A superfan who met his wife at Disneyland and visits the resort at least once a week for date nights has said the park “feels like home” despite the stigma attached to being a ‘Disney adult’.
Stevie Fernando, a freelance illustrator and videographer who lives in Irvine, California, said his “earliest memories” involve watching the Disney classics on VHS in the 90s.
Since then, the content creator has accumulated all the Disney films on VHS and watches one every day while working or relaxing at home, and he has more than 30 collectables, including figurines and posters.
Stevie, 32, remembers visiting Disneyland once or twice a year with his family when he was younger, but since 2011 he has bought and renewed an annual pass, which can cost up to 1,749 US dollars (£1,340), and he now goes to the resort at least once a week either alone, for date nights or to meet up with friends.
He even met his wife Allie, 29, who works for a tech company, at Disneyland – with the couple choosing a version of the song A Whole New World from Aladdin for their first dance at their wedding in 2019.
Stevie launched his Instagram page @disneylivin on Instagram. in 2012, which now has 106,000 followers, and celebrities such as Jim Cummings, the voice of Winnie the Pooh and Tigger; Dick Van Dyke, who played Bert in Mary Poppins; and Linda Larkin, the voice of Jasmine in Aladdin, have interacted with his content.
Although he said there is stigma attached to being a “Disney adult”, he said he wants to embrace being a “Disney nerd” and bring joy and nostalgia to others.
He told PA Real Life: “Walt himself was the biggest kid there is. I mean, there’s so much footage of him at the parks, just acting like a kid.
“That’s the beauty of Disney, I think, you can still resonate with that childlike spirit. It brings you back to the simple days of your youth.
“It’s a 100-year-old company, so I think there’s something from every generation that people can resonate with and remember, and they can bring it back to being a kid.”
Stevie’s earliest memories involve watching Disney films on VHS in his living…
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