Disney World Officially Bans Third-Party “Side Hustles” on Its Property

Walt Disney World Resort has sent cease-and-desist letters to several third-party businesses that were operating on its property. Many of them come from the “Ear for Each Other” Facebook group, which started during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 as a way for furloughed Disney cast members to make money on “side hustles” using the skills they’d learned at the parks.

The Facebook group has flourished in the last six years, garnering nearly 300,000 members. Guests continued to choose third-party services after failing to get reservations for official Walt Disney World Resort experiences, or chose former cast members to save money and receive what many considered a higher-quality, more personalized experience. Photographers offered family portrait sessions in areas where guests wouldn’t find PhotoPass photographers; cosmetologists offered in-room makeovers as an alternative to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique; chefs delivered handmade meals or cooked in in-room kitchenettes, etc.

Unfortunately for many former cast members and guests, a few years after cracking down on third-party tour guides (many of whom were abusing the Disability Access Service to obtain “free” Lightning Lane access), Walt Disney World Resort is now attempting to halt all unapproved third-party vendors operating at the theme parks, Disney Resort hotels, and Disney Springs.

Walt Disney World Resort Sends Cease-and-Desist Letters

Several of the vendors who have spent years operating on Walt Disney World Resort property recently received certified cease-and-desist letters from the Central Florida theme park. Calikingcuisine, a personal chef who operated at several Disney Resort hotels, shared the letter he received from Walt Disney World Resort:

Well the Day Has Come !!! I Said Years Ago I would never Have Issues Cooking At Dinsey(I know how to spell ) because Im a Former Employee, I’m not Harming their business , I never Talked Down on them , and I never used them To Get Buisness, I was Highlighting the Rooms I stayed in, I was only helping them because of A Service They canceled ! So From Now On Calikingcuisine is No Longer Permitted to Cook At Dinsey! I’ve officially Been Flagged on their Radar! I will Now Be Making Accommodations For Any one That is staying there and still wants to enjoy my Food , I have an Airbnb Close To the Parks I can Schedule For Dinners . Everyone that is Already booked Will be contacted!! Thank yall for All the business I’ve received over the years !! I would never be here if it weren’t for being furloughed by the Richest company in the world and Using them To Catapult my Career And Having support of people from All across the World, this isn’t Goodbye But See You Soon , Book me At your Airbnb Or Home For Now!! #chefcali #ohanameanschefcali orlandospersonalchef #dinseyworldchef #cantnobodyholdmedown #billiondollarhaters

The letter from Linda Reid, Vice President of Walt Disney World Security, reads:

Dear Mr. Wiley, 

As discussed on our phone conversation on January 16, 2026, we are writing to inform you that your company’s services are not permitted on Walt Disney World Resort property. 

For the safety of our Guests and Cast Members, the Walt Disney World Resort Property Rules do not allow unauthorized commercial activites, and we must ask that you immediately discontinue providing these services at the Walt Disney World Resort, including at the Resort hotels, theme parks, water parks, and Disney Springs. 

We also ask that you immediately remove all advertisements regarding your services at the Walt Disney World Resort, including on your website and social media accounts. You are not permitted to advertise that such services are available at Walt Disney World Resort or to use the Walt Disney World Resort name, the name “Disney,” or any characters, designs, trademarks, tradenames, or copyrighted works of The Walt Disney Company or any of its related, affiliated, or subsidiary companies to advertise your company or services. 

Please note that if you or anyone acting on your behalf enter the Walt Disney World Resort property to provide such services, your presence may be deemed an unlawful trespass and we may take further action, including notifying the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. 

Thank you for your cooperation.

Calikingcuisine is hoping to transition its business to an Airbnb near Walt Disney World Resort or other locations not on the company’s property.

Another “Ear for Each Other” member, photographer Natalie Szolomayer, confirmed that Walt Disney World Resort had cracked down on third-party operations. Although she didn’t share a letter from the theme park’s security department, she indicated that she’d received similar direction as Calikingcuisine, noting that she was scrubbing any Disney photography sessions from her social media accounts:

Third party photographers are no longer allowed to shoot at the Disney resorts. I was holding out hope until I heard it first-hand, but it seems that my days of shooting at the Disney hotels are over.

