Adventures of the "Moms" Panel

[beautygirlsmom]

Yay, Kim! I can't wait to meet everyone - you especially! My 2 pound 10 ouncer is about to graduate from high school!!!

 

[PartyOf5]

Yeah, Kim!

So it looks like we'll be able to meet over 1/2 the 2008 crew! If my tallys are correct: Heather, Beth and Bri will be helping with training. Bret, Michelle, Kara and Kim will also be around....and possibly Beatrice? And of course, Laura will be there!! That's 8 or 9!!! How exciting!!

 

[DisneyJo]

That's fantastic Kim, can't wait to meet you

 

[koolaidmoms]

Just when I thought that WDW had forgotten about the rest of us finalists FedEx came to my door just now. When I saw the WDW return address I smiled. When I opened the box I actually teared up. I didn't even do that when they told me I didn't make it this year! It was a very sweet gift.

I have already been working on my WDW PhD for next year! I can't wait to try again.

Have fun at training all and keep us up to date!

 

[Beckie w/ an IE]

Just when I thought that WDW had forgotten about the rest of us finalists FedEx came to my door just now. When I saw the WDW return address I smiled. When I opened the box I actually teared up. I didn't even do that when they told me I didn't make it this year! It was a very sweet gift.

I have already been working on my WDW PhD for next year! I can't wait to try again.

Have fun at training all and keep us up to date!

How exciting...! Will you give us any hints?

 

[DisneyJo]

Just when I thought that WDW had forgotten about the rest of us finalists FedEx came to my door just now. When I saw the WDW return address I smiled. When I opened the box I actually teared up. I didn't even do that when they told me I didn't make it this year! It was a very sweet gift.

I have already been working on my WDW PhD for next year! I can't wait to try again.

Have fun at training all and keep us up to date!

I'd love to know what you got, would you mind PMing me please

 

[koolaidmoms]

I wanted to let the others get their packages in case they were reading on line. It was a lovely personal note and a little "trophy". I will tell more about it tomorrow in case anyone is reading!

 

[disneyslp]

I wanted to let the others get their packages in case they were reading on line. It was a lovely personal note and a little "trophy". I will tell more about it tomorrow in case anyone is reading!

OOOH I can't wait until I get mine it has been one more week and it is only Tuesday.

 

[RatBoy]

I wanted to let the others get their packages in case they were reading on line. It was a lovely personal note and a little "trophy". I will tell more about it tomorrow in case anyone is reading!

I'm so glad to hear they sent something to the finalists. Disney always does the right thing, don't they?!

Looking forward to seeing what it is tomorrow.

-Bret

 

[RatBoy]

Woo hoo, the Disney World Moms Panel facebook page reached 200 fans today. Hmmm, "What are you going to do to celebrate???!"

-Bret

p.s. Happy 80th BDay Mickey and Minnie. You both look fab for your age!

 

[disneyslp]

Just received my FEDEX box. WOW what a nice gift. It is so great to be remembered this way. The handwritten note was the icing on top of the cake.

 

[piratefreak]

Last year when I made the final round but was not selected I was so upset. They sent us a really beautiful platter with an artist drawing of Cinderella castle and a really sweet note thanking us for our time. I remember how excited and special it made me to know they were still thinking of me. Enjoy your "trophies" ....you deserve it!

 

[dsiind]

I want to see pix of both this and last year's items!

 

[koolaidmoms]

I will try to get a picture sometime today. I need to find my camera. Took it on vacation this past weekend and can't find where I put it! Also I think it will be hard to photograph as it is crystal.

It was a little "trophy" for lack of a better word from Arriba's. It is a curved crystal panel about 7-8 inches long 6 inches high. It has the castle and Mickey Mouse etched on the right half near the top and in smaller script Walt Disney World right underneath that. Then in larger letters Moms Panel Finalist. The left side has a panel cut out with the Moms Panel logo set in it.

WDW seems to know just how to make you feel special with this.

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

Wow! Wow! Wow!

