Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2017, Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, Disney Cruises, Disney Moms Pane
When you receive your Disney Social Media Moms invitation, you’ll forever remember exactly what you were doing and where you were at that very moment. Last year, I was at a red light on Sunset and Church crossing over the 405 and my email ping came thru notifying me I received a Disney email. I screamed so loud that my little one asked me what happened. Being 3 years old at the time he understood we were going to Disney and that was enough to get him cheering on. This year, I was standing in line at the food court (local mall) waiting for my sons chicken sandwich and I heard that infamous email ping. Ohhhh, that ping is equivalent to pixie dust. I opened the email and voila, there it was, the coveted invitation that I was praying to arrive in my inbox. I let out an “OH MY GOD” and screamed, without any thought that the poor people at the mall might be terrified that there's a crazy woman standing next to them. I looked up and sure enough, I see fear and confusion splashed across their faces, I immediately say, “I just got invited to Disney,” and a round of cheers broke out for me, lol I wish there was a camera crew to catch what had just happened, it was spectacular. To say I didn’t sleep in the weeks leading up to Disney SMMC is an understatement. All I could think of was Disney SMMC, how absolutely amazing it’s going to be and most importantly seeing all of my friends that I’ve made thru Disney. I love that about Disney Moms, everyone respects one another and most importantly values each other's opinions and thoughts.
Morning of, woke up at 3 am, the excitement of the day ahead of me was an adrenaline rush. I made my way to Disneyland, arriving 40 minutes early to absorb every bit of it. As I followed the blue signs for Disney Social Media Moms I was going to burst with excitement, there was an uncontrollable urge for me to spread my arms and start twirling around like Maria in The Sound Of Music and singing from the top of my lungs. Thank goodness I had better sense than that, could you imagine 7 o’clock news, “Mom at Disneyland startling children at Disney with her singing,” Lol. Entered the infamous gates of California Adventure and made my way to Stage 17, Arendelle. You heard me, we were taken into the magical world of Elsa, Anna, and Olaf. The room was spectacular, on either side was long banquet tables filled with fruits, snacks, drinks, eggs, bacon, sausage, muffins, pastries and much more to energize us with a healthy breakfast. As if we needed energy, the energy in the room was combustible. It was great meeting new friends and seeing old ones.
At Disney SMMC we are privy to magical events that are in-store and coming to life. First item up, which made our meeting being held in Arendelle special, Frozen preview! Disney Olaf’s Frozen Adventure is a mini-tale that will be out on November 22, airing before Disney Coco. Olaf’s Adventure is about holiday traditions, family, love, and friendship. It will leave you in stitches, the never before scenes we saw had me laughing so hard my belly hurt, Olaf hasn’t changed, with his sincere love for Anna and Elsa, and his innocence makes his antics funnier. However one thing has changed with Anna and Elsa, they open the doors to their castle for the first time of their choosing and the shenanigans stem here. Now I know exactly what I’m doing for my birthday, Nov 22, taking my little one to Coco so we can watch Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. Get ready they will debuting 4 new songs in Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, can’t wait.
Have you booked a Disney cruise? Did you know Disney offered cruises? When I learned that it’s basically a mini Disneyland on the water I booked our trip, 2018. This will be our first vacation as a family and it’s my little ones birthday present. We’ll be on the traditional cruise, with Mickey and Minnie. If your kids are older you should check out the Marvel theme cruise or Star Wars and or the spooky spectacular Halloween cruise. Disney estimates by 2023 they will have doubled their cruise liners. Find your next destination here, if I were you I’d book Christmas, how cool would that be, seeing Mickey dressed as Santa.
Mamas who are Disney fans or in my case a fanatic, Disney Moms Panel will be accepting new application for 2018. The entry opens on September 6-13, 2017. Disney Moms Panel is the ultimate digital resource, they provide “helpful tips and heartfelt advice about Disney vacation destinations from real moms, dads and in the know family members. Whether you have a question about a theme park, restaurant, service, shop, hotel or activity, the Moms Panel is here to help you plan and get the most out of your magical trip.” Let me tell you how excited I am about this, Yes, I know, 20k people or more will apply for a position of 6 available but how cool is it that Disney offers this. This is more than just applying, this is about bringing hope, excitement and the chance to do something you’ve never thought of. Even if you’re not chosen, now you know you have the courage to step outside of your comfort zone and dream big, shoot for something that’s bigger than you. You’re the person who’s in charge of your destination, reach for the stars and you might grab the moon. Take that chance in life, you never know what doors you’ll open and if you’re worried about not knowing how to do something, don’t worry, you’ll learn. I’ll be applying, it’s a dream of mine to be part of Disney Panel, I will keep applying until the dream comes alive, that’s all I can do, dream till then.
