IME, Disney adults devote themselves to one specific company, Renne Faire adults devote themselves to a community sustained by a lot of small, independent artists and performers.
So, fuck yes they are different.
Disney Adults are about chasing childhood nostalgia through consumerism, Renne Faire Adults are chasing a sense of whimsy and escapism through creation and community
Yeah, this is also true, and I'd add that
a)at least my faire is not exclusively aimed at children or childhood. There are childrens programs, yeah, storytellers and such, but there's also really bawdy singers and side show performers.
b)when renne faire people do buy things, they care about what they're buying and who they're buying it from. Last weekend I heard a conversation between two rennies about the pros and cons of two clothing shops - at one you have to inspect every seam to make sure it's good quality, but the other one is owned by religious nuts.
If anything, renne faires are the heirs of circuses.
I've worked faires. This is correct.
There's a sense of community there. The folks working there have their own children around, helping out, "helping" out, playing with the guests' children and adding to the fun.
I just put on my CRAIC Show shirt after a shower and I told the spousal person it's almost Renaissance Festival time! Ours is in October and November.
Also earlier today I read this article about the history of the festival:
It was created in opposition to McCarthyism. And the last paragraph of the article directly contrasts it to Disney parks.
This article is largely based on a 2013 book, Well Met: Rennaissance Fairs and the American Counterculture by Rachel Lee Rubin. I have it and it has a lot of other anecdotes including recruiting a pottery-making commune to vend at the fair, interviews with long time rennies and crafters, and the story of how many "Rennaissance Festivals" ended up owned by a single commercial company, Rennaissance Entertainment Productions, Inc, starting in the late 80s.