This is the second time that I have attended the Disney Social Media Moms celebration and just like the first time, it was fantastic.  It was more than fantastic.

It was INSPIRATIONAL.

Our first event took place at Disney’s Wedding Pavilion where we learned about Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons Platinum Soiree.  We were greeted with champagne, just like at a wedding cocktail reception.  Currently many brides are having a candy bar at their reception, so Disney laid out a candy bar for us to enjoy.  Champagne and candy?  That’s my kind of wedding!

Previously I had only seen the wedding pavilion from the monorail, but it is gorgeous.  I was surprised to see that the inside looked like a chapel, complete with pews.  The glass windows framed the lush gardens and Cinderella’s castle in the distance.

Photo courtesy of Disney Media

We even saw a real wedding, a renewal of vows by a couple who had gotten married at Disney World.  The ceremony concluded with fireworks, confetti and the happy couple being whisked away in Cinderella’s carriage.  How about this mode of transportation to make any bride feel like a princess?

Photo courtesy of Disney Media

Disney World is really romantic.  Although my husband and I didn’t get married there, we celebrated our engagement at Disneyland and we are INSPIRED to renewal our vows soon, perhaps at Disney World.  We already have the ears!

Photo by Christie Crowder using Instagram

The next day we listened to fantastic speakers like Chris Brogan, a social media author and consultant, and  Matt Jacobson, Head of Market Development for Facebook.  Chris spoke at the Social Media Moms Celebration last year, so he knew that it was a savvy crowd, but I think Matt Jacobson was a little surprised by the depth and breadth of the attendees’ questions.  We are social media mavens, Matt, we know what’s up.

Susan Egan and Georgia Stitt entertained us with stellar music and song.  The crowd couldn’t resist singing along with Susan (the voice of Meg) when she sang a few tunes from Hercules.  When they weren’t entertaining us, Susan and Georgia spoke about how they balanced motherhood and their careers.

The most INSPIRATIONAL speaker of the day was Rene Syler,  journalist, author and former co-host of CBS News The Early Show.  She blogs at Good Enough Mother.  Wow, I can’t even begin to tell her story like she did, but in a short amount of time she had a double mastectomy and lost her job at CBS.   During those years she learned so much about herself and just how strong she really was.  Now she is inspiring other women to reinvent themselves and begin their life anew–it’s never too late.   She was funny, authentic and engaging; our crowd gave her a standing ovation.

The last event of the weekend was centered around Disney’s Magic of Healthy Living initiative.  Perhaps you have seen First Lady Michelle Obama in this campaign?  My daughter thinks it is so cool that the First Lady is on the Disney Channel!

Photo courtesy of Disney Media

In October 2010 Disney launched Magic of Healthy Living — an initiative designed to partner with parents and inspire kids to choose healthy lifestyles, feel great, and live life to the fullest. Disney Magic of Healthy Living leverages Disney’s unique ability to reach kids and families with entertaining media, useful tools, and engaging experiences that reinforce parents ‘efforts, inspire kids, and make healthy change simple and fun! The program builds on nutritional guidelines Disney introduced in 2006 associating Disney brands and characters with a more nutritionally balanced range of foods. To start discovering the Magic of Healthy Living, please visit: www.disney.com/healthyfun (for kids) or family.com/healthymagic (for parents or caregivers).  –courtesy of Disney Media.

At the Magic of Healthy Living dinner several Disney Channel stars were present, including Jennifer Stone from Wizards of Waverly Place; that is one of my daughter’s favorite shows, so she was pretty excited about that.

Photo courtesy of Disney Media

I was excited to see Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters dance to hip hop!  What?!  Mickey was keeping it old school–cabbage patching and breakdancing.  That was funny!   Along with our entertainment, we had a healthy and INSPIRATIONAL dinner, followed by a healthy dessert buffet while we watched Illuminations at Epcot’s World Showcase.   Some family members were grumbling about the lack of hamburgers and decadent desserts that they normally enjoy during a Disney vacation (my husband: “I can eat like this at home”), but I loved dinner.  It’s how I eat every day and after a few days of eating out of my norm, my body starts to rebel.  It was nice to see the healthy options that are part of Disney’s menu.  I was very impressed that the greens were grown in The Land pavilion right there at Epcot.

