Disney adults are hardcore fans of everything Disney, from film franchises to theme parks. Amelia Tait takes a closer look at this often mocked and misunderstood demographic, which, according to her survey of more than 1,300 self-identifying Disney adults from around the world, is typically female and aged 25-44. They are well-educated, while about half align with the political left. Many seek out the Disney experience because it provides a community, creates family bonds, and is “psychologically beneficial.” But the Disney entertainment and marketing machine has also always been about hyper-consumption—and for some individuals, embedded in their lives at birth.
Whether Disney adults are embarrassing or enchanting is largely a matter of opinion. What is missing from endless comment sections is the fact that they are a creation of the Walt Disney Company – a character constructed just as carefully as Elsa or Donald Duck. Disney does not hide its desire to create lifelong consumers. In 2011, Disney representatives visited new mothers in 580 maternity wards across the US, gifting them bodysuits and asking them to sign up for DisneyBaby.com. In 2022, the company announced plans to build residential “Storyliving” communities across America, with special neighbourhoods for those aged 55 and up.
Over the past 100 years, the Walt Disney Company has entwined itself with our families, memories and personal histories. In many ways, Disney is a religion that one is born into, the same way a 15th-century English baby was predestined to be baptised Catholic. Choice doesn’t necessarily come into it – we see Mickey Mouse around us like our ancestors saw the cross; a symbol that both 18-month-olds and 80-year-olds recognise. But if we accept that Disney adults were created, rather than spontaneously generated, then why are we scrutinising the congregation instead of the church?
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