How Disney Fans Use Social Media To Make A Living
Lately, there has been a word coined for adults who are in love with all things Disney: “Disney Adults." While people may roll their eyes at the people who go to the parks monthly, have Disney decor, and almost seem to worship Mickey Mouse, they don’t know how so many Disney fans are using their social media to make a living off of going to the parks.
Influencers all around the world specialize in many different things attracting audiences that help them grow their platform to the point of the influencer life becoming a full-time job. Disney has fans across the globe and the superfans all want to learn park secrets, hacks, and maybe even get some fashion advice. In this blog, Hollywood Branded dives into the world of Disney influencers and explores what their magical lives are like.
Disney...Influencers?
The name needs no introduction. Whether you recognize Disney because of its famous movies, characters, or theme parks, the name rings a bell. In fact, Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Disneyland are the two most visited theme parks in the world. Regardless of if you’re the type of person to visit Disney once in your life, never at all, or almost every week, people know the name and millions love the magic of it all.
Of course with the millions of visitors, a million photos get taken. Then photos in today’s world get posted, shared, and uploaded. Despite millions of Disney photos out there of people enjoying churros, rides, and getting proposed to, some stand out to the public eye. And yes of course photos and videos go viral on a number of platforms all of the time, but there are some people that love Disney and make every photo of theirs stand out.
The term influencer isn’t new to anyone who has any presence on social media. Whether it’s an actor or actress, fitness instructor, athlete, or TikTok star, people follow what they like. Different influencers appeal to different crowds. Influencers have to know their audience to grow on social media and have to create content that appeals to both their loyal followers and new crowds. A market you might not be so aware of is the market for Disney Influencers.
While Disney doesn’t have the need for influencers money-wise, Disney Influencers have made a name for themselves and some have even caught the eye of Disney’s PR department. Disney influencers sometimes don’t even live near the parks but instead promote the brand through working with small businesses, getting PR packs for new movies and shows, coming up with Disney-themed decor/everyday outfits, and just enjoying Disney’s content in the comfort of their own home. However, the most popular ones are the ones who post content from the infamous parks.
Credit: @tiffmink on instagram
With the wide reach, Disney has around the globe, this kind of content appeals to a lot of people. Sometimes people want movie recs, DIY projects, or know the best place to buy “aesthetic” Disney merch so they don’t give off “Disney adult” vibes when they go to the parks. The nostalgia, aesthetics, and magic of Disney appeal to a lot of people, and Disney influencers appeal to that.
Disneyland Is Their Land
Most Disney influencers find themselves at the parks at least once a month. Where they reside depends on how often they will go. When considering Disney influencers in California vs Florida, the difference is space and location. Disneyland is in the middle of Anaheim, California and it's also much smaller. The park alone could fit inside the entire space of Disney World 53 times! The parks in California are also right across from each other meaning park hopping is easy, quick, and more efficient when spending only a few hours there.
Disneyworld is massive in size. Disneyworld consists of 25,000 acres of land. Four parks, many resorts, Disney Springs, and water parks barely take up the amount of space the property has. The parks are also bigger in size compared to both of the Disneyland parks.
So there is a difference between how Disney Influencers live despite the similar content. Disneyworld Influencers tend to plan a trip, spend a couple of days at the park, and film a lot of content. They might also bring multiple outfits for one day at the park to get as many photos as possible. Disneyland influencers tend to plan their days for a couple of hours or a half-day. In that span of time, they can get enough content for Instagram, YouTube, and any other platform they need. And when they need to go get more, it’s most likely under an hour away from any of them.
Disneyland recently announced its reimagined annual pass program for the first time since the pandemic. These annual passes have different levels but essentially allow for people who have them to enter the park whenever they want with reservations, (with a few block out dates). With this accessibility to such an expensive place, Disney Influencers can go to get content whenever without worrying about the price of a ticket.
What Do They Do?
