My WDW Moms Panel Training Experience

This is going to be a long post - so many amazing and great things happened at the Moms Panel training. I'm still pinching myself to see if it actually happened!

On Friday morning (early), I headed out to the the airport. Upon landing at Orlando International and coming down the elevator to baggage claim, I was greeted by VIP tour services cast members holding a sign with my name! One of them helped me gather my luggage, and I was informed that we would be traveling to WDW with Whitney, another member of the panel. Whitney and I immediately recognized each other, and hugged like old friends!

When we arrived at Coronado Springs Resort, we saw our special check-in counter:
Immediately after receiving our "top secret" agenda, we ripped open the envelope to read what was in store - believe me, the agenda didn't disappoint! After a quick lunch at the Pepper Market, we headed to the lobby to meet the other arriving moms. We divided up based upon what we wanted to do for the afternoon, and Diane C, Jennifer, Amber, and I headed to Disney's Hollywood Studios with Beth and Michelle from the current panel. We had a little bit of time, so we went on a few rides and then headed back to freshen up for our welcome reception at the Rix.

At the Rix, I met the all of the remaining panelists, as well as some of the WDW Cast Members who would be with us for the weekend. Kay surprised us all with Snowmen Mickey Ears personalized with "Mom" (and, of course, "Dad" for Doug). Then, we headed out to the Magic Kingdom, to tour the suite at Cinderella Castle, eat at the Crystal Palace, and attend Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.



I've never been to WDW during the Christmas holidays, so I was really excited to see everything decorated. I don't think there is anything more beautiful than Cinderella Castle decorated with icicle lights. We had more time to chat during our Cinderella Suite tour, the Crystal Palace dinner, and the parade. We watched the parade from the top of the railroad station, and it was an amazing view. The parade was fabulous - almost every single character was featured, and the fireworks were beautiful. We had a little time to enjoy the park before heading back, so I did some shopping, went on Big Thunder Mountain, it's a small world, and Buzz Lightyear Space Ranger Spin with a bunch of the moms (and Doug).

The next morning, we had breakfast and did a resort tour. We were able to see rooms and suites at All Star Music, Caribbean Beach Resort (where we saw one of the new pirate-themed rooms), and new DVC villas - truly amazing! Next, we headed to the Contemporary for lunch at the new restaurant, The Wave (yum), and then went to Epcot to enjoy Test Track, and more shopping!

After Epcot, we met up at our resort to head to the Hollywood Studios for the Osbourne Family Spectacle of Lights (amazing!), a group photo, and dinner at the Brown Derby. We also had the chance to ride the new Toy Story Mania ride, which is so much fun! I could honestly ride that all day!After dinner, we went to tour a new not-yet-opened attraction, and then headed home for a well deserved night of sleep. But as I opened my hotel room door, I was greeted with some magic:
The next morning, we had mostly training and guest speakers, which was a great break from walking around so much. At breakfast, we had the opportunity to meet with some bloggers and podcasters, and I talked with Deb Wills from Allears.net.After training, we went to Epcot to film one of our videos. I now have a newfound appreciation for actors - it truly is not glamorous. It was, however, fun to watch onlookers try to figure out who we were! Between the film shoot and dinner, a few of us stayed at Epcot, and Diane C and Doug were nice enough to wait with me in a 60 minute line to go on Soarin' (I had never been on). It's really an amazing ride - well worth the wait!

Dinner that night was at Jiko - The Cooking Place at Animal Kingdom Lodge. Words do not describe how amazing this dinner was! The chef came out and introduced each course (we had 7 in total), and the sommalier chose wines especially for the dinner. Heather R, Diane C, and I may have even gotten our hands on a few extra scoops of the delicious ice cream :)

That night, after arriving back at my room, I was greeted with another surprise! A gift basket filled with WDW Moms Panel goodies - a mousepad, jacket, watch, pen, pad of paper, and a few other things! (I apologize - this photo is blurry and sideways).

The next morning, we had the opportunity to meet Meg Crofton, President of WDW. She's definitely an inspiration! Then we headed to Epcot for our photo/video shoot. We were all extremely nervous, but I was so relieved when it was done! With our extra time, Jo and I went back on Soarin', and then met the group for more video footage and lunch at Teppen Edo. I left there completely stuffed with great food, so the walking guestology tour at the Magic Kingdom was a good exercise break. We were followed by the camera/sound guys during the tour, which also led to some looks from the crowds.

Monday evening was our final dinner - this time at Bistro de Paris. It was so unbelievably good! Then, the cutest little lady Margaret led us to our seats at the Candlelight Processional (I loved it!) and to our VIP viewing area to watch Illuminations. That night was bittersweet, because I had to say bye to all of my new friends.

While we were all sad to leave, it was nice to get back to our families. We are all looking forward to answering questions all year long, and helping families plan the perfect vacation. Don't forget to check out http://www.disneyworldmoms.com before planning any trip to WDW!