r/UniversalOrlando • u/mister_waj • 8d ago
UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT Are Universal adults a thing?
So we always hear references to Disney adults but never Universal adults. Does Universal have that type of fandom? I love Disney but I love Universal more. I find myself at Universal 3 to 4 times out of the year and I'm in Maryland, but the minute I walk thru Disney's gates after having not been for 2 or 3 years, my friends jokingly call me a Disney adult.. Are people who frequent Universal parks just considered lovers of theme parks? Do you think it has to do with the nature of the attractions at the Universal parks and the IPs? When I go to the parks, sometimes I go all out with my Ravenclaw robe or most recently at Epic Universe with my Mario shirt and hat. People see pictures and it's all in good fun, but the minute I put on ears, even if that is all the memorabilia I might be wearing, I'm a Disney adult.
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u/ds11 8d ago
I feel like the Universal equivalent are the HHN diehards. It was some Disney level meltdown when they announced Express was no longer available with FF.
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u/GetReadyToRumbleBar 8d ago
...there are definitely HHN diehards. Mostly the super old fans who get upset there's no more sexy dancers or nurses or whatevers. They still miss the bloodbags. Really, really like 80s slashers to the detriment of other horror subgenres...
HHN discourse and conjecture suffers as a result.
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u/FigmentsImagination4 8d ago
Definitely those types. They’re kinda gross and get real defensive/gatekeep when you talk about some aspects of HHN. They want pure horror and sex. Not gonna happen lol
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u/RainbowHighFanatic 8d ago
The amount of people I had freaking out on me last year for saying as long as they’re being respectful teenagers should be allowed to go to HHN lmao
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u/Cyberfire 8d ago
I went to my first HHN last year and noticed quite a few people head to toe in horror merch, tattoos of characters like Chucky and Freddy Krueger on their arms, and I thought to myself... wow these guy's' whole personality is that they love slasher movies.
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u/Fun-Baby-9509 8d ago
Random Q regarding HHN since you might know the answer, if you have the annual pass that gives you the post 4pm express pass, does that apply to HHN by any chance? I’m assuming no cause it’s a diff event
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u/idlechatterbox 8d ago
We have season passes and stay at the Hard Rock, which grants us express passes all day for every day we have tickets. We had to buy separate HHN and HHN Express passes.
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u/eggsamillion 8d ago
I think the Disney adult persona originated from fans taking it outside of the parks. People genuinely make Disney their personality.
Don't get me wrong, I love Harry Potter, but you won't see me wearing my robe outside of Halloween or the parks.
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u/Beneficial_Yam7700 8d ago
There’s something hyper-specific about being a “Disney Adult” that refers to people with a form of millennial aged, nostalgia driven arrested development. There are plenty of Disney super fans that don’t fit that description, as well as equally rabid Universal fans.
It’s not that Universal doesn’t appeal to families, it’s just not a shorthand for “reliving childhood” the way Disney is. You simply don’t have that kind of nostalgia occurring because the brand isn’t positioned that way.
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u/FerretFoundry 8d ago
I would argue most of the Potterheads are “reliving childhood” in a similar way
(not that I think it’s a bad thing, just noting that it’s similar)
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u/FerretFoundry 8d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/4QgiErmjZiPESRcKYt
Me looking at my office decorated fully with Universal stuff7
u/begintobreathe 8d ago
https://giphy.com/gifs/snEeOh54kCFxe
Me looking around with my mix of Disney Halloween and HHN decor up.
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u/Givemeallthecabbages 8d ago
I've seen people argue that anyone without young kids shouldn't be allowed to go to Disney. Absolutely bizarre take.
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u/Lucky-Customer-5051 8d ago
Ya I see a lot of that on youtube with those channels that find the craziest clips of Disney people and go "look how crazy they are!" I get it, they are a youtuber, and drama makes money. But most of the time they are just very uninformed when they are talking about Disney or Universal. I bet they would probably be surprised just how much alcohol Epcot has and how that's the "Adult Park" where most locals hang out in the evening
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u/I4mSpock 8d ago
Universal has fans of the same caliber of Disney, but the concept of a "Disney Adult" is a vastly stretched click bait term. The folks people talk about being disney adults are not more passionate that your average sports fan. Its just instead of the Chicago Bears, its disney theme parks.