There are a lot of Disney fans in the world. Whether fans just enjoy the movies or end up using subtle house decorations that relate to their favorite ride they love the magic of Disney. However, Disney is well aware of this and knows they can make a lot of money off of the more intense fans. Ticket prices are high, a water bottle in the park is nearly $4, and just one pair of mickey ears can cost $30. And prices are only going up.
While influencers may be a big fan of the parks, their wallets might say otherwise. Of course one of the most known thing about influencers is they make a lot of money from posting on socials. So the consistent aesthetic photos of experiences, characters, and food at the parks are helping these influencers be able to afford the Disney magic they love.
On top of that: the parks are fun. With rides catering to audiences of so many franchises, movies, and characters, the parks are their own world. Being able to make a living off of eating Mickey Mouse pretzels and filming your day of fun seems too good to be true. They get to experience their favorite stories for a living in many different ways. Whether it’s meeting characters, finding hidden secrets, or going on rides, it would be nice to make money off of doing it all just by documenting it.
Credit: @erikaenchanted
Does Anyone Care?
Of course! These influencers have thousands of followers on multiple platforms. Of course, like regular influencers, there are different types of Disney influencers. There are foodies, fashion icons, movie lovers, and just the average park goer ready to try out anything the parks have. These people all have similar but slightly different audiences. Brands know this. While Disney rarely works with these influencers (despite the occasional PR box or invitation to an event), brands outside the parks know the love millions have for Disney and use influencers to promote their brand.
Sometimes it’s just Disney-related brands trying to increase their outreach. Sometimes it’s bigger companies trying to show how their products are useful in the parks, or just want their product advertised with something that makes people happy.
There are a lot of small Etsy shops and businesses that are specifically Disney-related. They usually have ears, clothes, masks, or even sometimes bags. There are also companies already partnered with Disney that work with Disney influencers for extra outreach. Fashion brands ranging from Coach to Hot Topic also reach out to fashion Disney bloggers to showcase their latest styles in front of the castle. And sometimes Disney even asks the big influencers to promote their products for them.
Above is Disney influencer Patrick Dougall posing with influencer Francis Dominic for Disney’s pride collection. Patrick often gets sought out by Disney themselves to go to premieres, advertise new toys and merch, and go to exclusive events! With 67K followers on Instagram and 331.1K on TikTok, he has a big outreach and Disney is smart for reaching out to him.
Above is Disney Influencer Micheal Does Disney. He and his husband frequently visit Walt Disney World and local resorts and companies reach out to have him advertise their products. These two travel the world together and love to share their magical moments from the park.
Sometimes Disney influencers find themselves at some of the parts of Disney World that aren’t the parks! Pictured is Amanda in Orlando at Disney’s waterpark: Blizzard Beach. As you can see she’s promoting two brands: Shop Simple Modern and Shop Sunshine Seekers. Both in one post and offering discount codes!
And check out these two princesses posing with their jewelry cases from Two Park Princesses. As you can see they posed with the bags on one of the lawns in front of the castle and are absolutely glowing.
Disney Influencers: The New Hidden Mickey
Disney Influencers are more common at the parks than you might think. Next time you go and need a break, do some people watching and you might notice more vloggers, intense photoshoots, and elaborate outfits than you have before. Maybe before your next trip check out Pinterest or Instagram and look for some inspiration because Disney influencers usually have the best tips and tricks for a day at the park.
Becoming an influencer these days is easier than ever. Luckily for Disney fans, Disney is also buying out the entertainment industry allowing influencers to gain more content to work with, and this allows them to grow their audience. As influencers continue to grow their platform, they’ll continue to bring Disney magic to you.
A Brand Deal Is A Wish Your Heart Makes
Curious about influencers who make money without spending $1000 a year on an annual pass? Read below about some other influencer brand deals below!
- Disney Plus: Hollywood's New Streaming Service
- Reasons why Disney Channel Is Making Influencers More Expensive
- Hollywood Branded Best Of: Influencers
- The Types of Social Influencers
Interested in seeing how your product would look in front of the Disney castle? Click below to see how you can connect with influencers and see your product in the happiest place on earth!
