Credit: Inside The MagicBeneath the corporate offices in Burbank, California—where the sculptured Seven Dwarfs famously act as pillars holding up the Team Disney building—the Broadway cast of Aladdin belted out the sweeping notes of “A Whole New World.”
Yet looking out from the stage, the sight was distinctly modern: an ocean of raised smartphones, handheld gimbal cameras, and ring lights capturing every high note.
The audience consisted of nearly 70 high-profile Latino content creators invited to Disney’s studio lot for the three-day Somos Magic Summit. Over the course of the event spanning Burbank and the Disneyland Resort, these digital storytellers stayed at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, toured the studio lot, received behind-the-scenes previews of upcoming projects like Disney California Adventure’s Coco boat ride and Walt Disney Animation’s feature Hexed, and attended a spooky “Huluween” dance party.
The summit was not an isolated publicity junket. Rather, it illustrates the scale of Disney’s expanding creator strategy, which has generated billions of social media impressions. Facing intense competition for consumer screen time and a changing Hollywood landscape, The Walt Disney Company is making creators an increasingly important part of its marketing efforts—using their established relationships with audiences to promote its entertainment offerings and theme parks.
6,000 Creators and 12 Billion Impressions: Scaling the Machine
While Disney has invited influencers to press previews and theme park openings for years, the entertainment giant has significantly expanded its investment in creator partnerships over the past twelve months.
According to company figures reported by the Los Angeles Times, Disney has collaborated with more than 6,000 content creators in 2026—marking a 30% increase in creator collaborations compared with 2025.
The reported reach has been substantial: Disney says posts from these creators have generated nearly 12 billion social media impressions.
At the Somos Magic Summit alone—held during Hispanic Heritage Month from September 27 to September 30—the invited creators represented a combined follower base exceeding 185 million. That figure illustrates the potential audience available to Disney through these partnerships, although combined follower counts do not represent unique viewers or guarantee that every follower will see a particular post.
“Let’s be honest,” Nicole Leo, Disney’s Vice President of Creator Content and Partnerships, told the Los Angeles Times. “Creators are our best digital billboards these days.”
Beyond the Billboard: Why Disney Needs “Authentic” Voices
For generations, Disney promoted its entertainment through linear television advertising, theatrical trailers, and iconic theme park commercials. Today, as traditional cable television faces declining audiences and many younger consumers spend more time watching vertical videos, Disney is looking for additional ways to reach fans where they already spend their time.
Disney’s Chief Marketing and Brand Officer, Asad Ayaz, explained that partnering with creators can help bridge the gap between a corporate studio and its audiences.
“We know that our fans want more,” Ayaz told the Los Angeles Times. “And what creators offer us is an authentic fan point of view in our creative process. Based on where people are spending time and the types of entertainment they’re engaging with, it creates numerous opportunities for us to have an always-on relationship with our fans.”
Crucially, Disney says its creator summits are intended to foster reciprocal relationships rather than rely exclusively on rigid, paid promotional scripts. According to Anastasia Ali, Vice President of Inclusive Marketing and Audience Growth, Disney did not pay creators appearance fees for the Somos Magic trip beyond covering their accommodations, nor did it require a minimum number of posts.
Instead, Disney provided accommodations, park experiences, and previews of upcoming projects. Creators subsequently documented their visits through daily vlogs, “Get Ready With Me” videos, and comedic sketches. Although Disney did not require a set number of posts, the company benefited from the resulting social media coverage.
“They’re storytellers of their respective communities,” Ali said. “Our hope is that their audiences… see Disney as a place where they can bring their families and friends, where they can find their entertainment preferences and that Disney ultimately becomes their go-to brand.”
Mega-Deals and Mainstream Stage: Dude Perfect, TikTok, and Beyond
The Somos Magic Summit is just one part of Disney’s expanding creator strategy. Over the past several months, the company has announced high-profile partnerships with internet personalities and social platforms to support major franchise milestones and encourage audiences to engage with its content.
- The Dude Perfect Alliance: Disney announced a major content partnership with sports and comedy group Dude Perfect. With more than 60 million YouTube subscribers, the group is expected to produce content tied to the upcoming Marvel Studios film Avengers: Doomsday and the 50th anniversary of Star Wars. The collaboration also creates opportunities for content to appear across Disney’s entertainment brands and social platforms.
- The TikTok & “Verts” Integration: In August, Disney announced a partnership with TikTok that will give participating creators access to assets from hundreds of Disney films and television series for use in short-form videos. Under the announced plan, selected creator-made videos will appear on TikTok and Verts, the vertical-video discovery feed within Disney+. The initiative was scheduled to begin with a U.S. pilot in the coming months, with additional markets potentially following. Its announced scope should not be confused with confirmation that the full program is already operational.
- D23 and Major Broadcast Events: At the D23 fan convention this past summer, Disney hosted a cocktail event specifically for influencers, while executives discussed how creators could become the next generation of Disney storytellers and potentially even future Disney Legends. Looking ahead, Disney has said it plans to create more opportunities for creators around major broadcast events on its calendar, including marquee broadcasts like the Oscars, the Grammy Awards, and Super Bowl LXI, when they air on ABC and Disney’s streaming platforms in 2027.
These initiatives reflect Disney’s interest in expanding creator participation beyond individual press trips and into the broader promotion of its entertainment franchises.
The Trust Factor: Why Fans Turn to Creators for Recommendations
Historically, Disney has been fiercely protective of its intellectual property and brand image. Giving outside internet personalities greater access to its productions and theme parks represents a different approach to communicating with audiences.
Part of the appeal is that creators can offer personal perspectives on entertainment and vacation experiences. For some consumers, an individual creator’s review may feel more relatable than a traditional corporate advertisement. However, trust varies between audiences and creators, and a creator who receives access or other benefits from a company is not necessarily independent of that company.
For theme park visitors, this distinction can be particularly important. Fans planning expensive vacations to Walt Disney World or Disneyland frequently turn to third-party creators for information about long lines, hotel refurbishments, new attractions, and food offerings.
“Disney can tell me till they’re blue in the face to try this new treat,” Randy Policar, a regular park visitor from Arizona, told the Los Angeles Times. “But of course they’re not going to say, ‘This new treat kind of stinks.’ That’s where the content creators come in and are honest.”
Policar’s comments illustrate why some fans value creators who share candid opinions about their experiences. That perceived independence can be an important part of a creator’s appeal, even when the creator has received an invitation or other benefits from the brand being covered.
By facilitating access for creators—including press junkets, film-set visits, red-carpet interviews, and behind-the-scenes park tours—Disney gives them opportunities to develop content and share their experiences with their audiences. Whether the resulting coverage is positive depends on the creators’ individual experiences and opinions.
As media consolidation accelerates and entertainment companies compete for cultural relevance, Disney is betting that traditional advertising alone is insufficient to sustain audience engagement. Its growing network of creators offers another way to keep its films, television shows, characters, and theme parks part of everyday online conversations—one vertical video at a time.
