Was the 'Coachella Meets Disney' Fest a Scam? Here's What The ACE Family Says

The ACE Family is one of the most popular family vloggers on YouTube, with over 18 million subscribers.

In a March vlog, couple Austin McBroom and his wife Catherine McBroom announced they would quit YouTube at the end of 2022 to travel. 

But before the exit, they wanted to meet their fans for the last time. To do that, they declared they would organize a festival described as "Disneyland meets Coachella" with a petting zoo and live performances. 

According to the event's website, the ACE Family Fest was "a one-day festival for people of all ages, starting from noon to 10 pm." 

They added that the festival would have various "free games, free rides, free prizes & more."

The tickets cost $299 for three people and $499 for five for a VIP package, including the opportunity to meet Austin and Catherine in person. 

Many thought the tickets were overpriced and compared them to a one-day Disneyland pass which started at $104.

People Say the Ace Family Fest Was a Scam

In the days leading up to the event, netizens claimed the event was a scam and likened it to the Fyre Festival and TanaCon. Despite their opinion, the fest happened on July 10, 2022. 

Unfortunately, most people were not happy. Through comments and videos, they opined the event starkly contrasted with what the McBrooms had promised. 

Many people who went to the event said there was nothing reminiscent of Disneyland or Coachella and that it was more like a local country fair. 

Before the event, Austin had claimed all the tickets were sold out. They were expecting at least 10,000 people. 

But based on the photos of empty plots and stalls on social media, users were convinced the YouTuber-turned-boxer had lied, and the event was a failure. 

YouTuber Spill Sesh who visited the fest gave her opinion about the event in a video titled, 'THE ACE FAMILY FESTIVAL WAS A MESS (acefest).' She detailed everything that had gone wrong at the event. 

YouTuber Spill Sesh Shared the Details

Sesh explained that the McBrooms had promised free parking, but she was allegedly charged $10 when she reached the event. 

Then she explained how the vloggers had offered free rides and games as promised, but the prizes were allegedly old merchandise like ACE Family-branded winter scarves and Christmas ornaments.

YouTuber Spill Sesh details the Ace Family Fest saying it was somewhat of a scam. (Source: YouTube)

Sesh also touched on the meet and greet, which she pointed out was a point of contention. The husband and wife had promised to meet their fans from noon to 10 pm, but it was allegedly cut short with no explanation. 

But the YouTuber noted the McBrooms were genuinely engaged with their fans and seemed excited to meet them.

Besides Sesh, several YouTube personalities and drama channels were at the event. Unfortunately, creators Rich Lux, MadCaster, and Def Noodles were all reportedly kicked out when the events team recognized them.

Additionally, Rich Lux and MadCaster were also allegedly taunted by Austin's cameraman. The YouTuber alluded the microbeams probably did not want them at the event because they wanted to avoid criticism and drama. 

Justin McBroom and Catherine McBroom Responded to Criticism

All in all, there were a lot of criticisms about the event, and in a July 12, 2022 vlog, the couple seemingly addressed it. 

The first part of the vlog was about the couple meeting their fans and clips of their fans enjoying the games and rides. 

With superior editing and ideal background music, the event in the vlog seemed poles apart from the videos circulating on the internet. One would even believe that the festival was a smashing success. 

Towards the end of the video, the couple shared a message for their fans and addressed the negativity and haters. 

They thanked all their fans for coming to the event and buying the ticket “when people didn’t really have extra money to spend at an event.”

Catherine then addressed the negativity by saying, 

After every single event, there’s always a downside to it obviously there are more eyes on us so there’s negativity that comes with it. We’re so used to it I mean like this is something that like we just we know comes with it.

The couple then ended the video, noting their fans could see them in LA at the Staples Center during Austin’s boxing match on July 30, 2022.