Why are so many adults obsessed with Disney parks? I went to find out

If, like me, you grew up watching Disney movies on VHS, you’ll remember that longing feeling that the opening few minutes of the video caused. The music would come on, Tinkerbell would wave her wand over Cinderella’s castle and the advert for Walt Disney World in Orlando would commence, leading you to dream listlessly of what it would be like to actually go.

I never made it to any form of Disney World or Land as a child – despite what I’m sure were endless hours of badgering my much maligned parents – and I’m sure I’m not alone in that fact. It is simply too expensive for many UK families.

So when I finally made it, in my 30s, to Orlando earlier this year, my expectations were high but tinged with the jaded attitude of a grown-up that my eight-year-old self would have abhorred.

Is it weird to go to Disney without kids? I considered it might be, but took solace in the fact that our three-year-old niece would be joining us the following day.

But as soon as I walked through the hallowed gates, it was apparent that I needn’t have worried. In the lines among the over-excited families were even more excited couples and groups of adults – all sans children.

There were couples sporting badges that announced they were on their honeymoon, celebrating a big birthday, recently engaged or first-timers. A group of women in their 40s were wearing hen sashes and the bride-to-be had Minnie ears complete with a veil perched on her head.

It seemed that even in the peak of the school holidays, this magical land was not only for the under 14s. In fact, so far in 2019, adults without kids have staggeringly accounted for over half of all visitors to Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Apparently, this hasn’t gone down well with militant mums. Just last month, a writer at the New York Post blasted millennials for travelling to Disney after it reported that a rant from a parent was doing the rounds on Facebook.

“People without children need to be banned!!!!!" the angry parent raged. "Mothers with children should be allowed to skip all the line!!!”

Millennials, of course, are blamed in the press for the growing trend of adults going to Disney – they are, after all, the more conspicuous scapegoat. Especially with the fad of ‘Disneybounding’. You’ll be forgiven for having never heard of this odd trend – it’s one that seems to be reserved for the more hardcore fans.

Adults are not allowed to wear costumes or masks to Disney World – to avoid confusing staff might, not to mention the security risks. So the grown-ups have come up with a fashion-forward way of channeling their favourite inner character.

They create costumes out of their everyday outfits inspired by a particular character – think a pale blue dress, white top and black hairband for Alice in Wonderland or white trousers, a purple waistcoat and a red fez for Aladdin. It’s a subtle way of expressing your passion and commitment to Disney without breaking the rules.

But they are not alone - adults from across the world are heading to Disney to find the ultimate escapism. David and Kathy Decker are Texans, grandparents and Disney veterans. They love Walt Disney World so much that they even have a time-share in Orlando to make visiting easier.

“There are plenty of advantages of doing Disney without the kids,” Kathy tells me. “There’s no crying or arguing over who wants to do what and why didn’t we get a fast pass for a certain ride. You can sleep in or stay up late guilt-free and your schedule is more flexible – not to mention you can choose what time of year you can go without having to stick to the school holidays.”

The Disney marketeers have been catering to adults for years – Epcot, for example, was specifically designed for adults – and seem to have ramped up their efforts recently. This is perhaps best exemplified by today's opening of the much anticipated new land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, which promises to draw yet more fans. Star Wars, after all, is unashamedly the realm of the big kids.

There are also hotels more tailored to adults, such as Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort, restaurants by celebrity chefs at Disney Springs including Rick Bayless at Frontera Cocina and Wolfgang Puck at the Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe, plenty of bars and adult-oriented special events.

In fact, there is one event that the Deckers attend every year without fail – and always without the grandkids – the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. After all, you don’t want to be looking after a pack of under 8s after a few glasses here.

“It’s just so much easier to get dining reservations, fast passes and seats on the bus, boats or monorail for two versus for 10,” Kathy says. “But without a doubt the most enjoyable thing about going to Disney without kids is no strollers.

“Don’t get me wrong, we enjoy going with the kids too – it is such a delight to see them experience things for the first time and enjoy other things over and over again as we do, but it’s also nice to just go and enjoy the things we like on our own – and I am in no way limited on the number of Mickey bars I can have!”

In the first five minutes of being in Magic Kingdom, I saw a man in his 70s dancing in the street to the parade and it seemed there wasn’t a child he knew in sight.

It seems that the ability to go to Disney kid-free is not just a nostalgic trip for the over 30s, or the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for the over 21s, but also a reward for grandparents who have earned their freedom after taking two generations to experience the magic.

So perhaps the parents should lay off the adults going to Disney without kids. After all, it might be them one day.

David Decker summed it up nicely. “I think if you’re Disney people, and love going, it’s a much less stressful experience. It also means that you can focus more selfishly on what you want to do versus the kids,” he tells me. “We have just always liked Disney because, for us, it’s one of the best escapes from reality and enables us to feel like kids again ourselves.”

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