Hypothetical: How would the parks change without social media? R

[Brandonius]

FOMO, Instagram, and Influencers have played a huge role in shaping the parks and their culture today. I'm someone that does not have and never plans to have "social media" in the traditional sense - the account I have on these forums is the closest thing I have lol. How do you think the parks would look today if there were no social media?

Clarifications:
- Taking pictures for personal use is still going to be all over the place. The family photo in front of the castle, on ride pics, character pics, etc. - would still happen, but for the family video reel, not your insta story.
- This includes both the "big cases" like vloggers or influencers and the small cases like taking an Instagram picture of your limited-time candy cane.

I just wonder sometimes what small ways this affects us that we don't realize and what ways we overhype (vloggers?) that don't have as much of an impact as we'd think.

 

[laz8701]

Sales of merchandise would be much lower. No one would know about the latest items, the cost or when they go on sale.

The same with new food items.

Only people who go to the parks would be able to see shows and entertainment.

No POV videos of rides.

 

[Karin1984]

The parks would be emptier, sales would go down, Disney would not be happy.

It will be harder for Disney to predict which items will do well, without the buzz from social media, so either have too much or too little in stock.

Those kind of things will be influenced.

 

[DizMe]

Personally, I would love it if it were scaled back several notches, but I have no idea how that could ever be accomplished. It's not like you can ban people from having a phone or camera, and that's all it takes to get things on social media. In general, I think society as a whole would be better off without so much social media, but that genie's out of the bottle.

 

[katyringo]

I think about this all the time. Especially right now as I am trying to cut way back on social media. I unfollowed a lot of accounts recently. I think the social media around Disney has increased demand. It shares an idolized, perfected version of the parks. Most do not share the real part of the parks like the lines, waiting hours for that perfect spot, etc. They directly cause a lot of the madness around the merch.. and I have fallen for it. And the FOMO... The always having to see it first anytime something new is in the park. And NONE of them talk about how much money they are spending to maintain these accounts. I actually started to realize that many of them were not making me feel good about Disney but selling me this version of Disney that doesn't really exist and I think selling a reality of spending that much time in the parks isn't realistic for most people. Very few of these accounts focus on once a year/once every several years Disney goer.
I have a few that don't make me feel this way, so I've held on to them. I actually find these boards to be my best tool for planning. I recently unfollowed just about every account that focuses on Merch.

 

[starlite_]

I know it def helps getting new ppl on the parks. My sibling had never once mentioned wanting to go, until they saw the food and snacks videos.

 

[BrianL]

I don't know about the parks, but the world would be significantly better off. Disney would be fine - they'd find ways to succeed just as they did before social media, before the Internet, before so many things - they've been around for 100 years, you know!

 

[DontSpamMe]

@ katyringo

I feel the same. I appreciate most of their work as I use their videos to get an edge, but they do not show all the realities of the park. Which is why I enjoy this board so much. One can get a true sense of reality from all the shared experiences here.

Front and center for World of Color, the fireworks and Fantasmic are awesome, but it doesn't show what they had to do to get those spots. It's generally not something a family will go through if it's a once in a lifetime trip or even a trip they take annually.

But yea....social media going away wouldn't be the worse thing.

 

[l4dyj8]

Merchandise wouldn’t sell out as quickly. Perhaps less pricey seasonal items.

I actually use social media to plan. The right blog/bloggers can be helpful preparing you for the current crowd levels, expectations, etc. (ie I’m not planning on getting the Magic Band as I don’t see much use.) Emphasis on the right informative ones. Not the ones that need to pretend they have a perfect day. I like the fun seasonal offerings, I wouldn’t always know about everything without social media. The official Disney Parks Blog has been lacking lately

Dislike the ones that block spots. The ones that spend so much time setting up a scene and blocking access. (That’s a global comment. I don’t see too much on our weekend DL trips.)

We used to do the Food & Wine Festival. I remember the early days when it was just a simple themed event. It was accessible. But it was also when CA was pretty dead.

 

[whiteness]

Last year, I learned via social media that Disney had been doing the "Candlelight Processional" for basically entire life, but I had never even heard of it up until that point. My life had been perfectly fine and full filled up until that point, but suddenly I needed to get up at the crack of dawn to make ADRs for the whole family so we could pay silly amounts of money to eat an overpriced meal with reserved seating to watch it.

Fortunately, we decided to cancel our ADRs and ended up not going, and we are a few hundreds of $$$ richer for it. This year, again I made ADRs (just in case) but probably won't go. Vloggers tell me I should care, people rhapsodize over it, but I fear that it will be a "meh" experience, and I shouldn't have to pay through to nose to find that out.

I'll be honest: 90% of the "advice" given online hasn't been a good match for my own interests or preferences. Not to mention that some of it is just flat out inaccurate and/or outdated. I once tried to visit the top lounge (out of10) recommended by a (very!) well known VLOGGER in a video that had just been posted: that lounge had been closed for more than a year! I didn't bother trying the other 9 on the list. This is an extreme example, but in my experience few "must do" places or experiences have ever lived up to the hype for me.

