Off we went to their “dressing room” – a suite in the Disney Yacht Club Convention Center. I still couldn’t believe I was one of the chosen – four bloggers who must have caught Leanne’s eyes as Cubby O’Brien and Sherry Alberoni were on stage. From the start of the Mickey Mouse Club March as I clapped and sang along to the effortless drum routine played by Cubby, I was enthralled by every minute. They deservedly received a standing ovation from many of us.

Meeting Cubby O’Brien and Sherry Alberoni in person proved to me that famous people can be just what they seem like on stage – caring, funny and considerate. They took time to speak with each of us one on one to get to know us a little better and to take photos with us. When I got overwhelmed with emotion, I got a hug from Sherry, who was just as kind as could be. It felt like family in the room.

Earlier, during their performance, we learned that Cubby O’Brien continued drumming after the Mickey Mouse Club. Some of the musical celebrities he worked with are Lawrence Welk, Ann-Margaret, Debbie Reynolds and Bernadette Peters (1968-Present). When he is introduced, he is remembered as a Mouseketeer. Sherry Alberoni was in the film, Dance With Me, Henry, as Lou Costello’s adopted daughter. She played Davy Jones’ wife or girlfriend on The Monkees and other shows, was the voice for Alexandra Cabot from Josie and the Pussy Cats and did voice overs for other animated shows and movies.

So what is it about the original Mickey Mouse Club that so endearing to me? I wasn’t even born during the first four seasons of the show (1955 – 1959), but thanks to syndicated reruns I was able to watch and enjoy the shows with my Mother and older sister who is 11 years older than me. They were reliving a part of their life with me which became a family tradition. Each day, we’d sit together and sing along to the March, and wait for Fun with Music Day, Anything Can Happen Day and Talent Roundup Day. It brought us close together, having one thing in common between the three of us.

I paid to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. In exchange for my registration fee, I received deeply discounted rates on hotel, park tickets, free events, meals, and swag. I am not required nor was I asked to write about the events by Disney or any other brands, celebrities, or speakers affiliated with the event. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links are used on this blog.

Look at the view

Spend the Day

For more inspiring photos, check: High Impact Mom, The Bonafide Life, Shanamama, From Dates to Diapers, Not Your Mom Blog, The Divine Miss Mommy, Colorado Moms, Rajean Blomquist and Zensible Mama and link your own photo stories.

Do you have a favorite hotel pool?

Discount Tickets

Get tickets for just $13 with code MOMDD. The offer is valid for these performances: May 18 at 7 p.m., May 19 at 11 am and 7 pm, and May 20 at 5 pm. Tickets can be purchased at the Tampa Bay Times Forum ticket office or Ticketmaster.com

About Disney on Ice Dare to Dream

Get tangled up in the newest thrilling show to hit the ice, Disney On Ice presents Dare to Dream. Experience Disney’s hilarious hair-raising escapade, Tangled; as Rapunzel, her unlikely companion, Flynn, and Maximus, embark on an uproarious journey that takes adventure to new lengths!  Boogie to the beat of the bayou with Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen from The Princess and the Frog, in a magical, musical journey that all begins with a fateful kiss.  And fanciful dreams become reality as Cinderella meets her Prince Charming, with a glass slipper fit for an unforgettable fantasy come true.  All your favorite princesses take to the ice in a spectacular finale at the ultimate Disney Princess event of a lifetime!  Experience the beauty, sparkle, and spirit at Dare to Dream!

Giveaway

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But because the attendees are bloggers and social media enthusiasts, we thrive on conference day. It’s time to learn about our business and to be inspired. This year, I walked away with a mixture of information and motivation, with a higher percentage of motivation. And this was just what I needed during this time of my blogging career.

Meg Croftin on Conference Stage

When the doors of conference room were opened, I was awed by the stage, table decorations and the overall look of the room. Every year, it gets better! Rayovac sponsored the conference and kept us powered up with outlets on our table. Instead of flowers, each of us received a bouquet of USB outlets, batteries and chargers. Thanks Rayovac!

Maryellen Hooper

Speakers

• Amy Jo Martin, Digital Royalty @DigitalRoyalty – Known as a renegade in social media, Amy Jo spoke about finding your why in your business.
• Ramon DeLeon, Domino’s Pizza, @Ramon_Deleon – I was most inspired by Ramon, who went from a pizza delivery guy to the Social Media mastermind of Domino’s. His enthusiasm, his family values and his online honesty (he retweets negative tweets about Domino’s and then deals with them) had me listening to every word. I’m a fan and even kissed him after his talk.
• Peter Shankman, The Geek Factory @PeterShankman – I loved that Peter chose to honor us with a brand new talk. I understood all too well what it means to “be a weed”. Although unique, you probably have haters, but dig in deep and overcome.
• Lisa Druxman, Stroller Strides @LisaDruxman – Lisa began a business after having a child and proved to us that we can follow our goals even when we feel like we are overwhelmed.
• Chris Brogan, Human Business Works @ChrisBrogan – Chris gave us tips on updating our blogs to gain more readers.
• Conference Host: Maryellen Hooper @MaryellenHooper – Maryellen had me in stitches as she spoke about being a mother of two and showed us photos of her family.

