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Disneyland says MrBeast's '$500,000' date was an after-hours experience
Disneyland says MrBeast's '$500,000' date was an after-hours experience
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Disneyland is offering more detail about MrBeast's viral date after YouTube's most popular creator said he paid $500,000 to have the entire theme park to himself.
"Disney won't just hand over their keys to anyone, but for this once-in-a-lifetime date, we were given the entire park for one night," MrBeast, the social media persona of Jimmy Donaldson, says in the video with more than 66 million views.
For the video, Donaldson took this fiancée Thea Booysen on six dates ranging from $1 to $500,000, concluding with what he described as a private evening at Disneyland.
MrBeast's trip was held after hours, park says
MrBeast and his team visited Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California "a couple of weeks ago" for an after-hours experience at the park, a Disney spokesperson told USA TODAY on June 11.
While MrBeast and his crew didn't have to face any lines or crowds, the park didn't change their normal operating hours to accommodate the influencer, either.
Variations of this experience are available to all customers, including Disney After Hours, in which customers can purchase tickets for three extended hours after the park's traditional closing time. The park also offers Disney's Fair Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, which allows couples and their family to rent various venues, including The Sleeping Beauty Castle Forecourt and Small World Mall.
One upcoming after-hours event is Disneyland's "Pride Nite" celebration from June 16-18. You may not get the park to yourself, but the park says guests can expect shorter wait times and special entertainment experiences.
MrBeast's team did not immediately respond for comment when contacted by USA TODAY on June 11.
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Can you actually rent out all of Disneyland?
Disney did not specify if it is possible for customers to rent out the entire theme park. However, several Disney-centric blogs like Magic Guides say fans shouldn't get their hopes up about getting the park to themselves for a day.
"Closing down the resort for a day would be a public relations nightmare and would severely disrupt how guests could plan and book their trips," Magic Guides' author Joshua Powell wrote.
One celebrity actually did rent out the park
MrBeast isn't the first and likely won't be the last celebrity to make a solo appearance at Disneyland.
On Feb. 27, 1992, actress Elizabeth Taylor rented out all of Disneyland to celebrate her 60th birthday. The entire park shut down for the birthday bash, which required extra security. Hundreds of celebrities attended the party, a possible marketing win for Disney.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