Social media has gotten me to buy and eat so many things I otherwise wouldn't have. And they've made my visits to the parks so much more stressful than they used to be. Not just because of all the things that I now worried about doing that I wouldn't have cared about before, but all of the other guests that are all rushing to compete with me to experience the exact same things. I really miss the old days when I'd just show up at the parks without any plans or about what I "needed" to do curtesy of some influencer. I just did what I felt like doing, either because I had previously enjoyed it, or it looked interesting at that moment. And I was perfectly happy with that. Those are still my happiest Disney memories.

Social media has driven us to all think we want the same things. The things they recommend we should want. Consequently, the prices of those things have gone through the roof, while access has plummeted. If a visit to Disney feels stressful instead of joyful, then we are doing it wrong. I feel that we are being unintentionally led to do it wrong by people that genuinely are trying to help us do it right. And, unfortunately, the only way to fix that problem might be to stop paying so much attention to those people, and just listen to our own hearts, instead.

 

[Astylla]

"Social Media was a mistake" is my go to line and let me elaborate.

For myself social media has been a blessing in a lot of ways. Due to personal and life circumstances I have moved often from states across the country and it has allowed me to reconnect in ways I never thought possible. In addition it has led me to some amazing experiences and people I may never have met otherwise.
Having no blood frailly of my own left ( both parents deceased/ no extended family), having a platform to talk to others was invaluable and I treasure these friendships and relationships.

In many other ways , it has created a false sense of reality and not just in terms of Disney. As mentioned above it paints a very skewed view often of only the "good" parts, not the day in day out operations or concerns that may come up. Often I've seen the couples or families that have a strong online presence and appear "happy" but the moment the camera is off them , the scrutiny and true colors start to come through. This has become a more common occurrence it seems and the sheer volume of those who continue to paint the image that isn't real for the masses which leads to frustration and even anger both online and towards other people including guests , CM's , etc.

While I use social media extensively , I also keep my private life as that and share things only within certain individuals or under some anonomynity. I value forums like this and real life accounts much more than what the masses post and try to share that information with others because I enjoy it.

 

[chezcurrie]

Oh man, I am a total Pollyanna, but the Disney influencers have definitely rubbed me the wrong way and I would venture to say negatively affect my enjoyment of the parks. And this is coming from someone who is active on my (personal, private) social media accounts.

I don’t care about individuals posting photos or videoing for a reel to share with their family and friends (I actually helped someone with their tik tok cause their phone was gonna fall of that lampost), but “the hustle” I have had enough of.

What do I mean by the hustle? The ones who run all around the parks buying every seasonal/limited edition snacks, posing and taking a bazillion photos with their ratings (9/10 would buy again!) only to toss said treat in the trash. The ones sharing all the “cute march” with affiliate links. (Is it just me but I love to stumble upon a surprise in a store, not feel like I have to have it.) Such a waste and as PP said creating a false sense that we *ALL* should care and want the same things. Also the ones with a backpack full of outfit changes and who set up their own photo shoot (with their children no less) and as a PP mentioned block access. It feels so very … fake. And that’s what I don’t like. Magic and pixie dust absolutely. But imagine if our kids thought they *had* to have a certain dessert because they saw it on social media, when in reality they would have been happier with a dole whip and a churro.

Don’t even get me started on all the “perks” like free hotel stays and admission. That creates a definite fallacy and FOMO that is not needed. I personally think it has gone too far. I still follow a couple accounts by actual journalists, but even that is a lot of the “same old same old” lately I am finding. Consumerism and FOMO at its finest.

A prime example of this is at WDW with the Starcruiser - I had zero intent to ever spend that kind of money on a hotel with no windows, but the vloggers entranced me. I was making every justification to go, it all looked so fantastic and I actually booked a voyage and was planning outfits, etc. Well we ended up doing an international move so we cancelled the trip but man I drank that kool aid! I still would love to experience it, but without all the perks of the media preview/first voyages I wonder if it would still hit as hard as it did those first weeks?? Do I now know too much for it to be as magical?

Part of the joy of Disney is the surprise element - I am just back from a WDW trip and managed to avoid spoilers of Cosmic Rewind, Ratatouille, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railweayt *and* Frozen. How I do not know! LOL Something as simple as (***FROZEN SPOILER ALERT***) the ride suddenly going backwards … I burst into tears of joy it was just so unexpected (clearly I don’t remember Maelstrom, lol.)

That day we did those firsts will forever be one of my favourite days at any Disney park. It was pure magic. We all need more of those days.

 

[chezcurrie]

Oops, I realize I just went on a tirade instead of actually answering your question. In short, I think:

- the parks would be a better guest experience without the revenue-generating social media (influencer/content creator).
- the parks would make less money if that were the case
- I wish social media did not have a revenue component across the board. Its doing weird things to our kids, too. Why go into a “traditional” field these days…

 

[NJlauren]

This is a very interesting thread!

