It's been quite a few years since I last attended the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration, so I was pleasantly surprised to see an invitation in my inbox late last year. My kids weren't able to get away from school and activities, so I made the difficult decision to make the trip without them. While it was a little tough to be away from them for so long, I learned so many great things on the trip – and enjoyed a little bit of down time. Here's some of what I did and learned on the trip. All of my specific reviews will be on my family travel site Family Travel Magazine – I'll post links to them here as I have them.
Note: I paid a nominal fee to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration
I was looking forward to attending the celebration, and was especially was excited when American Tourister sent me a piece of Star Wars luggage. Since I was traveling alone, I wasn't able to use it, but brought it on my next adventure (a staycation away in Boston). On my departure day, I happily headed to the airport in stormy weather, and escaped the winter for the Florida sunshine.
Arrival Day
My flight arrived a few minutes late due to deicing (you've got to love winter in Boston!), and I quickly headed to the Magical Express. After a quick ride to the Walt Disney World Resort, I arrived at my hotel for the next two nights – Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort. I didn't have much time to check in to the resort and conference, and configure my devices (for WiFi aboard the cruise ship) before our official conference started. But, I was able to do that, and also got to see some brand-new products from Hanes. I was able select some of my favorite items for my family, and they will be shipped directly to my home.
Animal Kingdom at Night
Our first evening was spent at Disney's Animal Kingdom. After a reception in the new Festival of the Lion King theater, we were treated to a buffet dinner. Then, we walked over see get a preview of the brand-new Rivers of Light show. (you can read my review of Rivers of Light, and see my video, on FTM). The evening ended with a viewing of the new Tree of Life awakening. It's a great way to cap off a full day at Animal Kingdom.
Epcot Visit
The next morning, attendees woke up early to catch a bus to Epcot. We started our morning by viewing the new Soarin' Over the World attraction. While I was a huge fan of the original Soarin' Over California (and miss it for the nostalgia), I do love the new iteration.
Then we headed over to the World Showcase for breakfast and a sponsor showcase. I had the opportunity to view some new products in honor of the movie Beauty and the Beast, including home products and jewelry from HSN, teas from Twinings, and cosmetics from Neutrogena.
Disney Springs
After the showcase, attendees had the opportunity to either explore the parks with their families, or participate in a shopping challenge at Disney Springs. Since I was traveling solo, I decided to do the challenge. We received a gift card, and were able to choose from three different shopping categories. I decided to do the Disney Bounding challenge, and put together a look that honored Belle's Provincial dress. Here's what I purchased.
For the #disneyspringschallenge at #disneysmmc , I wanted to put together a provincial Belle inspired outfit that could be worn in the parks. I got Vince Camuto shoes (on sale), Lucky white jeans, an Anthropology top, and a Mickey Head necklace with a red heart at World of Disney. Everything purchased at Disney Springs! #paid
A post shared by Mom's Favorite Stuff (@momsfavestuff) on
Feb 8, 2017 at 2:21pm PST
Hollywood Studios
Our evening event was held at Disney's Hollywood Studios. We were treated to a pizza buffet, courtesy of Alamo, at the new PizzeRizzo (in honor of the rat from the Muppets). It's a nice big restaurant – great for hungry families who are visiting Hollywood Studios.
After dinner, we walked over to see Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular. I hadn't see this show before, and now it's definitely my favorite in the parks. It features Star Wars music and images, lasers, and fireworks. I'll have a video up on Facebook soon, and will link to it.
DisneyNature's Born in China
After packing up my room for the second part of the celebration, I took a bus over to the AMC Theaters in Disney Springs. There, we were treated to a preview of DisneyNature's Born in China. This documentary was absolutely beautiful. After the show, we had a Q&A with producer Roy Conli. It was fascinating to learn about how different the process is to film a nature film. Instead of starting with the story, they need to gather the footage and see what stories evolve. It took months in the field to even see a snow leopard, so showing that story was especially challenging.
Disney Social Media Moms Celebration on the Disney Wonder
From Disney Springs, we took a bus directly to Port Canaveral to board the Disney Wonder. After checking in, I boarded the ship and went to lunch at Animator's Palate. Then, we went to D Lounge to learn about some of the new things on the Wonder, and with Disney Cruise Line in general. Our speaker was Christiaan Abbott, who was always my favorite cruise director (he's now the Director of Entertainment Operations and Creative for Disney Cruise Line).
And, there was champagne.
The rest of the day included our mandatory drill, unpacking, and dinner at the brand-new Tiana's. It's a great addition to the Disney Cruise Line – the food is great, and the entertainment is so fun.
Good Morning America
We learned that Good Morning America's Ginger Zee was on board the ship, and would be filming on Friday morning. We were invited to get up early and be in the background for the segment. It so fun to be a small part of the filming.
Conference Day
Immediately following the filming, we headed to the theater for our conference day. During the day, we had the opportunity to hear from many great speakers, including film directors, social media experts, and Disney executives.
We also got to see a quick 8-minute clip of the new Beauty and the Beast. If the preview we got is any indication, this film is going to be amazing. We can't wait to see it.
Being on a ship solo is definitely interesting. I was able to get so much great content for my travel blog, and read a few books. During dinners, I was lucky to be seated with another solo Disney Social Media Moms Celebration attendee – Jen from 100 Directions, which worked about perfectly!
I also spend a LOT of time at the adult-only Cove Cafe, which sells premium coffees.
Castaway Cay
We had a completely free day on our last full day of the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration – perfect timing, because it was our Castaway Cay day. I grabbed my Kindle and headed out to Serenity Bay, the adult-only beach. I found a great seat in the shade, and read my book with a gorgeous view of the Caribbean. After lunch, I decided to go back to the ship to watch the early showing of the brand-new Frozen show on the ship. It was absolutely amazing – and worth a trip on the Wonder to see.
On Sunday, I woke up, had breakfast, and left the ship to head back to the cold winter in New England. Now, I'm looking forward to my next Disney Cruise – currently scheduled for November.
The post An Overview of the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration #disneysmmc appeared first on Mom's Favorite Stuff.