Disney Destinations vs Disney Settings

Last weekend, I had a really nice day at Disneyland with a group of friends I hadn’t seen in a long time, or was getting to hang out with for the first time. Over the past few weeks and ongoing to the end of the month, I’ve been trying to cram in as many trips to the parks as I can tolerate, until I can no longer get in for free.

My attitude towards the parks has been gradually shifting over the last few years, as a result of getting older, of being in a position to go more often, and frankly just the value proposition of not having to pay to get in. It’s meant taking things at a more leisurely pace, not focused as much (or occasionally, at all) on cramming in as many rides as possible, and enjoying the spaces not so much as theme parks, but as parks.

But there’s diminishing returns on that. I like to think I’m about as self-aware as a Disney adult can get, so I’ve heard and considered most of the common complaints re: hanging out in spaces meant for children (they’re meant for families, not just children). Or how everything is “fake” (I’m interested in theme park design, so the “fakeness” is a plus). Or how people like me keep visiting familiar parks instead of “real” places (I value comfort over adventure in my vacations, and I suspect that’s common and people are just embarrassed to admit it). Or how everything is so expensive (okay, yes).

And I’m also aware that a huge part of going to theme parks over and over again is just chasing nostalgia. Associating happy memories with a place, and going back to that place in an attempt to recreate that feeling. Even though that’s all but impossible, because that feeling depended not just on the place, but that specific time in your life, and the people you were with.

When you spend all your time either in the parks, seeing advertising for the parks, seeing unpaid advertising in the form of YouTubers visiting the parks, seeing people on social media talking about the parks, and, on rare occasions, working in or for the parks, it’s easy to forget that the point isn’t the parks.

And I don’t think that’s a completely fatuous observation, but it’s also not controversial, the One Secret About Theme Parks That Disney Doesn’t Want You To Know About. It’s part of their history and part of their marketing. They just opened an attraction quoting Walt Disney as saying he wanted Disneyland as a place he could enjoy with his daughters. And every ad campaign I’m aware of has sold the parks as unique destinations with experiences you won’t find anywhere else, but they almost always show guests enjoying them with friends and family.

For my birthday this year, my husband and I had a weekend staycation at Disneyland. The hotel room was really, really nice, all the cast members we interacted with were really friendly, we got some time in the pools, and it was a very nice weekend overall. But my favorite memory of the entire time was standing in Downtown Disney listening to a cover band singing Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and the two of us singing along with the chorus. It could’ve happened anywhere, and it’s not something you could recreate even if you tried; in fact, the harder you tried, the less likely you’d be able to recreate it.

I think it’s useful for anybody — not just Disney adults, by any means — to engage in a little introspection every now and then, to consider exactly why you love your hobbies and remember what really makes them special. To consider whether the appeal is the thing itself, or if it’s really just a backdrop for the things you truly value.