Why do you love Disneyland and Walt Disney World?

[raspberry50]

Hi All,

I am a huge fan of Disneyland parks and have visited the Paris resort several times throughout my life, although I've never had the good fortune of visiting the American parks.....yet. I am currently writing my Masters Thesis in the UK about Disneyland parks, and what is it that makes people love them so much. It would be so incredibly useful for me if anyone who reads this could just post a few lines telling me what it is about any of the disney parks that you love? What is it that makes you return to the parks and what do enjoy?

It is possible that I will use some of the replies as quotes in the written work, but I will not reference anyone's user names directly and the quotes will be completely anonymous. Please don't reply, however, if you are still not happy for me to use your response.

Thank you in advance for any replies!

 

[hockeybabe]

I haven't been to Disneyland yet, but I have been to Walt Disney World 4 times as an adult. It's magical! It's all about fun and family and you are submerged in this themed world where every detail makes you forget about the "real world" and all of it's stresses. Grown ups can be kids, and kids can play with their grown ups. The theming is incredible, it's like being on another planet. And being on vacation, you aren't thinking about bills, work, schedules, grocery shopping, cooking breakfast, lunch or dinner. One price admission gets you into every attraction as many times as you want. Your room is paid for, your tickets are paid for, even your meals can be paid for, all in advance. Every night ends with a fireworks display. There's music, singing and smiling everywhere you go. Even in the lobbies of the resorts. The excitement and the wonder in your children's faces is contagious...they think it's magic, but as an adult, you appreciate the details in creating the magic. And then you realize...it IS magic!!!

 

[Saskiwi]

Hi - you might get more replies if you post this in the Community forum - rather than in Trip Reports.
But FWIW I second the previous poster: our family love the attention to detail and immersive quality of the Disney parks - We have been to WDW twice and DL 6 or 7 times - once you enter through the tunnel of DL it is like stepping into another world - or into a movie. The music, planting, architecture, costumes, interior decor details inside shops and restaurants all combine to make a trip to a Disney park exceptional.

I'm not a fan of Mickey Mouse or any other Disney characters particularly - but the theming and love and care that go into these parks elevate them beyond any others I have visited - you can feel that there are people who work there for who it is more than "just a job" - and that for many of the people who visit, it is more than just a theme park.
At DL you also get a sense of the history of the park, Walt Disney's influence is everywhere, and early attractions from the 1950s and 60s are a big part of that: we love the Enchanted Tiki Room in all its kitschy glory - thank goodness fan outcry saved it when it was up for demolition in the 80s!

It is a place where you can truly forget all about your everyday life and any problems and totally escape into childhood - magic indeed!

PS what a great topic to write a thesis on!

 

[Wuzefelix]

I've been to Disneyland Paris countless times, to Hong Kong Disneyland twice and to Walt Disney World once (for 14 days) with my first trip to Disneyland Anaheim coming up in 3 weeks.

Apart from the obvious, that is good rides, shows and meeting the Disney characters from TV, I think the reason I keep coming back is that I can feel 100% safe and comfortable in the Disney Parks. They are safe places full of friendly staff (and most guests, too, because they are on holiday), they are spotlessly clean, and shield the guests from the outside world. You can count on the Disney quality, no matter what. At Disney you can forget about all the worries in the world.

Why are there no worries at Disney? Because for that limited time you have a clear purpose (doing rides and shows), you have enough money to buy food, drink and souvenirs (true, it is hard to save up that money beforehand, but while you're in the parks it's there), a good comfy place to stay for the night, nice company from your family and friends, etc... You have absolutely nothing to worry about (short term).

Also I think one reason why you can forget about your worries at Disney is because Disney constantly creates new artificial worries and "problems" for you: How long is the line at Peter Pan? Can we get a lunch reservation at the Blue Bayou? When can we get the next set of Fastpasses? Will we be on time to catch Fantasmic after dinner? Will we get the front row at Soarin'? Should I really spend $300 on this set of framed Tinkerbell pins?
These "problems" which you can also observe on these forums, are different from the problems that we face in real life. I'd like to call them "luxurious problems" because it's all about luxury and there is no need for any of these things. What's the worst that can happen if you don't get that extra Fastpass? What will happen if you miss the fireworks? What if Tony's Town Square Restaurant is fully booked already? Will you have to go hungry to bed? Of course not!

In short, forget about all the worries in your life, relax, have fun, feel safe and comfortable and be in good company. That's Disney Parks.


Good luck with your thesis!

 

[DizNee Luver]

I love going to Disneyland because the minute you go thru the gates & go onto Main Street, you're no longer thinking about the day to day grind, the stresses, etc. You tend to leave the real world behind & for a short time, whether for a few hours or a week....you're able to relax, have fun, remember what it's like being a kid, act like a kid, be excited to see your favorite character, dance in the street to the music, cheer during the parades & fireworks & ride an elephant and not think twice about it. Disney is magical & it makes the soul happy!!

 

[Virgoinab]

I could make a list that goes on for pages, however I really can just sum up our experiances at both WDW and DL like this.

As a family vacation, it really is magical. We walk through the gates and our family comes together like in no other place. We refesh our bonds in such shared experiances as getting soaked on SM, or our love of riding BTMRR at night. The fun we have singing "yo ho, yo ho a pirates life for me", the silly way in which we all compete on Buzz, or just the time spent over lunch at the BB, in either park.

That is what it means to me, and to our family. Our chance to be a family unit, while being surrounded by other familys experiancing the same joy we are.

We have been of course on other vacations, but there really is something special about Disney vacations.

 

[Anaheim boy]

The last post I think really hit it for me. I grew up in Anaheim going to Disney my whole life. My mom visited Disneyland when it first opened back in the 50s. We can see the fireworks from our front step of the house I grew up in. My Aunt and Uncle's house was even closer and you could hear the Mark Twain's whistle from their place.
Disney conjures all kinds of childhood memories. With family and friends. Singing all the songs on the rides, reciting the opening monologue in the Haunted Mansion as the room sinks, experiencing the original Tron bits on the People Mover, which some of my high school friends would call the "People Maker", the Casey Jr train ride and riding in the caboose at the end, being in a local marching band and actually marching the very same parade route the regular parades did. Being shrunk on the Inner Space ride. Arriving on the original entry gates off Harbor Blvd and seeing the big marquee sign. My parents and I used to have the summer nights passport where you could go in the park after 5pm on summer nights only. My parents would go to the Carnation Plaza and dance the night away to big band music while they would let me (a 10 yr old roughly) roam the park completely on my own. I would just have to check in every now and then. I loved it! But mostly spending time with all my friends and family there. So many good memories. So many, that I constantly compare all the other parks to this, and perhaps that helps my bias a little towards Anaheim being my fav. But I've been to all the other Disney parks, Orlando, Hong Kong, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneysea and Euro Disney. I love them all. They all remind me a little of things from my childhood and maybe that's partly why I now still love going to any Disney park.