Ramon DeLeon

Animal Kingdom Dinner

Visiting Animal Kingdom after the park closed was exciting and staying after dark was thrilling. We spent our time in DinoLand USA with a dinner buffet, opened rides, including Mt. Everest (the first time it was opened to riders after dark) and midway games.

Mickey and Minnie and Me

Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck and other characters appeared for photos. Before we entered we were greeted by a face character (I don’t know her name) who called out my daughter, Sammi to ask if she was in the mafia. Sammi was wearing her black fedora. Sammi came out of her shell and had a very funny back and forth with her. We had time to sit with other attendees, talk and eat another scrumptious dinner. The celebration continued and we looked forward to the next day of breakout sessions and dinner at the not yet opened Art of Animation Resort.

My Flickr folder contains more photos from the Animal Kingdom Dinner. Take a look!

Stay tuned for more Disney Social Media Moms posts.

I paid to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. In exchange for my registration fee, I received deeply discounted rates on hotel, park tickets, free events, meals, and swag. I am not required nor was I asked to write about the events by Disney or any other brands, celebrities, or speakers affiliated with the event. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links are used on this blog

Shortly after the reception, we attended the Pirate Themed party, the Swashbuckler Soiree and Family Dinner by Disney Junior.  Held on the beach, with a tasty buffet, it was a lovely way to spend time with our families and other bloggers. The entertainment included a band of pirates (get it?), Disney characters (Smee, Captain Hook and Jake from the Neverland Pirates) for fun photo opps, splashing in the water and hunting for treasure.

The food choices were overwhelming, so I took a little of everything to taste. Then I’d go back for more of what I really like – barbeque ribs, mahi mahi, roasted potatoes and Bananas Foster. The children’s buffet had burgers, hot dogs, fresh fruit, mac and cheese and other goodies.

Disney always knows how to make families happy. The adults had time to kick off our shoes, eat dinner and dessert (maybe a few helpings of both), laugh at the corny jokes from the band and make friends with others at our table or across the beach. Children of all ages grabbed some food then ran off. They dug in the sand, found a friend or three,  played games with Radio Disney cast members, danced and some ended up with more than their toes in the water. As the sun set and our bellies were filled, my family and I found ourselves with big smiles, relaxed and looking forward to more adventures during the Disney Social Media Moms event.

Important Info: I must say thank you to the amazing women who worked behind the scenes to make this entire event as special anyone could imagine – the @DisneySMMoms team. When I checked in to get my paperwork, tickets and swag, they remembered me by name! When I apologized for the emails I sent about special requests, they were so kind. I’m kicking myself for not taking a photo of them and their contagious smiles, but I sure do remember them all.

My Flickr folder contains more photos of the Pirate Dinner. Take a look!

Stay tuned for more Disney Social Media Moms posts.

I paid to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. In exchange for my registration fee, I received deeply discounted rates on hotel, park tickets, free events, meals, and swag. I am not required nor was I asked to write about the events by Disney or any other brands, celebrities, or speakers affiliated with the event. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links are used on this blog.

Think of this as a virtual meet up! Let the magic begin.

Meeting the greeter, a refined gentleman dressed as a Captain, and speaking with him, made us feel at home. He shared tidbits about the resort and knew about every park and what would make my 13 year old daughter happy. I’m sad that we missed taking a photo with him, but I’ll be sure to do that on my next visit. All of the staff members are friendly and welcoming. If I looked puzzled, someone asked if they could help before I had a chance to ask.

The little things mean so much – Ice cold water with lemons in the lobby, plush benches in the hallways, fresh flowers set on tables, lush gardens all around the resort – made our first stay the first of many. Our room was large and beautifully decorated. The nautical theme is carried out through the room with blue and white as the featured colors.  We had visitors as soon as we walked in the door…two ducks awaiting our arrival on the balcony.

Our first meal of the day, lunch, was on our own and we chose Beaches and Cream Soda Shop. Burgers, fries, grilled cheese and ice-cream were all delicious. The 50’s style diner feel added to our delight as we ate and listened to jukebox music and dimmed lights as servers brought out the famous Kitchen Sink Sundae. Thank goodness we chose to share our ice cream so we’d have room for dinner later that night.

My Flickr folder contains more photos of the Disney Yacht Club. Take a look!

Stay tuned for more Disney Social Media Moms posts.

I paid to attend the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. In exchange for my registration fee, I received deeply discounted rates on hotel, park tickets, free events, meals, and swag. I am not required nor was I asked to write about the events by Disney or any other brands, celebrities, or speakers affiliated with the event. All opinions are my own. Affiliate links are used on this blog.

Sung by Michelle Lindahl and David Wise