September usually means one thing-back to school-unless you’re one of the thousands of people getting ready to apply for one of the coveted spots on the Disney Parks Moms Panel! This year, the search officially begins at noon on September 6th, 2017 and remains open for one week! Check out the application process at https://disneyparksmomspanel.disney.go.com
Started back in 2007, the Disney Parks Moms Panel is actually “an online forum of real parents who have mastered the art of planning a Disney Parks vacation.” Sound like you or someone you know? Then read on to find out ten things you might not have known about the Disney Parks Moms Panel as it celebrates its 10 year anniversary!
1. The Moms Panel isn’t actually made up of only moms!
The current group of panelists has 28 members. While many of them are moms-dads and grandparents are also represented! Any family member “in the know” is encouraged to apply! This diverse group of people not only hail from the US, but from Brazil, Canada…even the UK! This is important as the blog is available in multiple languages worldwide-English, Spanish, Portuguese and French! This busy group of people is required to respond to approximately 10-20 Disney questions per week, while also juggling families and other full-time jobs such as teachers, nurses, stay at home parents, and IT gurus!
2. You do need to be a Disney expert-but not about everything!
The Disney Parks Moms Panel offers five different specialties that prospective panelists can apply for-Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Cruise Line, runDisney and Disney Vacation Club. (If you’re wondering why I didn’t abbreviate some of these to the universally understood abbreviations-see #5!)
In order to apply, you need to have visited the Park of your choice within the last 12 months, or within the last 24 months if you’re applying for DCL or DVC.
When I applied for the first time back in 2014, it was on the heels of three back-to-back family trips. After months of planning and research, I felt more than qualified applying for Walt Disney World! Two years later, I had discovered running and had multiple runDisney challenge weekends under my belt. That year I applied for runDisney (which also fields questions related to ESPN) and made it to the second round!
3. Some people apply every year (and others make it their first time!)
You’ve heard of the phrase, “Faith, trust and pixie dust”, right? It is pretty much the mantra of the faithful Disney diehards who apply year after year. Many women have shared that they have applied from Year One, even if they have never advanced. Others advance some years and not others, with no apparent rhyme or reason. Some have even been finalists-more than once-but have never made the Panel. The truth is-I have no idea how they narrow it down with each applicant so uniquely qualified!
What keeps them (me!) coming back is not only their passion for Disney, but the camaraderie that comes from finding your people! And if someone chooses not to apply, it’s usually not because they are discouraged. (Though rejection is tough!) It often is a result of being ineligible that year, either because they didn’t have a qualifying trip or they found a job helping people access Disney a different way-as a travel agent!
Sometimes, though, the Force is With You! My friend Lindsey Morris, who represents runDisney this year, was accepted into the panel her very first try. Who says dreams don’t come true???
4. You don’t need a big social media presence, but it doesn’t hurt!
The first year I applied, I have to admit I felt a little out of my league. So many seemed more media-savvy than me, with only my Facebook account. Blogs, Instagram, podcasts…it was overwhelming. I just reminded myself that good writing is good writing, and applied anyway. (I’ve since found out that there have been prior finalists that have never had as much as a Facebook account!!)
Then I was invited to blog for Neverland Press. To increase our exposure, I taught myself how to Instagram, and cultivated a Disney-specific following. This increased our audience, and put me in touch with tons of like-minded Disney people, but didn’t exactly increase my chances of being chosen for the Disney Parks Moms Panel.
What actually helped? I also joined two very active Facebook pages devoted to the Disney Parks Moms Panel search-Disney Parks Moms Panel Hopefuls! and Amazing Adventures of the Disney Parks Moms Panel Search! Both are filled with awesome women (and men!) who chEAR each other on every step of the way! Besides sharing tips and insights, they also are willing to share their responses and videos (if you’re lucky enough to make it that far!) once each round closes. I strongly recommend these groups…the support and pixie dust is unlike anything I’ve ever seen, and friendships have flourished both online and in real life as a result!
5. You do need to be a stickler for grammar and proper nomenclature.
If your responses are going to be read by potentially thousands of people, they need to be grammatically correct! This goes beyond the proper use of your/you’re and its/it’s! Obviously, it goes without saying that proper spelling, punctuation and verb tense is a must…but what is this “proper nomenclature” business?
Nomenclature refers to the correct, full name of Disney’s various resorts, attractions and Parks. Rebranding happens often…so don’t make the mistake of referring to Disney Springs by its previous name of Downtown Disney! Likewise, it might always be MGM to you, but it’s been Disney’s Hollywood Studios now for years! You may have met friends for drinks at the Poly before riding Big Thunder, but your application will most likely be dismissed if you don’t use Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort and Big Thunder Mountain Railroad correctly! LOL! “Cinderella’s Castle” is another common mistake…many don’t realize the correct name does not include the apostrophe-it is simply Cinderella Castle!
