As a 21-year-old who is obsessed with Disney, I've had my run-ins with older people who think I'm immature. They tell me that Disney and animated movies are for children and that I am an adult and need to grow up. Well as an obsessed Disney fan I can tell them with complete respect to shove it.
First off, let's get one thing straight. Not all Disney movies are animated and not all Disney movies have princesses in them. Ever heard of "Old Yeller," "The Parent Trap," "Mary Poppins" or "Hocus Pocus?" Congratulations. You've seen non-animated Disney movies. Not all Disney movies have singing animals and princesses trying to find true love. "The Pirates of the Caribbean" series? Disney. Most people have seen or heard of them. They're not anything close to "Snow White" or "Sleeping Beauty."
When it comes down to it many Disney movies have adult themes that kids don't understand to begin with. The children watch them because of the fun characters and bright colors. However, when you really sit down and think about it, what are some of the underlying messages that Disney movies have? In "Enchanted" we learn to not settle for what we think we want, but rather going out and experiencing life, because what we think we want could be completely different than what we need.
In "Beauty and the Beast" we learn that appearances aren't everything and to *cliche quote* not judge a book by it's cover. "Pinocchio?" Always tell the truth. Which some adults still have a difficult time doing. "Alice in Wonderland," sometimes we need to use our imaginations to get away from reality. Just to name a few.
Also, Disney movies are not original. They come from more gruesome back stories. Ever heard of the Grimms' Brothers or Hans Christian Anderson? Yeah. Disney does not think of most of this stuff on their own. And let me tell you, the originals are not exactly PG either. In "Cinderella" the stepsisters cut off part of their feet to try and fit into the shoes. When their plan was found out all of Cinderellas birds came down and pecked their eyes out and made them blind. Yeah, not so pretty.
In "The Little Mermaid" rather than simply being turned into a human the sea witch created a stipulation. Whenever the girl walked she would feel immense pain like she was walking on knives and in that version she didn't even end up with the prince. Disney tends to "Disney-fy" things and make them more children suitable.
There's also the idea of dressing up as Disney characters, which I love to do. Sure, children can do it, but what the kids really want are their favorite princesses or heroes to walk up to them and give them a hug. Adults dress up for kids to make their childhood better. To make their heroes come to life. It doesn't mean they're immature and waste their time pretending to be someone else. It means they enjoy making children smile.
Disney is not just for kids and I will stand by this statement until the day I die.
