Appeal of theme parks as an adult?

Parent Cafe
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We are a big Disney family. I really don’t like non-Disney theme parks.

Because we’re only 1 state away, we’ve been to Disneyland many times. Usually once a year or once every other year. We’ve been to WDW 3 times, once was just DH & I for a week in January after WDW had reopened after COVID…so we had to wear masks everywhere.

That was an amazing trip.

One of my best friends from college lived about an hour’s drive from Disneyland and she would go about once a week after work. She used to say that at Disneyland, people are better versions of themselves, kinder, more patient, more polite, friendlier. I’ve found that to be pretty true myself.

We keep going back because it’s fun, it’s exciting when you want it to be, it’s relaxing when you want it to be, etc., etc. There’s a ton of rides that a multigenerational family can enjoy together.

…compared to a place like Six Flags or Knotts Berry Farm…the rides are too intense, the rollercoasters often all go upside down (which makes me hurl), and it’s just not the same experience. Trash isn’t picked up as well, the bathrooms are usually dirtier, etc.

Epcot has cool festivals at all different times of year. You can go on horseback rides & take archery lessons at Ft Wilderness. You can rent a pontoon boat, go fishing, and there a gazzillion different restaurants to try. I could stay at the Animal Kingdom Lodge and drink coffee in the morning while looking out at African animals just like we’re in Africa…and I don’t have to travel to Africa to experience it.

Some people go skiing every year. Others go to Hawaii every year. Other people go camping or to the Caribbean or on a cruise every summer. And they do it every year because they love it, because they find it to be a nice way to unplug from regular life.

I also love Disney parks because, for me, it’s an emotional experience. And when we’re at a Disney park, my DH unplugs from work. We purposely avoid reading the news and ignore what’s going on in the outside world.

I can’t wait for when D26 heads off to college…I already have plans in my head for DH & I to go to WDW with another couple we’re good friends with. And another time, I’m going to go w/my sister…stay at Animal Kingdom Lodge for a few days and eat at a bunch of Fall Food & Wine Festival food booths at Epcot while we watch a few “Eat To The Beat” concerts put on by 80s & 90s pop stars. :slight_smile:

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I checked with ds. He has been to the Disney Sea park in Tokyo!

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Then my life is Disney every day.

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I’ve been to WDW four times…but once was as a chaperone for a band trip. Does that count?

We went as a family when our kids were in K and grade 3. It was a surprise Christmas present…tickets were in their stockings on Christmas morning and we left the next day.

Then I went with other family members when DS went to space camp (when it was located in Titusville).

Then the band trip.

Then the Epcot trips just DH and me wandering around the lagoon.

I was at Disneyland in 1976 as part of my grad school cross country vacation trip. I actually loved DisneyLand. Not nearly as sprawled out.

Do I ever need to go there again…no.

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Confirmed I was indeed at Six Flags Over Texas - for their 30th anniversary in 1991.

At Epcot in 1982, one of our main objectives was to dine at Les Chefs de France. The restaurant was a very big deal at the time. It was the first Paul Bocuse affiliated restaurant in America.

Do world fairs and expos count as theme parks :grinning:? We’ve been to them in New York, Montreal, New Orleans, Vancouver, and Knoxville, of all places. I miss those kinds of events.

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@thumper1 Playland Ferris wheel over Wonderland’s?? My parents had a summer house in the north end of OC and I spent all of my summers there until my first full-time job after college. Wonderland (RIP) was our amusement park of choice because it was closer to the house. And we continued to take our kids and then our granddaughter there for “going to the rides.” Our family is mourning their closure greatly; it is that Ferris wheel which is our family tradition. But - I spent 6 summers waitressing at Hamburger Construction Company (also RIP due to the recent fire) which was under the same roof as Playland. Back in those days, when seashore establishments hired local kids to work all summer, we had an end of the year staff party with the Playland employees, many of which were my friends. It was after hours and the rides and skee ball and video games were free for us to use. So much fun! But that was before they had a Ferris wheel.

H and I went to WDW by ourselves before we had kids, using travel points we earned from an incentive program. We spent two days there and had a great time, mostly visiting all the countries in Epcot. But I don’t think we would ever choose to use our travel budget/time to go there again on our own. Would definitely go with grandchildren and would look forward to experiencing it through their eyes - just as we did with our own children (2 trips.)

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Wonderland has permanently closed. That Ferris wheel was my favorite, but the hours of wonderland reduced, and yes, we go to Playland which is a thriving business.

We wonder where that ferris wheel will end up. I think all the rides from wonderland were going to be sold.