This actually creates an additional challenge for applicants. Using proper nomenclature shows that you really know your stuff, BUT it also takes up valuable word count space! You see, responses are typically limited to just 100 words, so if you have to write out Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party multiple times instead of using the acronym MVMCP, you can see just how carefully you have to choose your remaining words! Panelists have to write with brevity without compromising their content-not an easy task! (I remember taking a lot of pride in the fact that I used exactly all 100 of my allotted words for each response! LOL!)
6. The application process has multiple rounds.
Applying to be a finalist for the Disney Parks Moms Panel is not a one and done. There are multiple rounds, and it varies from year to year! Last year the first round took place online. Each applicant had one week to submit answers to five questions, each with a 100 word limit. The first question was a general one about family, but the remaining questions were related to the specialty area you chose. (Mine were about runDisney-I was literally giddy answering them!)
On October 3rd, just a few weeks after Round 1 closed, prospective finalists found out if they made it to the next round-cue chEARing, weeping, clapping, consoling. All the feels. Emotions ran high, but the overall takeaway was support. If you didn’t advance-you started rooting for those who did.
I was lucky enough to advance-my first time in Round 2! This round would also be open another week, but this time there was more to do! In addition to another five questions about your specialty with the same 100 word limit, you were given a sample question to answer as if you already were on the Moms Panel! (Same 100 word limit though-being concise is a skill you really need to rely on!) AND…you needed to supply your phone number…you know…just in case they select YOU for a phone interview in Round 3!!! Eeeek!
But what really strikes fear in the hearts of these Disney dreamers is the dreaded video component! Prospective panelists have to answer a final question-in a 60 second video! It’s both a fun and terrifying experience…trying to be yourself and answer the question (without bloopers!) while juggling the technology and time constraints! I must have done 20 takes (all wearing my runDisney ears, of course!) before I had something I was willing to submit! Though I did not advance, I learned a lot from the experience and am already brainstorming ideas for this year’s video!
7. It’s a numbers game! Shhhh!!!
This is the fun part. Much of this is speculation and I make no claims that the information in this section is accurate! LOL! The truth is-Disney has been very hush hush regarding hard data regarding the Panel Search. And guess what? Our past and current Panelists aren’t dishing, either!!
So…let’s talk total number of applicants. On a given year, people have speculated that anywhere between 10,000-25,000 people apply for the Moms Panel. Wow!!! 20,000 is the number that comes up most often, and if that’s in the ballpark, then no wonder it makes the speculated 250-500 people who make it to Round 2 feel like they have achieved a huge accomplishment! Even my congratulatory email read, “The field has narrowed significantly and your achievement is definitely something to celebrate!” I know I certainly did!
There is also no set number for each new “class”. Some years the Disney Parks Mom Panel welcomes as few as ten new members, other years they have welcomed as many as 22! In addition, some panelists are invited to stay on a second year, so the newbies get to benefit from their veteran counterparts! This past year, the twelve new members of the “Class of 2017” joined the returning 16 for a total of 28 panelists.
8. Training takes place at Walt Disney World!
One of the criteria for applying is availability for the posted training dates, which this year are listed as November 29th-December 3rd. And guess what? The training takes place on property at Walt Disney World!
Judging from the Instagram and Facebook posts, as well as blogs and youtube videos, their indoctrination is nothing short of magical! In addition to class time, the Disney Parks Moms Panel hit all the Parks-rides, fireworks, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Tiffins, Night of Joy-all the bells and whistles! Whistle while you work, indeed…!
9. You do get compensated…but it may not be with money!
As if five days of training onsite isn’t enough, Disney Parks Moms Panelists are also promised a Disney trip or park tickets for them and up to three family members! While the “fine print” is vague (…a trip to a Disney Destination!) what is most interesting is what isn’t said! Can panelists choose Walt Disney World or Disneyland? How long is their stay? What level accommodations are they offered? If you serve for more than a year, do you earn two trips? Why do some people appear to only earn park tickets when others earn trips? We may never know the answers to these questions…unless we become panelists ourselves! 😉
Any other pixie-dusted perks? Heck, yeah! Back in June, the new panelists went on a Familiarization trip to see what was new for Summer 2017! (Can you say Pandora-The World of Avatar?) How amazing would that be to ride Avatar Flights of Passage with a dozen of your closest friends?? I can only imagine what other perks, swag or special experiences they may be entitled to, but none more important than being part of the Disney family and helping others plan their magical trips!
10. You will have a once in a lifetime experience you will never forget!
As fellow Disney lovers, I don’t think you need to be a Disney Parks Moms Panelist to grasp what a once in a lifetime opportunity this would be! So clear your schedule for September 6th, study your nomenclature and get ready to share your Disney joy and expertise with the world! (In 100 words or less!)
Jacqueline lives in Southbury, CT with her husband, two children and cat, Rocky Road. She is excited to run the Dark Side Challenge with her family this April, and definitely plans to once again apply to the Disney Parks Moms Panel.
