That’s because being a Disney superfan is not simply enjoying the parks, shows, or movies. The term Disney adult has become a meme to be mocked on the internet, but as author AJ Wolfe told USA Today earlier this year, the subculture that has evolved around the corporation is much deeper for those who subscribe to it.
Being a Disney adult, and tapping into the various places to connect with other fans online, provides thousands with not only a community, but also a place to “find your tribe and your community,” she says.
“What it all stems back to for a lot of us as Disney adults is family and emotional connections,” Wolfe, a self-proclaimed Disney adult and the author of a recent book by the same name, told USA Today. “Now, with the world doing what it’s doing and people just being high anxiety and feeling stressed and just regular life, you’re going to want to try to get back to that feeling of safety and predictability and warmth and being taken care of, and so a lot of times people will go back to Disney.”
What do you do when the place that provided you solace and comfort from the world’s ills is now, in your mind, perpetuating them?
For Kim Power, the news has left her conflicted. Her family has gone to Disney World every year to mark the anniversary of her daughter overcoming a serious illness as a toddler, but now she finds herself incredibly disappointed with the company’s leadership.
“I am just blown away that we are watching free speech get taken away from us in real time, and extremely sad that the people who create the things that make us the happiest were in on it,” she tells me.
Power has also been hurting for all the other people that a park boycott will impact, especially the workers who have made their vacations so special.
“I want to remind everybody to treat the cast members with respect and kindness because they have nothing to do with this decision and are probably just as upset as we are, but they still have to show up every day and try to make everyone’s day magical,” she says.
Another place where people risk losing their careers? The Disney internet, which is an ever-expanding machine of creators, some of whom have millions of followers for their content about the company and its parks. Mindy Marzec, or @fairytalemindy, used to be one of them, writing a Disney travel blog that she made income from.
In recent years, her revenue has slowed, and Marzec has pivoted to other ventures, like a crystal business she began on Etsy. One of the reasons she decided to expand, she tells me, is that she decided during the entertainment strikes in 2023 to move away from “building a business on someone else’s business.”
“I tried a few different things before pivoting to selling crystals, minerals, and related products,” she tells me. “What’s happening with Disney right now will probably be a similar moment of reckoning for many other creators.”