Why do Disney vacationers seem uniquely subjected to social vitriol?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster.
I was brought up to strive to be “cultured”, appreciate the arts and history. I was also told that sports and outdoors are good for you.
So, a European vacation or a hike to the nearest park, they are both good, productive ways to spend one’s time.
Pop culture was seen as something for the simple people. Yes we went to amusement parks but once we got past the teen stage it would’ve been weird if we still wanted to go.
There’s nothing there for the mind or body of anyone over 18 or so, not if you know what good food is (even if it’s homemade food or a taco from a food truck), or if you know anything about art or history.

Do you even hear yourself? What an insufferable snob. I would hate to know you in real life.

I don’t express my opinions about other people’s preferences in real life.
If you were a childless adult planing to go to Disney for the 10th time I’d say have fun.
I can understand people who were deprived of fun as kids and want to compensate now, but one visit should really satisfy the craving.

Luckily you aren’t the decider of that!

Oh I’d never want to be.
We all saw what happened to the simple and even not so simple people of the Soviet Union when they got exposed to the fun of the capitalist world haha.
No one should ever forbid the kids to visit Disney. Every kid should go, satisfy the need, and hopefully grow up and move on to more intellectual ways of having fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Disney Adults need to get a hobby,” or visiting Disney is a “red flag”, these are common refrains. Yet comparable judgments are rarely, if ever, leveled at enthusiasts of other vacations: no one derides someone for frequenting Vegas, summering at the beach, touring Europe annually, or relaxing in Hawaii.

Disney visitors aren’t imposing on anyone financially, socially, or logistically—they aren’t asking anyone to fund their trip, accompany them, or manage their home in their absence. So why does this particular leisure choice provoke such disproportionate judgment, moral superiority, and indignation?

Because Hawaii, Europe and Vegas are not intrinsically thought of/designed to be kid centric destinations.

In contrast when you’re stuck waiting with your toddler in a long line behind large groups of child free adults to ride dumbo or it’s a small world it’s honestly pretty off putting….akin to a group of adults monopolizing the swing set at a local city park.

I mean, make up your mind. Is it “kid-centric” or is it overcrowded with adults? Which is it?

Both things can be true…It’s a place that was designed to be kid centric which is now increasingly sullied by socially stunted adults.

Akin to when a group of teenagers decide to start hanging out at and effectively take over a playground intended for young kids. Not sure what is so difficult about this to understand.

This. OP, no offense, but this is an awfully stupid question.

It's like asking, "Why are adults who watch Bluey and SpongeBob SquarePants subject to societal derision? It's a TV show - adults who watch Succession, the Pitt and Industry aren't made fun of at all!"

I don't know what is more troubling - if you really don't know the answer, or if you are just pretending to be a flippin' moron.

+1. I asked a coworker where he was going on vacation and it was basically a Larp convention where they dress up in Lord of the Rings costumes.. i was nice about it but internally I found this pretty infantile. And I feel the same about Disney adults. I’m allowed to have private feelings.
And people definitely deride other people’s vacations! Some lady asked about mine (camping in Acadia) and her response was “Oh hell no. If I’m not being served tropical drinks it’s not a real vacation. That sounds terrible.” Well it was heavenly to me!

This is my BIL. Mental illness + extreme insecurity lead these people to dress up as wizards. It’s the only way they ever feel any power (even if that “power” is imaginary). It’s very pathetic. The Disney obsession is similar. Both are juvenile (which distinguishes it from other obsessions that people make their whole personality—marathons/biking, watching every film that comes out, fashion/beauty, baking, etc).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster.
I was brought up to strive to be “cultured”, appreciate the arts and history. I was also told that sports and outdoors are good for you.
So, a European vacation or a hike to the nearest park, they are both good, productive ways to spend one’s time.
Pop culture was seen as something for the simple people. Yes we went to amusement parks but once we got past the teen stage it would’ve been weird if we still wanted to go.
There’s nothing there for the mind or body of anyone over 18 or so, not if you know what good food is (even if it’s homemade food or a taco from a food truck), or if you know anything about art or history.

