Last summer after my daughter graduated from college we went to Disneyland and California Adventure. She had never been there and wanted to go, we did go to Disney World several times when our kids were young. For me and my wife it was nostalgia but for her it was a new adventure in a new place. With that being said, I think the only time I would go back again would be to take my grandkids.

I do have a sister-in-law that absolutely loves the place. She goes down to Disney World every year and does the 1/2 marathons in the park. She is a big Disney fan either way from the characters to the movies. I think it is in part because she teaches mentally challenged kids so they love the stuff.

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TEAM HD
Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.

I live about six miles from Disney and have an annual pass. I also live about six miles from Universal and also have an annual pass. I go to both parks all the time. Sometimes I'll just go on a couple rides on an off day. Sometimes I'll go see a move (free valet parking at Universal right next to their theater). Sometimes I'll go for lunch or dinner (Disney Springs has really good restaurants). Sometimes I'll take a date to either park (apparently not a successful strategy, lol).

I grew up eight miles from Disneyland.

I had an Aunt that designed and produced hats for Disney for 25 years.

There are characters that are named after her and my mom. My grandfather loved to tell the story about the time she was adjusting the costumes on Pirates of the Caribbean and she fell in the water.

We like the rides.

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All I Wanted Was A Pepsi, Just One Pepsi

Team Zoot, Team Zoot Mid-Atlantic

That is one thing I will give credit to Disney for. They got their act together and make it entertaining for all ages. Everything around you is so detailed from waiting in line, to busing people to/from parks, to fine dining and everything. They don't half-ass anything.

Even if you watch their movies, there are jokes that kids won't get but adults will.

I think Disney is the most overrated amusement park ever...first of all there are just a handful of rides at each park. I took my family years ago and it was the MOST expensive vacations we ever took; we could have gone to Europe for a week. I don't get it.

I'm a Disney girl.
My husband and I go for races, but we also go to the festivals, like the Food and Wine Festival and the Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot.
We love the theming in the parks-- sure, there are not as many 'thrill rides' as in Six Flags or similar, but it's also cleaner and more detailed in theming than Six Flags. It's nice just to wander and take it in-- for us, it's not about how many rides we can do in one day.
The entertainment is generally very good.
There are quite a few restaurants that are quite good, but we also have our favorite go-to spots, including the 'traditional' (for us) margarita in Epcot's Mexico after the marathon. I don't get why people bash on the food prices-- just go to any college or pro sporting event and you're paying more for worse food and drinks. I mean, it's not cheap, but it's not as bad as our local football stadium.
The Cast Members (staff) are for the most part courteous and focused on customer service.
We've been on a couple of Disney Cruise Line cruises as well (without bringing kids)-- they have areas on the ship that are adult only (a pool, the spa, the gym, and an upscale restaurant) and we cruise when most kids are in school, so it's not quite as full of little ones as I'm sure the summer and holiday break cruises are. The entertainment on the ships is fabulous, and it's not a booze cruise or full of gambling and smokers.
So, yeah-- it works for us. It's a nice break from the 'real world.'

Matter of fact The Wife just happens to be on her way back from a work trip to Orlando as I type... Got a flurry of random texts this morning as she was killing time waiting at the airport; one of the observations she marveled at was the number of people still walking around wearing their souvenir mouse ears (obviously not at the park or any associated resort properties anymore).

The best (worst?) was some estimated ~300lb mom w/ bedazzling on the MM ears to match the embroidered baubles on her shirt. Her poor kids are sadly and surely doomed at life...

My family calls it "The Disney Gene". Some have it. Some don't.

My branch of the family has it. (180+ days in the park. 3 Disney cruises, opening night for all the movies, etc.), but I understand those who don't. It's busy, commercialized and costly.

However, for us it's all about tradition and memories and it gives our family a "common language". No matter how rough a day you might have, we can defuse any tension and engage our kids with "What's the best thing we did last trip?" or "What do you want to do first on our next trip?".

That being said, my wife and I joke with the kids and tell them "We can't wait for you guys to get older and mom and I can go by ourselves. You slow us down!"

