The Evolution of a Disney Adult

Yeah…you’ve heard of us. “Disney Adults”. I’ve seen too many Reels and TikToks making fun of us. We are grown people who CHOOSE to visit the Disney Parks sans kids…and we freakin’ love it, man. I’ve heard all the haters…some of them my best friends…making fun of me for the frequency and enthusiasm with which I visit the Mouse and Friends, sporting my most recent purchase of ears like it’s a cherished tiara from Tiffany and Co.

My Disney love goes way back. My childhood bedroom was adorned with Winnie the Pooh bedspread and sheets. My Mickey Mouse AM Radio still sits on the bookcase in my living room. My first vacation memory is of meeting Goofy in front of Cinderella’s Castle at Walt Disney World circa 1976. And in 1980, when Epcot opened, you better believe my Momma loaded us up in the car and hightailed it 11+ hours to Orlando as soon as we could get there. We visited Disney 4 or 5 times when I was growing up…then I got married in 1995 and convinced my new husband, Chris, that a Honeymoon at Walt Disney World would be amazing (I was right).

Then, *gasp* the unthinkable happened. For most of our marriage, and my husband’s time in the Navy, we lived about as far away from Walt Disney World as you can get without leaving the continental U.S., in Whidbey Island, Washington. Go to Seattle and go north about 2.5 hours. It’s up there. The magic was so far away, yet…always there in my heart. Life happened and three kids later, nearly 20 years went by without a visit to the Happiest Place on Earth.

Fast forward to 2014, and the Navy said, “FLORIDA”, and we said, “HELL YEAH” and almost immediately started planning our kids’ first trip to WDW, and my first time back at my happy place in almost 20 years. It took some saving and planning to get there, but in November 2017, just before Thanksgiving, we took 3 teenagers to all 4 parks in 5 days…and that was it. We were hooked again. No looking back. Full speed into Disney Adulthood, and now I had built in buddies!

Since that first trip back in 2017, the kids have grown and flown the nest, and Chris and I have evolved into full bore Disney Adults with Annual Passes, an ever-growing collection of ears, trading pins and merch waiting to be called upon for the next magical journey 7 hours south. We visit the parks as often as we can, usually at least 4 times a year, and sometimes just for a day while passing through to another destination. WDW never disappoints. The magic is always there in the “Disney Bubble”, and the second we drive under the gate, we breathe just a little bit easier. So, when someone scoffs “Oh, you’re going to Disney AGAIN?”, the answer is a proud “yes”, because I could never get enough Disney Magic, and it’s the closest place to refill my pixie dust.