Walt Disney World has begun enforcing long-standing rules that prohibit third-party vendors from operating on its properties, disrupting dozens of small businesses and leaving some families with fewer choices for personalised vacation experiences. Independent operators offering services such as princess makeovers, family photography, custom baked goods, room decorations and private chef experiences have received warnings and cease-and-desist letters in recent months, according to The Washington Post.
The letters instruct vendors to stop working on Disney grounds and to remove any Disney-related advertising from their websites and social media, including references to Disney characters, designs or trademarks. They also warn that anyone continuing to provide services on-site could be considered trespassing and that law enforcement may become involved. Disney said in a statement that unauthorised third-party vendors raise safety and operational concerns and are not permitted under its long-standing property rules.
The crackdown has hit businesses launched during the COVID-19 pandemic, when furloughed Disney employees turned their skills into side ventures. Sheila Campion, a former stylist at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in the Magic Kingdom, started As You Wish Magical Experiences, offering princess and pirate makeovers in hotel rooms. After receiving a registered letter in mid-February, she had to contact families with upcoming bookings to explain she could no longer provide the service. “The worst part of it was for the little ones that had no options,” she told The Post. “I’ve had mothers crying when I called them.”
Similarly, Ashlee Santmyers, a former Disney pastry cook, launched Storybook Delights, delivering custom breakfast boxes, cookies, cupcakes and cakes to resort guests. When a cease-and-desist letter arrived, she had nearly 200 orders outstanding and took out a small business loan to issue refunds. Her business has slowed to three to five orders per week instead of per day, and she is adapting by serving off-site customers and adding shippable items. “It’s not the end of Storybook, but it is a new chapter, and I’m not ready to give up,” she said.
The enforcement follows Disney’s 2023 actions against unofficial tour guides. Meanwhile, the company continues to work with around 2,500 authorised Florida businesses, including stroller and wheelchair suppliers and a Tampa-based coffee roaster, according to an Oxford Economics study.
