Credit: DisneySome online questioned their loyalty to Walt Disney World Resort after a video accused the Central Florida Disney park of violating guests’ privacy.
Walt Disney World Resort was the second Disney Resort created by Walt Disney and Roy Disney. Fifty years later, it boasts two water parks, dozens of Disney Resort hotels, the Disney Springs shopping & dining district, and four Disney theme parks: Magic Kingdom Park, EPCOT, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
A hoax video from satire content creator @goodthink1984 accused The Most Magical Place on Earth of Orwellian-like surveillance on guests. It claimed that the Disney parks created profiles on all guests, including young children, to craft future targeted advertising:
Big Brother commends Disney for their exceptional surveillance techniques, turning every family vacation into a data-mining extravaganza. Consent has never been so magical!
Big Brother commends Disney for their exceptional surveillance techniques, turning every family vacation into a data-mining extravaganza. Consent has never been so magical! pic.twitter.com/AghkeiT0We
— Orwell (parody) (@goodthink1984) March 26, 2024
“Big Brother lauds Disney as a paragon of modern surveillance,” the host began, dressed in Disney Park regalia. “The House of Mouse has truly perfected their ability to extract and exploit the data of their gleefully consenting customers.”
He cited a fake University of Illinois study that claimed theme park guests were not only okay with Walt Disney World Resort violating their privacy but “exuberant.”
“They rush to wait in line for hours, surrendering any and all personal information in exchange for magical Mickey memories that will last a lifetime,” the host alleged. “With MagicBand+, wallets and keys are not needed, freeing parents to focus on bonding with their children. Although Disney doesn’t market to kids under 13, little ones’ information is stored for future customized marketing delight.”
“Patrons prefer to embrace this ‘vacation from their privacy,’ so long as the illusion of family fun is not shattered,” he continued. “To this end, Disney Imagineers playfully hide cameras in props and miniatures throughout the park. They noticed that you lingered at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and want to remind you that Cinderella is posing for pictures at her castle for just a swipe of your Magicband+.”
Though the X (formerly Twitter) account identifies itself as satire, some users used its recent video to express concern about The Walt Disney Company’s reach.
“Are people worried about this again?” @HorrorUnpacked asked. “I feel like everyone was freaked out about it circa 2012 and then everyone just stopped talking about it.”
Are people worried about this again? I feel like everyone was freaked out about it circa 2012 and then everyone just stopped talking about it.
— HorrorUnpacked (@HorrorUnpacked) March 26, 2024
“Unbelievable and shameful,” said @Amir_Arsalan_. “But probably they don’t even know what shame is.”
Unbelievable and shameful. But probably they don't even know what shame is.
— Amir Arsalan Soltani (@Amir_Arsalan_) March 27, 2024
“Disney is evil,” @rschlafly agreed.
Disney is evil.
— R Schlafly (@rschlafly) March 27, 2024
Does Walt Disney World Resort actually violate guests’ privacy? Share your thoughts with Inside the Magic in the comments.