“If it’s too good to be true, then it probably is.”
When online, it is very important to remember that phrase. Especially when it comes to “free” Disney vacations. It happens every few weeks it seems, one of my friends shares one of these scam Facebook Pages.

Just a few of the Scam pages, links or events that pop up on Facebook
I get it- a Walt Disney World, Disneyland or Disney Cruise Line vacation can be very expensive and hard to obtain for some people. I often help my friends make the most of their Disney Parks vacations and help them find ways to make the trip more affordable (Check out my article about Value Resorts!). But these “share and win” posts aren’t the answer and in fact you are putting your Facebook at risk when you like, comment or share.
Have you ever wondered why you suddenly “like” a page that is all about selling something or maybe even inappropriate? Well, it’s called “Like-Farming” and sadly, we have ALL been victims of these spam posts on Facebook. It’s not just Disney trips, it’s free iPhones or a free car. How about that “Can this kid with cancer get 4 million likes?” All of those are “like-farming” posts. Yes, it’s absolutely forbidden by Facebook’s guidelines, but clearly, those who scam us aren’t really rule followers. So, what do they have to gain? Likes! The more “likes” a Facebook page has, the more it shows up in your feed. After a while of tricking people into liking their page and their content, they delete ALL of their content that you originally liked and replaces it with some other sort of content- from malware or other scams. These scammers will also just sell the rights to the page to some other scammer in hopes of making a quick buck.
DIStracted Tips: There are some very simple clues to know if a page on Facebook is legit or not.
1. Your first clue is the little blue circle with a white checkmark right next to the name Walt Disney World. Facebook calls that the blue badge and that means that this company (or artist, celebrity or brand) has been verified by Facebook. If you don’t see the blue badge next to a MAJOR company’s name, then the page may be a scam page. You can check out the Facebook pages for the Disneyland and Disney Cruise Lines and see they have the blue badge by their names as well!

Walt Disney World’s authentic Facebook page
2. If you notice below, the title of Walt Disney World has a lot of extra punctuation. There are no dashes, periods or commas in the formal title for Walt Disney World Resort. Trust me when I say nomenclature is VERY important to The Walt Disney Company! Also- look at that founded date. Every Walt Disney World fan knows that Magic Kingdom opened October 1, 1971!

Screenshot of a fake Walt Disney World Page
Now, all of this being said- YES there are some very real ways to win a Walt Disney World vacation! The Disney Parks hosts fabulous sweepstakes throughout the year. Other companies may also hosts giveaways or contests where you could win a Disney Parks vacation. Just do your due diligence and think before you click!
This is the only current Walt Disney Company sponsored sweepstakes, The Disney Diamond Days. The only problem with this current sweepstakes is that you must be present at The Disneyland Resort to enter, as they have a special “word of the day” promotion.
Here are some links to some verified contests for Disney Park vacations! These are NOT sponsored by The Walt Disney Company.
- Put me in the Story– To celebrate our new personalized Frozen storybook, let us take your family on a magical trip to Orlando. It’s time to have an amazing adventure.
- VisitOrlando.com– Share the Fun Sweepstakes, You could win an amazing family vacation filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences!
- Epipen– Share inspiring stories to help educate others about life-threatening allergies, and you could win a Walt Disney World Resort vacation from Mylan during the Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival this fall.
- Joffrey’s– Enter Joffrey’s Magic in Your Mug Sweepstakes and you could win a Walt Disney World vacation from Joffrey’s, the Official Specialty Coffee of Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort and Disney Vacation Club.
- Pretzel Crisps– Enter for a chance to win a Hawaiian vacation for 4 to Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa on O’ahu!
And just for fun- here are a few Universal Orlando Resort sweepstakes as well!
- Friendly’s– Friendly’s wants to send you on a trip for 4 to the Universal Orlando Resort!
- IMAX.com– We’re sending one lucky winner and their guest to Universal Orlando Resort. They’ll stay at a resort in beautiful Orlando, Florida and visit three theme parks in three days: Universal Studios Florida, Universal’s Islands of Adventure, and Wet ‘N Wild Waterpark!
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