It was an inspirational weekend, full of knowledge and fun.  I didn’t expect anything less; a trip to Disney World–either for fun or business (or in this case, both)–is always a first class experience.

Here are a few favorite photos from the weekend:

Dessert at one of the dinner events.

Watching Magic Kingdom Wishes fireworks from my hotel balcony.

(photo taken using an Instagram filter)

My family at Magic Kingdom.

Me & Pooh Bear at Crystal Palace breakfast.

We never leave Magic Kingdom without eating a Dole Whip!

(photo taken using an Instagram filter)

Oooo, but I’m not done!  Check back soon for a FANTASTIC give-away! You don’t want to miss this!

*Full Disclosure: I was an attendee at Disney’s Social Media Moms Celebration.  While I paid for myself and my family to attend this event, it was at a greatly reduced rate.  The event included a hotel room, some meals, park passes and special events. As usual, all opinions expressed are mine alone.

© 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

My family and I love to eat.  In the spirit of the Food Network show by the same name, we’re going to share the best thing we ever ate and hope that you will tell us your favorites too.

This is my last post about my latest Disney Media Trip.   I’ve written about Summer Nightastic, posted a video of Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade, interviewed the Green Army Men from Toy Story 3 and showed you how I dressed for both work and play at Disney World.   As you can see from my blog posts, my weekend was pretty amazing; Disney always makes sure that the media trips are full of magical touches.  And we eat good on media trips with catered dinners and dessert buffets.  It’s delicious, beautifully presented and there’s an open bar.  We always love these dinners.

But still my family cannot leave Disney World without having the best Disney treat we ever ate: Dole Whip.   There’s a debate among Dole Whip fans (there are legions of them out there!) if the treat is best in it’s purest form–just the ice cream–or as a float with pineapple juice.  My family votes for the float.  I’m telling you, there is nothing more refreshing on a hot day than a Dole Whip!  Somehow we always seem to get ours right before the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party; we sit on the benches leading out of Adventureland and watch the people move it and shake it.  Or watch the ducks(sometimes a better option).

Doesn’t that make your mouth water?

*Dole Whip fans, what’s your vote: ice cream only or float?

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

Alas, I can not take credit for “gets their glow on”…that is a phrase that I heard the Disney people use all weekend but it’s an accurate one.  Disney World has put some special things in place only for the summer nights; everything is glowing and sparkly and full of pixie dust.

My family and I got our glow on last weekend at Disney World.   I was invited by Disney to attend the media events surrounding Summer Nightastic and I was able to bring my family as well.  As you know, my family never passes up an opportunity to go to Disney World!

Summer Nightastic includes several special events throughout the parks:

• The return of Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade to Magic Kingdom.  A staple at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, the parade returns to Disney World Resort for the first time since 2001.

• An elaborate new Summer Nightastic Fireworks Spectacular that tells the story of pirates and fairies.

• New special effects and summer-only drop sequence to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

• Rock n’ Glow Dance Party at Disney’s Hollywood Studios where a DJ and live rock band keeps the guests dancing five nights a week.

• Live Sounds Like Summer tribute-band concerts at Epcot.

My family and I had a fantastic time!  We love Disney World and got to experience many of our resort favorites (especially with a media fast pass in our hands!) as well as some new things that we’ve never done before.  That’s why Disney World is such a fun place to visit again and again–it’s never the same vacation twice.

