From the Sunday Travel section of the Chicago Sun-Times
The inner lives of adults who love Disney
August 25, 2002
BY PAIGE WISER STAFF REPORTER
It's a magical place where eyes open wide with wonder, hearts beat frantically with anticipation and excitement, feet scamper toward the latest theme rides . . .
And kids seem to enjoy Disney World, too.
Now more adults are coming out of the cartoon closet to admit that they love the theme park-whether or not they have children. And when it comes to Mickey mania, the young at heart are putting the simply young to shame.
Let's face it: Kids are amateurs.
"I think many American adults have a work-hard, play-tentatively attitude," says Mary Reeder, 41, of Grand Prairie, Texas. "The adults who enjoy Walt Disney World, with or without children, may be in a different category.
"We work hard and play hard," says Reeder, an accountant. "A trip to the 'World' can occupy months of strategic planning and countless phone calls for priority seatings and special requests. WDW is not a laid-back holiday, but rather an over-stimulating trip of total immersion into fantasy."
Disney has always known who has the dollars: adults. Full-sized fans also have the time to make the trip more often, the freedom to pursue their passion and the commitment to make the Magic Kingdom a part of their everyday lives.
They decorate with Disney, for instance. "There is a picture of the 'Fab Five' on my office door and a small ceramic Mickey Mouse glued to my monitor," says Mary Staunton, administrator of pediatric research at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. The Fab Five-as if you didn't know-are Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald. "At home, plush Mickey and Minnie share the love seat; Disney photo albums are on the TV stand, and the bathroom is decorated with the 'Mickey parts' accessories." Staunton turned 44 in May. While she was at Disney World.
Staunton finds others of her kind at Web sites such as www.DestinationDisney.com and www.wdwig.com. True Disneyphiles visit once or twice a day. There they discover insider tips, great deals-and friends. No longer do vacationers feel the need to borrow a niece or nephew for cover. Online regulars make arrangements to meet up in Orlando.
"I am a big fan of WDW, and all of my friends and co-workers know it," says Scott Avery, 36, of Naperville. He has just headed back to the Kingdom for the 25th time-as a birthday present to himself. He plans three more trips within the next year.
In the same way that some parents watch "Sesame Street" religiously because of the grown-up subtexts and in-jokes, many adults appreciate Disney World as a Technicolor escape from reality.
Not everyone gets it, of course. "My family doesn't quite understand," says Staunton, who made her first trip at age 41. "My brothers, in particular, think that it is only for kids. But it's the only place I have ever been where the outside world ceases to exist while you are vacationing. I come home trying to figure out just how soon I can go back."
It's difficult to describe-but fans don't mind trying. "Disney seems to embody a sense of magic, imagination and reliving of childhood for many adults who enjoy the vacation as much on their own as they do with children," says Michelle Martin, 26, of Clifton Park, N.Y.
It's not all about childhood. Disney knows ticketbuyers want more than kid stuff like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (which was replaced by a Winnie the Pooh ride in 1998). And so they've stocked their park and resorts with four-star restaurants, spas, golf courses and even niche activities like surfing at Typhoon Lagoon. Disney's elaborate (and expensive) wedding planners are in high demand. And then there's Pleasure Island, with its eclectic colony of nightclubs. (That is, in fact, where the very adult Bobby Brown was arrested in 1995, for assaulting a clubgoer at Mannequins Dance Palace.)
Even with all that, though, the Magic Kingdom itself is the big draw. Mary Jahnke, 30, and her husband Eric Jahnke, 34, have visited nine times in nine years. The Lombard couple even spent their honeymoon there. "Our favorite ride is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad," says Mary. It wasn't hard to talk Eric into another trip in February. "He's a big kid at heart," says Mary. "Disney World gives you time to get away from the everyday stress, and get back to basics. You can think back to when you were a kid and could have fun, not worry about bills or work or anything like that. It's a release."
Disney fans may act like kids, but they still think like adults. "We are not so enamored of the mouse that we cannot see that Disney is a business," says Reeder, "and one that wants all our vacation dollars." Part of the fun is in figuring out how to save enough money to finance even more trips.
