A Disney adult is an adult who is a devout fan of The Walt Disney Company.[1][2] Common hobbies of Disney adults includes visiting Disney theme parks, collecting Disney merchandise, cosplaying as Disney characters, and consuming content on the Disney+ streaming service.[2]
Buzzfeed News described Disney adults as a "polarizing fandom" that receives scrutiny and ridicule from others.[1]
Practices associated with the phenomenon, such as Disney weddings, date back decades to the 1990s.[3] Disney World marketing in 1996 included an advert aimed at adults, promising "A World of Magic Without the Kids!"[4]
Amanda Brennan, former head of editorial at Tumblr, identifies that website as the origin of the Disney adult fandom, specifically the practice of "Disneybounding", a type of informal cosplay where adult visitors dress in the color palette of their favorite Disney character. She sees the millennial generation as having more "freedom to follow their own obsessions" and it being more socially acceptable for them to have juvenile interests.[3]
In 2019 a Facebook post went viral in which a parent complained about childless millennial couples obstructing her family's experience at Disney World.[3]
A January 2024 survey of self-identified Disney adults found that 71% were aged between 25 and 44, and 80% were female. 91% expected to remain a "Disney adult" for the rest of their lives.[4]
