Don’t Be Duped by Toxic Disney Influencers

Disney Influencers  (unofficially dubbed) have become the go-to source of information for Guests planning Park trips. They’re on virtually every social media platform, suggesting what you should and shouldn’t do. They tell you what to wear, how to get the best photos, and provide many tips and tricks to maximizing your Disney vacation time. Although some influencers would consider themselves outside the realm of ridiculousness, many don’t know what they’re talking about and are advertising a false narrative to their viewers. Many Disney influencers only influence how to set yourself up for a terrible experience. Others are straight-up lying to you. Not to mention, they are monumentally responsible for many of the behaviors we see in Parks these days. Younger individuals see specific influencers do something that generates likes and clicks, and they replicate it. Influencers are part of a bigger problem plaguing Disney culture, and we’re here today to make a case for why you shouldn’t listen to them.

Disney Influencers Will Get You in Hot Water

Credit: Flickr/ToursDepartingDaily/Canva

As we said in the introduction, there is a growing need to be seen and heard on social media. Often this leads to influencers performing outrageous stunts or purposely breaking the rules for views. I’ve seen videos of popular influencers ignoring posted signs and fishing on Disney property. I’ve seen footage of people with huge followings breaking into Cast Member only areas. I’ve even seen videos of influencers teaching others practically how to steal at Disney. There are thousands of videos out there of people pulling pranks on Guests at Parks or outright ignoring their safety, and they’re doing it so that others will like them. This leads to copycats.

Nowadays, Everyone has a device that links them to unlimited access to whatever they want to see. And as media has become the go-to social experience, people are obsessed with ensuring their online communities recognize them. Often, this leads to performing dangerous or illegal activities they’ve seen others do. Disney has yet to be immune to these types of shenanigans. Remember the social media influencers who snuck in fireworks earlier in the year? Similar behaviors have been copied and posted to social media to garner online fame!

Their Lense is a Lie

Social media influencers are all about aesthetics. They lure viewers in with pleasing sights that make their lifestyles seem deluxe and glamorous. Often, what you see isn’t an accurate portrayal of events or reality. Many times, it’s a lie. Photos and videos are often doctored through editing software, giving a different appearance than what you can expect. I’ve been guilty of this myself on Instagram. Bright colors mean more likes, so I’d edit colors to make them pop when they can be rather dull in some cases. Social media influencers must keep you watching; no one wants to watch real life, especially at Disney. They want magic. So, most often, it is created through technology before you ever see it.

Another niche in the social media influencer realm is fashion. Influencers flock to the parks bounding as their favorite characters, and they always look fabulous. You’re not seeing that they live only a few miles away, have arrived at the parks to take videos or pictures, and then they’re gone. None of us looked dolled up after a long day at Magic Kingdom. Most of us look like we’ve been wrestling with large crowds, melting in the sun, and probably needing medical attention for dehydration. The fashionable, trendy, relaxed look you see from many influencers differs from the reality of spending your day at Disney.

Disney Influencers Have Flaws Just Like You

Credit: Disney

Although considered a lie, this section deserved a stand-alone portion of this article. Yes, what you see is a lie, and social media influencers have flaws. You’ll never be privy to them, however. Why? Because if you know the stomach flab is hanging under those skin-tight pants, you won’t watch. If you see them sweat beneath the Florida sun, they won’t look like they enjoy themselves as much. Your interest would fade if you didn’t think their life was better than yours. That’s how they keep you watching. It’s an exacerbated problem for Disney Fans, as many of us look to these people to keep that magic alive when we can’t be there. In doing so, we desperately hang onto anything and everything they feed us to hang onto that nostalgic feeling so we can revel in their good times while we head to work.

Guess what? Going to Disney for content is a lot different than going on vacation. It’s less enjoyable than you’d think and takes away from the magical experiences we long for. I can speak from experience; spending the day bouncing around filming B-roll and ensuring I’m in the best places to get the best photos can kill the vibe at Disney. They get frustrated, tired, sick, bloated, sun-burned, dehydrated, and their feet hurt like yours. When going to Disney as a job, the upkeep of putting forth a valuable product requires hiding many circumstances and actualities that are to be expected. The goal is to promote perfection, even though that doesn’t really exist.

Some Disney Influencers Are of Questionable Character

Disney Parks

People are people. They are going to make mistakes and mess things up. That’s okay, but I would argue that assuming that a social media influencer has your best interest in mind is never a good idea—many accounts of influencers being arrested and charged with all sorts of offenses exist. There are bad people in every realm of the world, including those we consume. Some are committing copyright infringement, while others promote lewd acts in and around parks that have children present.

We aren’t talking about breaking a few Park rules here; we’re talking about serious situations, some of which ended with the loss of life. We should always be mindful of who we choose to listen to and follow, as they may not have our best interests in mind. This is true of Disney influencers as well.

In closing, it’s of worth to note that not all social media influencers are terrible. Many are, but others only want to help you maximize your fun while on vacation. I’m all for that, but there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed, and many have done so for the sole purpose of promoting like and views. There’s nothing wrong with researching before visiting a Disney Park, but if it seems too good to be true, it most likely is. If an influencer tells you that Disney is building a fifth Park at Walt Disney World based on Star Wars (this isn’t a made-up scenario) and you have yet to see Disney talk about it, you can be sure it isn’t. The truth about influencers is they only have as much influence over you as you let them.