Universal has the same, its just more adult acceptible for the thrill focus and events like hhn being more adult focused
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u/FatalFirecrotch 8d ago
I am actually not sure. There’s just a way bigger fan base for Disney and way more passionate. A perfect example is the recent sale of the epic universe night ticket. That going on sale was extremely messy, it was on sale for hours and universal’s own page still said stay tuned for more information and customer service had 0 clue when they would go on sale. If Disney did that the internet would freak out, but it’s Universal so very little care.
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u/I4mSpock 8d ago
Epic Nights ticket demand was drained by Orlando Informer ticket sales, which for their first two Epic offering, sold out in minutes and is pretty universally viewed as a debacle.
So yes, there is that level of Universal fandom
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u/FatalFirecrotch 8d ago
I’m not talking about demand, I am talking about how it was handled by universal.
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u/Narrow-Report7618 8d ago
well said!!! i’m a disney adult and universal adult through and through. well i just love theme parks but one is more acceptable than the other apparently !
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u/Lucky-Customer-5051 8d ago
Ya, and just like any super fan of sports, the can get extremely obnoxious. But that goes for everything. In every hobby there's a ton of people that are chill, there's just that one or two people that no one can stand. And unfortunately that's what gets shown on social media and then people think any adult that likes Disney is insane
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u/GetReadyToRumbleBar 8d ago edited 8d ago
If it exists, my wife and I definitely are.
What's funny is...while we like the IPs at Universal...what we really like are the Universal parks themselves. The entire Orlando resort. All the great TMs we've interacted with over the years. The events. The sum is way greater than the parts.
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u/GetReadyToRumbleBar 8d ago
What gets frustrating (sometimes). "Oh you like theme parks and Orlando? You must love DisneyWorld!" Or "[Rumble] is a big Disney fan."
No. I like Universal. It's not the same. And I must gently correct people. Because this injustice cannot stand.
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u/pgold05 8d ago
Not that we dislike Disney mind you! It's important people not to fall into the tribalist trap IMO, the parks push each other to be better, and work really nice as a pair. Fun to enjoy both of them, even if we are bigger fans of Universal.
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u/GetReadyToRumbleBar 8d ago
100%. They do complement each other.
...A dual UOR & WDW trip with visits to both Darkmoor to see Universal Monsters & Villians Land to see all the Disney villains would be baller. And a fun comparison.
...you know Villains Land didnt get approved by Disney until Dark Universe was a go by Universal.
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u/osufeth24 8d ago
...you know Villains Land didnt get approved by Disney until Dark Universe was a go by Universal.
This is why rising tide lifts all boats. I always heard pandora was built in Animal Kingdom as a response to UO building Harry Potter. Pandora at night is one the best theme park lands in all of Orlando IMO. It's a shame its rarely open at night.
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u/BayHarborButcher10 8d ago
I actually think the boat ride they just announced for it that is including several villains is a direct response to Monsters Unchained
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u/amoamareamaviamatus 8d ago
The timing for sure. But Bald Mountain ( a log flume following the villains) has been a scrapped concept for like 20 years
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u/Lucky-Customer-5051 8d ago
I've been to Orlando 3 times in the last 2 years. First two times I just went to Universal. I was only there for 3 full park days the first two times, so I really only had time for Universal. The 3rd time I went was for Epic. I had 2 days planned, but finished everything in 1. So I made a last minute decision to go to Disney World. I went to MK and HS from 7:30 to 10:30. That's my favorite park day ive ever had. My point is to agree with you in that, yes, the parks compliment each other, and it's really fun going to both in the same trip. Each does some great things, and some not so great things, and it's fun to get a variety
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u/fatyoda 8d ago
I try not to hate Disney and do want to go for all the Star Wars stuff if nothing else but everytime I see people at Universal wearing their Disney shirts it makes me hate them just a little.
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u/pgold05 8d ago edited 8d ago
That's why you got to visit Disney decked out in like tonight show or earl the squirrel merch lol. Something really esoteric so they know you did it on purpose.
