We, as Disney fans, have developed our own little dialect we use when communicating with one another. Similar to the vernacular used between cast members, Disney fans have slang terms and an invented lexicon that could take years to learn: ADRs, “plussing,” FP+, “touring plan,” “’free’ dining,” AKL, “renting points,” and so on and so forth.
But, while some of those invented bits of language have obvious meanings (who’d have guessed OKW stands for Old Key West!?), there are other words and phrases whose meanings are a bit less clear. In fact, there are some common sentences in the Disney fan phrasebook that mean something completely different than what is being said.
Let’s take a look a few of these statements. There are so many more, but let this short guide whet the appetite:
1. “Walt is spinning in his grave.”
What they really mean: “I believe this change to the parks was made for the wrong reason: money. I do not like it.”
This one is a bit overused, but it’s hard to have a conversation with a Disney fan that doesn’t, at some point, include some conjecture about what Walt would think of what has become of his resorts. Often, the view is that Walt would be disappointed with a lot of the modern decisions of the Walt Disney Company – and often those views are inaccurate.
Except for when they aren’t. There are plenty of things Disney has done in recent years that would truly disappoint Walt – everything from failing to construct the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow to the aggressively cynical and obviously profit-oriented development of Duffy the Disney Bear — and this particular phrase is just shorthand indicating that belief.
2. “It’s too expensive, I’m never coming back.”
What they really mean: “I don’t like it, and I will complain about it, but I will do whatever it takes to return – including paying this exorbitant fee.”
There is absolutely no room for debate on this issue – the price of admission for the Walt Disney parks is too high. It has grown at an ever-increasing rate, and has shown no real signs of slowing down. More and more, Disney is pricing large swaths of the population out of its parks, and that is absolutely a shame.
However, there is a good reason for the prices being as high as they are: people are willing to pay it. Increased ticket prices serve two purposes – the first is to make Disney more money, and the second is to keep park attendance levels in check. Cheaper tickets mean more days where the parks are at capacity, and more expensive tickets means more elbow-room around your favorite rides.
Ultimately, Disney fans understand all of this. They know why tickets cost what they cost, and while they wish they cost less, the reality of the matter is that if the cost has increased only by a matter of a few dollars, those few dollars aren’t enough to tip the scales. Disney’s biggest fans will go — no matter what they may say about the prices. The experience means that much to us all.
3. “It’s hard to describe.”
What they really mean: “This attraction is not very good.”
Most often, when you experience a ride you truly love, you don’t have a hard time talking about it. Space Mountain is my personal favorite ride, and while it can be tough to articulate the specific reasons as to why, it’s not tough to describe what the ride is like.
If, however, you’re having trouble describing what the ride even is, then you probably don’t think it’s a very good ride.
Ask someone to describe an attraction they hate at Disney, and it’ll likely include a moment of recognition wherein the speaker realizes Disney’s trademark silliness just woefully missed the mark. When I try to describe Stitch’s Great Escape, I usually say something like, “an escaped alien burps hot dog-scented air in your face.” And when the person I’m talking to persists for more information, I drop this bad boy:
“Seriously. It kinda attacks you, but not really. It jumps on your shoulder restraints and stuff … it’s hard to describe…”
If you hear this sentence, the speaker has given up trying to describe it because they feel it’s not worth the effort. And, for some attractions, that’s true.
4. “That theme park is a half-day park.”
What they really mean: “I do not like this park.”
Pretty much every Disney park, aside from the traditional Disneyland-style parks, has been accused of being a “half-day park” by its detractors. Considering the tremendous cost of a Disney vacation, the idea that one of the signature parks would only include enough entertainment to fill half a day seems, on its face, like a pejorative.
And, well, it is. Essentially, Disney fans that say this are saying that a park isn’t worth your time or is substandard in some way – heck, I made this very argument about Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
When travelling to visit Disney for a vacation, most guests don’t have the opportunity to enjoy a lengthy stay. As such, they have to make the most of the time they have, and budget it properly so as to get the maximum enjoyment out of it. For many people, that means skipping a large portion of one of the theme parks.
Any park can be a half-day park – all you have to do is skip stuff, which you’ll do more often if you don’t like the park. And, as such, it starts to feel true. If you only spend half-your day in the park, then to you, that park will forever be a half-day park and that is how you’ll describe it to other people. It’s an effective shorthand for “just don’t waste too much time there.” But, as with anything, it’s really a matter of taste.
5. “I wish more people knew about this!”
What they really mean: “I’m really glad more people don’t know about this!”
Image: Disney
Think about it this way – renting DVC points is one of the most cost-effective ways of staying in a luxury Disney hotel for a fraction of the cost. And yet, because very few people actually take advantage of that system, Disney feels comfortable turning a blind eye to it. They know it’s happening and while they don’t encourage it, they don’t go out of their way to make it difficult to do.
But, if more and more people started renting points such that Disney began to lose a significant amount of money, they surely would not sit idly by.
This is true for most of the best-kept Disney secrets. Perhaps you have an amazing spot for Illuminations, or the perfect way to get a dining reservation. Either way, you’ve probably found a way to go against the mold and do something most other Disney fans aren’t doing. And, when you do, you’ve likely said the above magic phrase.
But you know, deep down, that you’re happy you’re the only one who knows. What’s the point of a best-kept secret if everyone knows about it, right?
So, what about you? What are some of your most-uttered Disney fan phrases (and the true meanings behind them)?
