Wordless Wednesday - Where I'd rather be

Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Wordless Wednesday - tweet tweet

Photo credit: The Walt Disney Company

A few words....yes, this is a common scene at the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration ... lots of tweeting going on....

Hippos, crocodiles and giraffes...oh my!

At a little before 7 a.m. on the last full day of the 2011 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration my friend Tracie and I boarded a van with six other moms and headed to the Animal Kingdom....ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime - the Wild Africa Trek!

We arrived "behind the scenes" at the Animal Kingdom and after signing the required "I promise not to sue Disney if a crocodile eats me" legal documents, we took a few group photos, had our last bathroom break for the next two hours, and then headed to the "outpost" area to get suited up for our trek.


And by "suited up" I mean this - we had to be weighed (thankfully NO one but our 'guide' saw that number!) so they could fit us for those lovely green vests you see in the photo. The vests included straps that had to be wrapped basically under your butt and between the legs and oh my gosh...what a sight it was to watch us get hooked into the vest. Another part of the vest is a harness and a huge carabiner hook. Any cameras or smart phones had to be attached to the vest with other carabiner hooks. And we had a water bottle attached to us. All in all....the vest weighed about 5 pounds. Oddly enough, you really felt like an adventurer in this getup.

After getting geared up and walking over the "practice" bridge, the guides told us to enjoy some hot chocolate or juice ... which sounded really good, except for the fact that we weren't going to have the chance for a "biological experience" (Disney speak for bathroom breaks!) for another 2 hours. Yeah, we couldn't pee for two more hours. So, yes please...more hot chocolate!

And then, we were off on the great adventure...

We walked through the Animal Kingdom headed toward the Pangani Forest and then we made it to the Harambe Wildlife Reserve, and once we entered the trail area it was really incredible. No longer were you IN Disney...oh no...you were IN the wildlife reserve, hiking through the bamboo and trees, hearing animals in the distance. I kept thinking...holy cow...I'm really doing this...gosh I hope we don't run into any big bugs...or wild animals on the lam...."

Our first stop was at the hippo river where we had the chance to clip to a lifeline and walk out to the edge of the "cliff" overlooking the hippo's river.

The research assistants who work at the reserve (yes, we were ON a reserve and there ARE research assistants who work there.....keep up with the story, people!) were feeding the hippos who just happened to be father and son. The son had not yet shown his 'dominance' and therefore he was still hanging out with dad, eating watermelon. Say cheese!

Being clipped on the lifeline and having the chance to get THISCLOSE to the hippos was incredible. And breathtaking. And I think many of us kept repeating "oh my gosh! this is AMAZING!"

After a bit more walking we came to the first rope bridge that we had to walk over to cross the hippo river and head toward the crocodile river. OK, to recap....we are walking on a rope bridge that hangs over a river that is full of animals that will kill you (because just in case you didn't know this, hippos kill people). But, this IS Disney.....so you pretty much realize you're safe! That being said....I chose to NOT be the first person over the bridge. I gave up my spot at the front of the line....just in case.


One by one we clipped on to the lifeline over the bridge and started across. I was looking down the entire time repeating "holy crap. holy crap. holy crap."....Yeah, I was a bit terrified. Not of falling but of...well, yeah...OK, I was scared of falling. Which was stupid because there's a net under the bridge and I was hooked to a lifeline with a bungee cord. I wasn't going anywhere. But the whole walking over a swaying rope bridge...well, it's quite REAL. And a bit scary. But in a good way.

I made it across the bridge ... safe and sound...


And then, there was the next rope bridge. This one hung right over the crocodile river. Real. Live. Man eating. Crocodiles. I'm talking 17-foot long crocodiles. River monsters. You get the picture, right? The best part of this bridge? As we're waiting to cross, both sides of the rope bridge are covered with vultures. Real, live vultures. As if they're just waiting for us. (I said to our guide "hey, nice touch with the vultures." .... he quickly shooed them back to the treetops.)


And so it was time again to cross another rope bridge....this was my view at one point (notice Mr. Toothy Croc below)...


After making it over this bridge, we had another chance to get up close to the crocs when we clipped onto a lifeline on land. And then we walked a bit until we reached our safari vehicle. We were able to get out of the vests (fastest 5 lbs I ever lost!) and grab a seat on the truck. At this point our adventure joins the rest of the safari vehicles on the Harambe Wildlife Reserve - viewing giraffes, elephants, cheetahs and more.

And then we came to our safari camp right there smack in the middle of the reserve. We exited the safari vehicle and everyone grabbed some (amazing!) food and juice and we had breakfast right there in the middle of the wildlife reserve. The food was delicious...yogurt parfait, fresh fruit, dried apricots with brie wedges, dried beef, pancetta, smoked salmon with dill cream cheese and fig bars. (And it was served in those adorable metal tins - which I am going to buy the next time I'm at the AK.)

our table looked out over the savanna...where the giraffe and the antelope roam

After breakfast - and a much needed potty break - we finished our tour of the reserve and headed back to base camp, getting a chance to see lions, rhinos, ostrich and more on the way "home." There was so much to see on the trek that I'm sure I missed something .... which means I need to do it again!