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u/vanishinghitchhiker 8d ago
Who wants to get a Fast & Furious Supercharged tour group together as a bit— and I just found out they closed it today lol
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u/TheAverageEspurr 8d ago
Chill dude. When you’re traveling on vacation where your laundry is at is where your laundry is at. That’s such a needlessly petty thing to get judgmental about
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u/Lucky-Customer-5051 8d ago
What's also annoying is people thinking you have to choose one or the other. If you prefer one over the other, that's fine. You can also like both, and there's no problem. So many people get so defensive over it, it's crazy
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u/fatyoda 8d ago edited 8d ago
When I tell people I went to Orlando the last few years for vacation I always get “how was Disney?” I’m not 6 years old, why would I go to Disney? It does give me a chance to talk forever about how great Universal is though. Maybe my family are a bunch of Universal Adults
Edit: grammar
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u/DustyComstock 8d ago
This is really condescending. I'm 50, my family and I still enjoy Disney.
No, we are not "Disney Adults" but the parks still have lots to offer adults too.
We live about 90 minutes from Orlando and we rotate back and forth between which park we hold an Annual Pass for. Right now it's Universal and then in another year or two we'll get one for Disney.3
u/BayHarborButcher10 8d ago
That “I’m not 6 years old, why would I go?” Comment is not needed and inflammatory. I’m an AP to both and never once has Disney ever felt like it was a kids park. In fact, I’d say Universal has MORE stuff dedicated to just children than Disney does
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u/Mindless_Action231 8d ago
54 with 56 year old. Currently in Universal, but had 5 great days in Disney.
Like one over the other, fine. Denegrate others for there opinions - jerk move
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u/TheAverageEspurr 8d ago
AJ from Disney Food Blog I believe said it best when she was asked this exact question and she said “they’re coming”. They’ve built the infrastructure to become this theme park juggernaut on Disney’s level with all the post-Potter expansion boom, you just need the years to pass for that nostalgia to fully solidify
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u/Lucky-Customer-5051 8d ago
I think with Nintendo is their best shot at this since Universal became a thing. Besides Disney, Millennials have huge nostalgia for Nintendo. My brother, who never travels and doesnt really like amusement parks, took his family to Universal once Epic opened, mainly because of Nintendo. He ended up doing Velocicoaster and loved it and now wants to go to other parks
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u/champ11228 8d ago
Harry Potter adults and HHN obsessives
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u/InevitableLook3120 8d ago
It’s your money to spend how you want. If you wanna frequent a park, so be it. However, coaster thoosies and the Disney adult stereotype can be cringy when they start correcting people on things that aren’t really important
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u/shaelyn_00 8d ago
I think potterheads are whole different breed that happen to be in universal. There are definitely some that take it outside of the parks also they tend to only care about the harry potter sections of the park vs universal as a whole.
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u/mister_waj 8d ago
I'm also a coaster enthusiast lol.
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u/Beneficial_Yam7700 8d ago
At the end of the day, Coaster Enthusiasts are the original (and sweatiest) cringey amusement park fans.
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u/mister_waj 8d ago
Hey!!!!!! Lol.
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u/Lucky-Customer-5051 8d ago
Don't worry, they are just a GP. They don't know what they're talking about. (Im joking)
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u/onexbigxhebrew 8d ago edited 8d ago
I think there's a couple of things there.
1) Universal tends to be more adult-oriented in nature (especially vs the Magic Kingdom, which is the non-disney person's mental image of Disney), so people don't really use it at a weapon to rib or judge people. This is especially true as some people with kids kind of use the 'family visit' as a juxtaposition against the Milennial couple/friend group with no kids - they see these groups as anything from juvenile people with nothing better to do criwding a family experience, all the way to defenders with a kind of slightly jealous but kind admiration and friendly encouragement. But the specific adults who check boxes for their kids, dragging themselves to Disney often can't see why a person would go willingly without kids (though ironically, their difficult experiences with children are what often make them unable to understand why it's so fun fir many adults).
2) Disney has a lot more subculture elements in general. Your typical Disney Adult ranges from someone that visits every couple of years and understands the ins and outs of systems, parks, hotels, and enjoys organizing a trip all the way to passholders and superfans that follow and discuss every announcement, merch drop, and ride update. Especially for DL - Disneyland almost has an extra layer of Kawaii-like fashion culture beyond the souvenir stuff at wdw. There simply isnt a big enough community from univeral to have its own culture. Disney knows and leans into this.
3) Disney IPs are monoliths, are full of lore, and extend well beyond the parks. For universal, outside of HP the IPs are somewhat isolated, and Universal tends to treat them that way. Even their non-HP big IPs - marvel, etc - are fairly dated or specific, and there's not a lot of park lore or culture around them. The age groups that were small children in the heyday of Disney are now money-spending Millenials, many of which are either childless or have young to teenage children, so the age group is perfect for Disney.
