Walt Disney World is for all ages, and it’s never too soon or too late to become a lifelong Disney parks fan. However, those who have been lucky enough to experience Walt Disney World at a young age and have then been able to return to the parks several times throughout their youth and adulthood experience Disney in a very unique way that often gives them a perspective that is quite different from other Disney guests. No matter whether you grew up at Walt Disney World yourself, knew someone who did, or are raising Walt Disney World kids yourself, there are some easily noticeable personality traits that almost everyone who has “grown up Disney” shares.
1. Change at Disney Parks is constant
The past five years have brought unprecedented change to Walt Disney World. Massive thematic changes are happening at Epcot and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios is being reinvented so completely that the park will likely be unrecognizable in 5-10 years. To many, all of these changes are coming as quite a shock, and more than one online forum poster has said that the reshaping of these parks has ruined Walt Disney World forever.
However, to the lifelong Disney fan who has been making regular trips to the resort since their childhood, these changes actually aren’t all that surprising. For example, there is a whole generation of kids who grew up knowing Epcot as a park where the future was made present, and attractions like Body Wars and Horizons dared them to dream about where technology could take us in the next decade. However, as that generation grew up, Future World changed around them.
Though fans can debate endlessly about whether or not the changes to Future World over the years have been for the better, kids who grew up around an ever-changing Epcot learned very quickly that change is constant, and are less shocked when Disney announces big moves like bringing Pandora: The World of Avatar to Disney’s Animal Kingdom or the world of Frozen to the World Showcase. Walt Disney World is always reinventing itself, and though kids who grew up at Walt Disney World always have a soft spot for the attractions of days gone by, they know that something new is always just around the corner.
2. Maps? Where we’re going, we don’t need maps
Though guests are increasingly looking to their smartphones for navigational purposes at Walt Disney World, the iconic guest sitting on a bench on Main Street USA reading a map is still a pretty common sight. However, kids who grew up at Walt Disney World, probably don’t remember what a Walt Disney World map even looks like. They’ve known their way around the Magic Kingdom since before they reached the height restriction for Big Thunder Mountain, and no matter how much the parks change over the years, they know every alley, walkway and shortcut there is around the parks, and can probably direct a tourist to the Carousel of Progress faster and easier than they can give directions to their own house.
3. There’s more to Walt Disney World than 4 theme parks
For most people, a lifelong love of Walt Disney World often starts with a single attraction. Whether it’s a ride, parade, fireworks show or something completely different, most kids who grew up going to Walt Disney World can trace their lifelong love of Disney parks back to a single attraction or even just a moment that changed their life forever.
However, though it may have been Space Mountain or Pirates of the Caribbean that first sparked a child’s imagination and love of Disney, most kids who grew up at Walt Disney World quickly expand their horizons well beyond the resort’s 4 gates, often exploring the various restaurants, resorts and even shopping areas that Walt Disney World offers. Kids who grew up here know which hotels have the best gift shops, where to go for speedy quick service dining after a long day at the park, and can even spend an afternoon playing mini-golf near the Swan and Dolphin hotels.
4. Height restrictions are milestones
Parents celebrate plenty of milestones for their children. First steps, first words and of course birthdays are all cause for celebration for most families. However, can you imagine throwing a party when your child hit the height requirement for Test Track? Kids who grew up at Disney parks (and their parents) always see the next height restriction as a new challenge to be conquered, and parents often celebrate each newly met hight restriction as an important milestone, often commemorating the event with a trip to a Disney park (naturally!).
Of course, Disney knows how important these milestone moments are too, and if you’ve ever been to Star Tours with a child who doesn’t quite meet the height restriction yet, make sure you talk to a nearby Cast Member. They’ll make sure that you’re equipped so that when the time comes, your little ones’ first flight will be the most amazing thing ever.
5. The magic lasts a lifetime
Pretty much every guest at Walt Disney World has been touched by Disney magic in one way or another. However, kids that have been fortunate enough to grow up at Walt Disney World have a unique connection to that Disney magic. These kids have grown up calling Mickey and Minnie Mouse their friends, can recite Fantasmic! verbatim, and can articulate with detail what the Laughing Place is, and why it is pretty amazing.
Though Disney Magic isn’t exactly quantifiable, it’s obvious that these kids feel this phenomenon more keenly than most, and it influences every part of their lives as they grow into teenagers and eventually adults, helping them face all the challenges that life throws at them with faith, trust and of course a little sprinkling of pixie dust.
Did you grow up a Disney kid? How did experiencing the parks at such a young age and then again at different stages of your life affect you? Share your stories below, and don’t forget to tell us if you are raising a Disney kid yourself!
