Disney "Lifestylers"

[elchippo]

I've started following several WDW "lifestylers" on social media and Snapchat, and one thing I've noticed is that they are in the parks every (literally EVERY) day.

Maybe it's jealousy on my part but it's definitely odd to me the number of adults that have the kind of time or money to do that.... Even if you live five minutes from the parks, I can't imagine the cost of eating and drinking there, etc. so often, especially since they obviously don't have full-time jobs or anything. Maybe they somehow make money by doing this? But I really don't see how. What do the company and cast members think of these people who I assume start to become known since they are on property practically 365 days a year? Are they seen as friends who only project goodwill? Are they weirdos? Are they annoying to CMs? Just wondering really.

 

[Dead2009]

Maybe they're paid to do this sorta thing.

 

[AndyS2992]

The reason is this:
1. Youtubers and bloggers get paid lots of money through the advertising that plays on their videos and on their other websites. Companies will also pay them to advertise products which they get given for free. It's enough to make a living off if you have a big enough following. This is why they don't appear to have jobs. Some do have part time jobs but they keep that quiet not to ruin the illusion.

2. Annual passes and annual pass discounts keep costs down. Since most of these people live near Disney, they don't need to pay for hotel rooms, food, souvenirs or expensive flights since they live so close they don't need to buy anything.

3. A lot of these 'lifestylers' are actually sponsored by Disney and Disney pays their expenses out of their viral marketing budget.

Am I jealous? Of course, but to be honest if I went to Disney every day I'd get sick of it rather than having it as a special once in every four years treat. We stay for two or three weeks and by the end I just want to go home, so can't see it working out for me.

 

[bethymouse]

As much as I love Disney, I don't think I could do the Disney "lifestyle" so to speak! I could, however be a Disney Travel Agent and one that visits WDW twice or more a year ( every weekend if I actually lived near there).

 

[PhotoDave219]

I've started following several WDW "lifestylers" on social media and Snapchat, and one thing I've noticed is that they are in the parks every (literally EVERY) day.

Maybe it's jealousy on my part but it's definitely odd to me the number of adults that have the kind of time or money to do that.... Even if you live five minutes from the parks, I can't imagine the cost of eating and drinking there, etc. so often, especially since they obviously don't have full-time jobs or anything. Maybe they somehow make money by doing this? But I really don't see how. What do the company and cast members think of these people who I assume start to become known since they are on property practically 365 days a year? Are they seen as friends who only project goodwill? Are they weirdos? Are they annoying to CMs? Just wondering really.

I was a lifestyler before lifestyling was a thing. My first AP from November 04-05? 145 times in 365 days. Of course, the parks were empty fo a lot of that time and it was wonderful.

 

[DManRightHere]

When we visited Disneyland I felt like a large amount guests were regulars. They were not touristy, they had great put together pins, they had great subtle Disney themed outfits, no obvious sense of urgency. It felt much different than WDW. We probably looked like lunatics.

 

[DuckTalesWooHoo1987]

As much as I love Disney, I don't think I could do the Disney "lifestyle" so to speak! I could, however be a Disney Travel Agent and one that visits WDW twice or more a year ( every weekend if I actually lived near there).

We come three times a year and people think we are crazy. We have a DVC membership and could really come more than that if we wanted to do shorter trips but we like to come in the middle of May and then to the Halloween party and then back at the first of next May. It makes it seem like there's quite a bit of time going by between trips and the parks really always are changing and every trip is just its own unique experience no matter how many times you come. Walt wanted it to be that way and he certainly got his wish. I feel like I'm here even more than I am though because I have so many people calling me for travel tips and curiosity about whether I can get them a deal through DVC. I've helped several people get the 25% discount that I'm able to get them and they loved it. So even little things like that make me feel like I'm not all the far from the "magic".

 

[TXDisney]

I think a lot of them do side jobs that are associated with Disney. Not CMs, but still do things. Might be photography, tee shirts, etc. I also think they don't spend as much inside the parks as you think.

 

[JIMINYCR]

Hearing about it, my first reaction would be to envy them. Although it sounds great, how many days, weeks, months, could you visit in a row before you began to run out of new things to see or experience? And having to think of unique things to write about, it would turn my favorite place into a burdensome job.... no thanks. If I was a CM , I'd be jealous of someone making more money out of a Disney related job than I was.

 

[SW_matt]

I think if you visit too often you become a bit like some of the purveyors of misery that frequent these forums

 

[Chef Mickey]

The reason is this:
1. Youtubers and bloggers get paid lots of money through the advertising that plays on their videos and on their other websites. Companies will also pay them to advertise products which they get given for free. It's enough to make a living off if you have a big enough following. This is why they don't appear to have jobs. Some do have part time jobs but they keep that quiet not to ruin the illusion.

