First Night Back From Disney Social Media Moms, I Want To Go Back Right Now!!
First night back from our dream vacation and I’m yearning to return to Walt Disney World! LIKE RIGHT NOW!! A lot of you have emailed me, asking how to get a coveted invitation to Disney Social Media Moms Celebration and truthfully I don’t know. This was the first year I was invited to #DisneySMMC Land and Sea conference and I was blown away, downright speechless. I remember when I received the invitation, this is one of those moments that you'll never forget. We were at Fashion Square Mall in the food court to be exact, I was standing in line getting my little one chicken teriyaki. My phone pinged (I’ve got all Disney emails set up on VIP), so I open the email and it’s what dreams are made of, I’m being invited to #DisneySMMC Land and Sea event. At that moment I was overcome by all sorts of emotions, comparable to a surge of electricity shooting through my body, sheer excitement. I let out the loudest scream and at that very moment I realized I’ve just startled the entire Fashion square mall food court, so I turned my phone around explained, “I’m going to Walt Disney World, I’m going to Disneyland!”
The food court erupted in a cheer and I turn around to find my server congratulating me. I wish I had cameras following me, it felt like I was in a commercial, you know the ones after a huge game or win an athlete or talent gets asked, "What are you going to do now," and they say, "I'm going to Disneyland," that was me, in that moment. Left the food line and ran up to my little one with my dad, phone in hand screaming we’re going to Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise!
That moment right there will be with me for the rest of my life. As a single mom you’re always asking yourself if you’re doing enough, is your child missing out, how will I give them everything that they need. When Disney emailed me, it was more than just an invitation, they made the impossible possible for me. I was able to take my kiddo to an unbelievable vacation, WALT DISNEY WORLD. Walt himself once said, “Mickey Mouse is, to me, a symbol of independence…” He had no idea that those words are so much more to me. Disney made a dream come true for me and my little family, Disney is pure magic. Pixie Dust is a real thing, the entire vacation was Pixie Dust explosion. When you cross over the sign that says, "Walt Disney World, Where Dreams Come True," your heart starts beating a little faster, your smile deepens and in a split second you're a kid again. You’re the same age as your child, you’ll experience WDW thru your child's eyes and your heart will explode. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to take my little one to WDW let alone a Disney cruise.
(Phone credit, Disney photographer)
Here’s the thing, being invited to #DisneySMMC we attend meetings during some of the days, here was my conundrum I didn’t want the meetings to end because I was learning so much from all the marvelous speakers but at the same time I wanted to join my family at the parks. The struggle is real, wanting to play or playing while learning. Buckle up, here is a list of our outstanding speakers, now you’ll understand why I didn’t want the meetings to end, EVER!
1. Bob Chapek, Chairmen Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
2. Terry Cox, Manager of Search Engine Marketing
3. David Roark, Manager of Creative Photography at Walt Disney World Resort
4. Amy Stanford Senior Editor for Babble
6. Vera Sweeney (Alamo Presenter), Founder of Lady and the Blog
7. Temecula Road, Country Music Artists Performance
8. KRISTIN BURR, Producer “Christopher Robin“
9. John Breckow, Director of Corporate Citizenship for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
10. Sharon Siskie- Senior Vice President of Commercial Strategy
11. Tom Warburton- Producer, “Muppet Babies”
12. Bob Hitchcock– Disney Parks Editorial Content Director
13. Alex Ruiz- Senior Manager, Digital Content Development
14. John Breckow-, Director of Corporate Citizenship for Walt Disney Parks & Resorts
15. Tom Smith, Editorial Content Director
16. Ashley Eckstein, Founder of Her Universe
You see what I’m talking about, the lineup was unbelievable. Can you imagine sitting in a conference and the very first person that’s in the line up is Bob Chapek, Chairmen of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. The Chairmen who has a million projects on his plate took his time to speak to us about all the upcoming Disney attractions and hotels that are in the pipeline. This man deals with Dignitaries, Heads of States, Presidents and here he was talking to us. To say I was humbled is an understatement. Now since we were gone for a week had over 15 speakers, rode an exclusive ride, went on a Disney Cruise which BTW I’ll be sharing what you need to do once you're on board, getting your kiddo set up and much more, this is just an introductory post. I'll be writing about everyone and everything individually.
Make sure to follow everyone on Twitter for breaking news, @DisneyMoms @DisneyParks @WaltDisneyWorld @WDWToday @DisneylandToday @DisneyCruise @DisneySports @runDisney most importantly follow hashtag #DisneySMMC to see what’s happening at the conference.
Thank you, Disney Moms and the Disney Team for inviting me, it was a blessing that you bestowed upon us and I will forever be grateful for the opportunity. This life-changing experience was so much more than you'll ever know!
We believed in our idea - a family park where parents and children could have fun- together. ~ Walt Disney