My family and I were invited to the 2016 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at Walt Disney World in Florida. No one in my family had ever been to Disney World before so this trip was a first for all of us! As part of this event, I received complimentary items, discounted rates, special behind-the-scenes access, and other exciting benefits, such as food and entertainment.
What is the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration?
Lately I’ve had a bunch of people tell me how “lucky” I am because I get free stuff. They all want to know how they can start a blog and get free stuff, too. Truth is, I’ve poured my blood, sweat, and tears into this blog. I have been working to build my own little piece of the web for 6 years! I’m not lucky, I WORKED for it.
This Disney Social Media Moms Celebration is an invitation-only professional conference for social media-minded people, just like me! Disney Parks knows how hard we work, and they think we deserve to make some magical memories together with our families!
The Disney Social Media Moms Celebration continues to be one of the most sought after conferences and one of the few family-friendly events for social media influencers and opinion leaders. Disney Parks presented a dynamic line-up of speakers and one-of-a-kind events to empower and energize us in both our professional endeavors and family life.
Thursday, May 5th – Arrival
We drove down from Georgia on Wednesday night and stayed in a hotel right off the highway. Then on Thursday morning we drove the remaining hour or so to Disney World!
We arrived at Disney’s Yacht Club for check-in about noon. After we signed in, received our conference badges, and met Mickey Mouse, we went to check out our room!
We had the most beautiful room and an amazing view of the lagoon and Disney’s Boardwalk!
We had a few hours to kill before our “Wild Welcome” family dinner, so we headed over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom first.
Kilimanjaro Safaris
The Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was the first attraction we did after we arrived — and it’s still one of my favorites! I wanted to go again before we left but ran out of time.
It was like a REAL African Safari! We took a tour through the lush African savanna with real-live exotic animals in an open-air vehicle.
The animals are literally roaming right next to you! Seriously mind-blowing, it was a great way to start our trip!
Next we went to check out DinoLand, and another must-see on my list, Expedition Everest. We spent about 5 hours at the Animal Kingdom on our own exploring before we headed back for the main welcome meet-and-greet event. Kali River Rapids is definitely on my list for next time!
“Wild Welcome” Family Dinner at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
That evening for dinner, we were all transported to Disney’s Animal Kingdom AFTER hours. The park completely transforms at night, and we had the entire place to ourselves!
First we headed to Africa for a buffet-style dinner, complete with African dancing, gifts from The Lion Guard, and we got to meet some characters from Zootopia.
Then we traveled to Asia in the village of “Anandapur” (which means “place of delight”) for Mickey Mouse ice cream, cream puffs, and tons of other desserts.
Huge thank you to Karen‘s husband for watching the girls for us, so my husband and I could ride Expedition Everest in the dark through the Himalayan mountains, avoiding the clutches of the Abominable Snowman… over and over! Haley wanted to ride it, but she was an inch too short, and Natalie was tall enough to ride but too terrified to try it because of the Yeti!
Starting Memorial Day weekend, you will be able to get tickets for “Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park At Night” to experience new shows like the River of Lights, music-filled water and light show…
…and the Tree of Life, as animal spirits within the great tree come alive at night! We got to see a preview of the mesmerizing color and light while we were there!
The day was full of amazing surprises and the magic continued even when we arrived back at our hotel room. There was a new bag full of goodies and two adorable Mickey Mouse stuffed animals.
The entire first day was magical! I can see why they call it the happiest place on Earth. I was blown away by the friendly cast members, the gorgeous sand-filled pool, and the awesome Magic Bands that control everything from our hotel room to park tickets.
Disney knows how to throw a party! I’ll be walking you through our entire first trip to Walt Disney World so stay tuned for a lot more pictures!
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Looks like a lot of fun! The Disney Social Media Moms Conference sounds like a really great experience.
Looks like SO MUCH fun! I was watching on the hashtag on social media and DSMMC looked like so much fun. What a fun thing for a family too!
Our family trips to Disney have all been so memorable. It looks like your time at Animal Kingdom was nothing short of epic.
This really makes me want to visit Animal Kingdom again! The Kilimanjaro Safaris are the coolest!
I have heard so much fun things about this event. It looks like your family had a blast.
What a great event! How fun that you were able to enjoy it with your whole family, looks like the kids loved it too!
Disney really does everything right don’t they? I completely agree with your opening comments about working for where you are! Many people think blogging is easy and takes no time. I hope you got a lot out of the conference and your family enjoyed their time too.
Thanks Toni! Yes, I’ll admit I was skeptical at first, but they do! They really, really do everything above and beyond anyone else!
That Safari location/area looks so real and vivid with life! As much as we see all types of sights and fun spots, Disney still never fails to offer the best and this post stands with that fact.
Congrats on being blessed with fairy dust and becoming a Disney Social Media mom this year. I am not a mom but you guys give me something to aspire to when I have kids! I see how much fun you all have – best place on Earth!
Congrats on getting selected for this conference! It looks like you all had a fabulous time! I think Animal Kingdom closed early when I was there, so we didn’t get to see the tree lit up like that on our visit. It truly is spectacular!
Yes, it normally closes at 6pm, the nighttime magic is brand-new! We got an exclusive sneak peek, but Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be opening at night starting Memorial Day weekend!
This would be an amazing trip. I am hoping to take the kids next year. I love the photos.
What a fun adventure! I love the view from balcony, and the ride in himalayan mountains.
This looks like such a fun time, I am glad you were able to do that! Loving all of the photos, I am thinking my kids would love a trip here!
We loved Animal Kingdom, well we love everything at Disney. Looks like you had a great time and great memories
On our lone trip to Disney World, Animal Kingdom was my favorite park. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to see a lot of the park. I would really love to go back just for Animal Kingdom!
It was one of my favorites too! And it completely transforms after dark! Starting Memorial Day weekend, you can visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom at night!
Looks like you guys had an amazing time. I’m going to have to take my boychild to visit. I know he would love this.
I agree that not many know the hard work and endless consistency that goes in to building a successful blog. It looks like you were able to have a great experience as a small reward, and I love the fingernails 🙂
Thanks for noticing! 😉
My kids love animals so this would be great for them! I am adding this to our family bucket list.
Anyone would enjoy a trip like this! Imagine being able to stay in a hotel as lovely as that and you get to explore Disney in the morning! That’s just simply amazing!
That sounds AWESOME! Me and my family went last year, so i know how much fun it is!
I didn’t know the tree lit up at night. We were just there but it was a Sunday so it closed before it got dark. 🙂 I love Animal Kingdom.
Yes, the nighttime magic is brand-new! At various times, flickering fireflies magically appear and awaken the animal spirits carved into the tree’s trunk! We got an exclusive sneak peek, but Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be opening at night starting Memorial Day weekend!
We go to Disney every year and have skipped this park the last few times we went. I am so happy you guys had a blast there 🙂
What a fun event! My family and I love Disney. I grew up going, took our kids often and now we’re taking the grandkids. People are always asking me how to start a blog to get paid and/or free stuff. They just don’t realize the hard work and long hours that go on behind the scene.
Very true! People don’t realize there is so much more to it than just writing an article!
What a super cute family photo! I have never been to Disney World – and think Animal Kingdom would be PERFECT for me!
It looks like you all had so much fun! This must have been such a fabulous experience. We’re planning on taking the kids to Disney later this year!