Brad

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3SIXTY5cycling.com

I can understand if you live near it. But going on one vacation every year and it’s always Disney. We’re talking flying from Toronto to Florida every year. For Disney. And never going anywhere else.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

It’s an amusement park, my wife and I are roller coaster junkies and don’t get the Disney brand of rides.

Interesting to note that they have a strict policy that adults can’t dress as characters whilst visiting the park.

I have a friend who's my age (34) and he and his two brothers (36 and 38) go every year, and have since childhood. The two older bros have families they leave at home, every year, for this brothers trip.

I absolutely do not understand the appeal. Of all the places to see and things to do in the world...

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Long Chile was a silly place.

I’d rather go fishing.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

I'd rather even stay home. Disney has absolutely zero appeal for me. Went once when I was 10. That was plenty.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

Welp. I live just down the 401 from you... but we don't fly down there every year. We usually drive. ;)

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3SIXTY5cycling.com

Now 62 with youngest child nearing 30. Went there for our honeymoon in 1977. While the children were pre-teen and teen I had a severe addiction, 6+ trips??. Loved the rides with the kids. Many a family get together story around one of the "death marches" or of the rides. Just went back with wife this January. First time since 2000. Just 4 adults. We had a blast, doing many of the rides. Not considering the costs it was easily a day (or more) with little thoughts of the real world. Wouldn't call it genetic, thought it is a possible explanation. Just part of family fun history which is repeatable.

Going w/ a family including young kids, fine. Maybe even an older couple reliving some younger fairy-tale sort of ideal... But 3 middle-aged dudes together by themselves ~ WTF?!? It's gotta be some sort of front like 'fishing' in Brokeback Mtn, or an extended hookers & cocaine bender. Really...

No man, they just really love Disney, they're all huge movie buffs, starwars nerds, etc. The two brothers are normal, outgoing dudes, the youngest one, the friend of mine, is a bit odd in that he has never had a relationship or, as far as I know, even a date or kissed anyone (can't imagine why, when you're spending your vacations at Disney with your older brothers). He doesn't drink either so I doubt he's going on some bender.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

EPCOT

Once you get into the park, the attractions are mixed between kid oriented and adult oriented. All of the parks have an educational side, which I found interesting. Rides that take people through hydroponic gardens, how cars are tested for safety, etc. are really more for adults than they are for kids.

Once you get into the Showcase of Nations it becomes even more adult oriented. British pub food, shopping in a Japanese market, a replica of a Norwegian church built by Viking ship builders and lots of travel oriented attractions pretty much bore the kids and even some of the teens.

Epcot/World Showcase is my favorite part (also Animal Kingdom); we've been a few times for the Marathon and would usually spend that afternoon at Epcot just to walk around, have a few drinks /food in the different countries etc. and then head home the next day. Last time we went was three years ago when our daughter was 6, so we stayed at the park an additional day to take her. Only non-Marathon trip we did was when we first got married since neither of us had ever been.

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"You can never win or lose if you don't run the race." - Richard Butler

I can't help you. I don't want to go to Disney with my kids, let alone without them.

Go during the food and wine festival if you really want to try some great food I think they have 100 plus sampling tents won’t food from all over the world. We went this year, early sept is way the hell to hot and our daughter got hand foot mouth which was a treat but if you go later in sept or oct you’ll get the same food without the weather.

As far as adults going, trying to explain it if it’s not your thing is going to be impossible. I don’t get why people would want to go on a hunting trip but if that’s what they like awesome. The difference between Disney and other theme parks is the immersion factor. They just do a much better job of making you feel like you’ve escaped from reality. For instance, Pandora at night is just incredible from an immersion perspective.

If you don’t like Disney’s movies, theme parks etc yeah it’ll be boring and you’ll be asking why you spent so much to go. But if you take it for what it is they do a really good job with it.

Also they have some amazing restaurants all over Disney that are worth trying.

The bass fishing in the lakes at Walt Disney World is pretty good, actually. My brother-in-law has done it twice, and said it was some of the best fishing he's ever done.

It may be. But if I go here... the bass and pike fishing is also amazing and I share the lake with one or two other campsites.

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How does Danny Hart sit down with balls that big?

Looks awesome!!!