Do you even hear yourself? What an insufferable snob. I would hate to know you in real life.

I don’t express my opinions about other people’s preferences in real life.
If you were a childless adult planing to go to Disney for the 10th time I’d say have fun.
I can understand people who were deprived of fun as kids and want to compensate now, but one visit should really satisfy the craving.

Luckily you aren’t the decider of that!

Oh I’d never want to be.
We all saw what happened to the simple and even not so simple people of the Soviet Union when they got exposed to the fun of the capitalist world haha.
No one should ever forbid the kids to visit Disney. Every kid should go, satisfy the need, and hopefully grow up and move on to more intellectual ways of having fun!

Now you are just trolling. No one can actually be this oblivious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Disney Adults need to get a hobby,” or visiting Disney is a “red flag”, these are common refrains. Yet comparable judgments are rarely, if ever, leveled at enthusiasts of other vacations: no one derides someone for frequenting Vegas, summering at the beach, touring Europe annually, or relaxing in Hawaii.

Disney visitors aren’t imposing on anyone financially, socially, or logistically—they aren’t asking anyone to fund their trip, accompany them, or manage their home in their absence. So why does this particular leisure choice provoke such disproportionate judgment, moral superiority, and indignation?

Because Hawaii, Europe and Vegas are not intrinsically thought of/designed to be kid centric destinations.

In contrast when you’re stuck waiting with your toddler in a long line behind large groups of child free adults to ride dumbo or it’s a small world it’s honestly pretty off putting….akin to a group of adults monopolizing the swing set at a local city park.

I mean, make up your mind. Is it “kid-centric” or is it overcrowded with adults? Which is it?

Both things can be true…It’s a place that was designed to be kid centric which is now increasingly sullied by socially stunted adults.

Akin to when a group of teenagers decide to start hanging out at and effectively take over a playground intended for young kids. Not sure what is so difficult about this to understand.

This. OP, no offense, but this is an awfully stupid question.

It's like asking, "Why are adults who watch Bluey and SpongeBob SquarePants subject to societal derision? It's a TV show - adults who watch Succession, the Pitt and Industry aren't made fun of at all!"

I don't know what is more troubling - if you really don't know the answer, or if you are just pretending to be a flippin' moron.

+1. I asked a coworker where he was going on vacation and it was basically a Larp convention where they dress up in Lord of the Rings costumes.. i was nice about it but internally I found this pretty infantile. And I feel the same about Disney adults. I’m allowed to have private feelings.
And people definitely deride other people’s vacations! Some lady asked about mine (camping in Acadia) and her response was “Oh hell no. If I’m not being served tropical drinks it’s not a real vacation. That sounds terrible.” Well it was heavenly to me!

This is my BIL. Mental illness + extreme insecurity lead these people to dress up as wizards. It’s the only way they ever feel any power (even if that “power” is imaginary). It’s very pathetic. The Disney obsession is similar. Both are juvenile (which distinguishes it from other obsessions that people make their whole personality—marathons/biking, watching every film that comes out, fashion/beauty, baking, etc).

Any distinction between these and other obsessions is purely in your imagination.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:“Disney Adults need to get a hobby,” or visiting Disney is a “red flag”, these are common refrains. Yet comparable judgments are rarely, if ever, leveled at enthusiasts of other vacations: no one derides someone for frequenting Vegas, summering at the beach, touring Europe annually, or relaxing in Hawaii.

Disney visitors aren’t imposing on anyone financially, socially, or logistically—they aren’t asking anyone to fund their trip, accompany them, or manage their home in their absence. So why does this particular leisure choice provoke such disproportionate judgment, moral superiority, and indignation?

Because Hawaii, Europe and Vegas are not intrinsically thought of/designed to be kid centric destinations.

