Skip to content

vacation

Disney Moms Panel enters its second year with fresh crop

Launched in January 2008, the Walt Disney World Moms Panel is an online forum where guests can get insider tips and insights for vacationing at Walt Disney World Resort from real moms who have mastered the art of planning a Walt Disney World vacation. A new group has just been empaneled for 2009.

The Walt Disney World Moms Panel consists real parents selected to share their vast knowledge of the resort and personal secrets of success with other families who are considering a trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Guests can pose questions and have them answered by the panelists, as well as gain access to other valuable park insights and vacation planning tools for booking a Walt Disney World or Disney Cruise Line vacation.


This last weekend the second group of panelists to serve on the Disney Mom’s Panel was invited for a 3-day training session and a chance to get to know their fellow panelists better. Like last year’s panel they’ve already met each other online before arriving in Orlando. The training included sessions on the software they’re using, a ‘Disney Traditions’ experience, and other rare in the park opportunities.

The panel has grown from 12 members last year to 16. This will allow for more specialization among the members and help to handle any increases in traffic to the site. As on the first panel, there is even one Disney Dad among the moms.

Over 8000 applied online to become a panelist in 2009. Those were narrowed down to 125 prospects who were all phone interviewed before the final 16 were chosen. If you’re looking to join the panel should it happen again, I found that more than half of the panelists had a communications or marketing background and almost all of them had what I would call an ‘outgoing personality’.

For more information, visit disneyworldmoms.com. For more photos, check below the cut:

Read More »Disney Moms Panel enters its second year with fresh crop

Off-property Hotels in Kissimmee Really Hurting

Hotels along the Hwy-192 corridor in Kissimmee, FL were already feeling the pinch of lower occupancy numbers before this latest economic crunch. Disney’s ability to corral guests to on property hotels had been hurting the local hotels that were still reeling from the last poor… Read More »Off-property Hotels in Kissimmee Really Hurting

Tornado Reported Near Disney’s Animal Kingdom today

I spent the morning at the Magic Kingdom. Crowds were light, and early afternoon storms rolled in and drove many to the gates, including us. Must have felt like you owned the park between then and the 7pm start of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.… Read More »Tornado Reported Near Disney’s Animal Kingdom today

It’s ICE!

ICE! at Gaylord Palms Resort is back for its sixth season. I was lucky enough to go last night and found the new displays to be a lot of fun. It’s amazing to see how huge blocks of ice have been transformed into wonderful works of art.

A little advice: make sure you buy your tickets online ahead of time to save a few dollars. Plus plan to eat somewhere else either before or after the event. The restaurant selection at Gaylord Palms are good, but very expensive, even more than what you might find on Disney property.

The ornaments are a whole new room this year and my favorite of the show. There are a few more pictures below the cut.

Read More »It’s ICE!

Blessing of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge

James (Black Wolf) Hansen, Anita (Quick Silver) Hansen, and Garry (Thunder Hunter) Englehart perform the annual Blessing of the Four Directions, November 12, 2008, in the lobby of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. November is American Indian Heritage Month.

Walt Disney World Vacation Deal – Pay for four nights, get seven

For those who say that Disney is going to be hurt by the soft economy, well that’s probably true. But they’re experts at riding slow times out and will definitely come through this better than others in the industry. For example, Disney is bringing back… Read More »Walt Disney World Vacation Deal – Pay for four nights, get seven

Walt Disney World Rumors

First, a tropical depression has formed in the Caribbean and looks likely to reach hurricane strength this week. This is not a rumor, but it’s not likely to affect Central Florida either. I’ll post again if things change. Second, the Disney Gossip blog has some… Read More »Walt Disney World Rumors

Disneyland Paris misses it by that much

Disneyland Paris got closer than ever to showing a profit last year. Missed it by 2.8 million dollars. That and improved attendance numbers show they’re closer than ever to beginning to really pay down the debt that too many hotels saddled them with at opening.… Read More »Disneyland Paris misses it by that much