Disney opened the El Capitan and its Burbank lot to YouTubers and TikTok stars for its first Created in L.A. event. Walden’s pitch: “Maybe we can tell some stories together.”
For two days this week, Disney rolled out the red carpet for people who usually film in their garages.
More than 350 creators showed up for Created in L.A., Disney’s first-ever creator summit, held Sept. 17-18 at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood and the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank. Together, those creators have roughly 1.6 billion followers, according to WDW News Today.
Then Dana Walden got up and basically asked the room to collaborate.
“Maybe we can tell some stories together,” Walden said, as quoted by Variety.
What did Dana Walden say to creators at Created in L.A.?
Walden, now President and Chief Creative Officer of Disney Entertainment, opened the first night. She kept coming back to one idea. Creators know their audience in a way a big studio doesn’t.
“What strikes me about this room is the instinct so many of you have for your audience,” she said, per WDWNT.
She also pointed at the speed gap. Disney films and shows can take years to reach viewers. For creators, she said, “it could be seconds.”
Her hope for the two days was that Disney and the creators would learn from each other, and that some of their storytelling magic would rub off on the studio.
She didn’t announce anything concrete. There was no dollar figure, no new division and no list of signed deals. It was an open invitation.
Which creators went to Disney’s Created in L.A. event?
The speaker list read like a YouTube homepage. Dude Perfect, The Try Guys, Zach King, Dhar Mann, Jordan Matter and Jenny Hoyos were all on the bill, according to Disney’s own announcement.
Disney brought its own heavy hitters too. CEO Josh D’Amaro was on the day-two program at the Burbank lot. Chief marketing officer Asad Ayaz and Jared Bush, the Oscar-winning chief creative officer of Walt Disney Animation Studios, were also on the program.
The event even handed out trophies. The first Golden State Awards went to brothers Lucas and Curtis Nicotra of the animation channel Sticks for The Technoblade Movie, and to Zach King for Cardboard Strikes Back, his homemade Star Wars parody.
Yes, Disney gave an award to a Star Wars parody. On its own lot.
Who is Jon Youshaei, the host of Created in L.A.?
The event wasn’t a straight Disney production. It was conceived and hosted by Jon Youshaei, who previously worked in marketing at YouTube and Instagram, in partnership with Disney.
Youshaei called the event “historic” in Disney’s announcement, and said it was “surreal” to see Disney open two of its most famous venues to creators after 100 years.
“We’re bringing the best of the creator economy and Hollywood on the same stage,” he said in Disney’s announcement.
Why is Disney courting YouTubers now?
Because that’s where the eyeballs went.
YouTube has spent much of the past two years at or near the top of Nielsen’s monthly rankings for TV viewing. Kids and teens, the audience Disney has chased for a century, now spend a huge chunk of their screen time watching creators instead of cable.
Disney has already dipped a toe in. It has worked with big names like MrBeast, Mark Rober and Kylie Kelce on past projects, WDWNT reported.
They also bought Maker Studios back in the day hoping for a quick “in” to YouTube, but that didn’t pan out and it was shut down a few years later.
Disney HAS been trying to buy its way in for a while now.
Ayaz pitched Disney as a natural home for this crowd. “Today’s creators are some of the best storytellers reaching generations,” he said when the event was announced.
The bigger question is what comes next. A summit is a handshake. Deals, shows and movies starring creators would be the real test, and nothing like that was announced this week.
What could a Disney and creator partnership look like?
Nobody at Disney has spelled it out yet. But the guest list gives some hints.
Zach King already makes short, effects-heavy videos that look a lot like theme park magic. Dude Perfect runs a sports-and-stunts empire that would feel right at home on ESPN, which Disney owns. Sticks makes animation, which is Disney’s oldest business.
For now, the only concrete result is a room full of creators with new Disney contacts in their phones. In Hollywood, that’s usually how the next deal starts.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
Variety (Sept. 18, 2026), Jazz Tangcay’s report on Walden’s opening remarks, including “Maybe we can tell some stories together”
WDW News Today (Sept. 18, 2026), Walden’s remarks on audience instinct and timelines, the 1.6 billion follower figure and the Golden State Awards
The Walt Disney Company (Sept. 3, 2026), venues, speaker lineup, executive roles and Jon Youshaei’s quotes
WDW News Today (July 2026), the event announcement, Asad Ayaz’s quote and Disney’s past creator partnerships
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