Unable to afford Disney's 5,400-yuan one-on-one service, the middle class has started hiring "unofficial errand runners" to hold spots and run errands.
Why do people not feel happy but become more and more irritable in the happiest place in the world?
Recently, more and more people have started to complain about their experiences at Disneyland. Those who have been to the "happiest place in the world" share the same annoyance.
After spending hundreds or even thousands of yuan on tickets, getting up earlier than roosters and going to bed later than eagles, when you finally make it into the park, the real test is just beginning. To queue less, play more rides, and get better spots, physical strength and the ability to walk are essential in the Disneyland park. You can easily walk nearly 25,000 steps in a day of visiting the park. You'll be queuing for ages, and in the end, you can only manage to play a maximum of three rides in a day.
As the summer vacation approaches, this kind of anxiety becomes even more obvious. This has made a "wild service" in Disneyland popular again recently, which is the "Disney rickshaw pullers." The so - called "rickshaw pullers" here are a vivid term for a type of 「unofficial accompanying tour guides」 in the Disneyland park. Because the way they provide services is usually to push strollers, wheelchairs, or simple carts and quickly shuttle around the park with paying tourists, resembling "rickshaw pullers."
In addition to this physical work, they are also responsible for providing a series of services such as route planning, queuing on behalf of tourists, pushing strollers for children, taking photos for check - ins, and reserving spots for the parade floats, helping tourists experience the most popular rides in the shortest time. In essence, they are "wild butlers" operating outside the official service system.
Image source: Douyin @MuSuXiaoxige
However, many people also want to ask, are these wild tour guides reliable?
The premium guided tour service is unaffordable, and the "wild butlers" are more cost - effective
"Where there is a demand, there is a market." In addition to the title of "the happiest place in the world," the most well - known label of Disneyland is a high - intensity gym.
Spending a magical day in the 1.16 - square - kilometer Shanghai Disneyland park, the average number of steps for an adult can reach 25,000 to 30,000 steps, comparable to military training.
Standing for a long time makes the soles of the feet even worse. During the off - season in Disneyland, there are about 40,000 people. This summer vacation, the predicted number of people in Disneyland is as high as 85,000. "There is an illusion in the scenic area that people from all over the world are in Disneyland." According to The Paper, during the Spring Festival holiday last month, the queuing time for popular rides could reach more than six hours.
People place their hopes on the Disney rickshaw pullers who "run fast, are familiar with the routes, and know the strategies like the back of their hands."
There are plenty of videos like "A 00s guy's adventurous day in Disneyland" and "The never - ending rickshaws in Disneyland, a day of the new - era Camel Xiangzi."
After watching the vlogs of wild tour guides, the overall feeling is like watching an exciting episode of 《Running Man》 and an emotional episode of 《We Are in Love》 at the same time.
A rickshaw puller's day starts like this: To enter the park early, rickshaw pullers will arrange to meet their customers at 8 a.m. Half of the rickshaw pullers will arrive half an hour earlier and wait for their customers. Some even bring breakfast for their customers, such as steamed buns and soy milk, which are quick to eat and can provide energy.
As soon as they pick up the customers, they will immediately push the customers' exclusive strollers or wheelchairs and start a sprint, aiming to get the best spots for each ride.
If you have no idea how fast they run, you can take a look at the following picture. While others are standing still, the rickshaw pullers are leaving after - images.
Image source: Xiaohongshu @A Little Lamb
While the customers are playing the rides, the rickshaw pullers wait in place. As soon as the ride is over, they immediately take the customers to the next stop. The whole set of operations is smooth and precise to the minute.
Running fast on their feet doesn't stop the rickshaw pullers from providing emotional support to the customers with their words. "Were you scared?" "Was this ride fun?" "Get ready, we're going to the next stop" are their basic lines. If there are kids, it's no problem for them to call them "baby" and "little princess" all the time.
Moreover, the considerate rickshaw pullers will prepare different hairbands and small gifts (such as Judy Hopps' recording pen from Zootopia and Disney commemorative coins) for the tourists according to different rides to make them happy, aiming to "make everyone, regardless of age, the happiest person in the world when they come to Disneyland."
When they come to places like the carousel or photo - worthy spots, their professional equipment comes in handy. The rickshaw pullers turn into photographers, squatting, lying on the ground, or looking up, guiding the poses, and taking "life - changing photos" of the customers from all angles. And these professional equipment are "purchased at their own expense" by the rickshaw pullers and are all included in the one - day service fee, without any additional charges for the customers.
During the evening parade, there is also a service of reserving spots in person. "Is there a more decent way?"
Image source: Xiaohongshu @Don't Like Eating Kelp
After a single order, these rickshaw pullers are "rickshaw men," human spot - reserving machines, route planners, top - notch strategists, child - soothing masters, and photographers. "Sorry, there isn't enough space here for so many people."
If it seems so, the services provided by Disney rickshaw pullers are almost perfect. But in fact, most rickshaw pullers can't completely eliminate the possibility of queuing for their customers.
When Hydrogen Business asked a Disney private butler "how to ensure early entry and less queuing," the response was mainly by arriving at the park early. "The park opens at 8 a.m., and we suggest arriving at 7:20 a.m. so that you can go through the security check in advance and wait at the ticket gate to enter the park as soon as possible and experience the popular rides."