I have enjoyed a lot of what was said here! I follow a handful of influencers or cast members, same as I do celebrities, but I’ve cut back. I have bought into the hype so many times it’s crazy and unnecessary. After one time, needed a silly item, I started to unfollow some people. My husband got off all social media and is trying to get me to do the same. Probably won’t happen.

I think social media is here to stay, so I’ll learn to live with it and post and have fun, but avoiding the FOMO and the need for unnecessary items is where I want to go.

I think some things wouldn’t go away, example I just ready the release of the Christmas snacks, and there are 2 I want! That is an article that part wouldn’t go away but the day of release reviews would.

I think this rush to have things or experience something would change and Disney would change some marketing stuff. They give people free entry in return of reviews, so they would need to market that now. Overall cost would probably be similar but honestly less affective influences in general have good results, just based on this thread.

I will say my DD8 likes some of the vloggers and I find them some of the least offensive content on YouTube so in that case request your snack or spot to find a hidden Mickey I’m all in girl.

 

[katyringo]

Who mentioned star cruiser? That was kinda the end for me too.. I think it took the blinders off? I can't compare my Disney experience to folks who get media nights, special privileges, etc. their Disney is not my Disney.

 

[StormyCA]

Merch/experiences wouldn't be 'hyped up' so FOMO wouldn't cause people to rush in 'no matter what' to get or do whatever is being hyped, even if they really didn't care about that particular 'thing'. I think as a result it would be less crowded and people would be more patient/nicer to each other.

Most of my 'Disney years' were well before SM. I think we'd return to a bit of the Disney of those years. You were there because you wanted to be, not because you felt you had to be and you bought what you wanted because you wanted it. Not because you felt you had to do or have it in order to be part of the 'In Crowd'.

 

[Peachy0118]

I think it depends on how you use it; not all are created equal. There are vloggers we follow, ones we've discovered, ones we've stopped following... it depends on their style, their tone, their information. I like being around happy people who love Disney - and that includes vloggers! I DON'T like being around entitled, rude people, and that includes vloggers, too.

We don't live locally. We don't even live in the country! When we couldn't travel, we 'lived vicariously through a lot of those vloggers. I am thankful for that.

Since we don't get to go often, and since we love to research, we enjoy watching them to help us make decisions based on how we spend our time and money. Watching a video about the twelve new sets of ears doesn't make me want to get twelve of them. It makes me decide, between the twelve, which one (if any) I will get. A meal at a restaurant often has helped us decide NOT to eat there, even if they rave about their meal. (Again, short amount of time; can't do everything. Seeing the items helps us decide for ourselves.)

Social media is here to stay, for better or worse. Are there substantial problems with it? Sure. Definitely. But since it IS there, I am going to use it to help me make some decisions. Before I buy a product, I read reviews and critically think about taking out the information that is useful to me. I use social media the same way, particularly in planning vacations, and Disney is no exception.

That being said, I am in my late 30s, I am not overwhelmed by social media, and, though I spend way too much time on it, I also remember a time without it and can function without it. I think it can be overwhelming if you aren't in that 'sweet spot' of familiarity/use, and, as others have said, it does affect children's perceptions and development.

Social media in terms of Disney planning is like a game to me, but we love researching. Reviewing, images, videos, lists... we gather as much information as we can, and find that all of that really helps increase our excitement for coming trips as well as let us peak into the parks in the long stretches of time between visits.

Disney is a business, and it is in its best interest to use social media for all forms of its advertising. So I think if it can find a way to monetize that more, it will. (Vlogging registration?)

So, to answer the initial question:
- I'd miss a lot of the details. (Example: I had fun trying the 'Disney mountain challenge', which existed only through social media.)
- I'd probably spend more money on small things, and less on big, but spend more overall since I wouldn't have a bunch of the information in advance.
- The parks would be less crowded.
- There would exist less merch in general, but specifically less seasonal merch.
- I'd know about fewer 'hidden gems'... but so would everyone else

 

[Chickinvic]

Disney did just fine without them, and would do just fine. I personally can't stand them.

 

[gelatoni fan]

I visit a lot of theme parks and there is more social media around Disney parks than other parks. This means that it's pretty easy to get get good information which is great if you're a planner. Try searching for what rides at SeaWorld have single rider and you won't be able to easily find an answer. There are even smaller parks around the world with less information.

FOMO drives up sales and social media increases sales in other ways. I can't imagine pin trading existing the way it does now without social media. In the US a lot of trades and pin events are organized through social media and people do pin pickups for people who can't get into the parks which are organized on social media.

Something that nobody has mentioned yet is that social media also contributes to things like the political environment which drives a lot of Disney's actions. Also, I think social media is a big reason for Marvel's popularity. Perhaps Avengers Campus would not exist if not for social media. At the very least, there would be fewer "instagram walls" in that area of the park.

 

[evilmommie]

Disney did just fine without them, and would do just fine. I personally can't stand them.

This.

I’ve posted several times about my experience with “influencers” in the Parks. They are annoying and distract from the show.