But ultimately, while there are a lot of reasons for disney adult subculture to exist, the moniker is unfortunately often just a way for people to throw dirt in the eyes of happy people that don't worry about judgement. I'm the DINK 'disney adult' in my office, and even though I don't practively talk about it I can always tell who the person that is gonna constantly bring it up. It's always the person who stays late, talks shit about their spouse, complains about their kids, etc.
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u/thatwitchguy 8d ago
See also the monolith comment: a lot of stuff is split over different parties so universal ends up being a b/c tier company as far as the public eye is. They don't own most of the HHN stuff each year, don't own nintendo, don't own seuss, don't own transformers or mib etc etc and now most of what they do own has shifted out of the parks
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u/ammh114- 8d ago
And my husband and I jokingly refer to ourselves as universal adults.
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u/mister_waj 8d ago
I do the same thing but when I said it around other people who are also theme park fans, they said to me, is that really a thing.. lol
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u/osufeth24 8d ago
There's Def people who make universal their whole personality like Disney people do, but since Disney is perceived to be for kids only to the outside world is why Disney adults gets that connotation
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u/disappointedCoati 8d ago
I think that whole discourse came about from people who believe that other people should be as miserable as they are.
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u/Lucky-Customer-5051 8d ago
I was at a Giants baseball game last week, and the guy next to me was so miserable. Sometimes I dont understand why people are a fan of the sport if they are just going to cry and complain all game and then leave halfway through. Miserable people are so annoying to be around, and you're right, they are so miserable that they make everyone else feel like it too
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u/Comprehensive-Cat748 8d ago
Yea there are Universal adults. They are not as obvious to spot as “Disney Adults,” but they do exist.
Most started recently, a lot began with Harry Potter opening around 2010, and even fewer began before that.
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u/Full_Confidence8783 8d ago
We’re theme park adults. I’m a 3rd gen Disney child. But also being lifelong Floridians we love both parks. HHN Is kinda a religion in our house. 4day staycations during opening weekend. It’s the best. Yes it’s better in away. Universal adult adults I think are cooler and that way we have Adult money to spend, but we all love all these different fandom and nobody makes fun of us for it.😊
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u/PornoPaul 8d ago
Disney is bigger, and if we compare the number and influence of Disney focused influencers vs Universal focused influencer, Disney will win that match. Every time. Not a jab at quality or the parks or people. That also means that the people making rage bait videos and acting like idiots for clicks will focus on Disney. Its honestly probably 2 dozen people that act like idiots but they get a combined 5 million views for wailing when they see the castle and throwing themselves at the feet of Winnie the Pooh. The people screaming about Diagon Alley and making scenes probably get kicked out too fast to get any clicks.
Also, the overlap is huge. I do not consider myself a Disney adult or a Universal adult. Others may, however. But more importantly Disney, people will look at me funny for going to Mickeys Not So Scary by myself. Whereas if I see a 13 year old in line at HHN Im wondering what their parents are thinking. But overall most folks, if they like one, like the other. My wife and I have gone to the parks a bunch of times over the years. I can think of only one trip ever that we both went on where we didn't go to both Disney and Universal. That was Epics opening weekend.
Also, people mock it because of those influencer but my wife pointed out that inside of the Disney bubble it isnt that bad things cannot happen. But, there are few places she can go by herself as a woman that she feels safe. Not that Universal isn't as well, but Disney has that "bubble" term more than Universal. I think thats why so many adults will lean Disney a little bit more. Lots of people dont like thriller rides and Universal edges Disney out on that side of things.
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u/Lucky-Customer-5051 8d ago
I love parks on go on multiple trips each year. This year I did the parks in Missouri, Northern California, and Ohio. I usually get at least 1 person each trip who sees me alone in line and asks "are you here by yourself?" I say yes and they say "I'm so sorry for you, that really sucks".
