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12 Awesome Things That Happened At The 2014 Disney Social Media Moms Conference #DisneySMMoms

2014 Disney Social Media Moms Conference

 

It’s no secret that Disneyland is a magical destination for families, they don’t call it “The Happiest Place On Earth” for nothin’! Well, could you imagine a work conference that includes your passion, and your family? That, my friends, was the Disney Social Media Moms conference, all at Disneyland!

 

Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort

photo: Disneyland

 

I also went to the #DisneySMMoms conference last year, it was at Walt Disney World and words can’t accurately describe what a great time we had. This year was no different, the amount of special experiences, family fun and adventures hit an all time high. Ok, i’m a little behind on sharing, but I just have so much to do in real life, and so much to share about my time with the amazing Disney team at Disneyland. It was truly a magical time, we rode some of Disneyland’s iconic rides, ate, danced, listened, played, learned, and most of all, spent quality family time! Here are a bunch of cool things that we came, saw, and conquered, Disney style…

 

 

12 Awesome Things That Happened at the #DisneySMMoms Conference

 

 

Disneyland Hotel at Night

 

1. We stayed at the Disneyland Hotel, which is another part of the magic of Disney

There’s nothing quite like staying on a Disney Resort property, their hotels offer extra magic with themed grounds, restaurants, and characters, and the additional benefits are great. You can take advantage of the Extra Magic Hour, no lines when you use a special entrance to Disney’s California Adventure, and are immersed in the magic of Disney. You’re in walking distance to everything, so no need for a car, and if you’re flying in, there is airport transportation available. Also, Disney knows families and takes care of every situation. It’s like you’re in another world!

 

Mickey's Soundsational Parade and Fireworks at Disneyland

 

2. We had reserved, front row seating at Mickey’s Soundsational Parade and the Remember Dreams Come True Fireworks show at Disneyland, and Disney’s California Adventure World of Color.

I always say that the parades and fireworks shows are not to be missed, so sitting front and center for them was just the icing on the cake! Right now, Disneyland is featuring Mickey’s Soundsational Parade during the day and the Dreams Do Come True Fireworks Show , I really liked them both.

 

Fireworks show at Disneyland, California

 

 

3. We shut down Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland Park for a family dinner and dance party.

Disneyland shot down Mickey’s Toontown early and the Disney Social Madia Moms took over! Dinner was served throughout the area, and some of the rides were open just for us. The best part was the DJ, he kept the tunes coming and the kids danced the night away! Here wa the hit song of the night, Gangnam Style…

 

 

Doug Bowman at the 2014 Disney Social Media Moms Conference

 

4. Disney imagineers, cast members, and other influential speakers graced the stage and dropped knowledge

During the conference session, Disney brought out some spectacular speakers from all walks of life. Social media has become a huge asset to all types of businesses, and heard so much valuable information. As major influencers in the space, we learned so many different things about it that are relevant to our own platforms. Walt Disney World’s chairman Tom Staggs shared new happenings of the park, Disney imagineers Kathy Mangum and Jay Ward talked all about the making of CarsLand, and Disney’s Thomas Smith, Gary Buchanan, and independent designer Doug Bowman (pictured) all shared their social media strategies and the importance of them. Also, Donald Driver, a former football player for the Green Bay Packers, shared how he overcame adversity and stayed positive no matter the circumstance. All of these things can be accomplished, all with the magic of Disney.

 

 

photo: Disneynature

 

5. There was a special screening of Disneynature’s BEARS, before it hit theaters.

The families of Disney Social media Moms conference got a special advanced screening of the movie BEARS, which is in theaters now! It was such a treat to be able to see the film early, just another perk of the conference. “First time mom, Sky, is getting ready to raise her two young cubs, alone. Sky takes her babies on a long trek through the mountains to find food, but must do her best to avoid predators. It’s a rough world out there, so she’s got a big job ahead of her. ” Last year, we got to screen Monsters University.