This adventure was so incredible and I was so lucky to have the chance to experience it! I would do it again in a heartbeat and would recommend it to anyone who has a sense of adventure and is looking for something "different" and "new" while on a Walt Disney World Vacation.

Some notes about the Wild Africa Trek: You must be 8 years of age or older and weigh between 45 and 310 pounds. The trek is three hours long and is offered several times a day at Disney's Animal Kingdom. You need to be in good physical health to participate - there is quite a bit of walking and the truck ride is rather bumpy. For more information visit this site or call 407-WDW-TOUR to book your adventure!

Check out this video and blog post from my friend and 'trek partner' Tracie from Vacation Field Guides.


Disclosure: While I paid my way for this event, we were given an incredible deal by Disney. The conference fee included three nights at the Grand Floridian, 7-day park hopper tickets, the conference, most meals, several special events, and other 'goodies' to take home. All opinions expressed in these posts are mine. Disney did not ask that we blog about the event. But as a lifelong, dedicated Disney fan, I am more than happy to share my experiences with you.

A grand resort and a magical party

One of the most exciting things about Disney's Social Media Moms Celebration - aside from the networking and being surrounded by all thing social media - was the chance to stay at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. For years I've looked at it longingly as we passed by on the Monorail (and even got a "sneak peek" inside the resort two years ago when we dined at 1900 Park Fare)....but never in a gazillion years did I ever DREAM that I would get to stay at the Grand Floridian!

When we arrived at the resort Thursday morning it was all I could do to contain my excitement as we walked through the doors and into the beautiful lobby. It really was one of those "pinch me....oh my GOSH...are we really HERE?!?!" kind of moments.

Our room was spectacular - the view was incredible...we looked out across the water to The Polynesian and to the right was the Monorail. I really could have sat on the balcony for an entire week and never been bored with that view. It was so relaxing, so beautiful, so .... MAGICAL.


The lobby of the Grand Floridian has a very distinct 'smell' to it - the scent of fresh flowers surrounds you....and it just adds to the beauty of the resort. I really have never stayed anywhere like the Grand Floridian and can only hope that some day soon I can stay there again.

And so....moving right along to the rest of the Day 2 events...

After our conference sessions we had a few hours of "free time" - some people went to the parks for a bit, some went back to their rooms to relax...I chose to go shopping! Oh, and grab a Mickey Rice Krispie Treat and sit by the marina and listen to the train whistle at the Magic Kingdom and watch the Monorail go by. (Now that is a great way to spend an hour or two...).

Then, it was time to PARTY!
We all hopped on buses and headed over to Disney's Hollywood Studios for a party INSIDE the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. Yes, you read that right. Our party was on the stage for the show. Once again, Disney had outdone themselves. One of the many highlights for me was going 'behind the scenes' at the park to enter the party. We were THISCLOSE to the Disney plane that Walt himself used to fly on as he traveled from California to Florida!

Once we were inside the stage area, it was time to party! Buffet lines were set up with amazing food selections (prime rib, roast pork, chicken, pasta, veggies, bread, and kid's food too, including chicken and green beans). The dessert table....all chocolate!

Here's a couple photos....

Yes, I took a picture of my food!

We heard some news about the "new" Disney Junior and there was a crazy dance party going on for the kids with pirates and other Disney Junior characters....but the best part of the night for me? Spending time with friends....






And really....this is one of the most valuable 'take aways' I have from this entire experience - the incredible friendships I have thanks to social media. Yes, we all learned valuable, relevant, life-changing (perhaps) lessons during the conference sessions. We are all becoming better "social media mavens" because of this event. Our blogs are growing, we're tweeting more and using Facebook the "right" way.

But more important than all of this knowledge are the friendships we all made at this event (or even at the first Social Media Moms Celebration in 2010) and the friendships we all formed before the event on Twitter or Facebook or on our blogs. [I have blogged about them here, here, and here....].

All of the friends I've made ....intelligent, beautiful, strong, amazing, funny women....these are the people I look to for advice, wisdom, laughter, or a shoulder to cry on if needed. These women inspire me every day with their blogging. And I am honored to call you my friends (and you know who you are).


Disclosure: While I paid my way for this event, we were given an incredible deal by Disney. The conference fee included three nights at the Grand Floridian, 7-day park hopper tickets, the conference, most meals, several special events, and other 'goodies' to take home. All opinions expressed in these posts are mine. Disney did not ask that we blog about the event. But as a lifelong, dedicated Disney fan, I am more than happy to share my experiences with you.

Facebook, following your passion, and C.R.A.P.

I have to say, waking up at the Grand Floridian and seeing the Monorail silently glide past the resort is one heck of a way to start your day! I could get used to this...

