Last November I found out I had been selected to be one of the new panelists on the 2013 Disney Parks Moms Panel. For those of you who don't know, the panel is not just Moms, but Dads too - a group of everyday people from every walk of life who love Disney, and love sharing that passion with friends, family and pretty much anyone who will listen. Our role on the panel is to offer our advice, tips and tricks to anyone who visits the official Disney Parks Moms Panel website and posts a question - advice from everyday people who can answer honestly. The majority of panelists answer questions about Walt Disney World, but others, like myself, are designated as "specialists"; answering questions regarding not just Walt Disney World, but many other types of Disney Parks vacations - Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, Disneyland, runDisney, ESPN sports, and in my case, Adventures by Disney and Aulani-A Disney Resort & Spa. Along with our question-answering duties, the panelists, who are all independent contractors, may be invited to participate in any number of other activities that promote Disney Parks - media events, newspaper or magazine articles, social media events or blogging for other online vacation providers to name a few. That's part of the fun of being a panelist - you never know when the opportunity to share our Disney experiences with the world may arise!
What you may not know is that the competition to be chosen for one of those coveted panelist spots is fierce. This past year there was a cap of 14,000 applicants, less than previous years - I knew the likelihood of actually making it to the panel was very slim. But, as Walt Disney said "If you can dream it, you can do it!" And with that quote swirling in my mind, I completed the first round of the application - a series of short essays and a question or 2 to test my knowledge - and pushed send. To be perfectly honest, I completely forgot I had applied and went about my life.
About a month later, having just gotten off of an international flight after having traveled for 24hrs straight, I had arrived in Prague and turned on my phone. After checking my emails, I then moved to my spam box and something caught my eye - sure enough, it was a congratulations email informing me I had made it to the second round! No one's really sure exactly how many are chosen for Round 2, but it is rumoured to be just a few hundred. I was elated, but immediately felt disappointment when I saw that I had just 2 days to get my Round 2 application completed - and it needed to have a 60 second video along with it. Yikes! I had no time to prepare and no time to waste as we were about to board a river cruise the next day. Well, with nothing but my iPhone, I sat on the couch in my hotel room in Prague and turned the camera on. I didn't write anything down, I looked travel-weary, and the lighting was horrible -but I spoke from my heart. The next day we had to board our ship and I still hadn't sent off my application with video attached- with a sketchy internet service that kept cutting out, it took me 2 1/2 hours to finally get it sent in - I contemplated "giving up" and thought it just wasn't meant to be at several points during those frustrating attempts. But alas, I am not a quitter, and I wasn't going out without a fight - boy was I relieved when it finally went through just a few hours ahead of the deadline. Once again, I went about my life and didn't really give it too much thought.
Up until this time, I had kept the fact that I had applied for the panel a secret - from my family (except my husband who I only told when I made it to Round 2), my friends and everyone. I guess I just didn't want anyone else to know in case I didn't make it - to save myself the explanations or embarassment. Around the end of October I noticed increased activity on Twitter as other hopefuls were tweeting about impending "pixie dust." I was still a "lurker" at this point, but I kept an eye out and allowed my heart to be only slightly hopeful as I awaited the official word. As it turned out, I didn't have to wait long. I can not explain to you the feeling I got and the emotions I felt when just a couple of hours later, I suddenly had in my inbox a magical message informing me that I was one of the few who would be moving on to Round 3. To say I was overwhelmed and speechless is an understatement. I must have read that email 10 times before finally accepting that yes, they really did say that I was moving on. Validation. If I had to pick one word to describe how it felt it would be that. I knew I had something to offer the Moms Panel, and I knew that I could do a good job at it, but to have others recognize that was extremely validating for me. As a stay-at-home mom for 23 years, I was used to being dismissed in social situations because I "don't work" (yeah right!) Anyhow, to have a prestigious brand like Disney, acknowledge that Kristen has something to offer them, was just, well, validating. Plain and simple.
At that point, and throughout the rest of the process, I can honestly say that whatever the outcome was going to be for me, it didn't matter. For some strange reason, advancing to Round 3 was the pinnacle for me in this journey. I knew that at this point the number had been whittled down scarily low. I also surmised that those who were in charge of putting together the 2013 Disney Parks Moms Panel had a specific demographic that they needed to fill. Each position on the panel is a piece of a large puzzle. Each panelist they choose has to fit into one of those pieces and there can't be any 'missing pieces' when all is said and done. I knew what I could offer to the panel, but I was also realistic enough to know that if for whatever reason what I had to offer wasn't exactly what they needed for this years puzzle, I was ok with that. And with that attitude, I turned my attention to Round 3 - the phone interview (yikes!)
I decided that it was time to "come out of the castle", so to speak - I outed myself on Twitter and on Facebook in a closed group of fans of Disney and the Moms Panel. I felt that at this point I could use the support and camaraderie of others feeling the same emotions and experiencing the same process as me. In just a short period of time, I got to know some incredible people - some who were also in Round 3 and others who hadn't made it that far but were cheering us on from the sidelines, and I was very glad that I had decided to 'come out'.My Round 3 telephone interview was scheduled - I would go on the first of the 3 days offered, and I believe I may have been the second on the list. My intention in choosing that spot was to 'get it over with' and then await the outcome. Although I was nervous before my call, once it started I felt ok. It was not as nerve-wracking as I had convinced myself it would be - after all, I knew and loved the subject matter! When it was done, once again I was completely at peace. I knew I had answered all of my questions honestly, and from my heart, and I didn't hang up with the feeling of "oh, I wish I had/hadn't said that!" I had done my best - that's what I always preach to my kids - there should be no feelings of shame if you know in your heart you have done your best. Well, I guess you all know the conclusion of this story, right? Three days later I received a very surprising phone call - one week ahead of the anticipated date - in which I was invited to be the Adventures by Disney and Aulani Specialist on the 2013 Disney Parks Moms Panel. I breathlessly gave my Yes! and from that moment on, my life has been completely changed in ways that I never could have guessed. ( Who would have ever thought that I would be training for a runDisney event??)
I have been asked many times by panelist hopefuls what the "secret" is to being chosen. I can honestly say I haven't got a clue! Do I think luck played a part in being selected? - yes, somewhat. Do I think my lifetime of Disney experiences played a part? - yes, absolutely. I can tell you that in all aspects of the application process my goal was to let 'the real Kristen' show through. My video was probably the most amateur and unprofessional of any they received, so obviously that isn't important - I think the message of what was on that video was what was important. I know that I was honest in every aspect of this process - believe me, if you 'pad your resume' so to speak, it will be apparent very quickly. And I believe I let my love and passion for Disney shine above all else - but without coming across like an obsessive lunatic, lol. I like to believe that it was a combination of all those things that earned me my spot on the panel.
I have no idea what this year will bring, but I am thankful to have been given this opportunity that so few will ever get. I've gotten into the routine of answering guest questions and I'm having fun doing it. And yes, I am still surprised that this simple, obscure, housewife, mom and lover of all things Disney, who never in a million years thought that she would actually be chosen, can say the words "I am a member of the Disney Parks Moms Panel." Wow...Yes I am! Validation.
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