 

Disney Junior Give A Book, Get A Book, 2014 Disney Social Media Moms Conference

photo: @Hyku, @ChooChooGirl

 

6. We got a fun Disney Junior breakfast, which featured lots of familiar faces!

In addition to the great speakers, there were also plenty of surprise guests who came for the Disney Junior breakfast.  Levar Burton, David Arquette, Tim Gunn, Genevieve Goings, and Ariel Winters all came to help launch the Disney Junior Give A Book, Get A Book campaign, which helps your child earn free books, and donate books to children in need. It’s a great program, I will share more about it in a future post. Also, Elle Fanning and the and the evil Maleficent graced the stage to introduce the movie, Maleficent, and show us a preview of the film. It looks awesome, by the way!

 

Disney FROZEN Princesses Anna and Elsa, Disneyland

photo: @Hyku

 

7. There was a special Disney FROZEN meet and greet with Anna and Elsa

In between sessions, Anna and Else from Disney’s FROZEN were outside to take photos with the group! not sure if yo know this, but there is currently a 2 hour+ wait at Disneyland to take photos with them. We were so lucky to be able to have them all to ourselves!

 

Disney Fun Run, Disney SM Moms conference, in Carsland, Disney's California Adventure

photo: @ Hyku

 

8. Carsland at Disney’s California Adventure was open early for us, and even hosted a fun run!

Disney’s California Adventure is home to Carsland, where they opened up super early in the morning for a conference only fun run. I was not able to join, it was full by the time I registered for the conference. I am sure it was awesome, I really want to try to make it to the next one! When it was over, breakfast was served right in Carsland and the rides opened up early enough so that we were the only ones in there.

 

 

Deanna Underwood, Elle Fanning, Disneyland Hotel, April 2014

 

9. I met Elle Fanning, she plays Princess Aurora in the upcoming movie, Maleficent!

If you are a fan of the old Sleeping Beauty movie, you’ll love Maleficent, it’s villain-focused counterpart, which is coming out later this spring, May 30th. Fanning, who plays Princess Aurora, stopped by the DisneySMMoms conference and told us all about her role an spoke a little about it. She was the sweetest, cutest, just turned 16 year old, we actually celebrated her birthday collectively. That’s right, the whole conference sang happy Birthday to Fanning and ate cupcakes! I was lucky to be able to meet her briefly after the session.

 

 

Families meet Donald and Daisy Duck at the 2014 Disney Social Media Moms Conference

photo: @Hyku

 

10. Families took advantage of plenty of special Disney character meet and greets

Everywhere we went, the likes of Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy were probably present! It’s really special to be able to share these moments with family, my kids just love Disney’s characters and they get excited to be able to meet them.

 

Kids with Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Disneyland

 

11. We closed down Big Thunder Ranch at Disneyland for a special, health focused Disney TryIt! dinner.

This was really cool, we got the entire space at Big Thunder Ranch and it was decked out! They were serving delicious and healthy foods as a part of the Disney TryIt! campaign

 

Deanna Underwood, Leanette Fernandez, Louise Bishop, Disney Social Media Moms Conference, 2014

 

12. It was great to be able to socialize with like minded moms and dads, some old pals and some new.

I love being able to connect with like minded moms and dads in the same field. It is great to see bloggers who have become friends, and meet new ones, too. I have gotten so much support, and eben paid leads from other bloggers and influencers online.

 

Mom and daughter with Minnie Mouse ears at Disneyland

 

There are so many more things to share, we had so much fun and I need a few more blog posts to cover it all! As always, Disney pulled out all the stops and made it a wonderful conference and vacation for everyone. Stay tuned, I am going to be sharing so much more about our #DisneySMMoms adventure!

 

Thinking about visiting Disneyland with your family? Here are the best times to go to Disneyland and a great way to add magic to your stay with a family focused review of the Disneyland Hotel.

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Disclosure: I was invited to the Disney Social Media Moms Conference, there are no obligations that I attend or write about my experience. No compensation or sponsorship was received, discounts were offered for lodging, meals and activities and some gifts were provided during our visit.

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