In contrast when you’re stuck waiting with your toddler in a long line behind large groups of child free adults to ride dumbo or it’s a small world it’s honestly pretty off putting….akin to a group of adults monopolizing the swing set at a local city park.

I mean, make up your mind. Is it “kid-centric” or is it overcrowded with adults? Which is it?

Both things can be true…It’s a place that was designed to be kid centric which is now increasingly sullied by socially stunted adults.

Akin to when a group of teenagers decide to start hanging out at and effectively take over a playground intended for young kids. Not sure what is so difficult about this to understand.

This. OP, no offense, but this is an awfully stupid question.

It's like asking, "Why are adults who watch Bluey and SpongeBob SquarePants subject to societal derision? It's a TV show - adults who watch Succession, the Pitt and Industry aren't made fun of at all!"

I don't know what is more troubling - if you really don't know the answer, or if you are just pretending to be a flippin' moron.

+1. I asked a coworker where he was going on vacation and it was basically a Larp convention where they dress up in Lord of the Rings costumes.. i was nice about it but internally I found this pretty infantile. And I feel the same about Disney adults. I’m allowed to have private feelings.
And people definitely deride other people’s vacations! Some lady asked about mine (camping in Acadia) and her response was “Oh hell no. If I’m not being served tropical drinks it’s not a real vacation. That sounds terrible.” Well it was heavenly to me!

This is my BIL. Mental illness + extreme insecurity lead these people to dress up as wizards. It’s the only way they ever feel any power (even if that “power” is imaginary). It’s very pathetic. The Disney obsession is similar. Both are juvenile (which distinguishes it from other obsessions that people make their whole personality—marathons/biking, watching every film that comes out, fashion/beauty, baking, etc).

My friend from Orlando, her mom came into a little bit of money from inheritance (like 30k) and blew all of it at Disney. But she absolutely needed that money elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:New poster.
I was brought up to strive to be “cultured”, appreciate the arts and history. I was also told that sports and outdoors are good for you.
So, a European vacation or a hike to the nearest park, they are both good, productive ways to spend one’s time.
Pop culture was seen as something for the simple people. Yes we went to amusement parks but once we got past the teen stage it would’ve been weird if we still wanted to go.
There’s nothing there for the mind or body of anyone over 18 or so, not if you know what good food is (even if it’s homemade food or a taco from a food truck), or if you know anything about art or history.

Do you even hear yourself? What an insufferable snob. I would hate to know you in real life.

I don’t express my opinions about other people’s preferences in real life.
If you were a childless adult planing to go to Disney for the 10th time I’d say have fun.
I can understand people who were deprived of fun as kids and want to compensate now, but one visit should really satisfy the craving.

Luckily you aren’t the decider of that!

Oh I’d never want to be.
We all saw what happened to the simple and even not so simple people of the Soviet Union when they got exposed to the fun of the capitalist world haha.
No one should ever forbid the kids to visit Disney. Every kid should go, satisfy the need, and hopefully grow up and move on to more intellectual ways of having fun!

“More intellectual ways of having fun”…

LOVE THAT LINE. Like hanging out on a beach or a ski slope is so intellectually engaging.

I hope you’re joking, PP. Otherwise, it must be so exhausting looking down on others all day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of guests are childless adults, 63%! Supposedly this is a millennial trend. I’m fascinated. There must be some people on this board in this category.

Please tell! Why? What’s the attraction?

I’m the poster who goes annually but doesn’t dress up. It’s fun! I like the rides, the atmosphere, the holiday decorations, the shows. It’s that simple. You don’t need to understand. Just like I don’t need to understand why people like sleeping in tents, tying food into trees and hiking with bear spray.

