Adventures of the "Moms" Panel

[abasmom]

PartyOf5: Not TMI! It is wonderful!

I am also working from home, and it helps to know that I am not the only one obsessing!

Missy

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

OK, here is my confession - don't laugh. In addition to the Disney attire (I have two special Disney shirts that are as old as dirt), I am sitting in my office with three computers: 1) work; 2) home computer - with this thread open at all times with a separate tab with my main email address; 3) home laptop with my alternate email up (where my Disney email will end up). While working from home, I can hear a beep as emails arrive and take a quick glance either way to see if I need to get excited. I feel like I'm manning an airliner cockpit but it seems to work!

But that's not all. I also have my shrine in place. It contains all moms panel emails from this year and last, I printed off some color logos, my consolation gift from last year, my Mickey Moms stuff, a candle, etc. I add to it as appropriate. For example, when Kim and Laura mentioned the phrase 'Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust', I printed it out in a beautiful, colorful font.

And of course I do a lot of quirky little things...like my password for work (which I use at least 100 times a day!) contains 'Moms Panel' within.

Boy, maybe this was TMI!!!

Hey, Diane: You certainly have your bases covered!

 

[PolynesianPixie]

OK, here is my confession - don't laugh. In addition to the Disney attire (I have two special Disney shirts that are as old as dirt), I am sitting in my office with three computers: 1) work; 2) home computer - with this thread open at all times with a separate tab with my main email address; 3) home laptop with my alternate email up (where my Disney email will end up). While working from home, I can hear a beep as emails arrive and take a quick glance either way to see if I need to get excited. I feel like I'm manning an airliner cockpit but it seems to work!

But that's not all. I also have my shrine in place. It contains all moms panel emails from this year and last, I printed off some color logos, my consolation gift from last year, my Mickey Moms stuff, a candle, etc. I add to it as appropriate. For example, when Kim and Laura mentioned the phrase 'Faith, Trust and Pixie Dust', I printed it out in a beautiful, colorful font.

And of course I do a lot of quirky little things...like my password for work (which I use at least 100 times a day!) contains 'Moms Panel' within.

Boy, maybe this was TMI!!!

I love it! Plus, it's kind of nice to know I'm not the only one who's......um......superstitious!!!


I did get my "consolation" email with the invite to the Mom's Club today (well, it arrived yesterday....but I found it today). I must say, it was done in true Disney style and gracious as ever. Despite that I realize it could not have been personally written to me and only me, it had the intimate feeling of a well thought out response. I really appreciated it, and immediately dove into the club website!

Congrats to those who've made it this far! I'm on pins and needles for you!!!

Also, Laura...WOW!!!!! That video gave me goosebumps AND made me cry!!!!! Amazing! You're living the dream, girl!

 

[magic2go]

PartyOf5: Not TMI! It is wonderful!

I am also working from home, and it helps to know that I am not the only one obsessing!

Missy

Don't worry, you're not alone! I'm a work at home mom too!

I only have 2 computers and an iphone though. I now feel deprived. The work machine, and personal laptop are on my desk, and the iphone stays with me - that way I can check while I have lunch, do laundry, or anytime I think my laptop might not be working correctly!

Good thing my browser has tabs - I've got one for mail, one for this thread, and another on Leanne's blog, in case she decides to send us a secret message (none as of a few seconds ago)!

I'm the opposite of you all though - I'm afraid to jinx myself! So, I am superstitiously avoiding anything that makes it look confident that I'm going to make it to the Panel this time. I been keeping it a secret, from all but my best friends (and you guys of course!!). Trying not to block out Dec 5 to 9 from family activities (hey, plans can always be changed later!)... there must be someone out there being as neurotic as me! Tell me I'm not alone!!!!

Hey, I'm even avoiding unpacking from our Disney trip and doing laundry! (OK, that's not true, I just don't want to do that stuff, that means our vacation is truly over!)

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

I did get my "consolation" email with the invite to the Mom's Club today (well, it arrived yesterday....but I found it today). I must say, it was done in true Disney style and gracious as ever. Despite that I realize it could not have been personally written to me and only me, it had the intimate feeling of a well thought out response. I really appreciated it, and immediately dove into the club website!

