Adventures of the "Moms" Panel

[DISgeeksfromDC]

I'm still here and lurking as usual , almost daily.

We decided to go in mid May (Sun-Fri). We will be able to use our annual pass for the 3rd time and still have unexpired water park tickets too. We are staying at OKW in a 1BR.

Very cool! It's great that you get to squeeze in one last trip before your passes expire and the baby comes!

Hopefully we can get a 1st floor so we won't have to lug the kids, a stoller, and me up any stairs.

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

Bret! It’s great to know that you haven’t forgotten us!

Wow! ‘Looks like the Panelists really have been busy. (…As if answering a mess of questions each week isn’t enough work!)

So, Erin gets to head back to Disney World (again!). (I really must work on these jealousy issues… ) How exciting for her! …Although I’m guessing the radio interviews are a bit nerve-wracking, too! (Actually, I’m assuming they’re interviews…)

I have a question (although I’m not sure if you’re allowed to answer it): How does Disney determine which Panelist participates in each interview? You mentioned Erin’s radio publicity. I also read in Laura Spencer’s newspaper article that someone from Women’s Day interviewed her. (Oh, and that CNN article from syndicated columnist Eileen Ogintz quoted several of the “Moms.”) ‘Just curious…

I noticed that Disney featured a link to the Moms Panel video overview in this month’s Disney Destinations newsletter – along with a segment about budget travel tips hosted by Elisabeth Hasselbeck (“Disney Travel Insiders with Elisabeth Hasselbeck”). Sooooo… When does the Disney Mom’s Panel appear on The View? (Okay, this is how vicious rumors get started… )


Finally, I found some more news features about several of the Panelists:

*Darcie Maranich, Vail Sun, vailsun.com (Vail, Arizona)

http://www.vailsun.com/articles/2008/02/05/news/news5.txt


*Michelle May, The Express-Times, nj.com (Readington Township, Hunterdon County, NJ)

http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/nj/index.ssf?/base/news-7/120054636525250.xml&coll=2


*Kim LaPaglia, Lebanon Daily News, LDNews.com (Lebanon, PA):

http://ldnews.com/news/ci_8219297


*Beatrice Rose, Tampa Bay's 10 News, tampabays10.com (Tampa, FL)

(This link features a short write-up of a TV news segment. If you click on the “Video Story” link – to the right of the screen – you can view the actual clip. For me, it took a while the load, though, so be patient. )

http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/afternoon/article.aspx?storyid=73147


Alrighty, then! I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

 

[dollhouse]

Hello everyone!

I haven't been posting much, watching a little though! Doesn't look like anything is really happening..status quo with the Mom's panel. Looks like it is going great!

Tomorrow we are leaving for Disney World! I can't wait. I am concerned about getting out of Western PA due to the weather. We are hoping for no cancellations or heavy delays in air travel. Feb. is a much needed boost for us to get out of PA.....weather is looking so / so with the rain in Florida. I will take a little rain and 70's compared to snow and 15 degrees here!

Oh no.. I just checked weather.com and there is a tornado warning in Orlando until 11pm this evening. I hope it is out of there by tomorrow. Looks like thuderstorms when we are set to land as well. I just can't get out of the bad weather.

Take care everyone! Wish us luck!

Leslie

 

[sharonW]

Wishing you a WONDERFUL DISNEY ADVENTURE!!!!

 

[5/4Disney]

Hello everyone!

I haven't been posting much, watching a little though! Doesn't look like anything is really happening..status quo with the Mom's panel. Looks like it is going great!

Tomorrow we are leaving for Disney World! I can't wait. I am concerned about getting out of Western PA due to the weather. We are hoping for no cancellations or heavy delays in air travel. Feb. is a much needed boost for us to get out of PA.....weather is looking so / so with the rain in Florida. I will take a little rain and 70's compared to snow and 15 degrees here!

Oh no.. I just checked weather.com and there is a tornado warning in Orlando until 11pm this evening. I hope it is out of there by tomorrow. Looks like thuderstorms when we are set to land as well. I just can't get out of the bad weather.

Take care everyone! Wish us luck!

Leslie

Have fun Leslie!!! We just got back from DL today and it was beautiful. Here in Houston we had really bad storms today and I guess they are heading that way. I must say they did not last long but we did loose power and such.
Julie

 

[EEFOSTER]

Hi All,

Sorry I've been AWOL lately. My kids' school play was all consuming, so along with the Panel stuff, I've been a little swamped.

Yes, Laura and I just spent a whirlwind 2.5 days at WDW. (My flight had many delay issues, and I walked into my house at 2:30 this morning, so forgive me if I'm foggy.) We stayed at Saratoga Springs. We were there to be available for interviews for a press junket they had going on there called the Disney Resort Showcase. There were some print people there, but mostly it was radio stations. The radio DJs and producers got tours of the resorts and some of the shows, etc. but mostly they were doing live radio broadcasting from on site at Disney.

Laura and I were interviewed by half a dozen individual stations. And also by two syndicated radio networks (ABC radio and Rejoice radio). Together those include about 180 stations nationwide. We also spoke to the Boston Globe for quite a while. So you can look for that in the next week or so. And Candice Coleman, Disney's in-house reporter, shot more video of us giving tips and talking about our experience on the Panel. She's editing that now and it should show up on the site in a little while.

