What a Ride! The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2015

Even though the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration (#DisneySMMC) was  a week ago, and I know I have not fully processed all of the incredible moments, my bucket is overflowing and full of gems that I cannot wait to share. You see, when I received the invite, I made a promise to myself to go ALL IN. I feel like these are just the cliff notes, but I plan to share my thoughts, experiences, and make that invitation count.

Realizing how lucky I am to be included in this group of bloggers and social influencers, I decided way before I stepped foot into Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts that I would participate in every opportunity and open myself up to the entire experience. In doing so, I found my takeaways, my personal little jewels that made this experience so meaningful. Always one to play it so very cool (not), you can also watch me scream my head off during a ride-mount filming on the Aerosmith Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster!

Find your drive. I love engaging in social media and have a desire to use it in a positive way. But beyond desire, I also rediscovered my drive to get outside of my comfort box. In a sense, unboxing myself and stepping outside opens up an entire world of opportunity. Whatever your gig is, do it well and stay 100 percent true to your authentic self. 

Don’t hide curiosity. Asking questions is often how I can disseminate information. But to be in a room with more experienced attendees and not know anyone? Turns out by day two, I realized that every attendee had personal goals on various levels that they’d like to achieve just like me. Nobody seemed to mind my questions and actually, I felt supported and encouraged. Letting curiosity lead, it was very easy to strike up conversations and learn from everyone.

Enjoy the ride but take notes. I told myself that being surrounded by such an incredible group of people…in my happy place…with my family…meant that I needed to challenge myself in every way. As a blogger, it had to serve as a boost to expand my knowledge base and explore using video (as you’ll see below)! You’ll get back what you put in but you have to be willing to try.

This also meant taking advantage of all opportunities that were presented and enjoying them! The perfect chance came along when the awesome team at Disney offered us a chance to be filmed while riding an attraction. Going all carpe diem with this, I got on a bus to Disney’s Hollywood Studios bright and early, pretending to be all ready to ride the Aerosmith Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster. 0-60mph in just over 2 seconds with a couple of inversions at 7am while being filmed makes perfect sense for someone terrified of roller coasters. I mean really, perhaps I took going ALL IN a little too far?! Well, as it turns out, the ride mount filming became the most memorable part of the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration for me and captured what it was all about. Thanks to Patty Holliday of No Guilt Life for being my ride sponsor and taking me under her wings! Seriously, she projects this positive, upbeat, supportive vibe that projects the essence of this entire experience. See for yourself...

I want to thank the incredible Disney Parks Social Media and Special Events Teams for their efforts in organizing an amazing event for attendees and our families, as well as for the support in recognizing the power of moms in social media.

I’ll be sharing more images, thoughts about the speakers, and highlights in posts coming soon!

I was invited to attend the 2015 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. As an attendee, various tickets, accommodations, and other associated goodies were provided for myself and my family as part of the events in exchange for a small conference fee. All opinions are my own. I was not asked to write anything – but I do love to share. 🙂