Wondering What's Next….

Every summer for the past few years I wait in anticipation for the announcement.

I know it’s coming. Sure, there have been rumors that they finally had enough people, the group was too big and too hard to manage. It’s better handled by professionals, and on and on…..

But I KNOW it’s coming – as sure as flip-flops and sandcastles and back-to-school supplies, it comes back  every summer…..

And then today – the announcement – the return of the annual search for the Disney Moms Panel!!

This is an exciting opportunity for any hardcore Disney fan – the opportunity to work with the Disney company as a real-life ambassador to help families plan their dream vacations. For those of us who love Disney and view it as more than a vacation, this is the opportunity to be an “insider” in a small way to a brand that is more than vacation destination or retail conglomerate.

The requirements:

This is an interesting set of requirements this year, as they are requiring *25* answers per week, vs. 15 last year, and are asking for a minimum of 24 month commitment.

What I found very exciting and surprsing this year was this notice:

It looks like they will be expanding the panel to include all kinds of new “Moms”!!

I think it is going to be an exciting year! For the record, you do not have to be a mom, have children, or even be female to be on the panel! In years past, the applications to be considered were a series of short questions (with the dreaded 100-word limit!) on various Disney travel topics in the first round. During the second round, a significantly smaller pool of panelists answered more questions, and that group was culled to a final, much smaller pool, which have live phone interviews with a group of Disney marketing professionals who make the final selection.

Lots of armchair quarterbacks speculate on the qualifications necessary to be a panelist, and various strategies to attract attention…. I have applied all four years and have yet to make it out of Round One, so I obviously do not have the secret decoder ring. I will say that I have met many of the panelists and consider some friends, and above all the trait they all share is a genuineness and true empathy that shines through even in casual conversation.

So, I’ll apply again, and be glued to my email in September as I await the results, and maybe, just maybe, this will be my year.

Who knows, I might even make it out of Round One!