A group of Disney superfans are hitting back at their critics after being repeatedly trolled online about their weight.
The women, who call themselves the “Plus Size Park Hoppers” on social media, are five best friends who create content around their shared love of Disney.
Their content typically revolves around reviews of Disney-affiliated restaurants and testing theme park rides to see if they are suitable for all sizes and can accommodate larger guests.
The group, which ranges in size from 2X to 5X, has thousands of fans on Instagram and TikTok, but their popularity has also made them vulnerable to vicious trolling and 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 pair called the group “fatties” and said they ate from “food troughs.”
A group of Disney superfans known as the ‘Plus Size Park Hoppers’ (pictured) are hitting back at their critics after being repeatedly trolled online about their weight
The women became famous online by reviewing Disney World attractions and Disney-related restaurants
Stephanie was furious, writing on social media: “They made a piece about us that was so disgusting and disgusting that I’m shocked it was even on TV.”
She continued, “Throughout the segment, they called us ‘fatsos’ and referred to our bags in the park as ‘feeders.’ They also insinuated that we eat donuts out of the trash cans behind the rides.”
“They have publicly shamed and disgraced us, so we deserve a public apology,” she fumed.
Stephanie told DailyMail.com that the nasty comments were sparked by a video the Park Hoppers made about a golf rash – also known as a ‘Disney rash’ – that you get while walking around Disney World in Florida.
“Florida is really hot in the summer. It can get up to 105 degrees and we can walk up to 10 miles a day,” she explained.
“So a few of us got the Disney rash. It’s just something that’s caused by heat and exercise. It’s common in a lot of different people of all sizes.”
After recording a video about the condition, the audio was picked up by radio duo Toucher and Hardy from Boston’s 98.5 The Sport’s Hub, who proceeded to make fun of the women for the rash and their size.
“They could have actually been talking about sports, because marathon runners and golfers get it, but they decided to talk about fat people and just said horrible, ridiculous things,” Stephanie said.
The women were recently mocked and ridiculed for their size after sharing a video on social media showing themselves breaking out in “Disney rash” while walking around Disney World.
The group were called ‘fatsos’ by radio duo Toucher and Hardy. Parkhopper Stephanie Lanciani called the duo’s comments ‘dirty and disgusting’
“It’s a local radio station for us, we’re from Massachusetts and it’s a Boston show. Boston is in Massachusetts. So being so close to home, it definitely hurt more.”
The group’s fans emailed the network asking for an apology. Stephanie says she even personally called the vice president of the media company that owns the network to ask if Plus Size Park Hoppers could get a public apology.
According to Stephanie, a blanket apology was offered to everyone who contacted her. When she subsequently inquired further, she was told that ‘the matter was closed’.
DailyMail.com has reached out to Toucher and Hardy for comment.
In addition to Toucher and Hardy, the Plus Size Park Hoppers have also been ridiculed by a number of major comedians, including Tim Dilllon and Tom Segura.
In an episode of his podcast, The Tim Dillon Show, the host said in April, “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 called us ‘fatsos,’ called our park bags ‘feeders.’ They also insinuated that we eat donuts out of the trash cans behind the rides,” Stephanie said.
The women were also ridiculed by comedian Tom Segura (pictured), who said they should “go to a barn and eat with people your size”
Stephanie admitted that the constant criticism was starting to take its toll and affect her mental health.
“People forget that we’re just normal people trying to bring more good into the world,” she said.
“All we’re trying to do is let other people know that they belong in the public eye and that they can enjoy their lives. And to hear people like Tom Segura, who said we should eat on the floor of a barn until we were an acceptable size, it hurts.
‘Those things stay with you and your family sees them too, and that is very difficult.’
The Plus Size Park Hoppers consist of Stephanie, Katie, Deanna, and sisters Ashley and Sarah.
The group has been friends for over a decade and eventually started going to Disney World together, but they were concerned about not being able to go on all the rides.
“All we’re trying to do is let other people know that they belong in public and they can enjoy their lives,” Stephanie said
The Plus Size Park Hoppers share detailed reviews of Disney restaurants and often include the price of the food in their videos
Last year, they all decided to get annual passes to Disney World and started making educational videos about the size requirements for their restaurant. They also started writing reviews of restaurants related to Disney. From there, the page became a success.
The Plus Size Park Hoppers now have their own merchandise line and are planning their first trip to Disneyland in California in October.
They also dream of visiting international Disney locations, including Disneyland Paris.
Despite the success of their page, Stephanie admitted she was shocked when the group first started receiving hateful comments online.
“We didn’t expect it,” she said.
The Plus Size Park Hoppers now have their own merchandise line and are planning their first trip to Disneyland in California in October
“I’m a little naive, to be honest. I didn’t expect there to be so much hate, because it’s like, this is just who we are and who we’ve always been.”
While it was difficult for the group to deal with the trolls, Stephanie also said they received a lot of support from other Disney fans.
“The Disney community has really been there for us and shown us a lot of support during this time,” she said.
“We’ve gotten so many messages from other plus-size people saying, ‘I never thought I’d be able to go to Disney World, but I saw you going and just booked my first trip. ‘”
“And I just want people to feel like that everywhere. I want them to feel like they can go anywhere.
“I think our goal is to just go wherever we want!”