For all of us that grew up watching Disney movies and Disney Channel shows, we know it’s hard to let that important part of our childhood go.
We learned to have hope with Cinderella, to love beyond appearances with Belle, to fight for our family with Mulan, to appreciate those who are different with Pocahontas, to explore the world beyond our surroundings with Ariel, and much, much more. For some of us, our love for Disney outgrows itself, and we lean towards other types of entertainment. For others, the love for Disney never dies… Never. If you feel identified with the latter, please keep reading this article. You are in the right place. Disney lovers, let’s embrace and bask in the glory, tears, and imagination that is being a Disney fan, even at this age.
Note: this applies to Pixar movies as well!
1. You know all the songs by heart.
I know you all sing Part of Your World in the shower, or lip-sync violently to I’ll Make a Man Out of You while driving. I know I do. It’s impossible to not start singing along to the songs. This is the music we grew up with even if it was in English or Spanish. It becomes so ingrained in our lives that we start singing whenever we relate to a situation that the song is about, like singing I See The Light when the power came back after Hurricane Irma (for those of you who still had electricity) or The Circle of Life whenever you held a pet. You will most likely have a Disney playlist on your phone, Spotify account, iTunes, etc, and listen to it when you’re in a good mood or when you feel nostalgic. They express exactly how you feel. In summary, you are the winner of a Disney karaoke contest and there is no shame in that.
2. You watch the movies from time to time.
From High School Musical to Mary Poppins, or from The Jungle Book to Frozen, Disney movies are essential to our lives. And no, this doesn’t mean we’re childish or immature, we just know how to appreciate a masterpiece (yes, a masterpiece) that has the purpose of teaching us life lessons and make us happy, even when it’s temporary. Personally, I watch Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid whenever I feel down. It takes me back to a time when I felt like I had the entire world in my hands, when my imagination could come to life, and when the future was defined as a “happily ever after”. As the years go by, some feelings change, but the simple and beautiful things that the movies teach us, stay with us. In times of stress and chaos, a little glimmer of hope never hurts, which is why we still watch these movies.
3. Disney World or Disneyland is always the place you want to go to when you travel.
My family at Disney World, circa 2007.
When I was in second grade I made a wish upon the candle of my birthday cake to go to Disney World. Two months later, I got on a plane for the first time and arrived in Orlando, Florida. At the time, I did not know we were going to Disney until I saw the sign at the entrance of the park… and the tears just flowed. It’s been almost thirteen years since that moment, but my reaction is always the same. I bet it’s the same for all of you Disney fans too, and that’s not all. I bet you’ve all felt goosebumps during the fireworks show. No matter how many times you go, even if you’ve never gone before, traveling to Disney World or Disneyland is always on your bucket list. Let’s be honest, when you read “Puerto Rico” on a Disney employee’s tag and your Boricua hearts embrace, it’s like you just found your second home.
4. You appreciate every character.
Obviously, when you’re growing up you love the princesses, the princes, and the funny sidekicks. As you grow older, you still will, but you go through many life experiences that will make you relate more to the parents, the villains, and the minor characters. I know I wasn’t the only one giving 16-year-old Ariel a mom-speech when she said she loved Eric and wanted to go live with him after having barely met him once! Come on!
We look at everything with new eyes, and we mature with them as we keep growing. We understand their stories, their feelings, and their actions, and with that, we learn that no one is perfect, not even the princesses we all aspired to be. Sharpay is my homegirl now.
5. You analyze every detail.
From the facial expressions to the clothes, from the dialogue to the music, every single detail of a Disney movie has meaning and symbolism. You pause the movies more often and you discover new things you didn’t know as a child. Even with innuendos such as “Darling, it’s better, down where it’s wetter”… With all the Disney theories and Easter eggs that are all over the internet, you are almost always mindblown.
