En Quelques Termes

Between new releases, exclusive backstage images, and sometimes sharp opinions, content creators focused on theme parks take you through their latest updates and behind-the-scenes content via their posts on social media.

Disneyland, Futuroscope, Parc Astérix, and Nigloland: many French theme parks are now among the most visited in Europe. The Themed Entertainment Association, commonly known as the TEA, ranked five metropolitan parks in their TOP 20 most visited theme parks in Europe and the Middle East in 2023. On top of the list is Disneyland Park located in Marne-la-Vallée, followed closely by its companion park, Walt Disney Studios Park, which takes the third place of this ranking.

The Walt Disney Company, an unstoppable entity known as much for its cinematic classics as for its enormous rides and parks, has won the hearts of countless enthusiasts over the decades. Founded in October 1923 by the brothers Walt Disney and Roy Disney, the company continues to make dreams come true for people of all ages through its freshness and adaptations. On social media, accounts dedicated to this universe on platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have been continuously growing, allowing fans to connect together and share their opinions on the latest news and recommendations from the Disney parks.

The audience that some of these online contents gather can be significant, both for the content creators themselves and for the theme parks featured in the content. From a few hundred followers followers to several hundred thousand of them, content creators like Maxime (Wonder Hook), Naomi (HappinessIsWhereYouAre), Alicia (Alicia_Abadie), and Matéo (Le_Walt_Boy) are followed daily through their videos and posts on social media. We had the opportunity to interview Matéo, whose accounts keep growing: with 30 000 followers on Instagram, 63 000 on TikTok, and over 83 000 on YouTube, he shares his passion for theme parks through different formats on online platforms.

As a theme park enthusiast, Matéo has chosen to share his passion with the followers who follow his content almost on daily basis. Initially strongly associated with the Disney franchise, he was determined to move away from that label, and he now explores themes such as entertainment, travel, and lifestyle. Being a self-taught video maker and editor since the age of 16, Matéo is committed to switching the public’ perception of ‘Disney adults’ or more simply, theme park fans in general: « I wanted to break the clichés […], you can be just an average person and still have a passion. For some people, it’s drawing, for others, it’s movies, and for you, it’s just theme parks. Why not ? »His signature style so far ? Short and dynamic videos in which he discusses surprising facts about the parks and offers tips so you can make the most of your day in the parks.

Alicia, a content creator with 4 000 followers on Instagram and nearly 150 000 followers on TikTok, also shared her experience with us. We discussed her early stages on the platforms, her artistic direction, as well as the opportunities and encounters this job has brought her. She also shared with us: « It brings so many wonderful aspects, friends, love, opportunities […], things I never thought I would experience. » Also versatile in the topics she covers and the formats she creates on social media, Alicia told us she began sharing her passion for the Walt Disney Company on social media during the Coronavirus pandemic and through her items and collection. As regular visitor o the parisian Disney parks, she wanted to show how they bounced back on their feet after the lockdown, which had forced them to close their gates for many months. Indeed, Disneyland Paris and the Walt Disney Studios Park stopped their commercial and tourist activities and, according to an article published on the FranceTVInfo website in December 2020, have placed nearly 15 000 employees on partial unemployment, employees who, to this day, still contribute on keeping the parks vibrant.

But what do online users think of this type of content? The opinions often seem to go in the same direction: they love it, and they like to show it. Matéo mentioned this topic during our interview, elaborating on the feedback he often receives. « Sometimes I meet people, and they say: ‘It’s awesome, we had a great day, we followed all your tips, I’m really happy so thank you.’ […] I thought I was just making short videos online and that no one would actually use these tips; that it was just entertainment. » And what about the more harsh comments? It’s no secret that online violence, both in terms of words and visuals, keeps rising. The « Online Hate and Harassment: The American Experience 2023 » study by the ADL, Anti-Defamation League, highlights a 12% increase in the number of American adults who have experienced some form of online harassment between 2022 and 2023, bringing the total amount to 52% of them. When facing these negative comments, Matéo said that he uses irony in his responses: « I like to respond to insulting comments […] by pretending to agree with these people. »

In the context of this article, we were also able to speak with a few fans of the Disney entity to get their opinion on the Disney-related content they consume on a daily basis. « […] it seems more authentic than the official presentations, » says Morgane, a passionate Disney fan and former holder of a Disney « annual pass. » These annual passes, available in the Walt Disney Company’s parks around the world, allow (very) frequent visitors to enter the parks unlimitedly or nearly unlimitedly. At Disneyland Paris, which shares its annual pass with the Walt Disney Studios Park, an annual pass costs between €289 and €699 depending on the options you select. Morgane’s view on the Walt Disney Company’s communication strategy seems to be shared by Tiphaine, also a Disney annual pass holder who said that content creators « advertise the franchise in a great way, maybe better than the Disney itself. »

But what does the Walt Disney Company think of these content creators? The company seems quite favorable to exchanges with content creators. In 2018, the Walt Disney Company created the Insid’Ears program which highlights the online content of many creators linked to the Disney parks located in France. These creators, some of whom are seen as ambassadors on social media, are frequently invited to exclusive previews and events, during which they promote both the park’s new releases and their own content.

And there will be new releases soon! During the latest D23 convention, an annual event where the major updates of the company are shared to the public, we learned about the upcoming construction of a ride dedicated to the movie « The Lion King », which will be located in the Walt Disney Studios Park in Marne-la-Vallée. This park will soon be renamed Disney Adventure World. A themed land dedicated to the animated film Frozen, a massive hit of the 2010s, will also be opening soon. It will feature a new attraction, a meet-and-greet area with the animation film, as well as a shop and a restaurant whose aesthetic is inspired by the movie’s aesthetic.

The two content creators we spoke with also explained that what we might call « the race for exclusive content and information » is not a priority for them, and that they prefer to focus on content that feels more authentic to them, rather than rushing to post content about new releases. « Maybe people will get an overdose at that point because a lot of content creators will post similar content, » added Alicia while talking about the upcoming « Disney Music Festival » season, which begins on April 19th at Disneyland Paris. « I will think about how I can film the video in my own style, with my own artistic direction. I’m not putting pressure on myself for this. »

Given the massive and constant amount of news and information related to the parks customers receive, it can ultimately be difficult to navigate it on your own. What about you, would you let these specialized contents guide your day in your favorite theme parks?