Disney For Adults (We Have Fun Too)

What Age Is Too Old For Disney World?

The first time I went to Disney World in June of 2008, I was fifty... (50)... the Big Five-O!... And my mind was pretty much made up that I was NOT going to see much that was going to impress me...

I mean Disney World was for kids - right?

Even when the athletes won a major event, it was always "We're going to Disneyland" - NOT Disney World!

Disney World had Magic Kingdom and Tinker Bell, etc.

It just sounded like somewhere you took your young children, you know, young enough to enjoy all "that stuff" and just old enough not to think it was too corny!

Well, I needed a 'attitude adjustment' and Mickey and the gang gave me just that...

That first visit to Disney World impressed me just enough that I wanted to see more, so in just a few months, I was back again.

Let me explain...

The first time I ever went to Disney World, was in June 2008. I went with Cindy, and we took my daughter Luvenia, and my granddaughter Fernan, who was only eleven years old at the time. Now THAT was the perfect age for Disney World I thought.

We did a lot of the 'kiddie' things, and that didn't move me. Cindy had been several times with her daughters thru the years and she enjoyed doing the younger folks activities. (She also really enjoys taking new people and watching them have fun.)

All that 'kiddie' stuff doesn't impress me... You see, i'm an "old soul". I like the more grownup side of things when I go on vacation. I'm not into running around like a little kid to get on all the rides, and standing in line for an hour to get on a 2-minute ride. (Actually that's what makes the Fast Pass such an ingenious idea.)

I enjoy dining, golfing, relaxing, etc., you know - the grownup stuff! :-)

Don't get me wrong, I like going on a few rides and doing some of the 'kid-like' fun stuff (believe me, I have a LOT of kid in me), but when I pay for a vacation, I don't enjoy running around like a chicken with my head cut off, just to get on a bunch of kid stuff... Did that when I was a kid...

Disney World Appealed to My Grownup Side

We did a lot of the stuff my granddaughter liked, and that was great! That was the main reason I took her, but we also did some things that Grandpa liked too :-), like dining at Le Cellier Steakhouse, Whispering Canyon Cafe, 50s Prime Time Cafe, Tusker House Restaurant, Olivia's Cafe.)

Some of the restaurants were really fun, and the food was decent, and then some of the restaurants we ate at were really nice...

Now that was the Disney World I wanted to see more of!...

And that's why Cindy and I went back that December. So I could experience the Disney World from the 'Just Adults/Grownups' side.

Look Out Disney World... Here Comes The "Grownup" ;-)

In June, we stayed at Pop Century Resort... Pop Century is DEFINITELY for families with small children, but if you're going as a couple, then the more higher priced resorts is what I would suggest. The amenities are better. You get treated well in all the Disney resorts, but there's just more available to you at the moderate and higher resorts.

In December, Cindy and I stayed at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. A HUGE difference from Disney's Pop Century Resort. It was more of the 'Grownup' type of atmosphere that I was looking for. Cindy had never stayed there before either, and it was a pleasant surprise for her. (We've since stayed there several more times.)

We did some things differently. We relaxed more. We ate off the Deluxe Dining Plan. (In June, I bought the regular Disney Dining Plan.) Boy, what a difference that made. Cindy and I had to use up our snacks on the last day because we had so many left over. A far cry from June, where we pretty much went thru each day's worth daily.

We did hit a few rides - Tower of Terror (my favorite), and Rocking Roller Coaster (Cindy's favorite), Soarin (a favorite for both of us), and a few others, but to me, this was more like a vacation I thought it should be... More 'grownup' like.

We met our friends, the Rosenhans, who are DVC (Disney Vacation Club) members and come around late November, early December for several years. It was great having lunch and dinner with them.

Speaking of dinner :-), the restaurants we dined at in December were fantastic - The Turf Club Bar & Grill (Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa resident restaurant), The Hollywood Brown Derby (located in Hollywood Studios), Artist Point (in the Wilderness Lodge Resort) and the Yachtsman Steakhouse (located in the Yacht & Beach Club Resorts), just to name a few.

We also had a tour of the DVC (Disney Vacation Club) setup and by February of 2009, we became DVC members, buying into BLT (Bay Lake Towers) as our 'Home Resort'.

It was actually that first stay at Saratoga Springs that was a big factor in us decision on becoming DVC (Disney Vacation Club) members.

Boy, I really got caught up in 'the magic', didn't I? :-)

Yep, I was truly Disney-fied!

Since then, we've golfed at Disney, will be going on a Disney Cruise in November of 2010 and plan on going back at least once every year.

All from a 50 year old who thought he was too old for Disney World!

There is a lot at Disney World for folks of all ages, so if you've never been, then GO!...

Did I mention that we took my mom in July of 2010, who was 76 at the time, and she absolutely loved it - even as hot as it was!

You're NEVER Too Old To Go To Disney World!

Julius Covington, Sr.
Julius@AllThingsDisney.com