Why has the community been so quiet lately?

[Half/CartoonHalf/Human]

I’m just surprised by how fast the activeness in the community has gone down over the past 2 years. Just comparing how lively the boards were back in 2023 & 2024 to the ghost town status in 2025 & 2026 makes my jaw drop. Look, I’m not saying that I expect it to be active every time I log on for the day, & personal life is far more important than this, but I’m kinda sad with the state of the forums right now, especially when you look back at the past & see how lively everything was, from the competition games to the fan projects. It just makes me wonder what even happened in such an incredibly fast timeframe!

 

[ThemeParkPriest]

I think some of the veterans are finding themselves with full plates, especially related to work.

 

[Lizzy May Bee]

I would say there’s a certain inevitability of decay, that there’s a point in the lifespan of anything where outside factors culminate into pushing something in its twilight years. Stuff like the continued decline of web forums, old members growing busier, the website being pushed to less new people, etc. wouldn’t be the end of the world on their own, but combined it’s a different story. On the other hand, we just came off a long competition which probably means that all the players and hosts involved in that are taking an off season in between games, and that there’ll be an uptick in activity again in a few months or so.

 

[Minnesota disney fan]

I’m just surprised by how fast the activeness in the community has gone down over the past 2 years. Just comparing how lively the boards were back in 2023 & 2024 to the ghost town status in 2025 & 2026 makes my jaw drop. Look, I’m not saying that I expect it to be active every time I log on for the day, & personal life is far more important than this, but I’m kinda sad with the state of the forums right now, especially when you look back at the past & see how lively everything was, from the competition games to the fan projects. It just makes me wonder what even happened in such an incredibly fast timeframe!

I think technology has taken over a lot of people's free time.

 

[Baloo124]

The growing stigma against "Disney Adults" has also pushed many in the fan community out, due to harsh and unnecessary criticisms. Now some current and former CMs are joining the attack.

I’m a Former Disney Employee and I Think ‘Disney Adults’ Are the Worst

Fodor's provides expert travel content worth exploring so you can dream up your next trip. The world is a weird and wonderful place—we want to show you around.

www.fodors.com

This is obviously impacting the slowing of Disney fan forum activity, not just here alone.

One of my nieces was ridiculed by a classmate for wearing a Anna and Elsa shirt, and called a "Disney Adult". She's SEVEN!
This world is bonkers sometimes.

 

[Chi84]

The growing stigma against "Disney Adults" has also pushed many in the fan community out, due to harsh and unnecessary criticisms. Now some current and former CMs are joining the attack.

I’m a Former Disney Employee and I Think ‘Disney Adults’ Are the Worst

Fodor's provides expert travel content worth exploring so you can dream up your next trip. The world is a weird and wonderful place—we want to show you around.

www.fodors.com

This is obviously impacting the slowing of Disney fan forum activity, not just here alone.

One of my nieces was ridiculed by a classmate for wearing a Anna and Elsa shirt, and called a "Disney Adult". She's SEVEN!
This world is bonkers sometimes.

Why would an actual, real adult care about this?

 

[Baloo124]

Why would an actual, real adult care about this?

Some people do. It's never fun being belittled for enjoying an innocent hobby.

I'm not one of those people who care, and have no intention of leaving here or stopping the fun of talking Disney with folks here.

 

[donaldtoo]

The growing stigma against "Disney Adults" has also pushed many in the fan community out, due to harsh and unnecessary criticisms. Now some current and former CMs are joining the attack.

I’m a Former Disney Employee and I Think ‘Disney Adults’ Are the Worst

Fodor's provides expert travel content worth exploring so you can dream up your next trip. The world is a weird and wonderful place—we want to show you around.

www.fodors.com

This is obviously impacting the slowing of Disney fan forum activity, not just here alone.

One of my nieces was ridiculed by a classmate for wearing a Anna and Elsa shirt, and called a "Disney Adult". She's SEVEN!
This world is bonkers sometimes.