And now I have to pack for my week-long family vacation to WDW (Beach Club Villas) that starts on Saturday. This is such a crazy experience. Six months ago I never could have imagined all this incredible stuff would be happening. The whole thing is very surreal.

As to other questions ...

I was INSANELY nervous about the video camera stuff during the training trip. I must say that it was not so difficult this time. You get used to it quickly. And radio was MUCH easier than video. It's really just like you're sitting there having a conversation about Disney with the nice DJ. I was worried, but the interview part ended up being really fun.

As to who gets picked for press coverage ... Disney is promoting all of us. It's really up to the media in different markets as to whether they want to write stories about us. So for the Women's Day and the Eileen Ogintz thing, all of us were contacted and the media decides who to quote whatever. Laura and I went to the radio junket because they were looking to highlight the NY and Boston markets in the winter. But Kara, Kim, Heather, (and others?) have all been on TV in their regions. Bri has been getting a tons of press in Canada. Beatrice is getting a big push in the FL market. So we're all getting our bits of microcelebrity here and there. I think it's actually been fairly evenly distributed, which is nice.

OK ... unpacking/packing or nap? Maybe both?

Thanks for hanging in there with us,

Erin

 

[bless7ings]

I haven't posted much, but have been reading.

Julie, how was that surprise trip that your husband planned? Was he glad he planned it?

Tammy

 

[bless7ings]

Nice report Erin. Have fun with your family in WDW!

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

Hi All,

Sorry I've been AWOL lately. My kids' school play was all consuming, so along with the Panel stuff, I've been a little swamped.

Yes, Laura and I just spent a whirlwind 2.5 days at WDW. (My flight had many delay issues, and I walked into my house at 2:30 this morning, so forgive me if I'm foggy.) We stayed at Saratoga Springs. We were there to be available for interviews for a press junket they had going on there called the Disney Resort Showcase. There were some print people there, but mostly it was radio stations. The radio DJs and producers got tours of the resorts and some of the shows, etc. but mostly they were doing live radio broadcasting from on site at Disney.

Laura and I were interviewed by half a dozen individual stations. And also by two syndicated radio networks (ABC radio and Rejoice radio). Together those include about 180 stations nationwide. We also spoke to the Boston Globe for quite a while. So you can look for that in the next week or so. And Candice Coleman, Disney's in-house reporter, shot more video of us giving tips and talking about our experience on the Panel. She's editing that now and it should show up on the site in a little while.

And now I have to pack for my week-long family vacation to WDW (Beach Club Villas) that starts on Saturday. This is such a crazy experience. Six months ago I never could have imagined all this incredible stuff would be happening. The whole thing is very surreal.

As to other questions ...

I was INSANELY nervous about the video camera stuff during the training trip. I must say that it was not so difficult this time. You get used to it quickly. And radio was MUCH easier than video. It's really just like you're sitting there having a conversation about Disney with the nice DJ. I was worried, but the interview part ended up being really fun.

As to who gets picked for press coverage ... Disney is promoting all of us. It's really up to the media in different markets as to whether they want to write stories about us. So for the Women's Day and the Eileen Ogintz thing, all of us were contacted and the media decides who to quote whatever. Laura and I went to the radio junket because they were looking to highlight the NY and Boston markets in the winter. But Kara, Kim, Heather, (and others?) have all been on TV in their regions. Bri has been getting a tons of press in Canada. Beatrice is getting a big push in the FL market. So we're all getting our bits of microcelebrity here and there. I think it's actually been fairly evenly distributed, which is nice.

OK ... unpacking/packing or nap? Maybe both?

Thanks for hanging in there with us,

Erin

That's great! Thanks so much for the details! ('Any idea when to expect that Women's Day article?)

... Now go get some rest!

 

[dec5girl]

Julie,

I'm excited to see how you liked the Disneyland Hotel? Did you have a great trip? Are you knee deep in laundry and unpacking?

 

[RatBoy]

One more article (in NewsDay)...

http://images.burrellesluce.com/image/2241NX/2241NX_4336


-Bret

 

[5/4Disney]

Thanks for asking about the trip ya'll, we had a great time!!!!! We are really glad we went. Now it's back to reality. Yesterday was my birthday so we celebrated that with my parents and twin sister. I spent 2hrs doing make-up work with the girls yesterday after school and we still have more to do tonight. I must say the older they get the more I'm beginning to realize these in school trips or going to be more difficult. Today I'm catching up on laundry (everything is in a basket downstairs and needs to be carried up stairs, I hate that part!!!). All this must be done by 1pm because the girls have school parties. Preston is extremely cranky and I just hoping that he gets a long nap in today (mom needs some time to get things done )
Erin, I hope you have fun, and things slow down!
Julie

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

Welcome back, Julie! If it makes you feel any better, I, too, have gobs of laundry to tackle, and I didn’t even go anywhere!

Thanks, Bret, for the link to the Newsday article. (I loved that it included a photo of “Hidden Mickey” cucumber slices! )

I dug up a few more articles about the Panelists:

*Here’s an actual print article about Beatrice.

