I am a 20-year-old who has been going to the Disney parks typically once a year over the last decade, so you could say I classify as a “Disney Adult.” Although I think that term is typically used to insult people who have an extreme obsession with spending all their money on a fictional mouse and his theme parks, I do get why I fit the label.
On my most recent trip to Walt Disney World, located in Orlando, FL, I ran into a lot of people wearing Philly sports merch, (more Phillies than anything) as well as people that went to Temple. I always had friends in the area that went to Disney World with their families, but this recent trip really made me think about this phenomenon on just how many people from/living in Philly love Disney. I’ve been trying to figure out if this is just completely random, or if these two places have enough in common for there to be causes for this overlap.
Sports and Dedication
When a lot of people think of Philadelphia, they think of our sports teams and the extremely dedicated fans. People love the sense of community that Philly has to offer because of the sports culture, and that’s one of the many reasons people move here. Of course, our teams will occasionally play Florida teams on their home turf, and the Phillies have a seasonal home in Clearwater with spring training, but that is the extent of the Philly sports and Florida connection.
However, specifically pertaining to Disney World and the world of Disney adults, I think that the dedication fans have over in central Florida is something that Philadelphians can relate to and really connect with. Disney is over-the-top with fun merch and fun food with mascots that look like they belong in a theme park. The Phillie Phanatic was created by Bonnie Erickson, the woman who also created Miss Piggy, making him kind of like a Muppet. Disney also now owns the Muppets and has since 2004.
From Philly to Jersey to Florida
Before my family and I started going to Disney World every year, we spent our summers down the shore. I really enjoyed these vacations, and I still try to go down for a few days every summer. Places along the New Jersey shore have entertainment sources like boardwalks, beaches, rides, and delicious food. I would say that growing up in Philadelphia and spending your summers somewhere like Wildwood or Cape May were fairly common experiences for my friends growing up, and this experience still exists now.
Disney World also has a boardwalk with a hotel, though the boardwalk doesn’t have any rides (at least for now.) The rides are reserved for their four theme parks, which are hyper-themed compared to the boardwalks or other smaller theme parks around the Philly area. The feelings in Disney World are similar, but they’re amped up in a way because of the details in the parks.
Although there isn’t exactly a science to prove why Philadelphians connect with Disney’s central Florida theme parks, I think that this topic is very interesting to have explored. Maybe one day a larger thesis will exist about the crossover here and why Philly loves Disney so much that we put an exhibit in the Franklin Institute to celebrate the company’s 100th anniversary (I attended this, of course), or why 1.5 million people take flights from Philadelphia to Orlando annually. For now, there is just a large community that exists for whatever possible sake there could be, and I’m happy to be a part of it.