As you know, we (our family of 8, including two young granddaughters) spent 9 days in northern Italy (Lombardy and Veneto regions), as well as took a train trip to St. Moritz and back, this past June. We wouldn’t trade that experience for anything, yet we are planning, yet another, WDW family trip for next September, with, possibly, another family trip in between to an as yet-to-be-determined destination. So, I say…

 

[Disstevefan1]

The growing stigma against "Disney Adults" has also pushed many in the fan community out, due to harsh and unnecessary criticisms. Now some current and former CMs are joining the attack.

I’m a Former Disney Employee and I Think ‘Disney Adults’ Are the Worst

Fodor's provides expert travel content worth exploring so you can dream up your next trip. The world is a weird and wonderful place—we want to show you around.

www.fodors.com

This is obviously impacting the slowing of Disney fan forum activity, not just here alone.

One of my nieces was ridiculed by a classmate for wearing a Anna and Elsa shirt, and called a "Disney Adult". She's SEVEN!
This world is bonkers sometimes.

Even Walt said, it’s the adults who have the money. The parks must appeal to the adults too.

 

[TheOriginalTiki]

I can say for myself that my stand up career has absolutely cannibalized my free time, to the point where I really wasn't even able to finish out the competition I was hosting (shout-out to @Outbound) Honestly I feel like the activity has always ebbed and flowed and this isn't the first time things have been pretty dead. Plus Fall is has been a NOTORIOUSLY slow time for years. We just finished a competition that had over a dozen players and only one of them had to drop out which is rare. And frankly @Lizzy May Bee is absolutely right. The fact that the forum is even still around at all in THIS ERA of the internet is kind of a small miracle in its own right.

As for the Disney Adults thing...I honestly think most of the people here are "enthusiasts" more than the negative stereotype of what a Disney Adult actually is. Screw people who freaking narrate vlogs while riding attractions with random guests, screw people who get territorial and creepy and personal space/boundary pushing with cast members. Screw the middle aged dude who's in line for the Bluey show going "AWAY WITH YOU CHILD...THIS ISN'T FOR YOU!!!!" (okay, that last one was one of my stand up bits )

My point is I think THAT kind of "Disney Adult" is toxic as hell, ruining the perception of people like us who genuinely love the art form of theme park design, and should be called out. I just think by and large we as a community are NOT that.

 

[cdunlap]

If any of y'all are wondering about me in particular, I'm just so busy with community college and stuff that I barely remember here. I still make park/attraction concepts, but I always forget to post them here!

 

[Architectural Guinea Pig]

I think Half/Cartoon was asking about Armchair Imagineers not general Disney fans funny to see you guys pop up though. I’m way to busy with high school and all to be available for anything in the present moment unfortunately

 

[MonorailRed]

Life

Past 2 years for myself have personally been wild - Move across the state a few times, a few promotions, a marriage, a puppy, a house.

My guess is…. everyone just got slammed with life as once.

Doesn’t mean they don’t love armchair or the mouse - just have there focus in other areas.

Below is art for funsies to show I’m still alive and dabbling

 

[MonorailRed]

Life

Past 2 years for myself have personally been wild - Move across the state a few times, a few promotions, a marriage, a puppy, a house.

My guess is…. everyone just got slammed with life as once.

Doesn’t mean they don’t love armchair or the mouse - just have there focus in other areas.

Below is art for funsies to show I’m still alive and dabbling

View attachment 945448

View attachment 945450

View attachment 945462

Life

Past 2 years for myself have personally been wild - Move across the state a few times, a few promotions, a marriage, a puppy, a house.

My guess is…. everyone just got slammed with life as once.

Doesn’t mean they don’t love armchair or the mouse - just have there focus in other areas.

Below is art for funsies to show I’m still alive and dabbling

View attachment 945448

View attachment 945450

View attachment 945462

That being said I will contribute a short thread

Time to wake up the glee club - contribute some ideas folks.

 

[Mr. Sullivan]

A competition just ended so I think people are taking a break.

I’m working on something independently in my free time.