In the event you’ve ever expressed even a passing want to go to Disneyland in Anaheim or Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla., you might have had associates who raised their eyebrows, groaned and even sneered.
The center of their criticism isn’t simply that they assume Disney is for youths, or that it’s so prohibitively costly. It’s what I name the “authenticity objection” — the assumption that there’s one thing basically flawed with visits to theme parks just like the Magic Kingdom as a result of they happen in a completely manufactured surroundings. The unreal mountains and rivers, the rides that present nothing greater than senseless distraction, the “solid members” dressed up as characters.
It’s all so pretend.
Whereas some specific this view in jest, others imagine the false environments border on a cultural abomination. One on-line discussion board explicitly cites the manufactured nature of Disney parks as a purpose to not go, noting that the “smiling employees, the piped-in music, the proper landscaping” can really feel “creepy and overly managed.”
Journalist EJ Dickson, herself a Disney fan, admits that guests to the parks “willingly spend hundreds of {dollars} on an genuine emotional expertise that they know, at the very least on some degree, isn’t actually genuine in any respect.” And a well-liked Journey Advisor evaluate dismisses Disney World as “a sizzling, commercialized, pretend expertise.”
However as a thinker who not too long ago printed a ebook, “The Magic Kingdom and the Which means of Life,” I discover criticisms of the parks as pretend to be a bit obscure.
Advertising professors George Newman and Rosanna Smith observe that philosophers have tended to consider authenticity via the lens of whether or not “entities are what they’re presupposed to be.” Apply that customary to the worlds of Disney: Do they current themselves as something aside from Disney-themed amusement parks?
There are official causes to complain in regards to the authenticity of some experiences. In the event you purchase a ticket to a Van Gogh exhibit, you could possibly rightfully complain in the event you uncover solely reproductions on show. The truth that you hadn’t been in a position to inform the distinction whereas viewing the work wouldn’t matter. Against this, Disney sights don’t faux to be something aside from what they’re.
When folks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios experience Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, they know they’re not truly on a runaway practice being incompetently pushed by a speaking canine named Goofy. If Disney had marketed the attraction as one thing else — say, an Amtrak journey for youths — maybe there can be grounds for complaining.
If the preliminary type of the authenticity objection is comparatively straightforward to deal with, one other concern lurks within the neighborhood: The concept that Disney followers are one way or the other inauthentic, as a consequence of their willingness to show themselves over to the trimmings of a synthetic world.
The exact nature of this concern is tough to characterize. Nevertheless it entails the assumption that individuals who spend quite a lot of time in manufactured environments are likely to delude themselves in ways in which evade understanding and fascinating with their true selves. Phrases like “existential authenticity” or “self-authenticity” appear to seize what’s at stake.
This supposed connection between the pretend world of Disney and the corruption of 1’s genuine self is on full show in descriptions of so-called “Disney Adults.”
As Dickson characterizes this view in Rolling Stone, “being a Disney fan in maturity is to profess to being nothing lower than an uncritical bubblehead ensconced in a single’s personal privilege, suspended in a state of everlasting adolescence… refusing to acknowledge the grim actuality that desires actually don’t come true.”
However I’d strongly push again on the concept a love of Disney renders folks pretend or inauthentic in any significant method.
As A.J. Wolfe argues in her 2025 ebook, “Disney Adults,” even probably the most passionate devotees resist easy categorization. None of them, she explains, appear to be working from their true selves and even making an attempt, within the slightest, to reside in an imaginary world.
In her ebook, Wolfe profiles Woman Chappelle, a British tattoo artist who relocates to San Diego, the place she completely inks Disney-themed tattoos. Then there’s Brandon, a Hollywood drag queen who designed a Carousel of Progress-themed kitchen in honor of the attraction that now resides at Disney’s Magic Kingdom in Orlando.
These persons are consultant of just about all Disney Adults: They’re enthusiastic about Disney, however they’re additionally enthusiastic about tattooing and drag and myriad different pursuits.
For Disney Adults, Wolfe writes, an affection for the parks principally provides “further colour and brightness — possibly definition, motivation, or inspiration in the event you’re fortunate — to the complicated and evolving masterpiece that’s [their] life.”
And if that complexity applies to probably the most dedicated Disney followers, it’s that a lot tougher to solid informal guests in such a destructive gentle.
If theme parks aren’t your factor, that’s completely tremendous. You may have an exquisite life with out setting foot in EPCOT or the Animal Kingdom.
However Disney World has numerous virtues that its critics usually miss.
I believe it’s an ideal place for folks of all ages, backgrounds and talents to create worthwhile recollections collectively. After I experience Tiana’s Bayou Journey with my spouse and our intellectually disabled daughter, there’s slightly one thing for everybody: simply sufficient thrill and storytelling for the adults whereas not being overwhelming for my daughter. It’s a mix that may be tough to search out in lots of different locations.
Furthermore, as a result of we’re transported out of our every day routines, the parks can current stunning alternatives for reflection. I’ve thought lots about cultural expectations round happiness whereas at Disney. Ought to I attempt to maximize my pleasure throughout this quick journey? Or just take every day because it comes? I’ve realized to embrace the latter.
Sure, there are numerous individuals who merely need to use the worlds of Disney — theme park, movies or in any other case — to flee the grind of on a regular basis life. However is in search of such an escape a larger risk to authenticity than trying out by enjoying video video games, watching sports activities, studying smutty novels or utilizing medicine and alcohol?
Is it doable for folks to lose themselves in fantasy? In fact — simply because it’s doable for anybody to lose themselves of their careers, relationships or hobbies. However in an age of curated social media accounts, influencer advertising and political doublespeak, the manufactured worlds of Disney may provide extra authenticity than you’d assume.
Adam Kadlac is Educating Professor of Philosophy at Wake Forest College and creator of “The Magic Kingdom and the Which means of Life.” This text was produced in partnership with the Dialog.
