Is there anyone really more devoted to Disney World than an annual passholder? I think not.
There are a plethora of Facebook groups surrounding the Walt Disney World obsession but one that I find extremely engaging is “Annual Passholders — Walt Disney World Resort.” There are 138, 763 members currently. This group is a place where passholders can share the latest Disney news, fun experiences, and recommendations.
In many of the other Disney World Facebook groups I notice a lot of questions regarding Disney “basics” like park transportation inquiries, how to get fast passes, etc. Therefore it is nice to have a separate group for only passholders who already understand the “basics” and speak Disney. There’s a mutual bond with the members and I believe this creates a breeding ground for meaningful engagement online.
For some, Disney World is their escape from reality. Their friends, family, and neighbors might not understand the expensive obssesion but this group does. For me, if I am having a rough day I know I can check this page and my mood immediately soars. The relatable Disney memes and Disney magic stories are my favorite. Two years ago I went to Magic Kingdom with my friends and while in the long line for Starbucks a cast member approached me. She said “If you can get the entire store to sing I will take you out of the line and give you whatever you want from Starbucks on the mouse!” Immediately, I yelled over a loud, crowded Starbucks for everyone to join me in singing It’s A Small World. The entire store joined in. It was pure Disney magic! Of course I couldn’t wait to share this experience on the passholders Facebook group because stories like these set Disney apart from every other theme park.
Recently I saw a sweet post of a passholder who shared her photo in the Facebook group. She was in Disney World waiting in line for Soarin’ at Epcot celebrating three years cancer free! There were over 183 comments and over 3,000 reactions. The support was beautiful. The willingness for members of this group to share their lives with others is what I think makes this group so engaging. We are all humans, and the ability to relate to each other, near or far, is what makes Facebook and social media so incredible.
Yesterday I saw this insightful article online titled “12 Facebook Group Engagement Tactics that Work Like a Charm.” As I was reading down the list I connected so many of these tactics to the passholder group. #3 is “Leverage the Power of Storytelling” which is something that I notice really keeps this group alive, as discussed. #5 says “Ask Questions” and I see posts with questions daily in this group. With so many members there is always someone with an answer or an opinion and it can be very helpful. Another important one I noticed was #7 which discussed the content strategy of “edu-tainment.” As humans, we are always learning, and content that educates in an entertaining way does very well for engagement. A lot of members were posting their reviews and must dos for Epcot’s latest Food and Festival and I made sure to pay attention because I wanted to learn and know about the latest hot items before I go to the festival myself. Click here to read the full article to learn more. Even as a passholder, sometimes I wish I could go to Disney World more often. This group keeps the magic of Disney alive and gives me my Disney “fix” in between trips.