"We all enjoy helping each other find a bargain, to find something new at Disney, and encouraging each other to tolerate the real world until a little Disney Magic is back in your life," says Reeder.
Maybe it's Tinker Bell's fairy dust that wards off cynicism. "Even when you know a few Disney secrets, you can't help but buy into the fantasy," says Reeder. "The smell of fresh-baked cookies on Main Street USA is designed to make you feel welcome and comfortable. And now, after many trips to Main Street USA, I look forward to starting the day with this wonderful sensory reminder of past vacations as well as the comforts of home. When you tour the World Showcase in Epcot, the cast members are all native to the 'land' you are visiting. That little detail may be lost on children, but as an adult, I make it a point to visit with at least one foreign cast member each trip."
In some ways, the appeal for adults is intangible. In other ways, it's simple. "I just love going there," says Suzi Chauvet, 59, who rediscovered the theme park about four years ago. "I am part Martha Stewart, Salvador Dali, Auntie Mame and Mary Poppins, with a good dash of Annie Hall for leavening. All of my alter-egos find satisfaction in the Disney experience."
Chauvet lives in Old Town and works as a graphic artist and page layout designer. "I am always interested in the creative process, and Disney is nothing if not creative," says Chauvet. "The idea that you can actually spend time in someone's fantasy is really cool. The incredible attention to detail, the design aspect, the use of color, the fanatical theme-ing, all impress me. Plus the place is just so clean and well-organized."
In the past, Chauvet used to spend a large part of every summer doing what her mother used to do: sweeping sand and dirt out of their ancient summer cabin, hauling water from an outdoor well, doing dishes in a washtub, making spaghetti dinners for 14. But after she visited the Magic Kingdom, she adjusted her definition of "vacation." "I had never actually had a luxurious vacation before, and was blown away by the concept," says Chauvet.
She's going again in November, with three friends (ages 30, 38 and 45) she works with. They're all staying at the Polynesian, in one room. It's her friends' first time, and Chauvet relishes the opportunity to play tour guide. "We are going to be like four 12-year-olds at Disney," she says.
The inner lives of adults who love Disney
August 25, 2002
BY PAIGE WISER STAFF REPORTER
It's a magical place where eyes open wide with wonder, hearts beat frantically with anticipation and excitement, feet scamper toward the latest theme rides . . .
And kids seem to enjoy Disney World, too.
Now more adults are coming out of the cartoon closet to admit that they love the theme park-whether or not they have children. And when it comes to Mickey mania, the young at heart are putting the simply young to shame.
Let's face it: Kids are amateurs.
"I think many American adults have a work-hard, play-tentatively attitude," says Mary Reeder, 41, of Grand Prairie, Texas. "The adults who enjoy Walt Disney World, with or without children, may be in a different category.
"We work hard and play hard," says Reeder, an accountant. "A trip to the 'World' can occupy months of strategic planning and countless phone calls for priority seatings and special requests. WDW is not a laid-back holiday, but rather an over-stimulating trip of total immersion into fantasy."
Disney has always known who has the dollars: adults. Full-sized fans also have the time to make the trip more often, the freedom to pursue their passion and the commitment to make the Magic Kingdom a part of their everyday lives.
They decorate with Disney, for instance. "There is a picture of the 'Fab Five' on my office door and a small ceramic Mickey Mouse glued to my monitor," says Mary Staunton, administrator of pediatric research at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. The Fab Five-as if you didn't know-are Mickey, Minnie, Pluto, Goofy and Donald. "At home, plush Mickey and Minnie share the love seat; Disney photo albums are on the TV stand, and the bathroom is decorated with the 'Mickey parts' accessories." Staunton turned 44 in May. While she was at Disney World.
Staunton finds others of her kind at Web sites such as www.DestinationDisney.com and www.wdwig.com. True Disneyphiles visit once or twice a day. There they discover insider tips, great deals-and friends. No longer do vacationers feel the need to borrow a niece or nephew for cover. Online regulars make arrangements to meet up in Orlando.
"I am a big fan of WDW, and all of my friends and co-workers know it," says Scott Avery, 36, of Naperville. He has just headed back to the Kingdom for the 25th time-as a birthday present to himself. He plans three more trips within the next year.
