Five Ways the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration can Ignite Your Social Media Game!

A throwback photo from our first family trip to Walt Disney World

I am a part of Disney Social Media Moms. As part of this program I received a discount package to visit Disney World with my family. All opinions expressed are my own. 

With the blogging conference season approaching, I realized that I never posted about the Disney Social Media Mom Celebration and why I think it's the coolest even on the planet. Although the conference is over, I still learned things that might help you as you decide what conferences you are going to attend this year. 

Since I work full time in addition to being a social media influencer, I am very selective about the conferences I select. In my opinion, the keys to a great conference are about where its located, who is going to be there, what are you going to learn and can you leverage the lessons and relationships to take your craft to the next level. Well, the Disney Social Media Celebration has all of that and more!

The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration is Everything You Might Imagine

Some things sound cool, but don't quite measure up. Other things are more AMAZING than you expect. The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration falls in the second camp. In a word, the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration is the “S-P-A-R-K” that helps influencers and their families to experience the magic of Disney while networking with colleagues and gaining skills to take their careers to the next level.

Magic Kingdom

Scenery. The start to a good conference is like that old real estate adage, "Location! Location! Location! So, what better place than Disney?! Disney World is the most magical place on earth and it is BEAUTIFUL. It is why people travel from all over the world, why the Super Bowl MVP goes there every year, and why some parents save for years to give their kids this experience. I feel beyond fortunate to have developed a relationship with Disney that has allowed me to take my kids more than once. As my daughter's face in the photo below indicates, the registration fee is entirely worth it!

Spray Park at Magic Kingdom

Presents (a/k/a "SWAG"). I'm talking major swag baby! Let’s just say that Disney knows how to treat an influencer right. Also, the other sponsors hook you up too! We began our celebration with a gift from American Tourister. We received a Star Wars inspired suitcase that ensured that we would travel to the event in style. Upon arrival, we had private shopping experience sponsored by Hanes. We got to see their new and exciting products and they allowed us to select what we wanted. It was like Christmas! Don’t be surprised if I refer to Hanes as “Santa” in future posts! ;-) 

A gift from Hanes #HappyinHanes 

Attendees. The coolest folks in social media are there. There are legitimate social media rock stars who have achieved large followings, have collaborated with the best brands in substantial ways (like 6 figure ways), and who understand that SEO is not a dirty word.  There are also real live celebrities. You might just meet a TV star and an Olympic athlete! Meeting Dominique Dawes, who was there as a spokesperson for GoGo SqueeZ was a highlight of my trip. I have admired her for years. So, to meet her and to hear about how she’s raising her kids. It reminded me that us moms are all in this together, trying to figure it out, even if we do have a gold medal!

With Dominique Dawes

Relationship Building. Because the conference is over several days you have the ability to develop quality relationships with influencers from all over the country.

With Tomika Bryant and Christine St. Vil 

With Tonia Sanders

We also met movie producers, animators, directors and television personalities! Since part of the event was on a cruise ship, these were more than chance meetings, these were actual conversations. Some more motivated influencers even ran a race with those folks. I took advantage of sleeping in... And if you're lucky, your child may even fall in love for the first time...

Keys to the Kingdom. There are VIP experiences.The access to the Disney parks and leadership is unreal. We literally entered Animal Kingdom after dark and got to experience its majesty privately. There are sneak peeks of movies, experiences, and rides. There are confidential comments about upcoming collaborations, and there is the sense that by just being there you are the luckiest influencer alive (along with a few hundred of your new best friends.) 

Animal Kingdom after dark

The combination of all of these make for an incomparable experience.

Although not every blogger or influencer will attend the Disney SMMC, there are many other conferences that are happening over the summer and fall. I encourage you to review the agenda, pay attention to the speakers and the featured guests to determine is that conference will give you the spark to get your social media game up. Be selective about which conferences you attend and have specific goals in mind.

Bonus: The food. The food at Disney World restaurants and on the Disney Wonder is amazing. The food at the parks is great amusement park food. It goes well beyond standard amusement park fare. The gigantic turkey legs at Magic Kingdom are on another level! Besides that though, the restaurants are world class and can hold their own with Zagat's best.  They have whatever you want and are also sensitive to food allergies. A special shout out to Paradiso 37 at Disney Springs! Amazing doesn't even begin to describe their food!

(Stay tuned for ten tips that I learned from a Disney social media expert that can transform your blog.)