So many exciting things have happened recently! Congratulations, Kim, on your new custom-made Moms Panel position. …Disney Cruise Line Moms Panelist! How fun! And, it’s great to hear that your December get-away plans have taken shape so nicely. (I’m still trying to convince my hubby that we really do want to take advantage of WDW’s “Buy 4 Get 3 Free” offer available for travel during the first half of 2009… Of course, someone might need to send me a little pixie dust to help with the process… )

Meanwhile, Bret, your invitation to the “Adventures by Disney” press event in Chicago isn't too shabby either!

Thanks so much for keeping everyone posted! As always, the details (and photos!) are greatly appreciated.

I totally agree with dcotla’s earlier comments:

Doug - thanks for keeping us posted on all of the Panel's activities!!! You assumed right in thinking we'd be interested!

I loved reading all about last year's training from this year's Panelists and I am looking forward to hearing all about the new adventures this year!

Be sure to take lots of pictures you guys!!! We want full reports (without any "inside" or "top secret" info of course) when you get back!

While we’d prefer to be living the magic ourselves -– and reporting the amazing details first-hand -– we’re extremely appreciative to those who permit us to live vicariously through them. (I suppose it’s the next-best thing!) Thank you for spreading a little pixie dust for your friends here on the Moms Panel thread!

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

Here's another Disney CM, who regularly blogs:

*Charles Stovall - Chas' Adventures

If you recall, Bret posted Charles Stovall's photo and mentioned that he was the Disney PR Manager behind the "Adventures by Disney" press event:

Charles Stovall (Public Relations Manager -- he was also involved with the Toy Story Mania press event that Kara and I attended. He is the one who invited me to this event)

It appears that Charles also made an appearance at Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (MNSSHP) during the Moms Panelists' trek to Disney for the Expedition Everest Challenge in September.

*Chas' Adventures - "Mickey's Not-So-Scary"

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

Charles Stovall (Public Relations Manager -- he was also involved with the Toy Story Mania press event that Kara and I attended. He is the one who invited me to this event)

HA! I just noticed that both of you are wearing dress shirts with a Mickey-Mouse logo. Was there some sort of Mickey-specific "dress code" for the men at this event? (I specify the men, because it appears that the women attendees didn't get the same memo... ) Too funny!

 

[DISgeeksfromDC]

It appears that Erin got some more "love" from the press. (She was quoted in a recent article carried by Tribune Media Services.)

Just curious: I recognize the writer as the same travel columnist (Eileen Ogintz), who wrote that initial Moms Panel article posted on CNN.com waaay back in January. Did she just pull a quote out of her "back pocket" from an interview that occurred nearly a year ago? Or, did you talk to her again more recently? (You now me: Inquiring minds want to know. )

******​

Taking the Kids: "Orlando on the Cheap"

By Eileen Ogintz
Tribune Media Services

(Tribune Media Services) -- I hate saying no.

It's bad enough to say no to the kids all the time at home, much less on vacation. (No, you can't have that $40 sweatshirt. No you can't order that $20 steak...) Vacation, after all, is when we all want to indulge the kids and ourselves. But with the economy the way it is, I think we're all going to be saying no more often, until we figure out better ways to stretch those vacation bucks.

And we can -- even in Orlando, that one vacation destination many of us are determined not to give up despite the plummeting Dow. Just ask the experts, who include local moms who visit often. Come before your child turns three and they get in free. "People say they can't appreciate it but they really do," says Orlando mom Amanda Keeler, who has happily visited with her 2-year-old.

Come low season when the hotels are cheaper (and it won't be as crowded or hot), suggests Mary Waring, creator of www.mousesavers.com, a Web site packed with money-saving tips. Whatever your kids' ages, consider what kind of tickets you really need, adds Waring. Do you really need to pay $50 more for a Disney World park hopper ticket when chances are you and the kids will be too pooped to hit more than one park anyway? On the other hand, you can tack on extra days -- and visit more parks -- to your ticket for a negligible amount. The difference between a five-day and seven-day ticket is less than $5.

Let's not forget the deals at other Orlando attractions either. Adults can now pay the child's price ($59.95) at SeaWorld where every one-day admission gets you a second day free. Come during the holiday season when SeaWorld's Wild Arctic becomes Santa Town and you and the kids can visit the North Pole on the "Polar Express."