How long do you stay? Do you go through all the planning to get on the good rides? Do you go with a friend or spouse?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reason people (here) hate it is because it is a cross section of the US population. They are forced to see outside their bubble and acknowledge that yes there are fat Walmart moms among us as well us unrefined slobs wearing shirts and people who yell at their kids. And adults who like rollercoasters and dole whips and parents who make vacation all about the kids. If you can’t unwind and enjoy for a couple of days then keep taking your kids to boring history museums around the world, we’re having way more fun at Disney.

What this post reminds me of is that I don't think any rollercoaster is worth waiting more than 15 minutes for. I have read about the rise of bookable rides, special passes, and all the rest of the revenue extraction mechanisms. I think there is a very poor value for money at Disney on busy days. I remember as a kid deciding that Space Mountain wasn't worth 90 minutes of wait. I eventually got to try it years later and it was a dull experience. I do not like crowds and wasted time. And Dole Whip IS an inferior dessert.

lol ok so basically no fun at all.

PP. How about too smart to overpay for a mediocre experience?

Have you ever been to one of these parks on a low attendance day when you can walk on to rides? That is awesome. Re: rollercoasters specifically, Cedar Point is a good example. In the summer you can wait 2 hours in a line, surrounded by morons who smell like weed, to take one 3 minute ride. Or, on a grey evening in early fall, you can throw on a sweatshirt and ride 10 times. If you actually like roller coasters, which is more fun?

Disney overcharges now. They keep perfecting revenue extraction. When I was a kid, a character "experience" was randomly encountering a costumed worker serendipitous strolling the park. Now it's a paid bookable thing that costs extra. Is it really different to the little kid after? They got a hug and a photo. But the parents now might be $400 poorer.

This is not about pure fun. It's about the fun value per $ ratio.

Here's a Europe example. Going up in the Eiffel Tower costs money and takes a lot of time. And honestly is not that interesting if you don't understand what the tiny ground-level features are that you are looking at. Seeing the Eiffel Tower do its sparkle show at night from across the river is a fun, free, and quick way to "see" the Eiffel Tower.

I just went to LA at Christmas and I wanted to take my kids to a park, but I skipped it because the crowd estimates indicated that we might only be able to do a handful of rides in exchange for $100+ tickets. And the weather was predicted to be dicey. Universal Studios no longer allows just a studio tour. The price is dramatically inflated because they've added just a few rollercoasters and experience areas. They literally have made things a worse value since I went as a kid. And a lot of the features are from old movies that my kids can't even relate to.

I’ve had some amazing days at Disney. But sure, if you want to mosey into a park at 11 am with no plan or strategy on a school holiday, you’re going to a pay a premium for a miserable time.

Everything is crowded now. Too many people are always trying to do the same things. If it was dead it would probably be because it's run down and nobody wants to go there.

There's a great NY Time article about Disney which juxtaposes the experience of a wealthy man paying whatever to take his daughter through and a working class family that scrimps and saves to make it happen. TLDR is the wealthy dad and daughter have an amazing great trip, see everything and do everything they want while the working class family really struggles and misses out on a lot.

I did not take my kids when they were little, although I went as a little kid and didn't really care for it. Many families around us went and I never judged them for it, it's just not my cup of tea.

That article was weird. The blue collar family was staying for well over a week, missed out on the lightning lane windows, waited in line longer, etc. They could have stayed on property for fewer days, booked the LL 7 days out and done it all spending about the same amount of money in a shorter stay.

Why should you need a degree in Disney just to visit?

Feels like shopping at Safeway where you need to go through the weekly specials, then the digital coupons, then the just4u specials then the online shopping specials then the manufacturer coupons. Or you could just go to Aldi.

In travel terms, just go to a state or national park or a museum.

You wouldn't dare show up to Paris without figuring out how to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles, or any other main attractions first. This is how life is now. Everything is crowded, plan ahead.

Got to a national park? Hope you got your tickets as soon as the window opened. Maybe it as 30 days in advance, maybe it was a year in advance. It all takes planning and coordination. You can't just roll up with your camper to Yosemite on a whim.

