Im a Straight Male and I LOVE DISNEY !!!

[ratherbeatdisney]

But i think i agree with Pete and Corey that it is a little tougher to be a Disney fan if you are straight and male. Out of all my friends, i am the only person that is a "Disney Person". Many others have been to Disney either with their family or when they were younger, but they dont have the Disney "Bug" like we all do. I guess it depends on what type of friends you have, i have a lot of typical "macho" guy friends, Bikers,Sports nuts, Car Guys ... Saying you are a Disney fan around guys like that isnt exactly the cool thing to do. But i dont care anymore, I like all of those other things also, PLUS Disney. When i was 20 i Loved Disney, but i probably couldn't have come right out and said i was a Disneyfan, i was too concerned about what all the "guys" would think. Now that i am 34, i just dont care anymore. Im not concerned with being cool anymore, i just do what makes me feel good, and that is being in a Disney Park !

 

[Launchpad11B]

If people say it's weird that I like Disney, I crush their skull. Problem solved.

 

[DiRTyBuNNy]

Yes, it's harder.

--DB

 

[disneysteve]

I, too, am a straight male who loves Disney, and that started long before I was a father and long before I was married. I've been a big Disney fan since about 1975 when I was about 9 years old. In 8th grade, I did a big oral report and presentation on Walt Disney for an English class. I took my first trip to WDW when I was 13 and have gone 27 more times since then. I own a whole drawer full of Disney t-shirts, wear nothing but Disney ties and have an entire room in our house filled with Disney collectibles (along with all the Disney stuff scattered elsewhere throughout the house). I started selling Disney collectibles in 1986 and had a mail-order catalog and later a website for those sales and also sold in person at antique and collectible shows from New York to Virginia. I was a founding member of our local chapter of the NFFC and we still have meetings about 4 times per year with my fellow local Disney enthusiasts (all of whom are heterosexual, both male and female).

I think, as was said on the show, that it really depends on the person. If you are the type that feels you need to convey a certain image to those around you and loving Disney doesn't fit that image, that's sad and unfortunate. If, however, you are the type to be yourself and let people know who you really are, that's great. Go for it.

I once had a patient (who was a bit unusual herself) write an article about me in the local paper. She had come to see me as a patient and apparently found it odd that her doctor was wearing a seven dwarfs tie. The article was really kind of humorous and in the end, she said she needed to have faith that I knew what I was doing. My staff and I got a big laugh out of that.

 

[Golf4food]

Me, too. No kids yet. Been a fan since I was little, especially of Epcot (which is a little more manly than the MK - but I love the MK, too).

 

[omghidanielle]

My husband has no problems being a big Disney fan. I; however, get almost harassed at work when I mention going on a vacation, and it being Disney. Some of the people at my work go to the exact same place in Mexico 6 or 7 times A YEAR, and I go to WDW once and they jump up my butt with the comments.

 

[dburg30]

I'm right there with ya. I'm a later in life fan though. My wife and I took our first trip in 2007. Will be my 6th trip coming up in less then 5 weeks It was my idea to go actually. Plus I have a friend in FL that is also a Disney fan, he actually talked me into going in the first place.

 

[simmons_m]

I take the crush their skull approach too.

For me, the love is more about knowing that once my family and I get on the plane to fly to Orlando, there is a weight lifted off. No need to worry about transportation, we know we are going to be very happy with the room/accommodations, we expect the service to be great, we anticipate a lot of laughs an smiles, and understand that there will be more than one gift shop argument.

It's an easy, fun, exciting, break that challenges your senses, has something for a almost everyone.

 

[Illini Disney Guy]

I am also a straight male Disney lover. We went twice when I was a kid but I don't remember much about it other than the trip with school when we were seniors. Fast forward to 2008. My wife and I went down because we got a free room from her Grandfather in his Hilton Timeshare. We went to the parks for 4 day and I absolutely fell in love. We have been back 4 times since then. The last was almost a year ago and I am dieing to go back. We had a little girl in February and that slowed our trips to Orlando. I am trying to convince my wife the DD needs to go for her first birthday but we will see how far i get.

I will wear some Disney shirts to work and have my mickey watch but that is about all that I do in an outward way to let people know that I love Disney. I am afraid that I will get laughed at a little to much. I am glad that I have the Disboards to come to.

T

 

[DSNY4ever]

If people say it's weird that I like Disney, I crush their skull. Problem solved.

I took my husband on his first trip and he immediately loved it as much as I do, but people always say that he only likes Disney because I like Disney and that I must drag him there. And when I say "no, he loves it too" they either wink or chuckle like I am joking. It is so annoying!

 

[disneysteve]

I took my husband on his first trip and he immediately loved it as much as I do, but people always say that he only likes Disney because I like Disney and that I must drag him there. And when I say "no, he loves it too" they either wink or chuckle like I am joking. It is so annoying!

My wife and I both get annoyed when people say we must be going to WDW for our daughter. They don't comprehend that adults like it there, too. We went to WDW multiple times before our daughter was born and look forward to the day when she is grown and on her own and we can go back there just the two of us.

When we first moved into our house, before our daughter was born, a neighbor came over to welcome us. She saw some of the Disney collectibles set up in our living room and said, "I thought you said you didn't have children."