As media, not only did I get to experience Summer Nightastic in the theme parks like the other guests, I also had the privilege of interviewing some of the Disney people responsible for making the magic happen. (more…)

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I was invited to attend Disney’s first ever Social Media Moms Celebration in February of 2010 and since I love Disney, I jumped at the chance.  If you’ve been reading my blog within the last month, you have seen this badge proudly displayed:

Since our families were invited to join us at the Social Media Moms Celebration as well, I took my kids out of school for three days.  That was quite a hard decision for me, but besides our normal fun at Disney World, I knew that my family would experience special Disney magic on this trip and I didn’t want them to miss it.  Because my mother joined us on the trip as well, my husband was able to be an attendee like me and go to all the conference events; I was happy to share this with him and glad that he could join me.  There’s so much to tell about this fantastic event that you might have to read this blog post in stages, but do read it all because it’s an event worth hearing about.

The Social Media Moms (and Dads)

Quite awhile before the event at Disney World tweets were flying with the hashtag #DisneySMMoms and all the attendees were connecting via Twitter about what to wear, what to bring, and just general excitement about the event.   This is when I absolutely love Twitter because I “met” people that I hadn’t previously been following and developed a rapport even before we met in person.  Indeed most people knew each other’s Twitter name instead of real names and upon meeting each other it would go something like this: “Hi, I’m Sherrelle.”   I would get a pleasant smile and handshake.  Then I would say, “I’m Funkidivagirl on Twitter” and the smile would turn into a big grin and the handshake into a hug because we would realize that we “know” each other already.    A Facebook page was created with multiple discussion panels and one dad even created a Ning site for the dads to meet.  Yes, this was a social media event alright!   While at Disney World it was fun being with old friends that I know in real life or have met previously at other conferences while also meeting new friends.  There was never a dull moment or lack of somebody to talk to; everyone was friendly and engaging.  My husband, one of the few male attendees, remarked that at a predominately male conference there would never be so much chatter on an early morning bus to breakfast.  Hey, we talk a lot online and it doesn’t stop in person!

The Hotel

Our conference fee included three nights at the Polynesian resort and I was very excited because I had never stayed there before.  It is one of the few resorts on the monorail line and that was very convenient for our families to be able to travel around Disney World while we were in the conference sessions or at media events.  The hotel room was HUGE compared to the other resorts that I have stayed in (Animal Kingdom, Saratoga Springs and Riverside) and my family of 5 was very comfortable.  There was plenty of space for our clothes and enough room to lounge about or for my daughter to play.   We had a beach view and if it hadn’t been so cold, it would have been very nice to sit on the balcony.   We were able to watch the water parade from our balcony; my kids loved that.   Since we were there for a specific event (and it was very cold, I have to say that again, I mean freezing), we didn’t get to experience all the hotel amenities like the beach and volcano pool, but I have a feeling that we will return to the Polynesian on another visit. (more…)

© 2010 – 2011, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.

I’ve just gotten back from the first ever Social Media Moms Celebration at Disney World and let me tell you that it was FABULOUS!  I’ll be writing about that later this week, but first I wanted to give you a few tips about planning your own vacation to Disney World—specifically how to save money.

My family has been to Disney World a few times and we plan to return often; it is one of our absolutely favorite vacation spots.  But as anyone who has been there knows, it is not an inexpensive vacation.   Fortunately, a little knowledge and research before your trip can help you save money.   I’ve taken a Disney vacation when money has not been a concern and I’ve been to Disney when I’m literally counting every penny that I spend.  In either case, I try to spend money on “the good stuff” and save money wherever I can.

Don’t pay for water.   Bring in your own water bottle.  This is by far one of the easiest ways to save money at Disney World.   A bottle of water in the parks can cost a few dollars, but if you bring in your own empty bottle and refill it throughout the day, you could save $12-$16 per day just in water alone.   Refilling a water bottle also cuts down on the consumption of soda.   The Florida sun is brutal and you need to keep hydrated, but it shouldn’t cost you money to do that.

Limit snacks.   Pack your own snacks such as pretzels or crackers to stave off hunger or boredom in line, but allow each person one Disney snack a day.   You’re on vacation after all and Disney World does have some fantastic snacks.  My family never leaves Magic Kingdom without having a Dole Whip.