I travel.for work with occasional down days and I've had trips where I took the train to places like Florence, Leiden or Ghent and just wandered around and had a great time. You can actually vacation without being constantly on your phone like Disney demands.

With 3 small kids? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Disney is a family trip. Traveling with a family requires planning. You can't just wander around, sit in a cafe and smoke and read a book pretending to be chic with kids in tow.

Literally did Leiden on impulse with 3 kids (including my nephews) and it went fine. We went to the Hortus Botanicus and the fort and got Stroopwaffles at the market.

People way exaggerate the difficulty of Disney planning. Obviously you had to get transport to Leiden, Google attractions, where to eat, and how to get around. For Disney once you read, um, one paragraph on lightning lanes you are good to go. The difference is actually that Disney has *so much* to do that most people do want to do additional research to decide what to do when.

Basically if you want to ride the major rides you either have to shell out or massively time everything. Otherwise riding the popular rides is over an hour in line.

Jenny Nichols digs into this in that massive Star Wars hotel video (she, like me, is a former employee). The frustration of taking things that were free and putting them behind payrolls and making it harder to go to the parks.

So going to Leiden with my family didn't actually require googling because I was with family who k own the area. But even with a current Disney employee who knows the parks well, you have to watch apps dor ride times and when you can get on rides. It's messy and much more phone dependent than a standard outing.

You chose a city with fewer attractions so it was easier to navigate. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. The point about the Disney top rides is that they are the top rides in the world - Guardians of the Galaxy is a $1 billion dollar marvel of engineering and entertainment. So yes it is worth doing the (tiny) amount of planning - likely no different than going to the Eiffel Tower - to ride it. There are like 2 rides at Disney that require that level of planning (Guardians and Slinky) and if you like rides the effort is 100% worth it. You’re comparing apples and oranges and declaring oranges superior. There is zero comparison between Guardians of the Galaxy and having a cookie in a suburban Dutch town.

NP. I vote for the cookie in Leiden any day.

Borrrring

If you've never had a fresh stroopwaffle, you're missing out. A dole whip doesn't come close.

Sure keep telling yourself that your kids really had SO MUCH FUN eating a fresh stroopwaffle in Leiden - they would definitely not have enjoyed Disneyworld at all. Maybe the history of stroopwaffle will become their area of special interest for their college applications in 10 years. Good to think ahead.

This is so deranged.

Also, I have taken my kid to Disney. He's had dole whip. Again, I used to work at the Magic Kingdom. The cult attitude toward basic Disney stuff like soft serve and hot dogs is so bizarre.

To be clear my comment was not about dole whip in isolation. It was about fooling yourself into thinking your kids would rather have a local cookie in a suburban Dutch city than go to Disneyworld.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disney adults have main character syndrome. They act inappropriately in the parks with performative crying during character greets, trying to get attention, demanding special pixie dusting from cast members. They pretend that the characters and stories are real, which is what 4 year olds do, but adults should know it’s not real. It’s a weird form of escapism from the adult world. And now Disney has leaned into catering to this population. They aren’t going to the rides and attractions that normally were popular with adults at Disney world and are crowding the kid rides and activities.

You wouldn’t know any of this if you don’t follow them on social media making you part of the problem. I don’t use social media (except DCUM) and have no idea what you are even talking about.

All you had to do was go to Disney world to see it. Hugging and crying and jumping up and down when Minnie Mouse appears isn’t normal.

These people also shove past kids, push them out of the way, and stand in front of them during fireworks. That’s why I don’t feel bad when dads put kids on their shoulders and block the views of people who do this crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The reason people (here) hate it is because it is a cross section of the US population. They are forced to see outside their bubble and acknowledge that yes there are fat Walmart moms among us as well us unrefined slobs wearing shirts and people who yell at their kids. And adults who like rollercoasters and dole whips and parents who make vacation all about the kids. If you can’t unwind and enjoy for a couple of days then keep taking your kids to boring history museums around the world, we’re having way more fun at Disney.

