Marketing Stunt Backfires on Disney

Disney and Hollywood keep trying to push Pedro Pascal on the world. Disneyland Pedro Pascal “Fan Surprise” Immediately Exposed as Influencer Marketing Stunt

Disney is once again getting dragged online after fans discovered that a Pedro Pascal "surprise" event at Disneyland was anything but authentic.

Over the weekend, Disney-affiliated social media accounts pushed a video showing Pedro Pascal appearing aboard the Millennium Falcon attraction at Disneyland to promote The Mandalorian and Grogu. The clip was framed like Pascal had randomly shocked unsuspecting park guests with “the surprise of a lifetime.”

Except of course those "unsuspecting park guests" turned out to be known shills for Disney, otherwise known as online "influencers."

Within hours, users on X identified several people featured in the clip as established Disney and Star Wars influencers with sizable followings and long histories of Disney promotional access.

What has become known as the "access media." They throw softballs in interviews, and love absolutely everything, so that they get access, like being invited to a meeting at a park with the star of the upcoming Star Wars movie.

If you're not aware, a new Star Wars movie is coming out this week, The Mandalorian and Grogu. It is based on a Disney+ TV show from a few years back, that was popular in Seasons 1 and 2, but died on the vine in season 3. So of course Disney decided to put a movie in theaters. It is the first Star Wars movie to be released in theaters in 6 or 7 years.

Here is what Christian Toto, of Hollywood in Toto, had to say:

Saw #TheMandalorian

Apologies to The Acolyte!

But seriously, it’s sub kiddie level storytelling that’s so afraid of itself it vomits up nonstop action rather than share Netflix dialogue that repeats key themes

Sigourney Weaver gives Razzie worthy turn

One late scene is a DEI…

— Christian Toto (@HollywoodInToto) May 19, 2026

The hat tip goes to The M4 Empire video Disney Has a Pedro Pascal Problem. It is a 20 minute video that covers this, and even more stuff featuring Pedro Pascal.

Now guys, Pedro Pascal is not the core issue here. Now, don't get me wrong, he's a weirdo creep, but he's not the real issue. Disney is, because Disney created this environment.