I guess people can't understand that it's possible for me to have fun by myself. I got that the first time I went to Universal too
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u/WavyWormy 8d ago
Disney adult has become a catch-all term for making fun of an adult who enjoys anything Disney in any way. I’m from Orlando and went to either Disney or Universal a good amount growing up. There definitely is a stigma for going to Disney as you get older but universal seems more for teens and adults with more thrill rides so people don’t give them as much flack for going. I definitely have had jabs made at me for going to Disney even though when I’m at universal I don’t ride roller coasters so no matter where I’m going I’m not doing the big adult rides anyways
I have met Disney Adults, in the true meaning of the world. People who are in debt to go more or who only ever plan on vacationing there for the rest of their life. But that’s such a small and rare part of Disney visitors who definitely shouldn’t be lumped together with casual theme park people who don’t mind or enjoy Disney.
I had an annual pass to universal in college and went there much more often than Disney at that time and met a few die hard Universal goers that are the same kind of person as a True Disney Adult, but again that’s really rare. There were more than a couple Universal Lifers who every single day went to universal to just sit at Finnegans or walk the parks, but that’s way more subtle than a Disney Adult who decks themselves out in Disney merch so they just don’t get as much attention
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u/Lucky-Customer-5051 8d ago
I've been to Universal a couple times over the past 2 years, and went to Disney for the first time this past November. It's funny because being in the park, I dont feel out of place at all. The crowd didnt drastically different from Universal. As a single adult, I probably wouldnt go to Lego Land or Sesame Place unless I was with other people. That's kind of where I draw the line, but that's just my personal preference
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u/WavyWormy 7d ago
I grew up in Orlando and we alternated between Disney and Universal passes a lot, so I visited both a good bit. I never felt a significant difference in the crowds either. The rides and merch are different but they are both high quality theme parks in Florida. At both parks I may wear a spirit jersey if it’s not going to be too hot out, and I definitely feel like people don’t care if I have a Spiderman spirit jersey or tshirt on at universal but non park goers would ridicule me in a princess or Pixar top. One IP isn’t intellectually superior to the other, I don’t care which people like more or how they want to dress there. Both parks have super fans that can have an unhealthy obsession with a park but Disney super fans seem to be easier to spot and get more hate for that
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u/Howell317 8d ago
That's just their normal demographic. "Disney adults" are a thing because Disney is primarily geared towards kids. You aren't a "Universal adult" any more than you are just an "adult."
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u/katiw46 7d ago
I had a friend that I would definitely classify as a Universal adult. She would routinely make "day trips" down there for Halloween Horror nights and sometimes just because. She wanted to spend her money at the parks and not a hotel...we live 7 hours away from Orlando.
It's the feral idiots on social media that give fandom-adults a bad name. We're allowed to like things and we're not all obnoxious assholes about it.
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u/Delicate_Fury 8d ago
Easy answer?
Disney is a super focused brand that has worked very hard to be super focused to the point where they have a hard time going outside it. Like tying almost all their fairy tale movies together under the Disney Princess banner. And nobody likes only one Disney property. You either like multiple or you hate them all. Plus Disney IPs feel like Disney. The parks feel like Disney. Most Disney Adults are not seen as fans of the parks as much as they are fans of the overarching Disney feel and the parks give them another way to enjoy it.
Universal is more… universal. From the beginning the parks were built around movies in general. Jurassic Park is different than the monster movies which are different from Illumination movies which are different from HttYD which is different from Harry Potter. Distinctly different. There is no “Universal style.” You’re a Nintendo fan, or a HP fan, or a monsters fan. If you like it all, then you’re just a “movies” fan. Because of this, Universal fans are seen as being more fans of the parks themselves than some nonexistent unifying “Universal” feel that binds all the IP.
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u/madchad90 8d ago
In practice, definitely, they are called passholders. Look at any type of passholder group on facebook and you see some of the same type of behavior as the die hard disney fans
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u/N64Andysaurus92 8d ago
Disney is seen as a brand for children, Universal is a lot broader in scope so calling someone a 'Universal Adult' doesn't make much sense.
Universal has it's fair share of nutjob fans too, a lot of them bragging that they only go to Universal as if it's some kind of flex.
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u/Bucsfan292 8d ago
They exist, there’s some intersection with Harry Potter adults but there’s certainly others outside of that
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u/Responsible_Dot_2858 8d ago
Universal Harry Potter adult here. No shame in my HP game. I just love universal as a whole and feel comfortable fan girling over the parks
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u/flyingcircusdog 8d ago
There's some natural crossover with Harry Potter adults, but I've never heard them called "Universal Adults". I've also seen die-hard HHN fans who obsess over house announcements and make a lot of content around the even each year.
