Sprinkled with Pixie Dust and Inspiration at #DisneySMMoms Day One

This post is written by the Experimental Mommy.  While I paid a conference fee to attend, portions of the conference costs were offset by sponsors.  All opinions remain 100% mine.

In 2009, I was so honored to be invited to attend the very 1st Disney Social Media Moms.  The experience was amazing (epic if you count sleeping in Cinderella’s Castle) so you can imagine my excitement to be invited to return for the 5th Anniversary celebration!  Instead of traveling East this time, I would have to head West to Disneyland.

Because I have never been to Disneyland, I knew I had to take along my family this time as they couldn’t join me in 2009.  I just had to share this new adventure with them because I knew it would be an experience like no other.  And it did not disappoint.

After our flight was delayed, we finally landed in Los Angeles but unfortunately we missed the opening reception.  The kids couldn’t wait to get started, so we took the opportunity to walk around the Disneyland Resort and grab a very late dinner.  As full of energy as the kids were, the travel caught up to them and they were ready for bed.  Until they saw the headboard light up! Magical!

Ready to hit the ground running, Friday was the main conference day.  While the family went exploring Disneyland, Hanes made sure I got off to a comfortable start by sponsoring a delicious breakfast.  Fueled up, my brain was ready to be inspired by a host of speakers.

From Donald Driver (Former NFL Player and Author) to Maxine Clark (Founder, Build-A-Bear Workshop), the speakers were full of great advice on being an entrepreneur and stoking the fire that lies within.  As the day progressed, we heard from more speakers that turned their passion into profit including the now infamous, Grumpy Cat.

I think my favorite speaker was Gary Buchanan, Social Media Manager for Disney Parks who I believe has the #1 most enviable job on Earth.  I can’t even describe how much fun this man has doing his job and it is truly inspiring.  Through Gary, we got a sneak peek at how the Disney Parks Blog is run and how the content is created.  I know it goes without saying, but the creativity within his team is endless.

Following a few special character sightings, we were off to enjoy the parks with our families and friends.  Honestly, networking with the enthusiastic attendees is one of the best parts of the Disney Social Media Moms Conference!  To close out the day, we were treated to VIP seating for the “World of Color” which was truly spectacular.

Stay tuned for more Pixie Dust on Day Two!