Mom's Panel

[DISgeeksfromDC]

After hearing this week's show I want to enter too! What exactly did you have to do to enter the contest last year? How many words etc? I need to put my thinking mouse ears on......Actually I am going to go and listen to the show again, and check out the mom's website!

I have no idea what Disney has in mind this year, but last contest, applicants were asked to submit three 100-word essays.

"In 100 words or less," tells us
*about you;
*about your family;
*about your expertise.

The initial 10,000 applicants were winnowed to a much smaller group. (We've since learned that the second round consisted of approx. 100 applicants.) The semi-finalists responded to three more 100-word essays.

Finally, approx. 25 finalists participated in phone interviews with a panel of Disney CMs. Disney chose the current 12 Panelists from that group.

‘Hope this helps!

One More Thought: Those interested in applying for the 2009 Panel may want to go ahead and register as users on the Disney World Resort web site (disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/index)** If you’re already registered, then update your profile to ensure that your current contact information (especially your e-mail address) is correct. Then, you can start to receive regular correspondence (such as the Disney Insider e-Newsletter) to ensure that your e-mail isn’t filtering messages from Disney Destinations as spam. Last year, a number of applicants complained that they never received e-mail confirmations, so they worried that Disney never got their submissions.


**I still can’t post direct links. (Sorry!) ’Just add the necessary "business" at the front of the address (http: and two forward slashes). You know the drill…

[pigletfan]

Thanks for all of the info! I can't wait to try for this!

[MouseTunesMissy]

Oh, I am soooo excited! I also heard about this panel two days too late last time and I could almost not get through Lou's interview without pangs of longing and jealousy clouding my attitude

Thanks for posting about this. I'll be visiting the site in a couple of weeks as well, to apply. Hope to see all of you there!

Proud Disney Mom!

[DISgeeksfromDC]

After hearing this week's show I want to enter too! What exactly did you have to do to enter the contest last year? How many words etc? I need to put my thinking mouse ears on......Actually I am going to go and listen to the show again, and check out the mom's website!

Well... tomorrow is the big day!!

I noticed that this thread has been silent for a while, and I wasn't sure if folks had seen the press announcement Disney released earlier. (It offers a few details about the anticipated process and questions.)

Here's an excerpt:

"The quest is for 16 parents who pride themselves on being Walt Disney World “know-it-alls” and have an undying passion to share their Disney knowledge with others at disneyworldmoms.com. From Sept. 8 through Sept. 19, interested applicants can visit disneyworldmoms.com/2009 to apply for the panel. The application process begins with a series of questions and three brief essays – about their family, why they are a great Walt Disney World vacation planner and their favorite Disney vacationing tip."

Here's the full press release (posted on Walt Disney World News (wdwnews.com)):

Calling All Walt Disney World Vacation ‘Know-It-Alls’: The Mouse Searching for 16 Parents for 2009 Moms Panel

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Sept. 1, 2008) – Disney Parks today announced its search for a group of park-savvy parents to be named the 2009 Walt Disney World Moms Panel, following in the footsteps of the first-ever online Walt Disney World Moms Panel which has been fielding and answering thousands of vacation questions in 2008.

The quest is for 16 parents who pride themselves on being Walt Disney World “know-it-alls” and have an undying passion to share their Disney knowledge with others at disneyworldmoms.com. From Sept. 8 through Sept. 19, interested applicants can visit disneyworldmoms.com/2009 to apply for the panel. The application process begins with a series of questions and three brief essays – about their family, why they are a great Walt Disney World vacation planner and their favorite Disney vacationing tip.

“The first-ever Disney Moms Panel has responded to more than 9,000 questions from vacation planners this year. They have offered our guests countless tips to plan a magical vacation at our resort,” said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “We thank the 2008 panel for their contributions and look forward to working with a new group of parents.”

Since the launch of disneyworldmoms.com in January 2008, the current 12-person panel has responded to questions covering just about anything from how to sign up for a character dining experience to what items are allowed in the parks. In exchange for serving up their Disney expertise online in 2009, the expanded, 16-person panel will each receive a 5-night, 6-day vacation at Walt Disney World Resort for four people.

“One of the most rewarding aspects of being on the Walt Disney World Moms Panel has been the opportunity to use my travel experiences in ways that help other families plan the most magical vacations ever,” said Darcie Maranich, a panelist and mother of four from Vail, Ariz. “I encourage anyone who has valuable pointers for vacation planning to apply – for me, it is a dream come true being a part of the Moms Panel, and I look forward to the information the next round of panelists will share.”

About the Walt Disney World Moms Panel
Launched in January 2008, the Walt Disney World Moms Panel is an online forum where guests can get insider tips and insights for vacationing at Walt Disney World Resort from real moms who have mastered the art of planning a Walt Disney World vacation. The 2008 Walt Disney World Moms Panel consists of 12 real parents selected to share their vast knowledge of the resort and personal secrets of success with other families who are considering a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Guests can pose questions and have them answered by the panelists, as well as gain access to other valuable park insights and vacation planning tools – including a new online “How-To” video series featuring homemade videos from the panelists sharing their favorite Disney vacation tips. For more information, visit disneyworldmoms.com.

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MOMSPANELSEARCH2009/8-22-08:mb

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'Hope this helps you prepare! Good luck to all!

Side Note: I still can't post links to web sites, so I had to tamper with the press release a little to remove all of the embedded hyperlinks... 'Just add the three "w"s in front of any of the web sites mentioned in the announcement! (Hmmm.... Maybe I should simply scramble to meet my 10-post minimum already!?! )

[ghasty]

Thanx...I'm ready for 10am

[CdnMommy]

Good luck everyone!

[BamaJenn]

I posted a reminder for myself to submit my app and then realized the site is blocked for me here at work. That's insanely disappointing.

[ghasty]

Posted my "mom" essays and wife (real mom) is doing hers. Good luck folks...

[MouseTunesMissy]

Good luck everyone! I just posted my essays. That was highly exciting. The echo back from the site says they received my application, so I guess that means I made it into those 20,000 applicants.

I missed it last year and have been waiting all year for this.

Good luck to everyone!

[BamaJenn]

I guess because I had to work I'm gonna miss out. I have a feeling there's no way that by tomorrow I'll make it in. That really stinks. I hate this place.

[DISgeeksfromDC]

I guess because I had to work I'm gonna miss out. I have a feeling there's no way that by tomorrow I'll make it in. That really stinks. I hate this place.

I wouldn't give up just yet! Several people on another board I frequent are predicting that the contest won't reach capacity until Wednesday. (Of course, that's just a guess...) Still, 20,000 applicants is a lot of people!

Sending a little pixie dust your way!

[DISgeeksfromDC]

I guess because I had to work I'm gonna miss out. I have a feeling there's no way that by tomorrow I'll make it in. That really stinks. I hate this place.

So, how did it go? Were you finally able to apply?

[BamaJenn]

First let me apologize for the way I put that. I tried to get back in to edit out the end of that post but DWT went down almost immediately after.

The good news is, I did get to apply! The bad news is, it was in a rush last night as my son was taking a bath and I'm not sure it was everything it could've been. LOL!

[Mary jo]

I got mine in on time. Not that I expect anything to come from it (with 20,000 other applicants), but has anyone heard what the second round questions were last year?

[BamaJenn]

So I'm going to take a wild guess that if you were chosen to go to the second round, you'd know by now right?