The End of “Ear for Each Other”: Disney World Cracks Down on Unofficial Facebook Group

A beloved community of former Disney cast members offering unofficial services to Walt Disney World guests is facing an abrupt end after the resort began issuing cease-and-desist letters to vendors operating on its property.

The “Ear for Each Other” Facebook group emerged during the pandemic in 2020, providing a lifeline to furloughed Disney employees who leveraged their theme park expertise to launch independent “side hustles.” Over six years, the community ballooned to nearly 300,000 members, connecting guests with affordable alternatives to official Disney experiences—from in-room chef services to portrait photography sessions and boutique-style makeovers.

These third-party vendors filled gaps when official Disney reservations proved impossible to secure, while offering personalized touches at lower price points than the company’s own services. Photographers captured family moments in locations without PhotoPass coverage. Cosmetologists brought salon experiences directly to hotel rooms. Personal chefs prepared custom meals in guest accommodations.

But Walt Disney World Resort’s security team has now drawn a hard line.

Former Cast Members Receive Legal Warnings

Calikingcuisine, a personal chef who built a business cooking at Disney Resort hotels, recently shared the certified letter he received from Linda Reid, Vice President of Walt Disney World Security. In a social media post, he wrote:

Well the Day Has Come !!! I Said Years Ago I would never Have Issues Cooking At Dinsey(I know how to spell ) because Im a Former Employee, I’m not Harming their business , I never Talked Down on them , and I never used them To Get Buisness, I was Highlighting the Rooms I stayed in, I was only helping them because of A Service They canceled ! So From Now On Calikingcuisine is No Longer Permitted to Cook At Dinsey! I’ve officially Been Flagged on their Radar! I will Now Be Making Accommodations For Any one That is staying there and still wants to enjoy my Food , I have an Airbnb Close To the Parks I can Schedule For Dinners . Everyone that is Already booked Will be contacted!! Thank yall for All the business I’ve received over the years !! I would never be here if it weren’t for being furloughed by the Richest company in the world and Using them To Catapult my Career And Having support of people from All across the World, this isn’t Goodbye But See You Soon , Book me At your Airbnb Or Home For Now!! #chefcali #ohanameanschefcali orlandospersonalchef #dinseyworldchef #cantnobodyholdmedown #billiondollarhaters

The letter from Walt Disney World’s security department made the resort’s position crystal clear:

“Dear Mr. Wiley,

As discussed on our phone conversation on January 16, 2026, we are writing to inform you that your company’s services are not permitted on Walt Disney World Resort property.

For the safety of our Guests and Cast Members, the Walt Disney World Resort Property Rules do not allow unauthorized commercial activites, and we must ask that you immediately discontinue providing these services at the Walt Disney World Resort, including at the Resort hotels, theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs.

We also ask that you immediately remove all advertisements regarding your services at the Walt Disney World Resort, including on your website and social media accounts. You are not permitted to advertise that such services are available at Walt Disney World Resort or to use the Walt Disney World Resort name, the name “Disney,” or any characters, designs, trademarks, tradenames, or copyrighted works of The Walt Disney Company or any of its related, affiliated, or subsidiary companies to advertise your company or services.

Please note that if you or anyone acting on your behalf enter the Walt Disney World Resort property to provide such services, your presence may be deemed an unlawful trespass and we may take further action, including notifying the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

Thank you for your cooperation.”

The chef is now pivoting his business to an Airbnb location near the Central Florida Disney parks.

Photographers Also Targeted

Professional photographer Natalie Szolomayer, another “Ear for Each Other” member, shared her devastation after receiving similar directives from Disney. While she didn’t post the actual cease-and-desist letter, she confirmed the crackdown was affecting her business severely:

Third party photographers are no longer allowed to shoot at the Disney resorts. I was holding out hope until I heard it first-hand, but it seems that my days of shooting at the Disney hotels are over.