What this post reminds me of is that I don't think any rollercoaster is worth waiting more than 15 minutes for. I have read about the rise of bookable rides, special passes, and all the rest of the revenue extraction mechanisms. I think there is a very poor value for money at Disney on busy days. I remember as a kid deciding that Space Mountain wasn't worth 90 minutes of wait. I eventually got to try it years later and it was a dull experience. I do not like crowds and wasted time. And Dole Whip IS an inferior dessert.

lol ok so basically no fun at all.

PP. How about too smart to overpay for a mediocre experience?

Have you ever been to one of these parks on a low attendance day when you can walk on to rides? That is awesome. Re: rollercoasters specifically, Cedar Point is a good example. In the summer you can wait 2 hours in a line, surrounded by morons who smell like weed, to take one 3 minute ride. Or, on a grey evening in early fall, you can throw on a sweatshirt and ride 10 times. If you actually like roller coasters, which is more fun?

Disney overcharges now. They keep perfecting revenue extraction. When I was a kid, a character "experience" was randomly encountering a costumed worker serendipitous strolling the park. Now it's a paid bookable thing that costs extra. Is it really different to the little kid after? They got a hug and a photo. But the parents now might be $400 poorer.

This is not about pure fun. It's about the fun value per $ ratio.

Here's a Europe example. Going up in the Eiffel Tower costs money and takes a lot of time. And honestly is not that interesting if you don't understand what the tiny ground-level features are that you are looking at. Seeing the Eiffel Tower do its sparkle show at night from across the river is a fun, free, and quick way to "see" the Eiffel Tower.

I just went to LA at Christmas and I wanted to take my kids to a park, but I skipped it because the crowd estimates indicated that we might only be able to do a handful of rides in exchange for $100+ tickets. And the weather was predicted to be dicey. Universal Studios no longer allows just a studio tour. The price is dramatically inflated because they've added just a few rollercoasters and experience areas. They literally have made things a worse value since I went as a kid. And a lot of the features are from old movies that my kids can't even relate to.

I’ve had some amazing days at Disney. But sure, if you want to mosey into a park at 11 am with no plan or strategy on a school holiday, you’re going to a pay a premium for a miserable time.

Everything is crowded now. Too many people are always trying to do the same things. If it was dead it would probably be because it's run down and nobody wants to go there.

There's a great NY Time article about Disney which juxtaposes the experience of a wealthy man paying whatever to take his daughter through and a working class family that scrimps and saves to make it happen. TLDR is the wealthy dad and daughter have an amazing great trip, see everything and do everything they want while the working class family really struggles and misses out on a lot.

I did not take my kids when they were little, although I went as a little kid and didn't really care for it. Many families around us went and I never judged them for it, it's just not my cup of tea.

That article was weird. The blue collar family was staying for well over a week, missed out on the lightning lane windows, waited in line longer, etc. They could have stayed on property for fewer days, booked the LL 7 days out and done it all spending about the same amount of money in a shorter stay.

Why should you need a degree in Disney just to visit?

Feels like shopping at Safeway where you need to go through the weekly specials, then the digital coupons, then the just4u specials then the online shopping specials then the manufacturer coupons. Or you could just go to Aldi.

In travel terms, just go to a state or national park or a museum.

You wouldn't dare show up to Paris without figuring out how to visit the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre, Versailles, or any other main attractions first. This is how life is now. Everything is crowded, plan ahead.

Got to a national park? Hope you got your tickets as soon as the window opened. Maybe it as 30 days in advance, maybe it was a year in advance. It all takes planning and coordination. You can't just roll up with your camper to Yosemite on a whim.

I travel.for work with occasional down days and I've had trips where I took the train to places like Florence, Leiden or Ghent and just wandered around and had a great time. You can actually vacation without being constantly on your phone like Disney demands.

