A group of Disney superfans are hitting back at their critics after being relentlessly attacked online over their weight.
The women, who call themselves ‘Plus Size Park Hoppers’ on social media, are five best friends who create content around their shared love of all things Disney.
Their content typically revolves around reviewing Disney-affiliated restaurants, as well as testing out theme park attractions to see if they have inclusive sizing and can accommodate fuller-figured customers.
The group, whose sizes range from 2X to 5X, has amassed thousands of followers on Instagram and TikTok, but their popularity has also exposed them to cruel ridicule and made them the butt of jokes from comedians and commentators.
The group’s leader, Stephanie Lanciani, recently responded to the Boston-based radio duo. Toucher and Hardy after the couple called the group “chubby” and said they eat from “feeding troughs.”
A group of Disney superfans known as ‘Plus Size Park Hoppers’ (pictured) are hitting back at their critics after being relentlessly attacked online because of their weight.
The women have become famous online for reviewing Disney World attractions and Disney-related restaurants.
Taking to social media, a furious Stephanie said: “They did a segment on us that was so vile and disgusting I’m surprised it even aired.”
She continued: ‘Throughout the segment they referred to us as ‘fatties,’ they called our park bags ‘feeders.’ They also insinuated that we ate donuts out of the trash bins behind the rides.’
“We were embarrassed and humiliated in public, so we deserve a public apology,” he raged.
Speaking to DailyMail.com, Stephanie said the nasty comments were sparked by a video the Park Hoppers had filmed of the golfer’s rash – also known as the “Disney rash” – while walking around Disney World in Florida.
“In Florida it is very hot in the summer. It can reach 40 degrees and we can walk up to 16 kilometers a day,” he explained.
‘Some of us got Disney rash. It’s something that happens with heat and exercise. It’s common in a lot of people of different sizes.’
After filming a video about the ailment, the audio was picked up by radio duo Toucher and Hardy on Boston’s 98.5 The Sport’s Hub, who then mocked the women for the rash and its size.
“They really could have made it about sports because marathon runners get rashes, golfers get rashes, but they decided to make it about fat people and they just said horrible things that were fat shaming,” Stephanie said.
The women were recently mocked and ridiculed for their size after sharing a video on social media about how they suffered from a “Disney rash” while walking around Disney World.
Radio duo Toucher and Hardy called the group “fatties.” Park-hopping Stephanie Lanciani called the duo’s comments “vile and disgusting.”
“For us, it’s a local radio station, we’re from Massachusetts and the show airs in Boston. Boston is in Massachusetts, so being so close to home, it definitely hurt us more.”
Fans of the group ended up emailing the station demanding an apology, and Stephanie says she even personally called the vice president of the media company that owns the station to find out if the Plus Size Park Hoppers could get a public apology.
According to Stephanie, a generic apology was issued to everyone who reached out and she was then told that “the case was closed” when she inquired further.
DailyMail.com has contacted Toucher and Hardy for comment.
In addition to Toucher and Hardy, the Plus Size Park Hoppers have also been ridiculed by several major comedians, including Tim Dilllon and Tom Segura.
On an April episode of his podcast, The Tim Dillon Show, the host said, ‘Here’s what you need to remember about Plus Size Park Hoppers: All the food at Disney World is bad.
“It’s bad. The rides aren’t even good. Nothing is good. The reason you think it’s good is because you’re stupid.”
“Throughout the segment they referred to us as ‘fatties,’ called our park bags ‘feeders,’ and also insinuated that we ate donuts out of the trash bins behind the rides,” Stephanie said.
Women were also ridiculed by comedian Tom Segura (pictured), who said they should “go to a barn and eat with people their own size.”
Stephanie admitted that the constant criticism had taken its toll on her and had begun to affect her mental health.
“People forget that we’re just normal people trying to contribute something good to the world,” he said.
“All we’re trying to do is help other people know that they belong in a public space and enjoy their lives. And listening to people like Tom Segura, who said we should eat on the floor of a barn until we’re an acceptable size, hurts.
“Those things stay with you and your family sees them too, and that’s really hard.”
Plus Size Park Hoppers consists of Stephanie, Katie, Deanna, and sisters Ashley and Sarah.
The group has been friends for over a decade and eventually started taking trips to Disney World together, but they were worried about not being able to go on some of the rides.
“All we’re trying to do is help other people know that they belong in the public eye and enjoy their lives,” Stephanie said.
Plus Size Park Hoppers share detailed reviews of Disney restaurants and often include meal prices in their videos.
Last year, everyone decided to buy annual passes to Disney World and started filming educational videos about size requirements, as well as reviewing Disney-related restaurants, and the site took off from there.
Plus Size Park Hoppers now have their own line of products and are planning their first trip to Disneyland, California, in October.
They also have big dreams of visiting international Disney locations, including Disneyland Paris.
Despite the success of her page, Stephanie admitted she was shocked when the group started receiving hateful comments online.
“We didn’t expect it,” he said.
Plus Size Park Hoppers now have their own line of products and are planning their first trip to Disneyland in California in October.
“I’m actually a little naive. I didn’t expect so much hate because it’s like this is who we are and what we’ve always been.”
While dealing with trolls has been difficult for the group, Stephanie also said they’ve received an outpouring of support from other Disney fans.
“The Disney community really came together to help us through this time and showed us so much support,” she said.
We’ve gotten a lot of messages from other plus-size people saying, “I never thought I’d be able to go to Disney World, but I saw you go and I just booked my first trip.”
“And I just want people to be able to feel that way anywhere. I want them to feel like they can go anywhere.
‘So I think our goal is to just start going everywhere and anywhere we want!’
(tags to translate)dailymail
