Weren’t we talking something about this the other day???
Oh I see that it was the Reddit thing that led to the Twitter comment that I think was discussed somewhere I hang out if not here specifically.
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I just hopped on here to see if someone had shared this yet! As a religion professor, I have to admit after reading this I realized I’ve been spending my time researching the wrong things. Imagine how many more Disney trips I could take if it were for “research purposes.” Could I get grants, institutional travel funding??!! LOL
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My son just texted me this. WDW is definitely not a “pilgrimage” to me.
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Shift that research focus, friend.
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I do admit to being a “Disney crazy” but I also think a lot of the Disney Adult hate comes from people that think “Disney is for kids” only. I understand you think I should step aside because I am not a kid.
Edited to clarify my response “I understand you….” is to everyone that thinks adults should not be in the parks without children. (Maybe Epcot is allowed?)
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Not specifically “me”, right? The general “you”?
Maybe- that is just not why I go. I go only for fun and a break. We all have our own reasons and none of those reason are wrong.
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A Tweet I read asserts the song and mantra “Answer the Call” as proof …
Actually typo- they- actually not a typo- it is my response to those that think Disney is only for kids.
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Correct.
I won’t say that I view every trip as a pilgrimage, per se, but I will say that being there is something of a spiritual experience for me and, at times, 100% about trying to find purpose and meaning. Escaping this really insane world is part of that because what the world outside of the bubble offers many times leaves me scratching my head. There must be more to this life than what the outside world offers, and I tend to find that Disney refocuses me to what that is - family, friends, fun, kindness, magic, and maintaining a childlike wonder of all the world offers. I definitely feel re-set and re-focused after a trip.
And there’s really so far only one other place that gives me that same focus and relief, and that’s the NH seacoast.
Organized religion, these days with all the issues therein, doesn’t offer that to me anymore. I am deeply spiritual, but I am not religious. And I seek out the places that help me connect with that spirituality. Disney is a big one for me.
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Could it be considered more of an obsession than a religion? but obsession seems too strong a word too. And for those that get mad at adult-w/o-children park guests, I say, “Get over yourself!”. When I lived in Mpls we had season tickets to the Children’s Theater (that place was amazing) and I was always surprised at how many ppl were there w/o children; it never bothered me, I thought they just had a great sense of self and understood how phenomenal the theater group was … or maybe they were just proud relatives of the actors??? nah, the shows were just that good
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I guess ultimately my attitude is - if I’m not hurting anyone else by my love for this product/vacation destination/obsession/religion/whatever you want to call it, nor asking anyone to fund my participation in it, why do haters so strongly and vehemently GAF ??
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I have overhead negative comments, while in the parks, about/against adult’s w/o kids ruining the parks. I ignore them, of course, because money is money and Disney wants all the money. Little kids have NO money, so I think adult guests are safe 
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Does owning a lightsaber count?
I say it depends on the color. Red/purple, yes; blue/green no.
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Given that some places have been named and are referred to as “sacred spaces” by some on here, I don’t think it’s that far off.
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Ha! Some of us can say many things. I always have an issue with over generalizations of any group.
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My son’s response se this morning: “Little do they know Disney is neither “for” kids nor “for” adults, it is for printing money forever”.
I think he needs to get back to CC to get his mind right 
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Human nature? it’s been like that for hundreds of years. I’m just glad we’ve moved a modicum of space away from “you need to die if you don’t believe in the same thing I do.” (well, for most people anyway).
if CC is short for “Credit Card”… I think he did 
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While we’re currently in the going to Disney with our kids phase, DW and I went many times as a couple pre kids. We both enjoyed going to Disney as kids, but hadn’t gone in years and when we were trying to figure out what to do for our honeymoon, we thought we’d try Disney because we both like amusement parks, and we thought doing something like that would be fun. (Side note - best piece of Disney Magic ever, we booked a standard room at Grand Floridian, and they upgraded us to a castle view. I’ll never forget watching wishes from our balcony that week).
It was that trip where we realized that there was so much to do at Disney as adults - the food, Epcot, etc. We ended up going back a number of times between 2004 and 2010, just the two of us, many times for food and wine. I remember a lot of “You’re going to Disney AGAIN?”.
I’m firmly in the do whatever makes you happy camp. For us, Disney is one of those things. It’s a ton of fun, it’s great with the family, and it just is an escape from the pressures of everyday life. I always come back from Disney energized and recharged, Even though it’s a physically exhausting vacation.
Those who think Disney is just for kids need to just get over themselves…
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