Social Media All-Stars Share Their Disney Side At Fan-Filled Disneyland World Premiere

ANAHEIM, Calif., Nov. 5, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- You may never have heard their names but their work has been viewed more than 2 billion times, and 30 million fans follow their every online posting.  And today, this lineup of Social Media All-Stars premiered their latest creations at the Disneyland Resort before a live audience.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131105/LA10551-a)

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20131105/LA10551-b)

Disney Parks tapped this new breed of filmmakers and artists to use their quirky, personal styles to share their "Disney Side" in new videos, photos and Internet memes.

"Everyone has a Disney Side – that more fun-loving, adventurous side that comes out to play at a Disney theme park," said Leslie Ferraro, executive vice president of global marketing. "We invited these Internet artists to express their Disney Side, and they delivered with creativity, humor and real passion for our parks."

In the past, Disney Parks has worked with renowned film directors, world-famous photographers and popular musicians in marketing campaigns.  This year, Ferraro said, the theme parks chose a different path.

"Disney Parks fans are so active on nearly every social channel," she said.  "We wanted to inspire some of the Internet's most popular creators to produce content that reaches Disney Parks fans on their favorite online platform – whether it's YouTube, Vine, Instagram or Pinterest."

Today's premiere content, searchable using the hashtag #DisneySide, will be featured on the Disney Parks Blog (disneyparksblog.com/DisneySideAllStars), the Disney Parks YouTube channel (YouTube.com/disneyparks), Facebook pages and at DisneySide.com.  More videos and photos will be released during the coming months.

As part of the day's events, the 25 Social Media All-Stars joined Mickey, Donald and the gang at Disneyland Park for the ultimate "selfies" shot in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle.  The image was captured by park guests to create what may be the most "Instagrammed" moment at the No. 1 most "Instagrammed" place in the United States.

After their work was shared at Fantasyland Theatre, the Social Media All-Stars completed the premiere by meeting their fans along a red carpet.

The Social Media All-Stars included a diverse group of talent with one thing in common – a love of Disney Parks. Here's a sampling:

• Tardar Sauce was born on April 4, 2012, but a star was born six months later when a photo of the feline was posted on the social news site Reddit, and Tardar Sauce became Grumpy Cat.  The kitten with the permanent scowl quickly became a social media phenomenon. "The Official Grumpy Cat" on Facebook has nearly 2 million followers, and the official Grumpy Cat book was just published.  Grumpy Cat was featured on the front page of The Wall Street Journal and New York Magazine, and has appeared on network TV morning shows. For the Disney Side project, owner Tabatha Bundesen explores what happens when the Grumpiest Cat in the World meets the Happiest Place on Earth.
• Tiffany Alvord – California native Tiffany Alvord, 20, has more than 1.5 million subscribers to her YouTube channel and her videos have been viewed more than 350 million times. She has recorded two albums of original music and performed before 2 million people in Times Square on New Year's Eve.  For her Disney Side, Tiffany created her own version of "it's a small world (after all)." http://www.youtube.com/user/TiffanyAlvord
• Reality Changers (Jorge Narvaez and daughter, Alexa Narvaez)
  The San Diego father and daughter became Internet sensations with a video of Jorge and Alexa, now 8, performing "Rolling in the Deep." That first video received millions of views.  Since then, Jorge and Alexa – who sometimes perform with little sister, Eliana – have released a series of videos, performed on The Ellen Degeneres Show, and had their music featured in an automobile commercial.  Jorge and Alexa show their Disney Side with a charming rendition of "You've Got a Friend in Me," shot at Disneyland.  http://www.youtube.com/user/realitychangers
• Mike Tompkins, 24, is a singer/songwriter whose ability to orchestrate songs with only his voice has amazed audiences around the world – and online, where his videos have accumulated more than 130 million views in the last three years.  Tompkins grew up in a small town outside of London, Ontario, Canada.  The popularity of his self-made videos led to a summer tour with the pop duo Karmin.  "When You Wish Upon a Star" represents Mike's Disney Side. http://www.youtube.com/user/pbpproductions
• Viner Brittlestar is Stewart Reynolds, a writer and producer based in Ontario, Canada. Reynolds authored the "Shortcuts Book Series" and wrote, recorded, and produced songs that have been featured on American Top 40, MTV's Real World and radio stations around the world. He produces comedic Vine videos, and delivered 6-second slices of the Disney Side showing up in everyday life. http://seenive.com/u/916888666067054592
• Mary Doodles creates playful, illustrated videos on YouTube.  She uses ink and watercolor to create mesmerizing time-lapse videos that turn her paintings into animated storytelling. Her YouTube videos have received more than 12 million views, and for her Disney Side, she created in-park imagery of Disney heroes and villains. http://www.youtube.com/user/marydoodles 
• As a mother of six children – five of them girls – Mindy McKnight turned her creative genius for girls' hairstyles into a YouTube channel known as CuteGirlHairstyles. While her hairstyle tutorials started as a simple hobby, they have now been viewed millions of times in nearly every country worldwide, with some individual videos reaching more than 20 million views.  For her Disney Side, McKnight created a series of Disney Parks-inspired hairstyles.  http://www.youtube.com/user/CuteGirlsHairstyles

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SOURCE Disney Parks