Credit: Grant and Ash (@a_twink_and_a_redhead)Things at Disney are getting a little more magical for some couples.
When most people think about Disney, they may think of Mickey Mouse, their favorite Disney movie, a Disney princess like Belle, Cinderella, or Rapunzel, or perhaps one of the many popular Disney theme parks like Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort. What many people do not think of, however, is Disney being a great way to meet other swingers to spice up your relationship.
A recent and viral TikTok posted by Grant and Ash (@a_twink_and_a_redhead) have sparked quite an interest online after they joked about an app called “Swingers Upon Main”, which in the skit, is a way that the two are meant to find other couples to enjoy. Grant and Ashely are just friends, but have picked up on the notorious Disney adult debate, playing on the “cringe” nature that some associate with adults who love Disney.
The TikTok reads, “sometimes, Mickey wants to take Daisy for a spin!”
@a_twink_and_a_redhead Sometimes Mickey wants to take Daisy for a spin! 🥰🏰💕✨ #disneyadult #couple #datingapp #disneyworld #meetuponmain #satire ♬ original sound – Grant & Ash
The video is filled with hilarious one-liners such as “we don’t just trade pins, we trade partners”, and “people love to drink around the world, well how about swinging around the world”.
Rolling Stone also picked up the story, stating, “Anyone who knows me and my long-term boyfriend know we meet a lot of our friends online these days,” Ashley Gill says in a Dec. 21 video, showing a photo of her and her friend and collaborator, Grant Gibbs, taking a sultry selfie with Pluto. She’s wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with the image of Remy, the rodent culinary whiz from Ratatouille, while Gibbs is wearing mouse ears and a T-shirt with Cars protagonist Lightning McQueen.” Of course, they later explained that the video was satire.
“So many people online make fun of Disney adults,” Ashley Gill tells Rolling Stone. “I think this was just like the perfect fodder for that.”
“People were sending us death threats, telling us we need to die,” Gibbs adds. “I saw someone say, ‘They need to stand up on Space Mountain.’”
According to Rolling Stone, “Gill says the whole experience has given her a new perspective on how quickly misinformation travels online, and how lacking many X users are in media literacy. Indeed, a handful of Disney blogs have pounced on their video, reporting on it with headlines like “Disney’s “Swinger” Community: Adults Find Controversial Community in an Unlikely Place.”
“It’s really opened my eyes to how people get into more dangerous rabbit holes and believing insane things like conspiracy theories,” she says. “If they believe Disney swingers exist, there’s an app for them, and that we’re a couple? I’m like, yeah, it makes sense people get sucked down [rabbit holes].”
While Swingers Upon Main is not a real app, those looking to date other Disney adults can do so, because an app really does exist! The site is called Meet Upon Main, which is clearly what these two creators were playing off of, created by Robby Scharfeld and Kaity Rabinovitch. The two have seen the video, but have taken the positives: “from a marketing point of view, I kind of had an idea of how it would grow and benefit [Meet Upon Main],” Rabinovitch says, adding that the website has racked up more than 1,000 new signups since the Disney Swingers parody video.
“One of our core values as a company is inclusion, so even though [Disney singles] was the population we originally had in mind, anyone is welcome on the site,” Rabinovitch says.
The site states, “This Is Where Your Magic Begins. At Meet Upon Main we’re creating a network where Disney fans make Magical connections! Whether looking for love, or a park buddy, we’re committed to creating a space for all Disney Fans to connect. We want to help you…Meet Upon Main”.
Users can make their account for free, but it costs $9.49 to use the app monthly. They also have a special that will only charge you $12.00 for three months or 89.88 for the year. It seems that Meet Upon Main is looking to compete with other popular dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, or Hinge, by narrowing down the niche and only focusing on those looking to find another Disney lover in their life.
While some may not want to use the platform, for those who really enjoy the theme parks, this could be a good way to find a partner with similar interests without even having to ask.
Would you use a Disney dating app?