Disney Park Shuts Down Communication With Guests on Twitter

Disney’s social media managers have been working overtime lately in the digital age. The fourth wall between fans and celebrities has broken, and contacting major corporations has become as simple as sending a text message. While social media has broken barriers and leveled the social sharing playfield, it’s also come with challenges for large corporations.

When millions can message your Administrators from anywhere at any time, is it possible to keep up with the demands? According to this Disney Park, the answer is no.

Disney has been in the eye of a social media storm, making headlines with tensions between the Mouse House and now Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Accusations of Disney being too “woke,” disappointments with Disney+, controversial casting decisions, and exiting executives have cast Disney in a new light. It’s not just the stateside Disney empire taking heat in the media. Disney’s Park Across the Pond has had its share of unprecedented media coverage.

Anti-Social Media

Disneyland Paris has been wrought with Cast Member strikes for nearly two months, with Park disruptions, performance cancelations, security clashes, and blockades formed in the typically-pristine Disney Parks.

Natacha Rafalski, Disneyland Paris president, has been at the center of backlash for dismissing the striking workers. Cast Members have Disney Guests on their side who know how instrumental they are in creating the Disney magic. Chanting, “We are the parade” during the five protests, Cast Members have been demanding a 215 USD per month raise, higher wages for Sunday work, and improved working conditions.

As always, Elon Musk’s social media platform is the first to swarm controversial news stories like the Cast Member strikes. On Twitter, Disney fans all over the globe have been watching the strikes unfold. After radio silence aside from a virtual “trainwreck” meeting between Rafalski and the Paris UNSA, Disneyland Paris made a bold move.

With customer service being Disney’s top priority for its Parks, Twitter has been instrumental in communicating with Guests. But in a statement from the official Disneyland Paris account (@DisneyParis_EN), the Park announced it’s no longer participating in Twitter correspondence:

Please note that this account will cease replying to public and private messages as of 1st July 2023. You can still reach out to our Customer Service via: Our website, in the “Help & Contact” section Facebook Messenger Instagram Direct See you real soon!

⚠️Please note that this account will cease replying to public and private messages as of 1st July 2023.

You can still reach out to our Customer Service via:
➡️Our website, in the “Help & Contact” section
➡️Facebook Messenger
➡️Instagram Direct

See you real soon!

— Disneyland Paris EN (@DisneyParis_EN) June 21, 2023

Guests Second Guess Disneyland Paris

With a high-level social media restructuring since Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta move and Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, folks have taken stock of where they spend their time online. While Twitter has always been a hotbed for controversy, its efficiency has set it apart, and Disney Guests are not happy Disneyland Paris is closing the door to the more than 353.9 million active users on the site.

On the original post from Disney, @RtR_1900 shared thoughts about the move:

Great. Thousands fired, raising prices, strikes, shows cancelled, raising prices, wrong movies and did I said raising prices already? Now this? Disney doesn’t care for the customer, that is clear now..sure they will put up a paid number for info, look out for that in the future

Great. Thousands fired, raising prices, strikes, shows cancelled, raising prices, wrong movies and did I said raising prices already?
Now this? Disney doesn't care for the customer, that is clear now..sure they will put up a paid number for info, look out for that in the future

— David (@RtR_1900) June 21, 2023

Another Disney fan, @Disney_Eliana, emphasized the communication gap left where Disneyland Paris’s Twitter once was:

As someone who doesn’t use Facebook, that’s rather disappointing.

As someone who doesn't use Facebook, that's rather disappointing.

— Eliana Baker (@Disney_Eliana) June 21, 2023

More Twitter purists like @AmandaJDee added to the thread:

That’s a shame and not particularly helpful. Facebook is a haven for trolls and fake accounts, so tend to avoid it. Wouldn’t dream of having messenger open again. Guess we still have the website.

That's a shame and not particularly helpful. Facebook is a haven for trolls and fake accounts, so tend to avoid it. Wouldn't dream of having messenger open again. Guess we still have the website.

— Dull Lass On The Train (@AmandaJDee) June 21, 2023

It’s uncertain why Disneyland Paris is backing away from Twitter, but with its accessibility to Guests amid ongoing strike actions in its Parks, one could assume the move is related.

Companies rely heavily on social media to access real-time customer data, communicate with patrons, and assess how to expand their platforms. Still, Disneyland Paris is shutting down the input from a mammoth social media site.