And if you want to enter the park early, "everyone needs to pay extra."
Compared with ordinary tourists, these rickshaw pullers are more familiar with the park's rides and have amazing leg strength, so they can help customers avoid peak - time queuing and reduce the waiting time as much as possible. "High - end FastPass often appears in the most simple way."
Although queuing is still inevitable, customers don't have to worry about tiring tasks such as route planning, carrying luggage, or even taking care of children. The idea is "You enjoy the tranquility in the happiest place in the world, and I'll bear the burden for you."
This exactly hits two types of people: parents who don't want their children to suffer, and office workers who want to pamper themselves during their busy lives.
Scholar Nelson Schwarz discussed the service stratification between the wealthy class and ordinary tourists in Disneyland in his book 《Inequality in Consumption》. But when he took his child to Disneyland, he still chose the premium guided tour service that costs at least $425 per hour (about 2,880 yuan). The official butler picked them up from the hotel in a rainbow - colored car, took them through the exclusive back door for employees, and provided a princess - dressing service for his daughter.
On the one hand, he severely criticized this privilege service, and on the other hand, the scholar sighed: "Whether it's the FastPass or the VIP service, it almost hits the soft spot of parents."
Produced by Hydrogen Business
After such a set of services, neither the customers nor the rickshaw pullers are tired, but even the audience in front of the phone screens are tired. "How much money should be earned to be worthy of this day's physical labor?"
On social media, a person working as a Disney rickshaw puller shared that in 2025, through operating a self - media account and taking orders on the account, the gross profit exceeded 600,000 yuan. After deducting costs, labor, and miscellaneous expenses, the net profit was about 260,000 yuan.
According to NBD (National Business Daily), these rickshaw pullers have different price options according to the depth and form of the service.
Some rickshaw pullers operate individually. The main way is to operate their own self - media accounts, build a team, and take orders on the accounts.
Other rickshaw pullers are employed by third - party travel agencies, and they need to hand over a part of the revenue from each order to the intermediary platform.
The offline group - guiding service is generally charged per person. The price is 80 - 150 yuan per person. For the "high - end" offline one - on - one family service, which includes route planning, queuing on behalf of tourists, taking photos, soothing children, and pushing strollers, the charge can range from 500 to 1,500 yuan. The butler consulted by Hydrogen Business offered a discounted price of 598 yuan for two adults.
In addition to the service part, the resource price difference has also become an important profit supplement for these rickshaw pullers. For example, many butlers hold Disneyland annual passes and can enjoy 10% - 20% discounts on dining and shopping. By buying meals and goods for ordinary tourists in the park, they can earn the price difference.
It sounds like being a Disney rickshaw puller or a wild butler is a win - win business. Tourists save their legs, butlers make money, and Disneyland sells tickets. But is this really the case?
"Official and wild", two worlds in Disneyland
Many people must have a question at this point. Doesn't Disneyland have its own exclusive "FastPass" and "Premium Butler Service"? Why do people look for so - called "wild butlers" instead?
This is because the "cost - effectiveness" of the official service has always been a mystery to customers.
First of all, for Disneyland tickets, the price of an adult ticket ranges from 475 yuan to 799 yuan. If a family of three comes to play, just getting into the park is a significant expense.
If you don't want to queue, you have to pay extra. Take the most well - known FastPass as an example. For customers who don't want to miss most of the rides, the 15 - item "Premium Package + Premium Entry" ticket costs 2,500 yuan.
Image source: Vista Hydrogen Business
According to a previous report by Hydrogen Business, even after spending this extra "speed - up package" money, you still have to queue with ordinary tourists in the last stage and experience the rides in proportion.
Some customers think, "Why not bite the bullet and pay a little more to buy Disney's official one - on - one premium guided tour service. The price soars to 4,300 yuan per person, and in the peak season, it reaches 5,400 yuan per person.
Disneyland's official premium service was not initially open to the public and mainly served "special tourists."
According to the US media Uniland, Disneyland's premium butler service started in the 1990s, specifically for celebrities and politicians.
Fan Zhendong and Qin Haiyang in Disneyland
Michael Hewell, a former Marine, worked as a ride operator at the Haunted Mansion when he joined Disneyland 30 years ago. By chance, he helped a well - known singer secretly ride a ride. The singer was deeply impressed by his professionalism and friendliness and directly asked him to be a private assistant for a week.
In 1996, Michael was transferred to Disneyland's VIP relations department to specifically receive celebrities, royal family members, and corporate partners. He said "We take them in through the back door because this is the only way for them to experience the rides without being surrounded. Otherwise, it would also ruin the experience of other tourists."
But now, the premium service is not truly exclusive. Tourists who have experienced Disneyland's premium butler service have complained that "the so - called most expensive service in Disneyland is not top - notch in many aspects. For example, the fireworks viewing spots are shared with those who bought the premium card (FastPass), and you still have to queue to interact with other characters except for Mickey Mouse."
The "wild butler" service doesn't only exist in Shanghai Disneyland. In the "hometown" of Disneyland, the United States, the 「third - party guided tour industry」 has long been a mature market.
According to The Wall Street Journal, due to the crowded crowds, rising