 

[stitchlover]

My husband and I are both big fans. Our daughter is 15 and we also talk about the day she goes off to college and we can start going and have the trip focus on stuff JUST for us. We have already decided that trip is set for the Contemporary because she has no desire to stay there.

We do have friends that think we are both bonkers but it is something we all enjoy to share as a family. There isn't a lot out there that can meet that qualification. DH wears shirts to work and around town. If it weren't his passion he wouldn't wear that stuff.

 

[dalt01]

hmmmm, never had it come up.......to my face anyway.......... whats with the word "and" coming up like this *** ???????????????????????? OOPS now it went away.......oh well

 

[ADP]

If people say it's weird that I like Disney, I crush their skull. Problem solved.

Bully!

 

[nedac]

we need that tag... "Hetero Disney Lover"

I love Disney because of my boys... I had been before I was a daddy, but I found my love once I saw it through their eyes. I never got to go as a kid, my family couldnt afford it, but as long as I have the means, my boys will go. My youngest is 4 and he makes his 5th trip in less than a month!

 

[SteamboatStevie]

I 100% agree that it depends on the type of person you are, as well as the people around you. I am a straight male (with no children), and I don't think I've ever felt any shame or embarassment about having the Disney bug, even when talking to people who don't "get" it. I am not afraid to wear the Disney T-shirts or my Mickey Mouse watch or ashamed that I have a full bookcase reserved for books about Disney. There are some things, though, that I do feel I have to hold myself back on. Going to Disney on Ice without any kids, for example, might draw some strange reactions.

I also tend to act like Pete said he does: I try to convert people. I am fortunate enough to have introduced many friends to the magic, and now they too are infected. This makes it easier for me, because now I'm not the odd guy out

 

[disneysteve]

I also tend to act like Pete said he does: I try to convert people. I am fortunate enough to have introduced many friends to the magic, and now they too are infected.

I introduced my future wife to Disney. She is still convinced that taking her to WDW while we were dating was a test and if she didn't pass, that would have been the end of the relationship. Fortunately, she fell in love with the place and we've been there almost 20 times since that first trip.

 

[TheTrickyTwister]

I’m a straight acting gay man married to another straight acting gay man. I developed a love of disney after our fist trip to the world back in 1999. I think I drove everyone I knew mad talking about how fantastic it was. I have found that being a Disney fan, and feeling the magic of disney, is hard to explain to someone who hasn’t been.

I often see peoples eyes glaze over when I talk about Disney, if they haven’t been. However, I also get to see peoples eyes light up and their excitement grow if they have. These conversation usually go on for a while!

I compare it to watching the latest movie release or a football match, if you meet someone who watched the same film or event you connect. I meet lots of straight blokes in my work and I can’t tell you how many times they talk about the latest Dora cartoon or Thomas the tank episode, the connection there being their children.

I admit that in some situations it may feel strange, and you may think people are looking in with the same thoughts, seeing a single guy or two guys going to watch a Disney event. However, in my experience people are to wrapped up in their own lives, and whats going on in front of them, to pay much attention to a guy or two watching the same event. I do know that some ladies find it attractive for a man to be confident of their childlike side, some would say feminine side! I sway towards the childlike and playful side, almost whimsical.

As adults we are often frowned upon for having too much fun, or letting our imagination run free. We are no longer allowed to play tag or hide and seek. Disney allows us to have those childlike moments of escape no matter how old you are. So don’t hide it or feel embarrassed, embrace it! You are a stronger person / man, and more secure in who you are, for being honest about your loves and likes.

 

[Foolish Mortal]

43 year old single straight male here who is obsessed with all things Disney especially WDW. 2 Disney tattoos (so far), impressive library, always on Ebay looking for park used items......etc. I'm at the point that I go to WDW 3 times a year. I'd go more but I only get 4 weeks vacation. My friends and co-workers know I'm the guy to talk with when it comes time to plan/book a trip. Don't like that I'm going to WDW again ? Tough *@#$, stop listening to my conversation !!!!!! I do not force Disney down anybody's throat but if someone gets me going it tough to get me to stop.

 

[ratherbeatdisney]

As adults we are often frowned upon for having too much fun, or letting our imagination run free. We are no longer allowed to play tag or hide and seek. Disney allows us to have those childlike moments of escape no matter how old you are. So don’t hide it or feel embarrassed, embrace it! You are a stronger person / man, and more secure in who you are, for being honest about your loves and likes.

This is defiantly how i feel now. I have now learned that life is too short to care if someone thinks im silly or not. Disney keeps me young, and brings out the child in me when im there. Where as i used to kind of keep it a secret, i now wear it with Pride, and if someone thinks its weird, thats fine, i have nothing to prove anymore.

Some people sure make it hard though, like one of the other poster's said about having Disney keepsakes up , and the neighbor said "i thought you didnt have any children", that is what i used to feel like, i felt like people thought it was odd that a grown man could like something that the general public thought was for children. I now know different, that Disneyland and WDW were built for kids and Adults alike, but it still is weird sometimes.
Im glad to see im not the only one who has felt this way, we are not alone ! Hetero Disney Fans are out of the Closet , now and forever !! haha