In the same way that some parents watch "Sesame Street" religiously because of the grown-up subtexts and in-jokes, many adults appreciate Disney World as a Technicolor escape from reality.
Not everyone gets it, of course. "My family doesn't quite understand," says Staunton, who made her first trip at age 41. "My brothers, in particular, think that it is only for kids. But it's the only place I have ever been where the outside world ceases to exist while you are vacationing. I come home trying to figure out just how soon I can go back."
It's difficult to describe-but fans don't mind trying. "Disney seems to embody a sense of magic, imagination and reliving of childhood for many adults who enjoy the vacation as much on their own as they do with children," says Michelle Martin, 26, of Clifton Park, N.Y.
It's not all about childhood. Disney knows ticketbuyers want more than kid stuff like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride (which was replaced by a Winnie the Pooh ride in 1998). And so they've stocked their park and resorts with four-star restaurants, spas, golf courses and even niche activities like surfing at Typhoon Lagoon. Disney's elaborate (and expensive) wedding planners are in high demand. And then there's Pleasure Island, with its eclectic colony of nightclubs. (That is, in fact, where the very adult Bobby Brown was arrested in 1995, for assaulting a clubgoer at Mannequins Dance Palace.)
Even with all that, though, the Magic Kingdom itself is the big draw. Mary Jahnke, 30, and her husband Eric Jahnke, 34, have visited nine times in nine years. The Lombard couple even spent their honeymoon there. "Our favorite ride is Big Thunder Mountain Railroad," says Mary. It wasn't hard to talk Eric into another trip in February. "He's a big kid at heart," says Mary. "Disney World gives you time to get away from the everyday stress, and get back to basics. You can think back to when you were a kid and could have fun, not worry about bills or work or anything like that. It's a release."
Disney fans may act like kids, but they still think like adults. "We are not so enamored of the mouse that we cannot see that Disney is a business," says Reeder, "and one that wants all our vacation dollars." Part of the fun is in figuring out how to save enough money to finance even more trips.
"We all enjoy helping each other find a bargain, to find something new at Disney, and encouraging each other to tolerate the real world until a little Disney Magic is back in your life," says Reeder.
Maybe it's Tinker Bell's fairy dust that wards off cynicism. "Even when you know a few Disney secrets, you can't help but buy into the fantasy," says Reeder. "The smell of fresh-baked cookies on Main Street USA is designed to make you feel welcome and comfortable. And now, after many trips to Main Street USA, I look forward to starting the day with this wonderful sensory reminder of past vacations as well as the comforts of home. When you tour the World Showcase in Epcot, the cast members are all native to the 'land' you are visiting. That little detail may be lost on children, but as an adult, I make it a point to visit with at least one foreign cast member each trip."
In some ways, the appeal for adults is intangible. In other ways, it's simple. "I just love going there," says Suzi Chauvet, 59, who rediscovered the theme park about four years ago. "I am part Martha Stewart, Salvador Dali, Auntie Mame and Mary Poppins, with a good dash of Annie Hall for leavening. All of my alter-egos find satisfaction in the Disney experience."
Chauvet lives in Old Town and works as a graphic artist and page layout designer. "I am always interested in the creative process, and Disney is nothing if not creative," says Chauvet. "The idea that you can actually spend time in someone's fantasy is really cool. The incredible attention to detail, the design aspect, the use of color, the fanatical theme-ing, all impress me. Plus the place is just so clean and well-organized."
In the past, Chauvet used to spend a large part of every summer doing what her mother used to do: sweeping sand and dirt out of their ancient summer cabin, hauling water from an outdoor well, doing dishes in a washtub, making spaghetti dinners for 14. But after she visited the Magic Kingdom, she adjusted her definition of "vacation." "I had never actually had a luxurious vacation before, and was blown away by the concept," says Chauvet.
She's going again in November, with three friends (ages 30, 38 and 45) she works with. They're all staying at the Polynesian, in one room. It's her friends' first time, and Chauvet relishes the opportunity to play tour guide. "We are going to be like four 12-year-olds at Disney," she says.