With 3 small kids? Sounds like a recipe for disaster. Disney is a family trip. Traveling with a family requires planning. You can't just wander around, sit in a cafe and smoke and read a book pretending to be chic with kids in tow.

Literally did Leiden on impulse with 3 kids (including my nephews) and it went fine. We went to the Hortus Botanicus and the fort and got Stroopwaffles at the market.

People way exaggerate the difficulty of Disney planning. Obviously you had to get transport to Leiden, Google attractions, where to eat, and how to get around. For Disney once you read, um, one paragraph on lightning lanes you are good to go. The difference is actually that Disney has *so much* to do that most people do want to do additional research to decide what to do when.

Basically if you want to ride the major rides you either have to shell out or massively time everything. Otherwise riding the popular rides is over an hour in line.

Jenny Nichols digs into this in that massive Star Wars hotel video (she, like me, is a former employee). The frustration of taking things that were free and putting them behind payrolls and making it harder to go to the parks.

So going to Leiden with my family didn't actually require googling because I was with family who k own the area. But even with a current Disney employee who knows the parks well, you have to watch apps dor ride times and when you can get on rides. It's messy and much more phone dependent than a standard outing.

You chose a city with fewer attractions so it was easier to navigate. Doesn’t take a genius to figure that out. The point about the Disney top rides is that they are the top rides in the world - Guardians of the Galaxy is a $1 billion dollar marvel of engineering and entertainment. So yes it is worth doing the (tiny) amount of planning - likely no different than going to the Eiffel Tower - to ride it. There are like 2 rides at Disney that require that level of planning (Guardians and Slinky) and if you like rides the effort is 100% worth it. You’re comparing apples and oranges and declaring oranges superior. There is zero comparison between Guardians of the Galaxy and having a cookie in a suburban Dutch town.

NP. I vote for the cookie in Leiden any day.

Borrrring

If you've never had a fresh stroopwaffle, you're missing out. A dole whip doesn't come close.

Sure keep telling yourself that your kids really had SO MUCH FUN eating a fresh stroopwaffle in Leiden - they would definitely not have enjoyed Disneyworld at all. Maybe the history of stroopwaffle will become their area of special interest for their college applications in 10 years. Good to think ahead.

This is so deranged.

Also, I have taken my kid to Disney. He's had dole whip. Again, I used to work at the Magic Kingdom. The cult attitude toward basic Disney stuff like soft serve and hot dogs is so bizarre.

To be clear my comment was not about dole whip in isolation. It was about fooling yourself into thinking your kids would rather have a local cookie in a suburban Dutch city than go to Disneyworld.

I mean, literally yes? Because my kid wants to visit his cousins. My kid hasn't asked to go back to Disney.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The majority of guests are childless adults, 63%! Supposedly this is a millennial trend. I’m fascinated. There must be some people on this board in this category.

Please tell! Why? What’s the attraction?

I’m the poster who goes annually but doesn’t dress up. It’s fun! I like the rides, the atmosphere, the holiday decorations, the shows. It’s that simple. You don’t need to understand. Just like I don’t need to understand why people like sleeping in tents, tying food into trees and hiking with bear spray.

How long do you stay? Do you go through all the planning to get on the good rides? Do you go with a friend or spouse?

Between 4-7 days depending on a lot of factors and scheduling. I buy lightning lanes as needed but it doesn’t amount to “all the planning” since we know what we are doing and also don’t care if we miss a certain ride or show. We’ll be back. And yes I go with my nuclear family (DH and two teens.)

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:New poster.
I was brought up to strive to be “cultured”, appreciate the arts and history. I was also told that sports and outdoors are good for you.
So, a European vacation or a hike to the nearest park, they are both good, productive ways to spend one’s time.
Pop culture was seen as something for the simple people. Yes we went to amusement parks but once we got past the teen stage it would’ve been weird if we still wanted to go.
There’s nothing there for the mind or body of anyone over 18 or so, not if you know what good food is (even if it’s homemade food or a taco from a food truck), or if you know anything about art or history.