6. You quote the movies in your daily life, even subconsciously.
If you find yourself slipping Disney references into most conversations, you’re in Alice’s rabbit hole with the rest of us, and there probably isn’t a way out. I know a lot of you have quoted the lyrics to Hakuna Matata… sé lo tuyo.
7. You have dressed up as a Disney character at least once in your lifetime.
For us, there was no better feeling in Halloween like receiving your Party City costume catalog in the mail and looking at the Disney costumes… it was like discovering a gold mine. I dressed up as different Disney princess numerous times throughout my life. From Aurora to Cinderella, and most recently, Elsa. I will explain: I dressed up for a kid’s event; it was for charity, I felt no shame. What’s amazing about these costumes is that they transform and merge with characters from other cinematic universes, like Zombie Cinderella, Princess Leia/Ariel, and Pirate Snow White. It also crosses the borders of gender, with women dressing up as male Disney characters and with men dressing up as female Disney characters. They are all beautiful and creative.
8. You wish your life was a Disney movie.
This varies a lot of, depending on the fan, because apart from Disney, we love other movies and TV shows as well. In the back of our heads, a lot of us wish to have a happy ending and musical numbers at random moments. A custom soundtrack composed by Alan Menken or Lin-Manuel Miranda sounds like a sweet deal. The definition of happy endings change as we grow older> Happy endings become less perfect and more realistic as time goes by, but our ability to still have an imagination and to still have big hopes and dreams will never change. It pushes us to work harder, to be better people, and to be more empathetic towards others. Sometimes I wonder what song I’d want for the credits when my life movie ends. Something like True to Your Heart in the Mulan credits would be nice. What song would you want?
9. You’re excited every time Disney announces a new movie.
We’ve been very blessed to have lived through new Disney movies, like Brave, Wreck-It-Ralph, Frozen, Big Hero 6, Finding Dory, Zootopia, and Moana. Not only do they show the magic of Disney, they also present new stories and themes that are relevant to the times we’re living now, making the whole experience all the more relatable. These new movies use different software and editing programs for the animations, giving a more 3D visual aspect which is pretty cool. When those movies come out, you’re the first one in line to buy the tickets at the movie theatre. You ignore the “the target audience is children” info because we’ve been waiting years for these movies. Children, move away.
We’ve also been blessed to watch live-action recreations of Disney classics, like Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, and Pete’s Dragon. When you found out these movies were coming out, you knew which actors you wanted to play the characters, with an argument and everything. Richard Madden as Prince Charming though…
10. You feel that the Disney princes gave you unrealistic expectations of men.
This reason pairs up with #8. Where Disney has given you a near-perfect world of music, cool outfits, solutions to problems, and the desire to live it. Sadly, that is not completely possible; same with the views of men that Disney princes gave us. Don’t take this the wrong way, I believe men are amazing, beautiful, and really cool, but when you’re 11 years old, and you’re dreaming of marrying a man like Eric, once you get into the real world that will most likely not happen. Sometimes we expect men to sweep us off our feet, run after us, save us from a dragon, or to include us in every aspect of their lives, all while having perfect hair, amazing bone structure, and a proper vocabulary, Disney style, when in reality, we should cut them some slack. They’re human too, and they’re dealing with their own lives and their personal problems too, so I believe that Disney should be more considerate of the prince’s feelings as well. Thankfully, the live-action adaptations have included that aspect, giving the viewers an inside look at the prince’s lives. Nevertheless, there is more work to be done.
11. You love underrated Disney movies as much the most popular ones.
The Black Cauldron, Lady and the Tramp, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, Sword in the Stone, Robin Hood, Aristocats, Treasure Planet, A Goofy Movie, and the list goes on and on. Underrated movies also include sequels. We’ve seen them all, we know them all, and we love them all. Some of them are not as popular due to mixed reviews, lack of press, or because of the format they were presented, such as Direct-to-DVD. Even so, they have a special place in our hearts.
Special thanks to Isabella Fuentes and Natalia Serrano for helping out!