I’m often told visiting Disney is just for kids, especially by the children in my class who have great joy in telling me the Mickey Mouse in my photos is just a person in a costume. But I beg to differ and here are my reasons why Disney is good even as an adult:
*Disclosure* This post may contain affiliate links. This means when you buy through the link, the Travel Fairies will receive a small commission at no extra cost to yourself.
Number 1: The rides. Whichever Disney park you go to, there are rides suitable for everyone. There are the gentle rides such as the carousels and film ride-throughs, or the more thrilling rides such as Rock’n’Rollercoaster or The Tower of Terror. The rides are also themed so well which all adds to the experience. Although it may not have as many rides as the big theme parks in the UK, I feel it’s still worth making the trip to any of the Disney parks just for the rides alone. The American parks do have more thrill rides than the others for the simple fact that they are larger however even in Paris there are plenty of great rides for adults!
If the rides alone are not enough to persuade you to go, then number 2: The atmosphere of the parks. Even as adults, Disney is magical and the cast members go out of the way to sprinkle a little extra pixie dust to make your holiday all the more memorable. I’m yet to meet a cast member who didn’t appear to be happy at work; from the cast members dancing along with the parades, or the ones waving their lightsabers to direct you to the exits at park closing hours, to the cast members operating the rides who smile and wave as you set off or the ones humming a tune as they sweep up litter.
There’s also all the magical theming of the parks; there’s nothing much more breathtaking than walking down Main Street and getting that first glimpse of the castle, whether it’s your first ever trip or the umpteenth time you’ve been. A lot of thought has gone into the Imagineering of the parks’ decor; whether that’s the oversized toys and footprints on the floor near the Toy Story rides or the theming of the hotels and even the toilets!
Food and drink is number 3. With a whole host of different lands and areas in the park, there is a wide variety of foods to try which cater for all tastes, dietary requirements and prices. There are also different dining plans to fit your needs, some of which are added on as extra perks throughout the year. Specifically for the adults, lots of restaurants and kiosks also serve alcohol around the different parks and you can often find specialty cocktails and mocktails to enjoy.
Number 4: Disney is also a surefire way to bring back childhood memories and make you feel like a kid again. Flashback to an early family holiday or to the endless Disney movie marathons you used to have at weekend sleepovers and relive those memories all over again. There is definitely a good mixture of older films and newer films at the parks so there’s something for people of all ages and tastes around the parks.
This includes reason number 5: the characters and meet and greets. Dotted throughout the parks, characters hold meet and greets, especially the Fab Five who have multiple locations where they meet guests. Although some meet and greets can be quite awkward, especially those with the face characters (those who aren’t wearing a mask), all the characters get into their roles and make each meeting extra special. It’s always a good idea to think about what you can say to each character before meeting them to make it less awkward, whether it’s getting them to show you how to stand for the best pose for a picture or mentioning something specific to them from their film. I’ve had some great photos taken of me and Buzz Lightyear doing the tango when I mentioned I knew all about his Spanish mode.
As well as photos at the meet and greets, there are plenty of other photo opportunities around the parks – which is reason number 6. The Disney Wall craze has really taken off in Florida and is slowly starting to make its way over to Paris as well. And if you don’t want to jump on that ship, there are so many other amazing and beautiful places to take photos of around the parks whether you want them for yourself or to boost your following on Instagram.
Number 7: The amazing parades and shows! Disney pulls out all the stops when it comes to the entertainment in the parks and it is definitely something you shouldn’t miss out on! With entertainment spread out throughout the day and across the parks, there’s always something to suit your time frame and your preference. From magical parades during the day, to under the sea musicals using puppets; from street dance parties to mesmerising screen shows; from an all singing, all dancing, all fire spinning, all circus skilling extravagance to the end of the evening firework spectacular, there’s really something for everyone and are always worth a second or third or a hundredth visit!
Finally, number 8 on our list is the seasonal events held at Disney throughout the year. There is often always something happening at Disney, especially during school holiday times and these events add an little extra magic to your visit. If you are able to, I would definitely recommend visiting Disney when there is an extra event on. Even though it can be slightly busier during these times, Disney does provide extra to make up for this. Although we didn’t go during the actual Christmas celebrations, we did visit when the decorations were still up. The park is just a sight to behold and that’s just from the enormous tree by the main entrance!
I’ve also visited during the Step into Spring event where there were extra parades and shows throughout the day including meet and greets that don’t happen all year round. The Star Wars Season of the Force was also a great time to visit, again with extra shows and meet and greets dotted throughout the park. The Star Wars nightime projection show on the Hollywood Tower of Terror alone makes Disneyland Paris well worth visiting at this time. Halloween is also another time where the park gets all dressed up with additional decorations and the park is magically transformed overnight. If it falls right for you, I’d definitely recommend trying to visit when there is a special event on, just for that extra Disney magic. Jess and I visited Disneyland Paris at the end of August last year for the Summer of Super-Heroes and will be heading to Disneyland California for the first time for Mickey’s not so scary Halloween so make sure you’re subscribed to see what we get up to!
There are so many great things about the Disney parks but I hope these 8 reasons have shown you there is more to Disney than just the bits for the kids. If you’re considering taking an adults only trip to Disney – I promise you won’t regret it! – you can book by clicking the following links.
To see all Disney World offers, click here.
To see all Disneyland Paris offers, click here.
To compare flights to Paris or Florida, (or anywhere else that has a Disney Park) check out Skyscanner here.
Pin it for later!
I agree that adults can have just as much fun in Disney! We used to travel at least once a year before we had our kids!