“I can show you the world. Shining, shimmering, splendid!” Those were the unforgettable words I sang to one of my dearest friends as I planned our first adults-only Disney World trip. At 47 years old, LaShanta Harris had only visited Disney World once as a teenager, and I was determined to reawaken her inner child.
Disney adults get a bad rap. They’re often seen as a rabid cult of insufferable people who are holding on for dear life to the glory days of yesteryear. In truth, Disney Adults are no different than any other fandoms. There’s so much overlap/crossover appeal — hello, Kingdom Hearts is a thing and it’s the first video game I ever played and beat! Disney is the rare fandom that can not only be enjoyed by adults but with their children as well. Disney brings families together, and that’s how I stayed a lover of all things Disney.
I was born in 1990, one year into what is known as the Disney Renaissance, which spanned from 1989 to 1999. The first film of that iconic era was The Little Mermaid. While I was still swimming in my mother’s belly when the film was released, I have fond memories of the VHS tape being played at home and at my preschool. Fast forward to 2023, and I was able to take my own daughter to see the live action remake starring Halle Bailey as the titular mermaid. Imagine my joy watching my daughter marvel at someone on screen who looked just like her! That’s part of the beauty of Disney.
Back in the ’90s, I had fallen in love with Belle in Beauty and the Beast. She was smart and independent, all the things I wanted to be even as a toddler. After Belle came Princess Jasmine of Aladdin, an equally fierce example for me and a woman of color. In 1994, I was finally big enough to go with my dad to the movies. He took me to see The Lion King and my life was changed forever! From the moment I heard the “Circle of Life” sung in Zulu while the sun rose over the savannah, I was enamored.
Every year thereafter, my father took me to see the latest Disney film: Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan — the last film of the Disney Renaissance. Those films became interwoven into my life, from the characters to the unforgettable songs. Ultimately my love of Disney is connected to my love for my father.
When I was 12 years old, my parents could finally afford to take my brother and me on a trip to a Disney park. Our first trip was to Disneyland, which I thoroughly enjoyed. But a few years later, we were able to go to Disney World in Orlando. I’m not going to get into the East Coast vs. West Coast debate of why I prefer Disney World, but I will say it is much bigger (four parks vs. two) and from my perspective there’s so much more to do.
When I had my daughter, my brother gracefully bowed out of the family vacation, so my daughter came along instead when she was five years old. Seeing her greet and hug Princess Tiana of The Princess and the Frog made every penny spent worth it. Eventually, my parents also bowed out, and it was just Destiny and me traversing the parks together. Soon, spoiled Princess Destiny (age 10) got tired of Disney World and requested to go to the original park in California: Disneyland. We had an absolute ball but we both agreed, Disney World is our home park.
I shared my fascination with my family, but I wanted to find women just like me. I wanted to meet other Black girls who grew up watching the Disney Channel, singing along to the Cheetah Girls, who stanned Princess Tiana and bought all her merch. Facebook was the perfect vehicle to find like-minded people, and I stumbled across a group called Black Girls in Disney, founded in 2021 by Jasmine Perry. What’s so special about Jasmine’s group is that she fosters a space for Black girls to indulge in a fandom that has not always been inclusive of them. There’s a reason why it took until 2009 for us to have our first Black Disney princess.
Any woman of color who has occupied majority white spaces, especially Disney spaces, has endured the “othering” and exclusion of people that look like us. We saw how these groups attempted to destroy Halle Bailey, an unapologetic Black woman with the voice of a siren, for daring to take on the role of Ariel. Even Rachel Zegler (who has a Polish father and Colombian mother) was deemed by some to be “too dark” to play Snow White. Being a member of Disney fandom, like many others such as anime, manga, even sci-fi, often showed us that we are not wanted.
Perry wanted to change that and share her joy of visiting Disney World with women just like her. She didn’t know many in her life, but she found them online. Sharing her photos and recapping the excitement of her dream vacation with her fellow sisters is exactly what she needed. This author, too, thoroughly enjoys the group. I’m always eager to share my latest Disney fan theory and Disney merch purchase or break down the latest film in a safe environment.
Perry also doesn’t shy away from controversial topics. She and her admin team understand the importance of open discussions, but they are quick to remind us that we are all sisters and therefore must respect each other. In many ways, she’s our Disney fairy godmother. Perry says, “Disney is for the young-at-heart, no matter their biological age. Being a Disney adult isn’t about reliving one’s childhood. It’s about continuing the excitement and imagination we foster in childhood.”
“I can open your eyes, take you wonder by wonder.” My Disney serenade to LaShanta never stopped. After six months of planning, we were on our way to Disney World as adults. I would convert LaShanta to the cult of Disney by any means necessary.
We arrived in Orlando on a sunny weekend in January. We took Disney’s shuttle, the Sunshine Flyer, from the airport to our Disney resort Port Orleans: Riverside, a sprawling resort reminiscent of New Orleans of the 1920s and themed after Princess Tiana. I ensured that LaShanta wore a “first visit” pin. After all, it had been a few decades since her last trip. We settled into our room located in the Alligator Bayou section of the resort.
We had a tight itinerary, and LaShanta knew to bring her comfortable shoes. Over the course of our weekend, we took the boat from our hotel and enjoyed dinner in Disney Springs’ collection of signature restaurants. The following morning was jam-packed with visits to Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios; the next day we found ourselves at EPCOT, and finished our trip at Animal Kingdom.
LaShanta got the princess treatment with lunches and dinners at Jaleo by Jose Andres, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Be Our Guest, and the San Angel Inn Restaurant. We traveled around the World Showcase in Epcot, starting with a margarita in Mexico and were leaning by the time we got to France. Our favorite rides, the ones that reminded us of our childhood, were Avatar: Flight of Passage, Millennium Falcon: Smuggler’s Run, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and Guardians: Cosmic Rewind.
LaShanta adored Pixar’s Short Film Festival and Mickey’s Philharmonic, and I knew I won her over when she shed a tear after hearing “You Are The Magic” part of Disney’s 50th celebration. LaShanta says, “Magic means more to me now than it meant to me as a child. It reminds me that everything I need is inside of me.”
Maybe being a Disney adult isn’t so bad after all.
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