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My wife considers herself a big Disney person, but we haven’t been for years and probably won’t make it a priority. She has a lot of family in the Orlando area and some of them worked in various aspects of Disney World, so we would get in free. We went when D19 was an infant, mainly as a family visit, and there was plenty to enjoy for adults. I’m not an intense-rides person and my wife isn’t much of one either, but we walked around Epcot, went to a movie in Celebration, hit a couple of bars and clubs in Downtown Disney. Went back when D19 was 3 and S22 was an infant and had a more standard visit complete with the character brunch. And my wife took the kids to Disneyland Paris when we lived in London; I couldn’t make it for some reason.

The kids ended up not being very into rides either, and theme/amusement parks haven’t been a big part of our lives in general. We go to Martha’s Vineyard every summer (hence my handle), and we used to go to the amusement-park-like Ag Fair as a matter of course, but a few years ago we realized none of us liked it all that much, so we stopped. Plenty else to do!

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I like to ride the rides. I live near a Six Flags but do not go alone. Sometimes S1 will go with me. S2 and H do not have the stomachs for rides.

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Heck yes! I recently stated in another thread that I am a sucker for Disneyland. I crave the experience. In fact, I am recently feeling that I am due for a visit, as it’s now been over 2 years since the last one.

I’ve been countless times since I was a little kid. My childhood home was 30 minutes away. One of my greatest joys was seeing the top of the Matterhorn, and later, Space Mountain, from the 5 Fwy. Then I was very excited because I knew how close we were.

I’ve taken my two kids solo to Disneyland, but there have also been numerous visits with my immediate family. 2 days before our wedding, hubby and I went to Disneyland with his family, so it felt complete to share the family tradition. When dad was younger, there were several extended family trips in which he loved treating everyone to tickets, terrible burgers, frozen chocolate dipped bananas, mouse ears, and other souvenirs.

I also had Senior night there, when the whole park was filled with high schoolers from all over the region. That was a hoot. My oldest friend, who grew up in the UK, came to So Cal with me and I took her to Disneyland. We bought each other the Cheshire Cat and Goofy as souvenirs.

Yes, the lines suck. But the place remains timeless. I love the pristine cleanliness, the happy vibe, the same familiar splash on the first dip of Pirates of the Caribbean.

My next trip will probably be with my sister in April. I can’t wait.

I have been to DWorld too. It’s fun, but nothing beats the original and best.

Edit, D and I have a plan to visit Disneyland Paris and Disney Sea in Tokyo. I hope we can make it happen!

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Are you aware that Disneyland will be celebrating its 70th birthday this year? They are bring back Paint the Night and Wondrous Journeys. Guide to the 70th Anniversary at Disneyland Resort - Disney Parks Blog

Small World’s music will be updated to include the Last Verse. :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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Ooooh! I just looked at the link. Thanks!

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Lovely last verse—thx!

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If you are interested in Disney history, Disney’s Official Fan Club, D23, offers tours of the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank. D23 general membership is free, but you pay more for tours and events. The Official Walt Disney Studios Walking Tour – Presented by D23: April 2025 - D23

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At first, I thought D23 was your daughter :rofl:

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I’ll edit to clarify!

D23 stands for Disney 23. The Disney Company started October 16, 2023.

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We did the theme park thing with the kids – Hershey Park, DisneyWorld, Disneyland, EuroDisney (I thought the kids could not take another day of churches/museums on a Paris trip), and Universal, FL. I have zero interest in going to a theme park without kids – however, I do hope we can take our grandson one day.

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My kids are OK with amusement parks as 30+ year olds but don’t generally go out of their way to attend. They will go with others but aren’t the instigators. We haven’t gone with them as adults.

We went once to Epcot without them, just so I could see what Epcot was and we were in the area already because I was speaking at a nearby conference. We rented a car for a day, picked it up at the hotel, drove over, had dinner at the nice French restaurant as they opened up (no reservations), saw a few shows that were performing on the street, went in a few single-rider lines, and then stayed for fireworks and drove back to hotel & returned car. It was a nice event but we were surprised at how many electric scooters there were and how you had to be careful not to be mowed down by them, as they seemed to believe they always had the right of way. We felt we saw enough in the hours we were there to make it worth our while and weren’t sad we didn’t get there for rope drop. The single rider line made everything pretty easy for us and we didn’t care if we sat next to one another anyway. We did no planning or scheduling and didn’t pay extra for anything.

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The one themed park I would have like to have done once with our kids was the Sesame Street one in the Philly area. My kids all were head over heels for Sesame Street. We were going to stop for a day on the way back from NYC one time but one of us got sick so we punted it.

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Before they were married and while our son was deployed to Qatar, his GF was invited to WDW with a couple they were close to. They entered the park mid-morning for her to see our son standing in front of one of the rides they were about to go on. He had landed stateside in FL two days prior (two weeks ahead of his original return date) and had arranged the surprise with the couple as soon as he learned he was coming home early. We’re told she about lost it, but no one thought to take a pic of that moment. Boo. Anyway, Disney is and always will be one of their favs.

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