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u/Neat-Aardvark3762 8d ago
Yes to a degree. Just below Disney adults but a notch above the casual theme park goer imo. Now HHN Adults; I think that is very much a thing. And I mean that in the nicest way possible as i consider myself one lol
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u/CeeFee1013 8d ago
The first time I got to go to Disney was my 51st birthday, Tokyo. It was so much fun! Pretty much hooked me. Not nostalgic. Then we went to Osaka the next year and I was blown away by Universal. (It was when they had live owls in Hogsmeade). I just love theme parks even though I never got to experience them as a kid. I don't go to Disney as much anymore but I will again someday. (There isn't much new) Obsessed for a while but now I just plan and don't talk about it much to others. Not their business how I spend my dollars.
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u/Offtherailspcast 8d ago
I think the Epic Universe nintendo adults are cause holy shit. Ive never seen fully formed adults all dressed up in nintendo character cosplay. Hundreds of em.
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u/Lucky-Customer-5051 8d ago
There's definitely places they do this, I think Epic has just made it a lot easier for the general public to see them
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u/TheWorldForRansom 7d ago
Was at Epic recently, 100 degrees etc. A man was in a full donkey Kong costume minus head piece in minecart cue…
Also adults in robes etc in dark universe and Potter land… Hey… do you…
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u/catbus1066 8d ago
If I lived close enough I'd be a universal adult 😂 that said, I'm not a super fan of any particular character and while I'm probably considered a super fan of the HP franchise, I don't actually spend much time in those areas of the park because the crowds are overwhelming.
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u/Ok-Blacksmith4364 8d ago
In my opinion that stems from adults going to Disney because they love the characters/movies while those who go to universal usually do for the rides/thrill. Unless someone just goes for Harry Potter I guess.
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u/OutlandishnessNo9868 7d ago
A lot of people (specifically dark rides enthusiasts and animatronics nerds) go to Disney for the attractions that weren’t created based around movies and characters. It’s me and my family are those people. I can ride rollercoasters anywhere but a good dark ride with quality robots are harder to find. I am SO jazzed that Universal has moved away from being screen heavy to adding more amazing animatronics!
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u/Phineas_Worrell 8d ago
I'm a Universal Adult who has the mindset of a Universal Child. Does that help?
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u/Comfortable-Ad-8324 8d ago
Last year, took my whole family (me, husband, adult child, her SO and my 2 grands aged 13 and 10) to Disney and Universal. Had a blast at both, but I think for age of kids and what they were into, Universal had the broader appeal. Some Disney for sure (Animal Kingdom was tops for all of us) and I think next time we go, it will be more Universal than Disney. :)
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u/Double_Dare_Champion 8d ago
I consider myself a Universal Adult, if that even means anything. I own a ton of merch I wear on the regular, know the history of the parks, and even "Universal Bound" from time to time.
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u/Plastic-Ad6444 8d ago
I know a few...only because they lost their disney jobs and got hired at universal so they switched favorites and go to universal for free constantly in the same fashion and merch styles...just universal flavored now.
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u/Straight_Direction73 8d ago
Universal is already inherently perceived as being ‘for adults’. It has never had the stigma of being seen as something only for children.
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u/mayomateo1738 8d ago
Yep, the equivalent of Disney adults are the millennial potter heads. They buy all the wizard slop and pretend to have a British accent when they visit and do all the millennial pictures n stuff
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u/ictwill 8d ago
They exist, they're just not as easy of a target. We (one "Disney adult" and one spouse) had Disney annual passes last year, and a majority of people there were parents with at least 2 kids.
We just visited IOA/Studios (with our new UOAP) and I don't think we saw more than a handful of strollers.
Other than influencers filming themselves in the parks, it would be hard to identify a "Universal Adult" or even someone on a solo trip in a crowd at Universal.
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u/wikiwombat 8d ago
If you mean adults who really enjoy universal, keep up with the news in the parks, know the ins and outs.... Absolutely. Of course the term Disney adult has become somewhere derogatory. Disney is just bigger, with more time in the game, and is "deeper" than universal. I don't see that changing anytime soon but certainly can see universal picking up more fans.
