Many people grow up loving and living for all things Disney. From movies to characters , their childhood was completely engulfed by magic and wonder associated with Disney. And, for many people, Disney World is the one place they feel happy, accepted, and even magical.
While some associated Disney World with young children, many adults happen to be avid Disney World visitors and enjoy the theme parks just as much as kids .
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Despite the pandemic and Covid-19, the numbers of Disney visitors continue to be high.
According to Disney World Statistics , 21,170,000 people visited Magic Kingdom in 2021. And, this is up from 20,859,000 in 2018 and 20,960,000 in 2019—so, the pandemic hasn’t really stopped people from going.
Many families go together on vacations.
Many families go on vacations to take their children to see Disney World and their favorite Disney characters. However, not all families go with children. Some adults go to see the magic for themselves so they can relive their childhood.
Recently, one TikTok user opened up the floor for a debate on adults visiting Disney.
Sarah Rachul shared a video on TikTok about a recent trip she had taken to Disney World that didn’t sit right with some users on the social media app. In the video, Sarah shared she had gone to Disney World for the first time in three years—since the pandemic had started.
The video showcased Sarah hugging Goofy.
In the video, Sarah wrote : “When you see Goofy coming around the corner after you’ve waited 3 years to hug him again.” The video showed how excited Sarah was when she finally saw Goofy.
The video meant a lot to Sarah, she said, because of Goofy himself.
Sarah shared in the comments that Goofy was actually her father’s favorite Disney character. And, being able to see Goofy made her feel close to her dad, who had passed away at that point.
However, many people online felt like it was weird.
Many people on TikTok were making comments about adults and Disney characters, saying that it was “weird” for adults to be this excited about Disney characters. They also mentioned that many people forget that that’s also an adult inside the costume.
Many people started to comment on “Disney adults”.
Some TikTok users felt that a lot of Disney adults always act a little too extra when they go to Disney World—making others feel “uncomfortable.” Obviously, though, this isn’t true for everyone.
There were those on TikTok who resonated with Sarah, though.
Many other adults on TikTok said that they can relate to Sarah, because Disney is a place where many people feel seen, comforted, and safe. Especially for people who had traumatic childhoods, Disney might have provided an escape.
One TikTok user said it was “rude” to be so aggressive.
“YALL make it weird by judging people she literally mentioned it in her caption but y’all go ahead and post it like “ew Disney adults are a menace to society someone do something about them” just leave people alone if they aren’t harming anyone or anything Jesus Christ,” one person said.
Others said that adults were once kids.
“Some of y’all don’t understand that some adults were children that found peace and comfort in Disney and still do. let people enjoy things,” one user on TikTok shared with people on the video.
And, even a Disney performer chimed in.
One person who works as a Disney character performer said that people like Sarah are the reason that they love working at Disney World. Sometimes, it’s the little things like this that end up making their job better.
