I have always been a pretty big fan of theme parks and amusement parks — Six Flags, Universal Studios, Disney World, you name it. I have shared this fondness with my almost 13-year-old son throughout his life, and the two of us have covered an awful lot of theme park ground.
For a long time, the thought of going to one of these parks without my son was a complete nonstarter — I couldn't even really imagine it. But after a friend told me how much fun she had at Universal's The Wizarding World of Harry Potter with just her adult sisters, I began to think about it a little more.
I was in France for most of December 2021, and the opportunity to visit Disneyland Paris was extended to my boyfriend and myself through a friend. Neither of us had ever been, knew very little about what to expect from the park, and figured, hey, why not? So we hopped on the train in early January and made our way to the park.
While waiting in line to get in, I had my first real glimpse at how the other side is living. We were surrounded by families who were busy negotiating treats, toys, and stroller rides. Some kids were excited, others were already angry, and all of them were accompanied by parents who were very likely focused on a mission: Have Fun At All Costs.
On the flip side, as two adults without our children with us, my boyfriend and I were just … vibing. We laughed, cuddled, and people-watched. We had espresso before waiting in line, and the time spent waiting flew. It was a bit of a revelation.
Entering the park and seeing the characters, lights, and decor was a teensy bit rough. I definitely felt a twinge of omg-why-isn't-my-son-here-right-now. But I reminded myself that it's healthy for parents to have lives separate from their children, that it's not a bad thing to have fun without your child, and that I would see him soon and we most definitely have many theme and amusement park adventures in our future.
Once we were in the park, the simple act of choosing where we wanted to go first was made a million times easier because we both just looked at each and said, "Let's just walk around!" We decided to take an ultra-casual approach to the park in general. We knew we wanted to see the Lion King show around midday, but other than that we were content to just see what rides and attractions presented themselves.
Being at a theme park without your kids also doesn't mean that you don't get to enjoy that genuine magic that happens when children, especially young children, see a character they love for the first time. Because we were always surrounded by families, it was easy to glance over and watch a child's whole face light up when they saw Mickey or Minnie or whoever they loved the most. Sure, those kids weren't our kids, but they were still sweet, and their joy was still fun to orbit around.
Visiting the park without kids was also a lot easier in all the ways you might think — no negotiating about rides or expensive snacks, T-shirts, or toys. If we didn't want to wait in line, we just didn't. If we did, we did. If we were hungry, we had food, and we are both adults who know what the other will eat — there were no mealtime dramas. In short, it was a low-key surreal but astonishingly easy experience.
Visiting the park as adults also allowed us to engage our inner children in a way that I don't think many parents get to. My boyfriend took this just about as far as he could, making videos with characters and getting caught up in the massive parade as it wound its way through the center of the park. We had a lot of fun laughing, playing around, and just enjoying each other — and at the end of the day, that's kind of what these parks are all about, and that's the kind of joy that anyone should be able to enjoy, not just children and families.