Universal Orlando, meanwhile, is offering vacation packages that allow kids free theme park entrance as well as Internet deals that get you an unlimited seven-day ticket to Universal's two parks for under $100 -- less than a one-day Disney park hopper ticket. Book at a Universal Orlando hotel and your room key gets you front-of-the-line access too.

Scour the Web for other coupons; savvy Orlando aficionados tell me to start with www.orlandoinfo.com where the free Orlando Magicard secures discounts on everything from food to shopping to entertainment. Opt to pre-buy souvenirs (you can find plenty of those trading pins on eBay) or head to Orlando's ever-growing outlet malls for T-shirts and baseball caps.

Rather than a hotel, Miami mom Michelle Revuelta suggests renting a condo or a house with friends, splitting the costs. Agencies like www.discovervacationhomes.com, a consortium of professionally managed vacation homes and condos headquartered in Orlando, tout three-bedroom homes with pools starting at just $120 a night. Condos are considerably less.

Ready to be slimed? Between the water playgrounds, the Nickelodeon shows and the characters, kids staying at the Nick Hotel will have so much to do you might skip the parks entirely one day. If you are going, the complimentary shuttles will save you parking fees. (Two-bedroom suites with kitchenettes start at $169 at the Nick Hotel. Check out the packages that include a $50 food credit per day.)

Come next year on your child's birthday (or yours) and get a free ticket to Disney World on the special day. (No worries if you've purchased multi-day passes. You can get a voucher to use for Disney merchandise. Register at www.disneyparks.com.) Did you know that you also get free desserts at many park restaurants on your birthday?

Families who plan to spend their entire time at Walt Disney World can save significantly by not getting a rental car because Disney provides complimentary airport transfers and transportation within the resort. "We've been to WDW about 30 times and have only rented a car twice," says Erin Foster. The Scarsdale, New York, mom has been to Orlando more than 24 times with her three kids in the last 10 years and has been a member of Disney World's Mom's Panel dispensing advice on all things Mouse. For more money-saving tips from parents who have been there, also check out www.disboards.com.

And remember even the least expensive Disney hotels -- $82 a night, sometimes even less -- boast terrific pool complexes and access to free Disney transportation. "The rooms are basic but the pools are awesome and my daughter loved it," said Amanda Keeler, who stayed at Disney's All-Star Music Resort with her mom and toddler. Besides, you're not going to be spending much time in your room, she added.

Nor do you want to waste money on pricey meals the kids won't eat. Stash a small, soft-sided cooler on the bottom of the stroller. "The food is a little entertainment while we're waiting in line," offers Jennifer Rey, who also lives in Orlando and frequently takes her two young kids to the parks. She figures she easily saves $30 on lunch.

Did you know you can refill water bottles at every counter restaurant in the parks? You'll not only save $2.50 on every bottle of water you don't buy, but you'll be helping the environment. Other local parents told me they even bring along sweet treats so the kids won't nag them for those overpriced, oversized lollipops at the parks.

Bring your own stroller too. That will save you $15 or more a day in rentals, says Orlando mom Rona Gindin, who has visited the parks so many times with her kids she ultimately wrote the "Little Black Book of Walt Disney World: The Essential Guide to All the Magic." Her other tip: Seek out free attractions, like Downtown Disney, with its water splash pads, giant Lego Imagination Center store where the kids are invited to play, and plenty more.

My favorite: The Boardwalk, where you can get a pizza for dinner, an ice cream or a beer and watch the magicians and other street performers for free. The teens will like the vibe on Universal Orlando's City Walk, which is located between the two parks.

See you there. I'll be the one holding all the refilled water bottles!

(For more Taking the Kids, visit www.takingthekids.com, where Eileen Ogintz welcomes your questions and comments.)

Copyright 2008 EILEEN OGINTZ, DISTRIBUTED BY TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.

 

[RatBoy]

HA! I just noticed that both of you are wearing dress shirts with a Mickey-Mouse logo. Was there some sort of Mickey-specific "dress code" for the men at this event?

Reality is that I only have a few "Mickey" shirts (this one was a gift from DW from the Disney store ). It seemed appropriate for the event. It was funny to see Charles with similar attire. I promise that it wasn't planned!

-Bret

 

[PartyOf5]

Scoopy - it's so nice to see you posting! This thread certainly isn't the same without you and your scoops!