Melizza BlacksInstagram bioproclaims Black girls are main characters, which she wrote in all capital letters.
Excitement radiates from her videos, which regularly garner hundreds of thousands of views.
Black declares her main-character status because Black girls are rarely central to Disney’s entertainment offerings.
Illustration by Uzo Njoku
Black, who is 25, says that character was “soul-shaking” for her as a Black preteen.
Black fits the criteria for a Disney adult, a label that’s often used derisively.
There’s a “Disney Shaming and Cringeposting"Facebook groupthat has thousands of members.
Amiyrah Martin as a young adult
“I don’t describe myself as a Disney adult, but I know that I am one.”
For the record, Black is fine with the term.
Every week, she makes the short drive from her home to Floridas Disney World.
Camille Wall
“From that point on, I was in love with the Disney parks,” she tellsAllure.
Now, as an adult, she has been to the parks more than 100 times.
Part of Disneys desirability is the respite it offers from the real world.
L: Melizza Black. R: Tanay Howard and family
Park employees called cast members by the company arent supposed to everbreak character.
They are instructed topick up litterwhen they see it, so the parks are always clean.
The company even pumpspleasant smellsthroughout the park to keep people coming back.
Tanya Howard and Amiyrah Martin
People have found perpetual park-touring buddies, developed lifelong friendships, and even married other fans.
We just decided that we weren’t seeing enough of ourselves on the internet, Martin says.
The truth is, Black adults who visit Disney are in the minority.
Disney has longfaced criticismfor its lack of diverse representation, and unsurprisingly, the fandom reflects this.
Those Black Disney fans have found community with Martin.
All other requests [to join] will be denied, the rules note.
L: Melizza Black.
The community is even planning a Disney cruise next September.
I never had that growing up, she says.
The fact that theyve all bonded over Disney is a bonus for her.
I grew up with [Californias] Disneyland in my backyard, so it just makes sense.
I’m a Disney adult, through and through.
As a mom of a girl, it feels so special that she’s gonna have that representation.
Shes gonna have dolls that look like her.
it’s possible for you to watch your white movies if that’s what you prefer, right?
Like, you don’t have to watch the new Black one.
Shes gonna havedolls that look like her.
What these Disney fans want next
Some members of the group see ways for Disney to improve.
Says Wall, she wants more stories about Black and brown princesses that are rooted in their culture.
Wyllie feels Disney has presented Black characters with underdeveloped storylines, who get less than their white counterparts.
Take the time needed to develop wholesome, heartfelt stories that our community can relate to.
Even the companys more diverse offerings have faced criticism.
Tanya Howard and Amiyrah Martin
But that opinion isnt universal.
Martin says shes intrigued when people have issues with recasting.
We see people of all colors play traditionally white roles on Broadway and in school plays.
Why can’t we have it happen in films?
Recently, Disney World has been embroiled in a battle with Floridas state officials.
Governor Ron DeSantis, a 2024 Republican presidential candidate,has declaredthat Florida is where woke goes to die.
So where does this leave Disney fans in marginalized communities?
Wall, who is based in Oxnard, California, spends more time at Disneyland in her home state.
I don’t have a desire to really go anywhere else.
When she visits Disney World, she tries to support local, Black-owned businesses near the parks.
What’s happening right now is affecting brown and Black people the most, she says.
Brown, the Augsburg University professor, points to the diversity within Disney fandom.
Wyllie doesn’t call herself a Disney adult, but she understands why others do.
What she doesn’t understand is the contempt Disney fans sometimes face.
Many of the things that make Disney exciting for children are also appealing to adults.
This story is part of a new AllureMelanin Editseries exploring the question, What does a nerd look like?