2. Annual passes and annual pass discounts keep costs down. Since most of these people live near Disney, they don't need to pay for hotel rooms, food, souvenirs or expensive flights since they live so close they don't need to buy anything.

3. A lot of these 'lifestylers' are actually sponsored by Disney and Disney pays their expenses out of their viral marketing budget.

Am I jealous? Of course, but to be honest if I went to Disney every day I'd get sick of it rather than having it as a special once in every four years treat. We stay for two or three weeks and by the end I just want to go home, so can't see it working out for me.

To be clear, very few Youtubers of the total get paid any significant money. Lots of people think they can make a living on YouTube, but it's actually rather difficult to gain and keep subscribers, get enough views, and get enough likes to make a real living.

Have people done it? Sure...but there are millions of users and probably <1,000 make a living there.

 

[ford91exploder]

I was a lifestyler before lifestyling was a thing. My first AP from November 04-05? 145 times in 365 days. Of course, the parks were empty fo a lot of that time and it was wonderful.

But you eventually outgrew it and became the worlds best secret agent

 

[DisneyFans4Life]

If I lived within 20 minutes of Disney...I'd probably be there almost every day. When you're that close, you don't have to eat there or act like a typical tourist. Maybe I've had a tough day at work and a zip around Thunder Mountain is what I need. Maybe it's a Friday night and instead of going out to eat I want to catch a parade...why not lol?

 

[PhotoDave219]

But you eventually outgrew it and became the worlds best secret agent

Indeed. Granted, at the end of it I was just going through the turnstyles to add another day. I was aiming for 150..... Although if you count the time i worked for Disney before that, well, I don't wanna think about how much of my life I've spent there.

Me and my friends hung out in the parks. It was fun. Those were back in the days when we had a dead period and sometimes the park would close at 7 or 8.

 

[Chernaboggles]

If I lived within 20 minutes of Disney...I'd probably be there almost every day. When you're that close, you don't have to eat there or act like a typical tourist. Maybe I've had a tough day at work and a zip around Thunder Mountain is what I need. Maybe it's a Friday night and instead of going out to eat I want to catch a parade...why not lol?

We've been doing some partial snowbirding the past 3 years and spent 9 weeks between October and March 5 minutes from WDW. Nobody paid us and we didn't blog the experience or anything, but what you describe is exactly how we used it. We went almost every night after work and on the weekends, but most often we just popped in for an hour or two. We'd split a dessert and watch fireworks, sometimes catch Fantasmic or do a couple rides. It was a really fun experience, but we did find that it wasn't really sustainable. The "OMG Disney!" excitement wore off, replaced by a mellow "This is so nice." feeling.

After the first 3 or 4 weeks, a big part of our enjoyment began to come from just being there and seeing other people enjoy the parks. We started doing stuff like letting other folks have our spots if we'd got a particularly good place to watch fireworks or parades, because we'd seen the show so much and it made people so happy. Weather became more of a factor in whether or not we wanted to go to the parks, if it was chilly or damp we didn't bother. It became harder to leave day-to-day stress at home, because Disney became part of our daily landscape. Our favorite times became the times we did something new, like tried a new restaurant or saw a new show. That brought the excitement back and made it all seem sparkly again.

We're staying home this winter and haven't planned our next visit yet, but we have decided that the next one will be a "fly down, stay in a hotel" kind of trip. After doing the lifestyle thing for a while, it's now the short, special vacation trip that sounds most appealing.

 

[marni1971]

I've gotten to know quite a few through my hobby / obsession. It's not as glamorous as you think. And can be hard work and long hours (I know...I know....)

 

[ABQ]

I've gotten to know quite a few through my hobby / obsession. It's not as glamorous as you think. And can be hard work and long hours (I know...I know....)

I wonder, I guess it depends on the "lifestyler" in question, but these social media ones, I wonder if they wish you would stop telling it like it is. As you don't hesitate to slam the current park conditions of attractions, upcharging events, short hours and so forth, while those vlogger types rarely, if ever, say anything is even slightly out of sorts. Those are the ones I ignore entirely as they are obviously comped for their lack of criticism.

 

[networkpro]

I wonder, I guess it depends on the "lifestyler" in question, but these social media ones, I wonder if they wish you would stop telling it like it is. As you don't hesitate to slam the current park conditions of attractions, upcharging events, short hours and so forth, while those vlogger types rarely, if ever, say anything is even slightly out of sorts. Those are the ones I ignore entirely as they are obviously comped for their lack of criticism.

Oh we dont have an axe to grind do we dearie ? I'll get you and your little dog too!

 

[DarthMileZ]

Going to disney every single day woudl make you cynical.

 

[elchippo]

In all my time at Disney I have only met one, The Tim Tracker.

Love his videos. And definitely a lifestyler, but I don't get the impression he's there EVERY day...I follow people on Snapchat,etc that definitely are.