Ami/PolynesianPixie: I like your style! "Consolation e-mail" does sound much nicer than "rejection e-mail." I think I'll start referring to it as that now, instead.

And, you're right: It was classy of Disney to contact those of us who didn't advance!

 

[dsiind]

Is that I have gotten so manic about checking when I get home from work every night that my wife has me review what happened during the day, and then she talks me down.

"Just remember, it is OK if you don't win!"
"We will still go to WDW next year regardless!"

Hmmmmm. Maybe I should tell her that they change the panel out 3 times a year, and I can convince her to let me go on three WDW vacations a year as "consolations"?

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

Yeah to Laura and best of luck to all the finalists!

Your excitement is contagious and please know that you all are winners -- your love of Disney is great!

MARSHAY! It's so nice to see you pop in here from The Adventurosity Club thread, especially since you're the one who introduced me to the original CMO-related thread. (I need to do the reverse. It has been far too long since I've checked in there. I definitely have plenty of catching up to do!)

I've been spending the bulk of my on-line time in facebook and here. (So.... when are you going to cave, join the ranks of your follow Adventurosity Club friends and open a fb account? )

 

[abasmom]

Is that I have gotten so manic about checking when I get home from work every night that my wife has me review what happened during the day, and then she talks me down.

"Just remember, it is OK if you don't win!"
"We will still go to WDW next year regardless!"

Hmmmmm. Maybe I should tell her that they change the panel out 3 times a year, and I can convince her to let me go on three WDW vacations a year as "consolations"?

I think that you are totally on to something here!

Missy

 

[abasmom]

magic2go: Whew! I thought that I was the only one looking for secret clues from Leanne's blog!

Missy

 

[magic2go]

magic2go: Whew! I thought that I was the only one looking for secret clues from Leanne's blog!

Missy

Nope, I'm looking everywhere I can think of: Dis boards, rss feeds to every site I can get one from, Leanne's blog, other mom's panelists' blogs, googling the mom's panel, my email... I can be fairly resourceful, but I can't seem to WILL that email into my inbox! HA!

This is pure torture! You'd think that just having my Disney fix would have made this better... but I really don't think it has! The good news is... we know interviews will be next week, so at least there is a deadline for notifications!! (not much of a consolation, I know!!! REALLY, I do!)

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

This is pure torture! You'd think that just having my Disney fix would have made this better... but I really don't think it has! The good news is... we know interviews will be next week, so at least there is a deadline for notifications!! (not much of a consolation, I know!!! REALLY, I do!)

Adding some speculation:

You wonder if Leanne & Co. already know who has advanced to round three, and they're merely waiting for a predetermined date to contact everyone. Or, are they wrestling over who to keep and who to cut?



While I'd love some insights into the whole process, I think I'm relieved I don't have to make the tough "Keep-Scratch" choices...

 

[AngVen]

I'm also trying to curb the confidence enough to not be completely devastated if I don't make it, but at the same time I'm already deciding what I need to buy before I start packing

And... I have told family and a few close friends and they are SO completely supportive, it's wonderful, but again, they have me convinced at times that there is just NO ONE any more suited to this than me. Of course I know they're mostly right but I also know that there are so many of YOU guys out there who are in the same situation as me.

So my bottom line right now is just to keep spreading the pixie dust and keep watching the computer and keep feeding my nerves

THAT's the other thing I'll need to do before Dec 5th..... STOP EATING MY WAY THRU THE NERVES!!!

 

[Smbdyscrm]

I missed the application cut-off last year, so I was not a member of the Mickey Moms' Club for 2008. Today however, I tried to sign-on and did so successfully (with an email address other than the one I used to submit my round 2 answers). Does this mean I'm in? I'm out? or mean nothing at all? The suspense with all of this waiting is rather fun. I hope we don't find out before Friday!

 

[vpalmer]

Adding some speculation:

You wonder if Leanne & Co. already know who has advanced to round three, and they're merely waiting for a predetermined date to contact everyone. Or, are they wrestling over who to keep and who to cut?



