Hardcore Disney fans probably perplex clinical psychologists. This group of seemingly normal people has a compulsory need to return to Walt Disney World as often as possible. Are we a little crazy? Yes, but only because Walt Disney World is something to be crazy about. Here are my top 3 reasons why we keep coming back to Walt Disney World:
1) Escaping From Real Life Responsibilities
There is no doubt that Walt Disney World, or any Disney park for that matter, is an escape from reality. Walking down Main Street U.S.A. allows you to enter an idealized world. With Walt Disney World in particular you don’t leave this idealized world once you leave the parks because many of the Walt Disney World resorts will give you that same experience. Whether you relax by riding Space Mountain 10 times in a row, or if you unwind by staying at your resort napping in a hammock, Walt Disney World creates a bubble for real world responsibilities.
As a child, Walt Disney World means escaping school, or yard work, but as an adult, Walt Disney World means escaping adulthood and your adult responsibilities like cooking, paying bills, and running errands. These responsibilities are put on hiatus for a couple days, and that in many ways creates the fairy-tale reality of Walt Disney World.
2) Connection to a Community
99% of being a Walt Disney World fan takes places outside of the property itself. Planning and getting excited for your next trip is a huge part in Walt Disney World fandom. For many of us that means we are constantly on DISboards.com, reading Walt Disney World articles, and watching the DIS Unplugged which allows us to connect to a community that understands our love for Disney. Perpetually planning for your next trip can be a huge part of your fandom, and getting everything planned out just right can only be done by having great sources like DISboards.com.
When I meet someone who shares my passion for Disney I have an immediate connection with him or her. In many ways the Disney fan community is a family that has a shared home, and being able to talk about our home together can create a friendship between two people that have nothing else in common.
3) Witnessing Magic
Yes this sounds cheesy, but you will keep coming back because you know Walt Disney World is a place where you can witness real magic. This real “magic” comes in many forms. It can be witnessing a Make-A-Wish family enjoying the parks together, a child seeing Mickey Mouse for the first time, or even just seeing the miracle of your family get along for a week are all examples of the magic that Walt Disney World creates everyday. For these reasons and so many more we will keep coming back to Walt Disney World.
And so if loving Disney is an illness, then you my friend will never shake the Disney bug.