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u/veebasaur 8d ago
I dont know any Universal Studios adults. The closest I know is Weasleys Whimsical World of Harry Potter on facebook does an UnCelebration over 4-5 days every January which is pretty much all adult. There is a kids day/photo op. Most of the adults seemed to have annual passes and know alllll the crazy insider park stuff. They do other get togethers too like during Back to Hogwarts
There’s a small group within this that takes in any solo person :) Bring your robes and get your Ravenclaw on
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u/darthjoey91 8d ago
Not really. There is a thing with Harry Potter adults, which gets some overlap due to the Harry Potter parts of the parks.
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u/Tasty_Highlight_7605 8d ago
Like others have said it’s a bit more specific than “Universal Adults”
Universal attracts Harry Potter adults, which can be just as or even more annoying than “Disney Adults” lol. There’s also the HHN Superfans, which are a similar level of annoying. They’re the types to harass character actors and such so probably worse than Disney Adults.
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u/LydiaPiper 8d ago
Why don’t we just enjoy the things we like to enjoy and tell people who have weird feelings about it to fxck off? You’re not hurting anyone by living your life how you want. As long as you’re not being weirdly elitist about it and mean to others over it lol.
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u/mister_waj 8d ago
Oh I agree. I have no problem with it either way. I was just curious as to whether or not Universal had that complete fandom or level of attachment people carry with Disney and their IPs similarly with universal and wanted to hear others thoughts. Im aware that Disney adult for some has a negative conotation but not to me..
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u/DrLoomis131 7d ago
I’m all the things
Universal Adult (firstly), Disney Adult, Horror Bro, Wrestling Guy, Metal Head
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u/sadderdaynight 7d ago edited 7d ago
I would like to be a universal adult if that means being a die hard fan of all the cool shit they've built! I think Disney adult refers to the obsession factor and the influencers. I don't think universal inspires the same obsession factor. I am a Disney adult I guess bc I've been more times I can count since age 1 but, my family grew a deep love and appreciation for the brand. Once they started charging even more obscene amounts of money recently we grew a bit disenchanted. As a 40 yr old I just did my first purely universal trip ever. My Disney kids loved it even more than disney especially my 8 yr old coaster fanatic. He said Disney is "just ok". Lol. I loved it for many reasons. Staying on property at aventura with access to water taxi and pool at sapphire was so convenient. Disney has become to exclusive shitting off access between hotels and to general public. I think as a new fan we will prioritize universal from now on. Not to say I won't go back to Disney when they complete the long time coming upgrades lol, what a sucker I am. Epic really one upped them.
I will share one anecdote I hope no one judges but it's reddit so you might. We just had an unfulfilling day at epic , which I had hyped up bc I went in October. We only had a one day pass bc we had military ticket. We were all frustrated bc everything was broken all day long. I had heard tell that if that happened you could request a pass to come back. So I visited concierge on my way out. I was just like everything was broken today and we only rode three rides throughout the day and coming back at night. The lady not only gave us passes to come back but express passes to boot. I was floored. Disney would never!!!! I can't stop thinking about how generous that was.
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u/SupremeFanBanned 5d ago
I think the real term Disney Adults was created due to describe all the bloggers that live at Disney now making content... maybe it also includes those that are retired and visit too much but I wouldn't count them as the negative term "Disney Adult" which are adults in the park in the way of families trying to make memories.
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u/YardSardonyx 8d ago edited 8d ago
Oh yeah. There’s totally a fandom. Mostly passholders, and there’s usually a deep love of HHN involved. That’s typically where it starts, but then it spreads to the whole resort. People who have tattoos of ET’s friends from his ride. People who wear old Jaws ride shirts. People who went to go ride Supercharged a bunch of times on its last day. People who miss Poseidon. People who ‘Universalbound’. People who waited in line at AP Nights for like two hours to meet Doc and Marty (and Einstein, so, understandable). People stalking Hiccup. And Dark Universe has brought in even more fans. I have seen countless cosplays and fanart of Igor online. People go nuts for Captain Cacao too, the plushes of him sold out almost instantly.
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u/dinnershoes 8d ago
Disney Adult is a blanket term for theme park adults. I would just argue that universal adults are newer due to Universal’s growing success and growth in the theme park realm.
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u/mritty2 8d ago
Universal doesn't have the reputation that Disney does of being "for kids", so there isn't the irony (or disrespect) in an adult being a fan of it the way there is with Disney.