First, please let me preface this message by stating again how excited I am for those in Round 2, and that I sincerely wish you the very best of luck. I am keeping my fingers crossed for you all!!
I wanted to comment a bit on some of the ideas I've read regarding FB, Twitter, blogging and the rest..... This is in no way meant as an attack, but rather to give a little different perspective.
I think it would be easy to assume that there is some unofficial requirement for experience in the social media arts, but I would caution against making that assumption. It is true that several high volume bloggers and active Twitter-ers (heh) have moved on, but I think that we are probably influenced by the fact that we naturally hear from those posters more often, anyway. It is probably just as likely that there are other trends in the qualifications that we don't see - there may be a high number of people with broadcasting experience, or former cast-members, or people who name their kids after Disney characters, or people with Disney tattoos......you get the idea. We just don't know what the entire population has in common, other than the love for Disney, of course.
I would expect a high number of bloggers to make it through because they have experience communicating in this medium. They have effectively communicated their love of Disney in just 100 words - an amazing feat!
I am sure that Laura and Leanne and all the rest reading the applications have agonized over their choices just as much as we have. I hope that it has not been too stressful for them, and that they continue this again next year, because I think this may be the only way a gal like me - middle-America mom - has a chance at a role like this. I believe they have necessarily left the questions broad to illicit all kinds of responses, and to allow creativity. I think it does them a disservice to assume they were in any way influenced by tweets, blogs, or FB postings, or by having an underlying prejudice towards bloggers. Remember, in most cases the Twitterers are following them, not the other way round.
I personally have taken a hard look at my submission, and can now see the flaws. Although I am passionate about Disney, I did not communicate it well. They don't know and can't interpret my back story from my words. It just didn't "pop".
The lucky 200 obviously had better luck.
I guess you can tell where I am in the acceptance process.
I am really glad to have had the experience, and am really grateful so many people have stepped up to tell their stories and share their journeys.
Good luck to all!
(( )
Hello, everyone! I know I'm a little late to the party....
but I just found my "CONGRATULATIONS...You're on to Round 2!" email in my inbox late last night! Holy Crow! It took a moment more to register that I had exactly 24 hours to submit my Part 2 answers! 