Do you even hear yourself? What an insufferable snob. I would hate to know you in real life.

I don’t express my opinions about other people’s preferences in real life.
If you were a childless adult planing to go to Disney for the 10th time I’d say have fun.
I can understand people who were deprived of fun as kids and want to compensate now, but one visit should really satisfy the craving.

Luckily you aren’t the decider of that!

Oh I’d never want to be.
We all saw what happened to the simple and even not so simple people of the Soviet Union when they got exposed to the fun of the capitalist world haha.
No one should ever forbid the kids to visit Disney. Every kid should go, satisfy the need, and hopefully grow up and move on to more intellectual ways of having fun!

“More intellectual ways of having fun”…

LOVE THAT LINE. Like hanging out on a beach or a ski slope is so intellectually engaging.

I hope you’re joking, PP. Otherwise, it must be so exhausting looking down on others all day.

Intellectual ways like causing an avalanche due to your own stupid decision making? I wonder if that’s what the PP had in mind.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Disney adults have main character syndrome. They act inappropriately in the parks with performative crying during character greets, trying to get attention, demanding special pixie dusting from cast members. They pretend that the characters and stories are real, which is what 4 year olds do, but adults should know it’s not real. It’s a weird form of escapism from the adult world. And now Disney has leaned into catering to this population. They aren’t going to the rides and attractions that normally were popular with adults at Disney world and are crowding the kid rides and activities.

You wouldn’t know any of this if you don’t follow them on social media making you part of the problem. I don’t use social media (except DCUM) and have no idea what you are even talking about.

All you had to do was go to Disney world to see it. Hugging and crying and jumping up and down when Minnie Mouse appears isn’t normal.

These people also shove past kids, push them out of the way, and stand in front of them during fireworks. That’s why I don’t feel bad when dads put kids on their shoulders and block the views of people who do this crap.

Former Disney employee and the number of fights caused by people who ran over or hit kids with scooters. I can't blame the parents for being upset.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Disney adults have main character syndrome. They act inappropriately in the parks with performative crying during character greets, trying to get attention, demanding special pixie dusting from cast members. They pretend that the characters and stories are real, which is what 4 year olds do, but adults should know it’s not real. It’s a weird form of escapism from the adult world. And now Disney has leaned into catering to this population. They aren’t going to the rides and attractions that normally were popular with adults at Disney world and are crowding the kid rides and activities.

You wouldn’t know any of this if you don’t follow them on social media making you part of the problem. I don’t use social media (except DCUM) and have no idea what you are even talking about.

All you had to do was go to Disney world to see it. Hugging and crying and jumping up and down when Minnie Mouse appears isn’t normal.

These people also shove past kids, push them out of the way, and stand in front of them during fireworks. That’s why I don’t feel bad when dads put kids on their shoulders and block the views of people who do this crap.

Pushing and shoving is wrong at any age. But kids don’t “own” Disney, much to your obvious dismay.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:I think if you took away all their photos and social media the luster would be gone for them. They seem to want to be this way for online bragging rights?

It would be an amazing social experiment to black box anyone having an experience. You get to have the experience, but no recording. Still happy?

+1

I think this is a huge part of it. Camera phones + SM have changed a lot of things, and Disney parks are a flashpoint.

And to be fair it's not just Disney. I'm the poster who's been to the Netherlands a lot for work and family and the number of people who go into Mauritshuis just to get in a line to take a picture with Girl with a Pearl Earring and then leave is pretty sad. I'm not sure they even look at the painting.

I also think Disney is trading in nostalgia from being better when people were kids, so they get the warm fuzzies. I remember just how amazing that puppet parade they had at EPCOT was. So they're trading off nostalgia for adults while not actually building those fundamental experiences with today's kids.

What are these puppets you keep talking about?