I've heard the question time and time again, "Aren't you a little old to go to Disney World?" It doesn't thwart me anymore, not like it used to. Instead, I smile and shake my head, because it's clear to me that they are missing out on something greater than any of us.
Walt Disney World/Land/Etc are more than just places to those who love them most. They're a feeling, a sense of home, and for some, including myself, a former place of employment. Going to Disney for people like me is not just an ordinary vacation, it's more like returning to a second home, a place where anything can happen and things are always changing. When the world gets to be too much, Disney is a place for escaping reality. When things seem impossible, Disney is there to tell us that nothing, and I mean nothing, is impossible if you just have faith, trust, and pixie dust.
Going to Disney when you're a little kid is supposed to be the most magical time of all, because who loves meeting characters, going on rides, and skipping down Main Street USA more than a five-year-old? This assumption is far from true, however, if you talk to anybody who is a self-declared Disney Addict. There are many reasons why going to Disney world is just as fun, if not more fun, when you're an adult as it is when you're a child.
1) You get to go on ALL of the rides!
When you're a child, there are those rides that you dream about going on, but can't because you're too short to ride. Or perhaps, Tower of Terror just scares you so much that you can't bring yourself to ride it the first few trips you make. However, when you're an adult, you can ride whatever you want without fear of not being tall enough, and you've ridden rides that used to scare you so many times that you can recite the pre-show by memory.
2) You can stay awake until park closing without a meltdown.
All too often, parents force their children to stay up until park close with no naps, little food, and the pressure of getting their money's worth. When you're an adult, you can decide how late you want to stay. Take a break in the middle of the day? Sure! Do all four parks in one day? Go for it! One of the best things about closing down a park is being one of the last guests left, which means low wait times, less stress, and a heavy sense of accomplishment.
3) You can apply for the Disney College Program, or work for Disney in some other aspect.
When you're a child, working for Disney seems like a dream. When you get the opportunity to, you realize that it actually is! During my college program I made the best memories of my life and met the most incredible people who have changed my life forever. Working for Disney truly makes you realize how important of a place it is for so many people, and that visiting as a Cast Member is just as magical as it was before...if not more so! You'll leave your program wanting to stay, and try as you might, coming back to the Orlando area is a hard thing to pass up. Just ask me, I'm moving back this September!
4) Disney has a wide variety of adult drinks to try.
I was incredibly lucky to celebrate my 21st birthday on my college program last December. Being 21 while at Disney gave me so many new things to try that I had not been able to before. Drinking around the world? Check! Wine in the Beast's Castle? Done! Disney has some of the best adult drinks available, and it's definitely worth it to try as many as you can. Drinking at Disney ought to be its own sport, as there are so many options and places to experience, and who could say no to alcohol in a pineapple?
5) You'll remember every. single. detail.
When you're young, you grow up and slowly forget much of the things you experienced, and as amazing as Disney is, you'll soon forget details that you wish you could have back. When you're an adult, you can record memories by camera, phone, or social media, and with a more advanced memory, you'll have those experiences in your head for years and years to come.
6) You have an emotional connection far greater than that of a child.
As an adult, you'll truly understand the purpose of Disney. Besides being a theme park made for the purposes of fun, Disney starts becoming a feeling. You believe in magic because you've seen it in action. And when you become so emotionally attached to a place like Disney, there's no turning back. You crave that feeling of stepping into a world unlike any other, and you find yourself counting down the days until your next trip "home." Disney, to me, is like stepping into a story and becoming a part of the script. You feel completely immersed in a place unlike anything else, and if a tear or two are shed, there are thousands of other people doing the same thing when they see Cinderella's Castle for the first time. You take Disney for more than face-value: to you, it is more than just a place to go on vacation.
So the next time someone asks you why you're going to Disney again, or questions the fact that you're twenty-two and in line to meet Princess Ariel, just smile and shake your head, because you'll know they're the ones with the problem, not you.