We had the honor of meeting several people that day, one of them was Stacia Martian, Disney Artist, and Historian who has been at Disney for 39 years. Did you read that? 39 years! That means she started working at Disney when I was 3 years old, WOW. She’s delightful, wickedly talented and has stories that would blow your mind. She shared witty stories about Walt and his ideas, how different artists have drawn millions of characters over the years, did you know nothing is ever thrown out. Meaning if an artist draws a character that isn’t being used that drawing goes in a vault. There’s a vault of drawings, what a gold mine, priceless. Not only did we have the honor of hearing her speak, Stacia also drew for us as she was speaking, she drew Pooh, Mickey Mouse and Tinker Bell. Much to our surprise we were all leaving that day with a hand drawing of our favorite character of our very own, it was SPECTACULAR!
The highlight of Disney SMMC was meeting Amy Robach from Good Morning America. To say I was slightly blown away is an understatement, I love Amy, I watch GMA every morning and adore her. In 2015, Robach wrote a New York Times bestseller titled “Better: How I Let Go of Control, Held On To Hope, and Found Joy in My Darkest Hour" about her unexpected journey with breast cancer after being diagnosed following an on-air mammogram on GMA. I had the privilege of asking Amy what made her write a book during such a bleak moment in her life. Amy had said that when she was approached by different publishers she chose this particular one because they didn’t expect anything from her, there was no pressure to produce anything on a deadline. They made it clear to her that if she wrote something great and if not it’s okay, she comes first. The great thing about writing/journaling her life experience, what she was going through, how she was feeling, gave her a sense of control and it was cathartic.
This next revelation is truly the definition of full circle, it was actually jarring to hear. When Amy started GMA, she immediately filled in for Robin Roberts when Robin was starting chemo, Amy sat in Robins Anchor chair to cover for her. Robin returned and a short while after Amy was diagnosed with Cancer. Amy then took Robins old chemo chair, the very same chair that Robin received her chemo. Amy shared with us a very intimate story on her first day of chemo. Amy walked into her doctor's office and found Robin sitting there, thinking she must be there for a follow appointment for herself, she approached Robin and said hi. Robin explained that this past year, you (Amy) sat in my anchor chair and now you’ll be sitting in my chemo chair. I’m walking you in, I am here for you. You supported me when I needed it and I am here for you. Amy sat in Robins chemo chair, across from her sat Robin, where Robin's mom sat for her, and her husband Andrew sat in the other chair. There wasn’t a dry eye, I was crying silently, writing this I'm crying. Life is precious and as she put it, she’s one blood test away from the unfathomable however when you think about it, we are all one blood test away from the unimaginable. What makes a difference is how we handle things, if you can’t go around it, go through it. Pick up her book to read about her remarkable journey, she’s an inspiration.
Now, a few things you need to know about visiting Disneyland. Download the Disney application and set up Max Pass. Once you’ve got both up, get your Fast Passes. First Fast Pass you must get is Guardians of Galaxy - Mission: Breakout ride which scared me to the point where I lost my voice from screaming so much. Yes, I lost my voice, it’s exhilaratingly terrifying and 100% worth it. Next up with the kiddos, Mickey Disney Jr. Dance Party, gets your little one dancing and singing along with their favorite characters. Make sure you stay for the parade and most importantly Fantasmic! And of course, without a question, always stay for the fireworks. Your night isn’t complete if you don’t stay for the fireworks, as my kiddo says, "big bang mama!"
Thank you Disney Moms for inviting me to Disney Social Media Moms 2017, I am humbled and grateful for everything. The memories made here will stay with me for the rest of my life and most importantly thank you for including my family, it means the world to me. Disneyland is truly the happiest place on earth, pixie dust can be found in every corner if you look for a little magic. I will leave you with this super cool FYI, did you know every horse at Disney is a cast member, they all have names and cast member badges. When you see a horse, look inside the trolley, you’ll find their badge! Who will you find?