Social media has been leading the travel planning game for a number of years now, and for Gen Z, one app, in particular, has become a go-to resource for looking into new and favorite destinations. Gen Z, or those born roughly between 1997 and 2012, have been using TikTok for nearly every topic of information, entertainment, and of course, socializing, and in terms of travel destinations on the app, Walt Disney World is topping the list.
Forbes recently shared a list of the top travel destinations by views in the app, and Walt Disney World came out on top as the number one most viewed destination on TikTok. With over 8.6 billion views on the app, it is no surprise that the Walt Disney World Resort has seen crowds that seem to surpass even pre-pandemic numbers.
What’s more, the majority of those 8.6+ billion TikTok views have come from Gen Z, with an estimated 60% of TikTok users falling between the ages of 16 and 24. Millennials are the next most common generation spotted on the app, with 26% of users ranging between the ages of 24 and 44, and young millennials specifically combined with Gen Z make up 80% of the total users on the app (when considering those between the ages of 16 and 34).
TikTok surged in popularity when the pandemic hit, quickly becoming the most downloaded app in 2020. And, with preparing to travel more plus the pent-up demand for travel in general while living through far too many historical events, members of , and primarily friends traveling without and , are spending more on travel, and finding more , than they were before the pandemic hit.
@disneyparks We can’t concentrate because #FlowerAndGardenFestival is almost here! 🍊✨ #Disney #DisneyParks #DisneyWorld #EPCOT #OrangeBird #BucketHat
is not oblivious to the increased spending by and fans in general, or their increased time spent on the app. While the 8.6+ billion views of TikToks from are primarily made up of Guests and ‘ Adults’ who spend time creating content from theme parks, the official Parks TikTok has been in on the action, too, often topping what nearly any other official travel destination accounts see in terms of views and engagements on the app.
News and upcoming events are strategically leveraged by on TikTok, as the official Parks account shares everything from peeks behind the scenes around each to news for general fans, and even announcements geared toward only the most intense ‘ adults,’ like the announcement of the Figment popcorn buckets, for instance, earlier this year, the new merchandise available for the EPCOT International Flower & , or new treats in the . And, at the time of this writing, the channel has over 4.5 million followers and has received over 103.2 million likes.
@disneyparks Oh Boy, EARidescent Ice Dream Cone 🍦❄️ #Disney #DisneyParks #DisneyWorld50 #BlizzardBeach #WaterPark #IceCream #TikTokFood #MisoSoup
In addition to its official presence on TikTok, has increased its work with non--specific influencers and content creators over the years. While this content is often missed by the heavily invested as they are already following all of their favorite websites and social accounts, a lot of different travel and lifestyle influencers, bloggers, vloggers, and of course, TikTokers are working directly with all year long to promote the destination to their (largely ) followings.
even hired two new coordinator positions within the company to increase their focus on all social platforms, but specifically, TikTok with one position posted each for both the Disneyland Resort and Resort. Older, more “traditional” Parks fans may have been perplexed by the posting and this new way of vacation planning whether you have kids or are a at heart, but one thing is clear- TikTok is the go-to travel inspo app for increasing numbers of adults, and those adults are heading to .