To say I’m heartbroken is an understatement. I’m utterly DEVESTATED. I love what I did, I loved capturing your memories and milestones on your vacations, and for what it’s worth – I had permission from MULTIPLE resort managers that I was allowed to photographer there as a professional. I even had some managers go out of their way to help make a crying kid laugh or a baby look toward the camera. During every shoot at the hotels, I felt supported and not in any way a nuisance.

I don’t know for sure the reasoning behind this move. Their photopass team and fine art photography do not offer portrait sessions at the hotels, so I was in no way taking business from them. In fact, I’ve had clients fly to Disney SPECIFICALLY for photo sessions with me – so while it was a drop in the bucket of a billion dollar corporation, I DID bring them some money.

What hurts the most is that so far the cease and desist letters seem to have hit a majority of the vendors in the Ear For Each Other group, which was started after a bunch of cast members were furloughed or let go during covid. That’s where we’d post our side hustles – so other cast members or vacationers looking to support former or furloughed cast members could find various services, knowing they were helping a small business of someone who no longer had a job. That’s where 90% of my business came from.

And now 90% of my business is gone.

We had planned to travel to Japan as a family since Josh has a gig there in a few months – but we’ve had to cancel that now. It’d be foolish to go after taking a financial hit like this.

I will still be a central Florida photographer, but…one of about 8000. The market is so saturated, which is why I found the EFEO group to be such a blessing: it was just me and a handful of other photographers – among many other types of vendors – and we all had plenty of customers to go around.

I will also still be able to shoot at Universal, including INSIDE the parks – USO, IOA, and Epic. Universal is super chill about it, and doesn’t mind us third-party riff raff (many because their own photographers are third party, fun fact). But those tend to be my most expensive shoots, so I don’t always get too many bookings for those either. And of course, I can continue shooting at the local parks, gardens, and beaches.

Needless to say…I’m sad. I’m having to go through and delete all obviously Disney photos – so, many apologies to the families whose beautiful images I have to remove – I’m trying to figure out how to pivot from here and regrow my business from, what feel like, scratch.

Open to any ideas!

When followers suggested ways to work around Disney’s crackdown, Szolomayer made her priorities clear:

“Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement. I even appreciate those of you who are trying to brainstorm loopholes for me, lol. But needless to say, I am not looking to figure out a way to skirt around the rules. I don’t want to ever do anything that will jeopardize my annual pass so that I can continue taking my kids to the park, nor would I ever put my husband’s job with Disney on the line. Disney has laid out the rules, black-and-white, for all third-party vendors from here and out. And I intend to follow them, as much as it breaks my heart.”

What Walt Disney World Resort’s Rules Actually Say

Walt Disney World Resort’s official property rules have long prohibited unauthorized commercial activity. The rules specifically ban the sale of goods or services, the distribution of materials, commercial photography or videography, unauthorized events or demonstrations, and any form of solicitation without prior written approval.

Disney reserves the right to determine, in its sole discretion, what may be “harmful or disruptive” in accordance with the published guidelines.

The company has not released a public statement addressing the recent enforcement actions or the “Ear for Each Other” community specifically.

The Ripple Effect for Disney Park Guests

This enforcement wave follows Disney’s earlier crackdown on unauthorized tour guides, some of whom exploited the Disability Access Service system to skip lines for paying clients.

For guests, the disappearance of these third-party services means increased competition for already scarce reservations at official Walt Disney World Resort experiences, such as Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and table-service restaurants. PhotoPass photography sessions may become harder to book as former third-party customers now compete for Disney’s limited availability.

Many families face losing traditions they’ve built around these affordable alternatives over the past six years. The “Ear for Each Other” vendors typically charged significantly less than Disney’s official services while offering more personalized experiences.

For the vendors themselves, most of whom relied on this income after losing their Disney jobs during the pandemic, the financial impact is immediate and severe. They’re now competing in Florida’s oversaturated service market without the built-in customer base the Facebook group provided.

Is Walt Disney World Resort in the wrong for sending cease-and-desist letters to these third-party businesses? Share your opinion with Disney Dining in the comments!