While I'd love some insights into the whole process, I think I'm relieved I don't have to make the tough "Keep-Scratch" choices...

I have no idea of course, but my gut tells me they are waiting until Friday to contact us to give us the same amount of time as last year between the notification and the interviews. It seems as though we have a much longer period (about a week longer) between rounds two and three and it seems as though they are using the extra time to make us wait longer. Seriously though, maybe it means there are more than 125 people that advanced to round two and they need more time because there are more applications to read? I am just grasping, of course I have no idea. I still have a feeing we are looking at a Friday afternoon e-mail though.

 

[vpalmer]

I missed the application cut-off last year, so I was not a member of the Mickey Moms' Club for 2008. Today however, I tried to sign-on and did so successfully (with an email address other than the one I used to submit my round 2 answers). Does this mean I'm in? I'm out? or mean nothing at all? The suspense with all of this waiting is rather fun. I hope we don't find out before Friday!

I was a member of the Mickey Moms club last year and I was able to log in successfully into the site. I have no idea what that means!

 

[magic2go]

So, a quick side story to divert us ~ besides, I just need to share with people who understand how big of deal this is to me

I must be rubbing off somewhat on my hubby (in a good way this time!).

As some of you know, I was on a 10 day business trip at the start of this month, followed by just 3 days at home, and then a WDW vacation! During my absence he decided to call and upgrade us to WL - Club Level for the entire stay! While traveling to the airport, I get a brief and cryptic text message, saying "I changed our reservations". Talk about a heart attack, I had visions of plans destroyed, ADR's lost, AHHHHH! But, nope, he did great! No problems at all!!!

AND - to top it off, he also arranged for a Halloween rose arrangement to be in our room the night we checked in. I was SO SURPRISED! And proud! I think we spent the whole week surprising each other (I had arranged for a chocolate monorail!)... it was a great diversion for "THE WAIT" we are all enduring. Unfortunately, the wait goes on... and on .... and on...

 

[Wingedheart]

I'll add my two cents for what it's worth...if Laura, who jumped from Moms Panel to Cast Member (what a dream - congrats and way to go!!), just started this week and she will oversee the 2009 Moms Panel - maybe she is able to offer some input into the selection process?...

Someone mentioned 125 in Round 2 - is that the magic number?? They went from possibly 20,000+ to 125?! Wow! What a job that must have been!

I have been occupying my time organizing all my WDW pictures to scrapbook

 

[vpalmer]

That's a good thought about Laura. That makes perfect sense.

125 is the number I have read about last year's round 2. We have not heard the numbers for this year as far as I know. It stands to reason that the number is larger this year since there will be 16 panelists as opposed to 12 and they allowed 20,000 applications instead of 10,000. But since the application deadline came and was not shut down early, no one knows exactly how many applications they received because that number has not been released either as far as I know.

Have fun scrapbooking your WDW pictures. I love cropping WDW!

I'll add my two cents for what it's worth...if Laura, who jumped from Moms Panel to Cast Member (what a dream - congrats and way to go!!), just started this week and she will oversee the 2009 Moms Panel - maybe she is able to offer some input into the selection process?...

Someone mentioned 125 in Round 2 - is that the magic number?? They went from possible 20,000+ to 125?! Wow! What a job that must have been!

I have been occupying my time organizing all my WDW pictures to scrapbook

 

[AngVen]

What a wonderful hubbie Kathie!!! Thanks for sharing that story, I can just imagine the shock of hearing "I changed things" and not knowing what he had done SO happy to hear that he did well and you got such nice surprises, great guy you've got there

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

I'll add my two cents for what it's worth...if Laura, who jumped from Moms Panel to Cast Member (what a dream - congrats and way to go!!), just started this week and she will oversee the 2009 Moms Panel - maybe she is able to offer some input into the selection process?..

That thought did cross my mind, too... I wouldn't be at all surprised if you are right! (At the very least, I'd expect her to be involved in the phone interview process?!?)