Beneath the watchful eyes of Snow White’s Seven Dwarfs at the Walt Disney Co. corporate offices in Burbank, performers from the Broadway production of “Aladdin” recently serenaded a rapt audience. Nearly 70 content creators, with a combined following exceeding 185 million, filmed every moment for their followers. They were gathered as part of Disney’s Somos Magic Summit, a three-day event held last month that involved panels at the company's headquarters and excursions to the Disneyland Resort theme parks in Anaheim.
The summit, which took place from September 27-30, aimed to deepen the relationship between the entertainment giant and these key Latino internet personalities. Attendees stayed at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, toured the Burbank studio, and received exclusive looks at upcoming projects, including Disney California Adventure’s new “Coco” ride and the animated movie “Hexed.” The agenda also featured discussions with ESPN and Pixar executives, Disney Channel trivia, and a “Huluween” dance party.
Natalie Aguilar, a 24-year-old San Diego-based influencer known for feel-good family content, expressed her surprise at the experience, asking, "what is going on right now?" Disney sees creators as an essential part of marketing, especially given the intense competition for consumer attention. The company is trying to build on its massive fan base by working with creators to boost engagement. Asad Ayaz, Disney’s chief marketing and brand officer, said creators offer an "authentic fan point of view" in the company's creative process.
This push is part of a broader strategy for Disney, which is significantly scaling its influencer efforts. Nicole Leo, vice president of creator content and partnerships, noted plainly, "Creators are our best digital billboards these days." This year, Disney has collaborated with over 6,000 creators, a 30% increase from 2025, which the company states generated nearly 12 billion social media impressions.
The relationship with creators, according to Anastasia Ali, Disney’s vice president of inclusive marketing and audience growth, is meant to be a "reciprocal relationship." While Disney covered accommodations for the summit, creators were not paid to attend, nor were they required to post a specific number of times. Arthur Menezes, a New York-based influencer who attended, described these opportunities as "mutually beneficial." Creators gain exclusive access to events for content creation, and Disney benefits from the resulting social media buzz. Isa Kristen, an Austin, Texas, resident and full-time content creator, observed that "anything that you post about Disney is going to perform well" due to its global appeal and nostalgic draw.
The Somos Magic Summit is just one piece of Disney’s expanding engagement with the creator economy. At the D23 fan convention this summer, Disney hosted a cocktail party for influencers and discussed cultivating them as the "next generation of Disney storytellers." The company also announced a partnership with sports and comedy group Dude Perfect for content related to "Star Wars" and Marvel Studios, and a deal with TikTok to give creators access to Disney assets for short-form videos. More opportunities for creators are planned in the coming months.