To say I’m heartbroken is an understatement. I’m utterly DEVESTATED. I love what I did, I loved capturing your memories and milestones on your vacations, and for what it’s worth – I had permission from MULTIPLE resort managers that I was allowed to photographer there as a professional. I even had some managers go out of their way to help make a crying kid laugh or a baby look toward the camera. During every shoot at the hotels, I felt supported and not in any way a nuisance.

I don’t know for sure the reasoning behind this move. Their photopass team and fine art photography do not offer portrait sessions at the hotels, so I was in no way taking business from them. In fact, I’ve had clients fly to Disney SPECIFICALLY for photo sessions with me – so while it was a drop in the bucket of a billion dollar corporation, I DID bring them some money.

What hurts the most is that so far the cease and desist letters seem to have hit a majority of the vendors in the Ear For Each Other group, which was started after a bunch of cast members were furloughed or let go during covid. That’s where we’d post our side hustles – so other cast members or vacationers looking to support former or furloughed cast members could find various services, knowing they were helping a small business of someone who no longer had a job. That’s where 90% of my business came from.

And now 90% of my business is gone.

We had planned to travel to Japan as a family since Josh has a gig there in a few months – but we’ve had to cancel that now. It’d be foolish to go after taking a financial hit like this.

I will still be a central Florida photographer, but…one of about 8000. The market is so saturated, which is why I found the EFEO group to be such a blessing: it was just me and a handful of other photographers – among many other types of vendors – and we all had plenty of customers to go around.

I will also still be able to shoot at Universal, including INSIDE the parks – USO, IOA, and Epic. Universal is super chill about it, and doesn’t mind us third-party riff raff (many because their own photographers are third party, fun fact). But those tend to be my most expensive shoots, so I don’t always get too many bookings for those either. And of course, I can continue shooting at the local parks, gardens, and beaches.

Needless to say…I’m sad. I’m having to go through and delete all obviously Disney photos – so, many apologies to the families whose beautiful images I have to remove – I’m trying to figure out how to pivot from here and regrow my business from, what feel like, scratch.

Several of Szolomayer’s followers suggested “loopholes” for her to continue working on Disney property, but she replied that she was not willing to risk being trespassed:

Thank you everyone for your kind words and encouragement. I even appreciate those of you who are trying to brainstorm loopholes for me, lol. But needless to say, I am not looking to figure out a way to skirt around the rules. I don’t want to ever do anything that will jeopardize my annual pass so that I can continue taking my kids to the park, nor would I ever put my husband‘s job with Disney on the line. Disney has laid out the rules, black-and-white, for all third-party vendors from here and out. And I intend to follow them, as much as it breaks my heart. 

Walt Disney World Resort has not issued a public statement on the recent crackdown on third-party operations on its property or the “Ear for Each Other” Facebook group.

Disney’s Property Rules

Walt Disney World Resort’s official rules regarding third-party vendors prohibit:

• The sale of goods or services, or the display of goods or services, unless prior written approval has been obtained.
• The distribution of printed or recorded materials of any kind unless prior written approval has been obtained.
• Engaging with other Guests or impeding operations while posing as or portraying any character in costume.
• Engaging in any unsafe act or other act that may impede the operation of the Walt Disney World Resort or any part thereof.
• Unauthorized events, speeches, or use of any flag, banner, sign or other material for commercial purposes, or as part of a demonstration.
• Photography, videotaping or recording of any kind, or otherwise engaging in any activity, for unapproved commercial purposes.
• Unauthorized solicitations of any kind, whether commercial, religious, educational or otherwise, or conducting any unauthorized commercial activities, including solicitations of money or other contributions or donations.

The guidelines also note that Disney reserves the right to “prohibit the use or storage of any other item not listed above that we determine may be harmful or disruptive, in our sole and absolute discretion.”

What This Means For Guests

The end of many services offered in “Ear for Each Other” means more Walt Disney World Resort guests will be competing for time slots at experiences like the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and Table-Service dining reservations. It might be harder to book private sessions with Disney PhotoPass photographers, as guests who used third-party services during their vacation are now seeking alternatives.

Sadly, though, many families will likely go without the new traditions they’d made part of their Central Florida Disney Park vacations over the last six years. Many “Ear for Each Other” services were much more affordable than official Disney offerings. Additionally, as Szolomayer noted, many third-party businesses will lose most of the customer base they counted on to make ends meet.

Have you used services from the “Ear for Each Other” Facebook group? Inside the Magic would love to hear from you in the comments!