Disney Social Media Moms Seattle Event

During every school break, my Facebook stream is full of friends taking their kids to Disney parks.  I can’t help but be a teeny bit jealous because it really hasn’t been possible for us to do a Disney vacation.  Of course, I know I will eventually make it there with the kiddos, it just might not be as soon as I would like. 

And, then I saw a little blurb on one of my friend’s Facebook feed who was at the Disney Social Media Moms event last year.  It was something to the effect of how you only have 18 summers to take your kids to Disney, and it made me panic a bit.   

Picture taken from DisneyParksBlog.com

My parents took all of us kids to Disneyland when I was 6 months old.  I’m sure it was a blast, but I don’t remember a single thing from the trip.  My husband has a similar story as first his family was waiting for him and his sister to be able to ride on the rides, and then their younger cousins.  Long story short, they never made it to any of the Disney parks.

In 1999, we finally made it to Walt Disney World together, and we still talk about how magical the trip was.  We went on every rollercoaster together, indulged in all the Disney treats and goodies, and spent our evenings at Pleasure Island doing what we could since I was underage at the time. 

Circa 1999 in Disney World. I'm second from the left and hubby is on the right. Those two beautiful girls with us are my sisters.  Aren't we adorable?

But, it’s been 14 years since that Disney trip and I’m very ready to go again, this time with our kiddos. I am so excited to be able to share that magic with the kids and experience it again through their eyes, as well as all the new attractions that have gone in since 1999 {which, apparently, is A LOT}. 

While I can appreciate the idea of waiting until the kids are older and can go on all the rides, I also think there's something really special about a kid growing up Disney.  It's like they say, "there's something for everyone" and I don't want to miss taking them in the stage of awe and wonder just because they might not be able to do every single thing at the parks. 

And, I’m looking forward to it all: pictures with the princesses, the obligatory Mickey/Minnie ears, kid’s rides and grownup coasters and the magic that happens when the sun goes down and the castle comes alive for the evening.  Every. Single. Thing.  I don't want to try and find that magical "perfect age" for Disney parks that you hear so much about and instead want to see it as a great excuse to go as many times as we can while the kids are still under our roof.

Last week I got a chance to get in on the Disney action, albeit briefly, when Disney Social Media Moms came to the Seattle area as part of their Disney on the Road tour and now I’m even more excited to get to the Disney parks… any of them… all of them… or even a Disney cruise.  I'm not picky. 

We got to watch a little video showing all the newest attractions and it reminded me again of how much I really want to plan a Disney vacation soon.  There's so much that has changed in the past 14 years since my husband's and my trip, and now more than ever it really has become the ultimate family destination with activities and entertainment for everyone.  From the Fantasy Faire storybook village that my daughter would be over-the-moon excited about or Cars Land and Buena Vista Street that my son would adore, it's really no wonder that I want to plan my California trip sooner rather than later.

This isn’t the exact video we watched, but it’s an awesome comparison of Magic Kingdom Park and Disneyland Park and it’s a really fun watch.

 

Admit it: you want to get to Disney now, don’t you?

Louise {@MomStart}, me, and Leslie {Today's Every Mom}

In addition to re-igniting the spark to go to Disney, we also had the pleasure of hearing from an amazing array of guest speakers, including the fabulous Mindee Doney {@JuiceBoxIdea}, our keynote speaker.  You may have heard of Mindee Doney in connection to Boogie Wipes, which we reviewed on this site back in 2009, but that’s not what she was there to talk to us about.  Instead, she wanted to have a frank discussion on why moms shouldn’t let themselves get so depleted that they are running on fumes.

I was running on coffee and Twitter hype that day.  Were you following along at #DisneySMMoms?

Focusing on work/life balance, avoiding “mom guilt”, knowing when to “unplug”, and ways to take care of yourself while caring for our family, Mindee’s talk was really refreshing.  I love that she didn’t just share the highlight reels of her last few years, she bared all and told the good, the bad, and the embarrassing.  For us bloggers who are living a life that is in the public eye and running our own businesses, Mindee’s story was all the more pertinent. 

Ever since becoming a mom I have struggled with the delicate balance of work and family life and her talk definitely hit home for me.  Mindee said the following during the conference that really resonated with me and I know it did for many of you, too, based on the reaction I got on my social media channels:

Such an interesting concept of "juggling pockets of time", especially when those pockets of time can be unpredictable with small children.  We all have the same amount of time in a day, and it's really up to you to evaluate how you choose to spend those pockets of time.  For me, I try and spend as much time as possible with my kids, which meant giving up a corporate job with predictable salaries and health benefits in favor of blazing my own road from home. 

It certainly wasn't the easiest decision as it meant giving up quite a few luxuries and extra spending cash, but I know it was right for me and my family.  Hearing all these women I love and respect at the conference talk about their personal struggles with this very issue made me realize that this isn't my unique struggle, nor is there any "right" way to do things, it's always going to be an evolving process in which I figure out what works best for me and my family. 

And, speaking of those I love and respect, no Seattle event is complete without my favorite local bloggers, and the Disney Social Media Moms conference in Seattle was no exception.  I got to reconnect with bloggers like Cristi {@MotherhoodUnadorned} and Kerri {@_themaven} who were my tablemates for the day as well as Marie {@MakeAndTakes} and Heather {@ScoutsHonor}.

The map above is from the new "Mickey and the Magical Map" live stage show at the Fantasyland Theatre in Disneyland Park.  So, of course, we needed a Vanna White picture in front of it.  Obviously.

Want to find out more about what Disney has in store for the next few months as you plan your Disney trips?  Check out DisneyParksBlog.com, follow @WaltDisneyWorld and @DisneyParks on Twitter and follow Walt Disney World on Facebook

A big thank you to Disney for inviting me to be part of their Social Media Moms team for the day.  No compensation was received in exchange for this post and all opinions are 100% ours.