Key Takeaways
- A TikToker garnered thousands of views and likes after announcing plans to launch Single Riders, a dating app for Disney Adults and other theme park lovers.
- By announcing on TikTok, the developers directly engage with the niche community of Disney fans looking for love and friendship.
- Other prominent dating apps have thousands of followers on TikTok and use the social media platform in marketing campaigns, showcasing its community-building potential.
How does a dating app officially “launch” in 2025? Not with elaborate fanfare or even a finished product, but with a TikTok video.
A Disney fan known on social media as Joe the Bearded Nerd took to TikTok recently to announce his upcoming dating and friendship app called Single Riders that caters to theme park enthusiasts.
In the July 7 TikTok video, Joe, wearing a fuzzy “Monsters, Inc.” style hoodie, explained how he came up with the idea for a theme park-themed dating app after being stood up in 2023. “I did what any other Orlando local does — I went to Disney,” he said. “I realized that we needed a Disney Adult dating app.”
Single Riders may have been inspired by a Disney trip, but the developers are designing the app with all theme park enthusiasts in mind. The app will cater to fans of Universal, Knott’s Berry Farm, Kings Island, and Six Flags, to name a few. “It’s gonna be for everybody,” Joe said.
“We’re still in early development, but we’re building with real intention,” Adam Tucker, the co-creator of the app, told DatingNews in a statement. “It’s not just about dating — it’s about meaningful connections, whether romantic or platonic, built around something people genuinely love.”
Intention and meaningful connection: Two concepts that have not only taken over the dating industry, but fuel TikTok as a social media platform.
Joe’s casual announcement video went viral on TikTok, garnering 45,000 likes and counting. The video’s success is proof that sometimes, the best recipe for virality is a niche community, a passionate fandom, and an authentic spokesperson.
Niche Groups on TikTok Crave Engagement
TikTok caters to diverse niches of people from all over the globe and uses a proprietary algorithm to adapt to each user’s interests. With every swipe, the algorithm serves up increasingly personalized content.
People with similar niche interests can connect in record speed. Single Riders gives them another new community to engage with, something Joe acknowledged in his first TikTok video for Single Riders’ account. “So, I realized that I haven’t actually posted anything here yet, so I figured I would,” Joe begins the video.
The viral video fires up the already-fierce Disney fan base by giving them the power to shape the app’s design: “If you guys have any ideas of things that you would like to see in our dating app, please let me know in the comments below,” Joe says in the video.
This outreach strategy is straightforward, but effective: In 2021 survey, 77% of respondents told TikTok that when brands post or comment on the app, it makes them feel like part of TikTok’s larger community.
Single Riders may be at the beginning of its journey, but it’s already appealing to Disney fans who want to feel part of something bigger than themselves while feeding their passion.
Single Riders’ announcement undoubtedly ended up on DisneyTok or “DisTok”, the “side” of TikTok (AKA, a niche community) where Disney fans bond over their shared passion. But there are countless other communities — from other theme park enthusiasts to people who follow app start-ups — that may have seen the video.
“Storytelling and authenticity is central to TikTok’s appeal,” Alison Battisby wrote for Digital Marketing Institute. “Whether through humour, tutorials, commentary, or personal narratives, creators use the platform to connect with viewers in authentic and impactful ways.”
By announcing the app on TikTok, the developers behind Single Riders sent a clear message, whether intentional or not: Single Riders is for all Disney fans, but it will be shaped by DisTok’s unique community of collaborators.
TikTok is a Fierce Community-Building Tool
Since Single Riders is months from beta testing, the developers need a place to keep fans and followers alike engaged. As a platform, TikTok excels at bringing people together. TikTok’s power as a community-building tool is as vital for modern app developers as it is for matchmakers.
According to a 2021 TikTok analytic insights, “83% of TikTok users agree they can find new interests they didn’t know they were interested in on TikTok.” Joe’s use of the app — not only as one of the developers, but as a self-described Disney Adult — makes him all the more appealing to an audience of like-minded TikTokers.
Focusing on one community and catering to its specific needs is a powerful way to have lasting industry impact. After all, niche dating apps aren’t new; Grindr has gained prominence as a dating app with a niche audience (the GBTQ+ community) that many would no longer consider to be “niche” at all.
On TikTok specifically, major dating apps like Tinder, Grindr, and OkCupid have hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of likes. This also isn’t the first time that enterprising app developers jumped at the chance to make an impact on a TikTok community.
Just look at Hinge, whose “No Ordinary Love” campaign is directly marketed to BookTok lovers.
Modern dating apps do not take TikTok’s power lightly. Neither is Single Riders; within two weeks of the announcement video, Joe told fans on TikTok that Single Riders will enter beta testing sometime between the end of 2025 and early 2026.
Fans can sign up to participate in beta testing, and to receive updates, on a new Google form released by Single Riders.
