WDW (well, individual attractions are better at one or the other), but it is simply different, and needs to be looked at completely on it's own, and not as a comparison to WDW. Anyway, there is no EPCOT, and that is, by far, our favorite park. We visit WDW multiple times per year, and we'll only go to DLR once every 3 or 4 years.

Disneyland Paris is on the bucket list, and we will go there some day. Because of the cost, it will be done with a European big trip as part of it.

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).

We have gone to Universal, different Six Flags, Kings Island, Sea World, and Busch Gardens. We just think that Disney does it best as far as we are concerned.

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

Absolutely. We love to people watch, enjoy fine dining (Victoria and Albert's is an experience not to be missed!!), and relax at our resort. We visit Jellyrolls at least once every trip, and sometimes a few times. It's a blast! When we go by ourselves, we go a lot slower, and take the time to "smell the roses" as it were. There are so many places to sit and relax all over property, and so many out of the way places to enjoy, that we still, even after 14 trips in the last few years, have lot's that we have never done. We try new restaurants and attractions on every trip.

 

[melmel89]

What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?
I have visited WDW 5 times since 2007, having always previously travelled in Europe, no other country/resort I have visited compares, in terms of activities, customer service or location. Beach holidays don't appeal to me and I have always loved Disney so it's a natural choice for me.
- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?
Disneyland Paris- the weather isn't as good, the exchange rate from £ to euro isn't as good as dollars, the food isn't particularly vegetarian friendly, the attractions are not as good, I have travelled Europe extensively so I prefer to travel further afield now.
Disneyland(Anaheim) its more expensive for the flights, there are less attractions and less resort options
WDW- has the best weather, food, hotels, customer service, location, transport links, has the most attractions.
- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect
In my opinion Disney are the best theme park group in the world. far better than anything we get in the UK, the majority of theme parks in the UK/ Europe have attractions that are just steel and concrete, with little theming or attention to detail.
- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?
There are dining events and special events that appeal directly to adults, EG Victoria and Alberts or even a wedding. (we are about to plan ours with WDW) some attractions are also more adult like Golf or le cirq de soleil. although to me age is irrelevant as Disney's appeal is universal.
Best of luck with the degree, doing your diss is a stressful time but you will feel great when it's done! As a PGCE student I can sympathise. Feel free to ask me more questions if you need any more info

 

[FettFan]

- What motivated you to visit Walt Disney World?

Because I wanted to get away from "real life". Once you enter Disney property, the real world is left behind.

- Why did you chose to visit Walt Disney World in particular, rather than Disneyland or Disneyland Resort Paris?

Location and amenities.
1. Orlando is a relatively quick 12-hour drive away from my home. Driving to Anaheim would take approximately 28 hours.
2. When I travel, I drive. Driving gives me the flexibility I like and more direct control over where I go. Flying is too expensive, international flights even moreso.
3. The Disney Company owns the entire lot of Walt Disney World. Unlike Disneyland, WDW's parks and resorts aren't land-locked in the middle of a sprawling urban area.
4. Amenities: Four theme parks, two water parks, two golf courses, a

- Why did you chose to go to a Disney park, rather than a different theme park group? (Merlin/Universal ect).

Because "Disney Magic". Simply put, Walt Disney World is at the top of the game when it comes to creating immersive atmospheres within their parks. Universal is finally stepping up to the challenge now, as evidenced by Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Springfield, but they still pale in comparison to Disney.
Not to mention, the only thing I really care about at Universal is Jurassic Park.

And to hell with Six Flags. Might as well just go to a traveling carnival!

- Do you think Disney caters for an adult demographic? How?

Yes and no. Disney made a name for itself by following Walt's idea that family entertainment shouldn't be limited just to keeping children happy. As such, WDW gave us numerous adult-oriented options, chief among them being Epcot Center's World Showcase and Pleasure Island, and dining options such as Victoria and Albert's, Mizner's Lounge, and Jellyrolls. For further evidence, here is a 1986 commercial for WDW, starring Lauren Bacall.



Unfortunately, over the last ten years, Disney has started chasing cash....which is why Pleasure Island was shutdown for the current conversion into Disney Springs, and (in their most controversial move ever) adding a freakin' FROZEN ride and expansion to the Norway Pavilion. WTH, DISNEY?