Everyone has an opinion about Disney Adults! Even you, who is likely a Disney Adult, have your opinions about other Disney Adults. But who are these creatures, what drives them, and why do they even run wild?
Disney Adults: Exploring (and Falling in Love With) A Magical Subculture by AJ Wolfe is an examination of the Disney Adult from a Disney fan culture insider. Wolfe opens the book with the declaration that Disney adults are the most hated group on the internet, you know, the place you are right now. Wolfe shows readers how Disney fandom moved from visiting a Disney park to an online community that used the early stages of the internet to connect and share their knowledge. As an online community with members able to connect, they grew to the point where they can connect with other fans but also create a mass that can be targeted. Wolfe then moves on to the bigger question: how did we get here? She starts with a bold premise, it's not really about the hobby. It’s about what fans get from it. Wolfe shows how Disney fandom provides a mix of escape, safety, nostalgia, immersion, and community…largely benefits that fans of multiple fandoms can offer their fans. The book then enters detailed examinations of the Disney Adult, including profiles, communities, and the perils of fandom. Finally, Wolfe details how fans have influenced Disney and the future of Disney and fandom.
With Disney Adult currently serving as such a charged word, I didn’t at first know what the approach would be. Would this be a hit piece? Would this be nothing but praise? No, Wolfe has done neither. Wolfe has attempted to provide a balanced and serious look at the fandom. On the negative side, Wolfe does not ignore the excesses including at times crippling debt and the dissociation from others by hyper focusing on the fandom. But she also provides a clear psychological understanding of why we are this way with Disney providing us escapism, discovery, immersion, achievement, and influence. And I would agree that my fandom to varying degrees does overlap with much of this. I do have to admit though I am part of the odd 10% of Disney Adults who started their prime fandom as an adult (and parent) with only Uncle Mike’s Sunday not introductions as my primary childhood connection.
I also think Wolfe does a good job of comparing why Disney Adults are part of this fandom with the motivation of other fans. As someone who is a die-hard Cubs fan, Marvel Comics, and Star Wars fan, much of her analysis tied to age, nostalgia, escapism, and other attributes just makes sense to me in my love of these properties.
One of the key observations is that Disney is everywhere, a point that I have made in my own fandom. No matter where you live, Disney does connect to you and pull us into the park. If you live in Florida, California, or Indiana Disney is calling to you. And it’s only getting bigger as a company. As part of the change, Disney Adults have a voice as outspoken criticism about what we want, our own expectations of quality. And we do know that Disney listens to us as very key customers.
It does make sense that Wolfe would not attempt to write an attack piece on Disney Adults. Along with being a self-identified Disney Adult, Wolfe is a deep insider to the Disney fan community as the owner of the Disney Food Blog and AllEars, two very popular fan sites which cater to Disney Adult’s needs for parks’ related content that can be viewed internationally in multiple online formats. Disney Adults are truly a prime customer for these outlets. But in this position, Wolfe is a self-proclaimed Disney Adult who has countless online and in-person interactions with the community. And this is likely why she can provide a balance of the good and bad in the community, as she quite literally lives in that fandom daily. Wolfe can give us a view not of a dispassionate outside researcher, but someone deeply embedded in the community.
I have a hard time believing that if you read this review this far, you’re not a Disney adult. Disney Adults: Exploring (and Falling in Love With) A Magical Subculture by AJ Wolfe is a resource that can help you understand who you are and perhaps give you the language to explain your silliness to others. But it also can provide warnings of excesses that fans in any community can be trapped into, such as poor financial choices or focusing on the wrong parts of life. Perhaps the greatest value this text can provide is self-reflection, as you get to know yourself and your relationship to any fandom.
Review Copy Provided for Review
