Finding love on 'Mouse Mingle'

Disney fans take to niche dating site to find ‘happily ever after'

There seem to be dating sites for just about everyone these days, from "Christian Mingle" to "Farmers Only", but there's a new dating site that looks to cater to a particular kind of Central Floridian looking for a happily ever after.

[WEB EXTRA: MouseMingle ]

It’s called MouseMingle—and Beatrice Feeney is one of its first members.

Feeney experienced the magic of Disney World for the first time 16 years ago.

"I cried when I left," she said, reminiscing.  

And it's the reason, 10 years later, Feeney decided to call Orlando her home.

"I have to move down here because I can be a Florida resident, I can go all the time, and I don't miss the annual festivals or the Christmas events," she explained.

Since Walt Disney World holds such a special place in her heart, Feeney is hoping to find that same kind of magic in a relationship.

"I'm looking for someone who knows it's more than a place or a just a theme park. There's history, there are backstories, it's not just about standing around waiting in a line for a ride," she said.

It's that same kind of shared enthusiasm for the parks that CEO and founder Dave Taveres said is the reason he started the site for Disney devotees.

"I had been on a lot of other dating sites, and none of them had a check box that said, ‘I have an annual pass’ or ‘I like going to Disneyland,’" he said.

Taveres said since its launch on Dec. 1,  thousands of mouseketeers sign up every week.

"I thought members would center around Orlando and California, but there's a shocking amount of people around the country and around the world,” said Taveres.

Sharing this commonality is why Feeney said she signed up for MouseMingle, all in hopes of finding her Prince Charming-- even though her friends disagreed.


"They're like, ‘You're kind of a Disney freak! So we need to help you find someone who is normal,’" she laughed.

For those interested in looking for true love, the first step in signing up is filling out a questionnaire filled with plenty of Disney-related and non-related questions.

"One of the questions asks, ‘What type of pet person are you?’. You can answer Cheshire for a cat lover, Pluto for dog, Nemo for fish or even Iago if you are a bird person," she said, reading over her profile.

Feeney said she had a laugh the entire time she was filling out the questionnaire.

"My personality is most like Tinker Bell,” she said. “It's like the little pixie that is all cute and feisty so you know you better watch out!”

When News 6 meterologist Candace Campos asked Feeney if she ever catches herself getting giddy about the whole process, she said: "It feels like high school all over again. It's like someone winked at me, do I want to accept it or ignore it?”

Feeney said she hasn't found her Prince Charming just yet.

But in case you're taking notes, she definitely has a type.

"My weakness is probably guys from the gym, so if I can get a Hercules that would be great,” said Feeney. “But if nothing else, if it comes out to random friends who love Disney, that is totally fine, too.”

However Feeney’s story ends, there's one thing she knows for sure.

"You know Walt always said, never lose sight with the fact that it all started with a mouse.”
 


About the Author:

Candace Campos joined the News 6 weather team in 2015.