Anyone who knows me and knows how much of a Disney fan(atic) I am probably sensed this article coming. But is it really true? After all, Disney movies are geared specifically toward children (with a couple ‘high-level’ jokes for the unfortunate parent tag-alongs to laugh at). I distinctly remember my mother’s reaction when I first told her about a Disney movie-night I was having with my dorm-mates. Her exact words were “aren’t you a little old for Disney?”

And that’s the misconception. Disney is like Hungry Hungry Hippos; it’s for ages 1-99! In fact, some would argue that certain Disney movies aren’t suitable for young children - but I’ll address that in a later article. First, here are the reasons why you need to stop all the ‘adulting’ that you’re doing and watch a Disney movie:

1. Every Disney Movie Has a Deep Theme. Tangled? Dare to dream. The Little Mermaid? Take chances. Beauty and the Beast? Look beyond appearances. Contrary to the popular belief of haters, Disney doesn’t just churn out random plots for their money-grubbing scheme. Take the wildly popular Finding Dory, a sequel that honestly appealed more to adults than to children: Finding Dory showed children that friendships can be just as strong as family, but it also taught both kids and adults about mental illnesses. The struggle of mental illness, both physically and emotionally, is perfectly portrayed through the snapshots of Dory’s life. Most importantly, it made children and adults alike realize that having a mental illness does not bind you or define you. These messages that Disney portrays are all well and good for kids to learn, but they can have a life-changing impact on adults. As grown-ups, we actively think about our problems, our struggles, and our dreams. Disney gives us strength, wisdom, and courage to deal with them. I used to deal with terrible anxiety on a daily basis. Frozen (hold your gagging) taught me that I do not need to let fear control me. You may retch every time you hear the first few notes of ‘Let It Go’, but for people struggling with anxiety and depression, that song is incredible; “It’s funny how some distance/makes everything seem small/and the fears that once controlled me/can’t get to me at all”. Everyone who’s ever struggled with anxiety, depression, or even just fear in general, can relate to Elsa and her journey. Disney hit the big bucks on Frozen, but you can’t deny that it has an incredible message to it; just like every Disney movie!
2. Disney Lets You Dream As An Adult. Let’s face it, the 9-5 grind is killer; day after day of sitting in traffic, working long hours, then sitting in traffic again just to get home and be too tired to do anything. Adulthood crushes your dreams, squeezing them out of you through taxes, loans, house mortgages, and car payments. You work grueling hours just to be able to afford to live. Thankfully, Disney is here to save the day. After a bad day at work, you just want to lounge on the couch with Louis, laugh with Lumier, or wreck everything with Ralph! Disney lets you sing your heart out with Rapunzel, be a man with Shang, and cry like a baby with Up (Disney and Pixar are together now, it counts). For just a few hours, you get to live the life of the characters. And, best of all, the triumph of the characters makes you feel like you can defeat the odds, too. Feeling like a zero? Pull a Hercules! Working too hard? Listen to Mama Odie and dig a little deeper to find out what your heart really wants. Maybe your heart just wants to lay in bed and watch Netflix for a day (#NetflixandLiterallyChill). And that’s cool. On the other hand, if you feel like you’re not doing much at all with your life, follow Pocahontas just around the river bend; don’t settle for ‘steady’ when you really want adventure! Above all else, when you watch a Disney movie, make sure you take a page out of Rapunzel’s book and find a new dream.
3. The Soundtrack Becomes Your Life. Disney’s singable songs and magnificent musical scores subtly seep into your subconscious. Hear two notes of a completely unrelated song? Suddenly you’re singing ‘Hakuna Matata’. Doing chores in the morning? There’s a 90% chance you’re singing ‘When Will My Life Begin’ and wishing that you, too, could get six chores done in fifteen minutes. Your friend’s innocent question of ‘do you want to--’ gets immediately interrupted by belting out ‘Do You Want To Build a Snowman’. You find yourself humming the musical scores on your way to work, knowing exactly what’s happening in the scene at that moment. And that’s not bad! Music lifts up the soul. Singing, humming, and having these magical musical earworms in your head always brings a smile to your face, no matter what part of the work day you’re at!
4. Disney Does Their Research. While some of their work is (obviously) fabricated and fictional, Disney actually does an incredible amount of research while creating a movie. Mulan’s ‘Special Features’ interview showed that the movie team actually goes on a trip to the country that the movie is in during production. For Mulan, the team actually went to China. They took a tour of China, learned the culture, and even visited ruins to get an idea of fashion and architecture back then. Disney did the same thing for movies like Frozen, researching clothing, culture, landmarks, and more! While you’re getting made-up scenarios, you aren’t necessarily getting made-up worlds. You’d be surprised just how accurate some of the cultural portrayals in Disney movies actually are.
5. There’s a Story Behind Every Movie. A majority of Disney films were based off of, or inspired by, old (and often forgotten) fairytales. Disney has a particular love for tales by Hans Christian Andersen, as evidenced by The Little Mermaid, Frozen, and even The Little Matchgirl short that they created. Those aren’t the only movies inspired by fairytales, however; Beauty and the Beast, Hercules, Cinderella, and many more classics come from fairytale roots. Even newer movies (The Princess and the Frog) were inspired by fairytales. If you’re anything like me, this fact makes Disney movies a lot more interesting, especially with the option to learn about and compare the originals with the Disney versions!

Now, we all know I could go on and give 10, 20, or 50 more reasons as to why adults should watch Disney. But for now, I’ll just stick with these five. When you watch Disney as an adult, you catch on to so much more than you did as a child. While children learn and grow from Disney, adults can learn and grow even more. So stop binging Gray’s Anatomy for a day and indulge in some Disney. You’ll find it more enjoyable and compelling than you ever remembered.