So-called "Disney Adults" have long been something of a running joke in the online community, as many find it odd that grown humans seem to have a strong obsession with the children's media produced by Disney. While Disney Adults have been treated with eye-rolls alongside Marvel Liberals and Harry Potter pundits, a recent viral thread from Reddit's /r/AITA has brought Disney Adults to the forefront of internet debate.

The story goes like this: The poster and her fiancé recently had their dream wedding with financial help from their parents. However, as the two are very much "Disney Adults," they elected to use the money allotted by their parents for catering in order to have people in Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes appear at the wedding and another moment for two 30-minute sessions.

As explained by the poster in a follow-up edit, being graced with the presence of the Disney mice cost $2,750 per session. There was food at the venue where the wedding took place, only patrons had to purchase it themselves, or patronize one of the venue's many vending machines. This apparently miffed several guests, as offering guests food is typically seen as standard wedding protocol.

Reddit wasn't very charitable in the initial thread, as people seemed to agree that the poster was "the asshole" in this situation.

"I’m usually on the side of your wedding your choice but yeah YTA. People took time out of their lives to celebrate you and feeding your guests is a standard expectation and part of a wedding. Blowing a food budget on character appearances is just not the look sis," wrote the top commenter in the thread.

"I'm… normally all for people having the wedding they want," wrote another. "I'm not even judging the Disney characters here. But if your wedding involves guests and/or a reception, it's basic wedding etiquette to feed them and not leave them to fend for themselves or only have overpriced options (or vending machines? Are you serious?!)."

Once the thread hit Twitter, the nuclear hot takes started flowing, as is typical of the social media website.

If I went to a wedding like this, I too would be talking shit about it… fuck you mean you’re not providing catering? At a WEDDING pic.twitter.com/12OMKlQogu

— Ash (@theashrb) June 5, 2022

I hate Disney adults omg fuck u mean you wanted Minnie and Mickey at ur wedding

— 🍋 (@sisiisback) June 7, 2022

We need to study the minds of Disney adults like we do serial killers https://t.co/xPeju9ZyrR

— Emily Jane (@EJpineapplSLICE) June 6, 2022

While Twitter's barbs mostly kept in line with the site's hyperbolic tenor, the "Disney Adult" thread went into overdrive on the site after Religious Studies professor Jodi Eichler-Levine posted a thread attempting to advocate for treating Disney Adults with more respect, essentially because these people view Disney as their god (excerpts shown below).

I'm a religion studies professor researching Disney and I'm here to tell you why to stop pathologizing Disney adults, trending again because of this post. A thread: pic.twitter.com/9g0Y391mBm

— Jodi Eichler-Levine (@jeichlerlevine) June 6, 2022

Religion is a way of making meaning in the world through stories and rituals. It is about a network of relationships with the human and non-human (RobertOrsi1</a> very paraphrased). It is about making homes and confronting suffering (<a href="https://twitter.com/tomtwe?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">tomtwe loosely paraphrased).

— Jodi Eichler-Levine (@jeichlerlevine) June 6, 2022

Disney owns our stories. For some people-- both those who have another "traditional" religion and those who don't-- the promise of magic at Disney and the feelings they get there are powerful. I've seen people cry at the fireworks. Many times.

— Jodi Eichler-Levine (@jeichlerlevine) June 6, 2022

is as much a religion as anything. It is at the very least a site of meaning and human fellowship, even you hate it. Dismissing it because it's "kid stuff" is demeaning to children, who are themselves discerning humans.

— Jodi Eichler-Levine (@jeichlerlevine) June 6, 2022

For many, "Don't make fun of Disney Adults because they are actually worshipping Mickey Mouse as a Christian would Jesus" was not the winning argument Eichler-Levine thought it was, and it added an entirely new layer to Disney Adult jokes on the platform.

very funny to see a thread from a scholar of religion telling me not to mock "Disney adults" because these are people finding religious meaning and it's like no i get that it's actually WHY i am making fun of them

— michael lutz (@WarrenIsDead) June 7, 2022

Disney Adults pic.twitter.com/kOJaYQKPrV

— rob (@RobertSecundus) June 7, 2022

I was gonna make fun of Disney adults until an academic pointed out that Disney is very meaningful to them

— noam (@NoamChompers) June 7, 2022

There is surely a bigger problem to tackle about the way fandoms have truly taken over some peoples' lives, to the arguable detriment of their friends and family. But for now, it seems a good way to avoid going viral in the future is to choose food over Mickey and Minnie Mouse.