Beatrice Rose, The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com (Tampa, FL)

http://www.tbo.com/westchase/MGBCRWPOJCF.html


*It also looks like Brigitta (Bri?) has received some more “love” from the Canadian press.

Brigitta Noer, The Toronto Sun, torontosun.com (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

http://www.torontosun.com/Travel/USA/2008/02/10/4838194-sun.html


*Finally, Michelle May was quoted – and the Moms Panel was referenced – at the end of a broader article entitled, “Taking the Kids: Squeezing in Some Adult Time” by Tribune Media Services writer Eileen Ogintz. (I guess Ogintz may have tucked a bunch of Panelists’ quotes in her “back pocket” for future articles… )

Anyway, here it is:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/traveltips/02/11/family.trips/index.html?eref=rss_travel

Happy [belated] birthday, Julie! And, Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone!

 

[Marshay]

did you all get the email from Disney Moms??? It's officially the Mickey Moms Club!!

Dear xxxxx,

Overwhelmingly, you voted to name the new Walt Disney World ® "Moms Club" the "Mickey Moms Club". So we officially welcome you and introduce our first Mickey Moms Club enewsletter!


We hope you will enjoy being a part of the Mickey Moms Club and receiving your bi-monthly newsletter, packed
with parent-friendly Walt Disney World® news and special downloadable features. It's also a way for you to send the information you receive about Walt Disney World ® to other moms and parents you choose.

You will also be receiving your Mickey Moms Club kit in the mail sometime this Spring. It will be packed with fun surprises, the brand new 2008 Vacation Planning DVD and items to share with friends. Once again, welcome to the Mickey Moms Club, and don't forget to visit the Walt Disney World ® Moms Panel website at: www.disneyworldmoms.com.

 

[Marshay]

I received an error when filling out their "romance" poll...anyone else?

 

[RatBoy]

Beatrice Rose, The Tampa Tribune, TBO.com (Tampa, FL)
http://www.tbo.com/westchase/MGBCRWPOJCF.html

Brigitta Noer, The Toronto Sun, torontosun.com (Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

http://www.torontosun.com/Travel/USA/2008/02/10/4838194-sun.html

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/traveltips/02/11/family.trips/index.html?eref=rss_travel

Thanks for all of those links!

Are you finding these simply through Google, or do you have other tricks (or magic ) up your sleeves?

FYI, there is also a very simple mention of the Panel in the online Woman's Day here (see slide #28)... http://www.womansday.com/home/12783/the-ultimate-orlando-update.html

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

Thanks for all of those links!

FYI, there is also a very simple mention of the Panel in the online Woman's Day here (see slide #28)... http://www.womansday.com/home/12783/the-ultimate-orlando-update.html

Sure thing! (And thanks for the Woman's Day link.)

Are you finding these simply through Google, or do you have other tricks (or magic ) up your sleeves?

I'll never tell! Actually, Google is a wonderful thing. Well, that and a bit of persistence! (Translation: I think I may have a bit more time on my hands right now than you -- and the other Panelists -- do! ) Now, if I had access to a clippings service, we'd really be rocking! I'm sure that the folks at Disney have that covered, though. 'Too bad we (on the DISboards) can't see all of the press you folks have generated! When all of this is done, I truly hope Disney gives you each packets of press clippings to keep for your portfolios. (At the very least, they'd be a lot of fun to show your kids -- and future grandchildren -- at a later date! )

Speaking of clippings services, I noticed that the Newsday article came from a clippings service, which used "JetBlue" as a key word -- not "Disney," "Disney Moms Panel" or "Beth Choisez." Was the article culled from the incoming BurellesLuce clippings at Beth's workplace? It seems the most logical explanation to me, anyway! I noticed in the Newsday article that Beth works for Jet Blue University. (Just curious... )

 

[Wonderlandmom]

did you all get the email from Disney Moms??? It's officially the Mickey Moms Club!!

Dear xxxxx,

Overwhelmingly, you voted to name the new Walt Disney World ® "Moms Club" the "Mickey Moms Club". So we officially welcome you and introduce our first Mickey Moms Club enewsletter!


We hope you will enjoy being a part of the Mickey Moms Club and receiving your bi-monthly newsletter, packed
with parent-friendly Walt Disney World® news and special downloadable features. It's also a way for you to send the information you receive about Walt Disney World ® to other moms and parents you choose.

You will also be receiving your Mickey Moms Club kit in the mail sometime this Spring. It will be packed with fun surprises, the brand new 2008 Vacation Planning DVD and items to share with friends. Once again, welcome to the Mickey Moms Club, and don't forget to visit the Walt Disney World ® Moms Panel website at: www.disneyworldmoms.com.

I got this and again, I can't vote! I tried IE and Mozilla Firefox on the actual email and on the alternate website browser link at the top. Just does not work! I don't have any pop up blockers for that page either.

 

[5/4Disney]

I received an error when filling out their "romance" poll...anyone else?

Got it too, but couldn't vote~~
Julie

 

[magicalmouseadmirer]

I couldn't vote either!