In another park it might be the Mickey-shaped ice cream bar.  Epcot’s World Showcase is a great place to have a churro from Mexico, crepe from France or red bean ice cream from China and we always make sure to get a mango pie at Animal Kingdom.  We enjoy Disney snacks, but each person is only allowed one special snack per day.   By limiting my family to only one purchased snack a day, we can save $20 per day.  This tip not only saves us money, but it is healthier for our bodies as well.

Eat breakfast in your hotel room.   My family does take advantage of a few Disney breakfast buffets or character meals during our vacation, but most of our breakfast is consumed in the hotel room.  Either I bring food from home (we drive to Disney World) or go to the grocery store when we arrive.  Most Disney hotel rooms have a small refrigerator big enough for yogurt, juice and milk.  Add some cold cereal, fruit and bagels or muffins and that’s a complete breakfast.   Breakfast groceries for a week would cost about $50, while eating breakfast out every morning would be $200 or more for the week–and that’s just a quick counter meal breakfast.   A character breakfast or buffet costs my family $70 per meal, not including tax or tip.   Eating breakfast in our hotel room saves my family tons of money, but it also saves us time because we can eat and get dressed in shifts; we like getting to the parks early to beat the lines and heat.

Share a meal.   Disney World serves huge portions, especially at the table restaurants, so if you aren’t on the Dining Plan, share a meal.  Most of the time the meals are too much food for one person to eat anyway.  By sharing a meal, even just one meal a day, my family can save $175 over the course of a week’s vacation.

Check for special offers.   The official Disney World website is the place to find special offers for Disney World resorts and packages; the button is located on the upper right corner of the home page.  All of Disney’s officially advertised deals are here and depending on the time of the year, there can be some great deals to be had.   Last spring break vacation my family took advantage of the “Buy 4, Get 3 Free” offer and our hotel at Saratoga Springs, the Dining Plan and park tickets for 7 nights cost the same as 4 nights.  This saved us about $1,650.00 and because of the savings we were also able to stay in much nicer hotel than we had on a previous trip.

Let kids use their own money for souvenirs.   My kids often get money from relatives for Christmas and birthday presents, but really have nothing to spend it on at home.  Disney World is the perfect place to spend some Grandma Money.   What parent likes to deny their child–especially at Disney World?  But saying “yes” to every desire can really add up.  Kids are usually better consumers when they spend their own money and really think about their purchases instead of asking for everything that they see.

Buy souvenirs wisely.   Disney World is full of wonderful things to buy and your kids are going to want everything, but you should save your souvenir money for the good stuff.   Anything that you can buy in the mall at the Disney Store or Target back at home, don’t buy it at Disney World.   Instead, take advantage of the special items that only Disney sells.   Personalized mouse ears are always fun to buy.  My daughter loves going to Once Upon A Toy in Downtown Disney to buy new parts for her Mr. Potato.

Many of the gift shops outside of popular attractions have souvenirs related to that attraction.  For instance Tower of Terror has really neat hotel-related souvenirs and the gift shop at Star Tours is a perfect place for Star Wars fans.    Epcot’s World Showcase is a fun place to buy souvenirs from around the world.  My family’s favorite store is in Epcot’s Japan; we love Japanese candy and wind-up toys so this is where we spend our money.  It’s different, fun and not something that we can buy anywhere.

I hope that I’ve given you some tips about saving money on your next vacation to Disney World.  For a more detailed review of my trips to Disney World please read my 3 part series, How To Do Disney World Like Funkidivagirl.  You can read about all my Disney World experiences, including media events that I’ve been invited to, in the catergory T as in Tango: Disney World.   If you have any questions about Disney World, please leave me a comment and I will try to answer.

And come back later this week to read about my FABULOUS time at Disney’s Social Media Moms Celebration!

© 2010, Funkidivagirl.com. All rights reserved. Republished only with permission.