Exclusive | Influencers cause Gen Z partiers to wait in long lines and pay $300 for VIP status at Jersey Shore bars

A four-hour wait and a pricey fast-pass lane aren’t just for Magic Kingdom anymore — it’s the new Saturday night at the Jersey Shore.Divey but beloved beach town bars such as The Parker House, Osprey, Jenks and D’Jais, once flooded by locals wanting to slug back a beer while listening to a cover band’s rendition of “Livin’ on a Prayer,” have been transformed into a hotspot feeding ground for young partiers.Thanks to viral videos of influencer Alix Earle and model Livvy Dunne partying at Jenks Club in Point Pleasant and pop-star Tate McRae canoodling with NJ Devils star Jack Hughes at Sea Girt’s The Parker House, Gen Zers are trekking from all over to endure insanely long wait times and pay upwards of $300 for VIP status to get in on the shore action.The hysteria (and money spent) is a sharp contrast to how Middletown, New Jersey resident Carol An Mireider recalls her partying nights down the shore.“We didn’t pay much; it wasn’t so commercialized.You could go to D’Jais’ [in Belmar] happy hour and get five beers for a dollar,” she told The Post.The Gen Xer, who met her ex-husband at the Belmar hotspot, explained these bars always attracted crowds and “VIP” status was a concept back in the ‘80s.

But back then, it was more of a locals scene, and these cards were given out for free to regular bar-goers. “The community down the shore was real.The bouncers and bar owners knew who had shore houses and got to know you,” Mireider recalled.

“They would let you cut the line, and look out for you.” The NJ local pointed out that she and her friends would only ever pay to get into one of these bars if a band was playing, including legends like Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty. “These stars were normal and in the mix, and everyone said ‘hello,’” Mireider reminisced, noting they used to party with The Boss until sunrise, yet none of it was documented for virality, the way it is today.“I guess now they [the bars] are monetizin...