I keep seeing the phrase "Disney Adults" coming up in my YouTube feed. Lately, it's been driven by streamers like Asmongold and Sydney Watson. These two are very interesting, because they keep harping about their belief that "Disneyland is for kids".
It might be true that the Disney Adult phenomenon is driven mostly by people trying to relive their childhood, or by people who, like Peter Pan, refuse to grow up. But that doesn't mean that the parks are strictly for kids. They are for everyone, regardless of age or mindset.
Walt Disney made a very important speech when Disneyland opened on July 17, 1955, and it's worth dissecting it to see what Walt was really saying about his theme park:
To all who come to this happy place: Welcome.
Notice who this is directed to: ALL PEOPLE. Not "kids and their parents". Not "children only". It's directed at everyone. I'll paraphrase this so that Asmongold and Sydney can understand it better:
To everyone who has paid the entrance fee to this amazing, special place, including children, their families, young adults, middle aged folks who don't have kids, and older senior citizens who may have grandkids, or not, or may not have any kids of their own: WELCOME TO DISNEYLAND PARK.
Maybe that'll help, or maybe not. They are intelligent people, but they are also very dogmatic about their opinions. I doubt that a lowly blogger can persuade them.
Walt goes on to say this:
Disneyland is your land.
Not, "Disneyland is a kid's playground". Not, "Disneyland is only for a select few". Not even, "Disneyland is a white man's park, and blacks are excluded". It's not exclusionary. It's a park for anyone that passes through the gates. "To all".
Next piece:
Here, age relives fond memories of the past.
Walt is talking about Main Street, USA here, the land that was modeled after Marceline, Missouri. It's deliberately stylized to evoke a turn of the century "small town", where horseless carriages are new, and the fire departments still use horses.
When I was younger, I could care less about Main Street. It was boring. The only purpose was as a starting point for the train station, or to see the Mr. Lincoln attraction.
But as an adult, Main Street USA is a magical place. Riding the Main St. Vehicles is always enjoyable -- once you are old enough to enjoy it. Clearly it is a land that isn't for kids at all. It's for adults -- specifically for those who wish to "relive fond memories of the past".
Walt doesn't forget about the young though:
And here, youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future.
I think he's talking about Tomorrowland here, but it's vague enough to where he could be referring to Adventureland. Nothing about Fantasyland yet.
What's Disneyland all about, Walt?
Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams ...
Ahh, THERE is Fantasyland, land of "dreams". Interesting that he didn't get around to that land until the middle of his speech. If this was a "kids land", wouldn't he have pointed that out right away?
... And the hard facts that have created America ...
That's Frontierland!
... With the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.
"All the world". Not "all the children in the world". Not "all the couples with children in the world". Not "all the world except for people who like to dress up weird when they come to this happy place".
All. The. World.
To be fair to Asmongold and Sydney, I will grant that Walt originally had children in mind when he dreamed up the idea of Disneyland. He was sitting on a park bench on a Saturday, eating peanuts, when he got the idea:
Disneyland really began when my two daughters were very young. Saturday was always Daddy's Day, and I would take them to the merry-go-round, and sit on a bench eating peanuts while they rode. And sitting there, alone, I felt there should be something built, some kind of family park where parents and children could have fun together.
And if that was all he said about the park, then the criticisms about how it's a "kid's park" would be fair. But that's NOT all he said. When it was finally built, it was far bigger than a simple park with kids rides.
Fantasyland has the most attractions in the park, but it isn't the ONLY place to go. Little kids can ride everything in Fantasyland, but they can't ride everything in Disneyland. Many rides have height limits, and little kids are off limits.
It's a park for everyone - to ALL who come to this happy place. And Walt hoped that it would be an inspiration to the whole world, children and adults alike. A place where all could have fun - together.
To Asmongold and Sydney: I hope someday you get to see the parks through the eyes of the fans. They are beautiful places, and they are for everyone -- including you.
