How to Know if You're Talking to a Disney Adult

Ahh Disney Adults, people love to hate them or hate to love them!

Disney Adults are plentiful in the theme parks, and sometimes you even find them out in the wild, clinging to that wonderful childhood nostalgia with theme park memories and favorite movies. So how do you identify a Disney Adult if you start up a conversation with one? Today we’re helping you figure it out!

They Have STRONG Opinions About Disney Characters

Let’s start with the basics — any Disney Adult is bound to have strong opinions about Disney movie characters. They’ll have a favorite princess, a favorite sidekick, a favorite villain, and a favorite member of the Fab 5.

But, it’s likely that there will also be Disney characters that they absolutely CANNOT stand. You know, like the ones who completely scarred you as a child? We’re looking at YOU, Chernabog.

They Use a Bunch of Theme Park Acronyms

If you’re a non-Disney Adult having a conversation about the theme parks with a Disney Adult, chances are that you might not be able to understand about half of it. Why? Well, all the acronyms of course!

They’ll say “DAK” instead of Disney’s Animal Kingdom or “ADR” instead of advance dining reservation, and by the time they get to DDP, ROTR, and POFQ you’ll be completely lost. It’s essentially its own language.

They Can Explain Disney Genie+

The TRUE test of a Disney Adult? They can explain the intricacies of Disney Genie+! The new skip-the-line system in Disney World and Disneyland Resort is complex and difficult to understand, but the die-hard Disney fans have read up, watched videos, and practiced in the parks to master the system.

There’s a lot to learn, but Disney Adults are nothing if not dedicated to the cause. They work hard to be experts in the field of Disney theme parks!

They Have a Favorite Flavor of Dole Whip

If you don’t go to Disney World or Disneyland Resort often, you might not realize that there is more than one flavor of Dole Whip. Sure, the pineapple is iconic, but you can also try delicious options like strawberry, orange, lemon, lime, and more.

Disney Adults will know exactly which flavor is their favorite, and they might even have a thorough ranking of all the flavors. It’s the classic Disney Adult dessert!

They Know the Proper Nomenclature

When it comes to “Disney speak” there are all kinds of proper words and phrases that’ll key you in to whether someone is a Disney Adult or not. They’ll know that Magic Kingdom and Disney World are not the same thing, and they’ll understand that the correct name is “Cinderella Castle” NOT “Cinderella’s Castle.”

And perhaps the biggest of all — they’ll make sure to correct you if you call Disney World “The Happiest Place on Earth.” That’s the catchphrase for Disneyland. Disney World is known as “The Most Magical Place on Earth” instead.

They Come to the Parks With a Shopping List

Disney Adults are constantly looking for ways to keep the magic alive when they’re not in the theme parks, which means they’re often watching articles online to see what new merchandise has arrived in Disney World.

And by the time they get to the parks for their trip, they’ve already got that shopping list ready to go, complete with ears, a Loungefly, a Spirit Jersey, and whatever other must-have souvenirs they’ve already read about. Chances are, they’ll probably also be able to tell you which Minnie ears and merchandise collections are new and which are old.

There’s at Least One Ride They Love…That You Don’t Really Understand

There are a lot of rides in Disney World and Disneyland Resort that non-Disney Adults just don’t “get.” Things like the Haunted Mansion, “it’s a small world,” or Jungle Cruise may baffle some, but for Disney fans, they’ve got deep-seated nostalgia and history.

While you may not be keen on listening to a Cast Member recite corny puns for 8 minutes, your Disney Adult friends will insist upon riding because “it’s a classic.” You may not get it, but those rides have a special place in their heart.

They Know a Lot of Random Disney Facts

And finally, any Disney Adult with a few months or years of fandom under their belt will probably know a slew of fun facts about Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse, or the theme parks. Want to know about Walt’s apartment in Disneyland or the “poop river” in Magic Kingdom? They’ve got you covered.

There’s basically an endless supply of fun facts about Disney movies and theme parks, so no matter which Disney Adult you talk you, you’ll likely get a fresh supply.

So there you go — that’s how you know that you’re talking to a Disney Adult! There are a lot of us out there, and you’ll probably encounter quite a few if you visit the theme parks, so be prepared to get hit with some Disney knowledge!