Christina Toni Kulusich has spent the past decade turning her love for Disney into a social media presence, making weekly trips to the theme parks and documenting her encounters with the characters she meets there.
However, sharing those moments took an unexpected turn on July 31, when a video featuring her interaction with Peter Pan went viral and sparked a wave of criticism.
Some viewers accused her of stalking various Peter Pan actors over the years, even when they didn’t seem to enjoy it.
Kulusich addressed the backlash on Friday, August 14, arguing that “something really small” has been blown out of proportion and revealing what caused her “obsession.”
The “Peter Pan Girl” called the controversy surrounding her an overreaction
In the viral clip, Kulusich gave Peter Pan a keychain featuring a crocheted duck wearing a green cap.
“What am I supposed to do with it?” the actor asked, to which she replied that she wanted to take a picture of him holding it.
As he honored her request, she insisted that he pose with her as well.
He obliged.
Before leaving, Kulusich and her friend, who was behind the camera, told him they would be back the following week.
Several commenters claimed they saw “hatred” in the guy’s eyes while one asserted that “he was creeped out.”
In her interview with USA Today last week, Kulusich said she has faced a “rough” time since her video went viral.
“I never expected the internet to know I exist,” she shared, adding, “People can take something really small and turn it into something without even knowing what it’s truly about.”
Kulusich shared that she has been emotionally attached to Peter Pan since her first interaction with an actor playing the character in 2015.
“He just made a really magical experience for me at the time,” she explained.
Kulusich defended her love for Disney and said that she wasn’t banned from the theme park
Kulusich called herself a proud Disney Adult, describing the subculture as a group of grown-ups who make pilgrimages to Disney parks.
“I think being a Disney adult means letting out your inner child,” she said.
Expanding on her love for Peter Pan specifically, she said she relates to the character’s canonical status as “the boy who never grew up.”
Meeting Peter Pan, however, is not the only thing that Kulusich seeks when she visits Disneyland.
“My favorite thing to do is to go to Astro Blasters. It’s a game where you, like, shoot things,” she said.
Kulusich said that despite fans circulating a petition seeking her ban from the parks, no action was taken against her.
“I actually was there yesterday,” she said.
A former Disney employee who played Peter Pan claimed his experience with Kulusich ended with him being fired
An actor named Ryan took to TikTok on the same day as Kulusich’s interview, sharing what he described as the fallout from his encounter with her.
While he did not reveal when the interaction took place, he said it occurred when he stepped in for another performer who played Peter Pan.
Disney performers are expected to remain in character while interacting with guests.
@itsrayanspam Lemme show u who Peter Pan really is #disneyworld #peterpantoni #peterpan #toni ♬ original sound – 🫧🥥🪩
“You just have to be like, yeah, hi. Like, all bubbly and all nice,” Ryan explained.
He claimed that he was fired from Disney World after he “broke character” with Kulusich.
“It became so annoying. I was like, okay, girl. Okay. Let me show you who Peter Pan really is inside.”
The actor explained that “being obsessive with fake characters when they know I’m just getting paid and you’re following me all across the park is a no-no.”
Several former Disney performers have denounced inappropriate treatment from adult guests
Alyssa Klinzing, an influencer who previously performed at Disneyland as Princess Elsa, Cinderella, Ariel and Sleeping Beauty, told the Daily Mail in June that a man once forced a hug on her, sniffed her shoulder, put his hand under her skirt and whispered about having “dirty dreams” about her.
She said she developed PTSD from the job and also struggled with her self-image after having to maintain unrealistic beauty standards.
Similarly, influencer Hunter Haag, who worked as Rapunzel and Belle, told the outlet that she was asked inappropriate questions by a visitor, including “how big” Beast was.
In Kulusich’s case, despite accusations that she stalks Peter Pan performers, she said she always lets them “lead the interactions.”
“I’ll wait for him to be like, ‘Let’s go take a walk.’ I’m not gonna initiate the walk,” she said.
“I sense a Netflix documentary about this one day,” a social media user said
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