Day two of Disney's Social Media Moms Celebration started with breakfast at Citrico's - you could feel the anticipation in the room .... I "knew" most of the day's speakers (by name at least) but I had no idea how much I would learn or how much I would grow as a person in one morning.

One of the things I love most about a social media conference is looking around the room and seeing everyone 'connected' via laptops, netbooks, smart phones, iPads and more. You could never hear a pin drop .... there is a constant buzz of fingers on the keyboards Tweeting, Facebooking and live blogging.

After a warm welcome by Meg Crofton, president of the Walt Disney World Resort, it was time to "get down to business."

Our first speaker was Matt Jacobson, Head of Market Development at Facebook. He made it a point to tell us that he was the "eighth employee at Facebook." (And yes, I was VERY tempted to ask who played him in the movie...but I didn't.) One of the first things I tweeted out during his session was this: "this great big world is stunningly small when we're all connected" #disneysmmoms (from Facebook video)

[And that, my friends, is something to think about. As I read those words, I looked at my table and saw my friends from Georgia, Florida, Connecticut and Michigan - two of whom I had never met "in person" until the this trip. But there we were - connected, sharing friendships that were started online but transcended into the "real" world. It really IS a small world after all.]

OK. Back to Matt Jacobson.
After listening to what he had to say I had a few take aways that I'd like to share:
- Import your blog into Facebook. I really MUST do this. I think it's high time The Fishbowl had it's own Facebook page.
- Facebook is a meaningful way to communicate - people are leveraging it in so many ways.
- Go tell your story. On Facebook.

The next speaker had such an incredible impact on me that I'm still processing it today, three weeks later.Her name? Rene Syler, former anchor on the CBS Morning Show. Now, Rene is the Good Enough Mother - she blogs, she tweets, she imparts her wisdom in a brutally honest way that smacks you upside the head and makes you go "holy crap! she's talking about MY life too."

Rene's life in the past few years has been challenging at best. She lost her job, had a preventative double mastectomy, got very sick, lost her hair, suffered depression, reinvented herself and tells us that every day she eats a $2 Lean Cuisine in her "closet office" and has never been happier. Why Good Enough Mother? Well, the concept behind the blog is that you don't have to be PERFECT and that being "good enough" is OK. (Whew. This is refreshing because I am so far GONE from perfect that I'll never find my way back.)


And now, the most valuable lessons I learned during the entire day:
- Nobody is going to believe in you as much as you believe in yourself.
- You may not know what you want to do, but you definitely know what you don't want to do.
- You don't need someone to tell you that you are "the one", you only need to make it happen.
- Just because you used your womb doesn't mean you can't use your brain.
- Real growth hurts.
- You will not grow when you're comfortable, and you won't be comfortable when you're growing.
- People who make you feel bad have no place in your life.
- FOLLOW YOUR PASSION BECAUSE YOU'LL NEVER GO WRONG.

As Rene was talking I was crying. (Heck, I'm crying as I type this right now). So much of what she said echoed in my head and settled in my soul. One of my (many) tweets during her session: i want to be able to say "every day I am happy" when it comes to my job! #disneysmmoms @renesyler (love this session!!!) and then this: it is OK to take yourself off the bottom of the "to do" list. #disneysmmoms @renesyler

I cannot put into words how inspiring and enlightening it was to hear someone echo the things that I know are true, but that I am (probably) afraid to face. Thank you for everything, Rene.

So...after we all dried our eyes (many moms were crying!), the Fairy Godmother showed up and gave away some prizes, including an overnight stay in Cinderella's Castle suite. Clearly, I didn't win that. :)

And then things got a little crazy.
All of a sudden this woman stood up and ran up to the stage and starting talking really, really fast. But the joke was on US! It was our next speaker, Fran Capo - the world's fastest talker. She really does talk fast. But I was able to get a few take aways:
- Just say yes, figure it out later.
- When a door opens, walk through it.
- Live every day as if it's your last and one day you'll be right.

After a lovely lunch and some wonderful conversation with friends, it was back to the ballroom. But not before meeting Duffy!


Next up...Chris Brogan. I really like Brogan's no nonsense take on social media - it's as simple as saying "I see you." That's it. I. See. You.

Other things Chris said that I think you should know:
- Always ask yourself "why?" "How" is easy to answer, but "why" will stop you from doing something stupid.
- As bloggers, we are in customer service, sales and marketing.
- Do things. Try Things.
- Always ask "then what?" over and over again.
- Attention is like currency - give attention to GET attention.
- Little bloggers do grow up (my personal favorite)
- Everything is content.
- Start with you - make you whole first.
- Make it human.
- And then there's C.R.A.P. = Connections, Referrals, Attention, Presence.

After listening to Rene Syler and Chris Brogan I was left with many thoughts and ideas, but kept coming back to one thing: I NEED TO BLOG MORE. I need to spend more time on my blog, telling my story. I also need to comment more on other blogs.

Our day of social media sessions was capped off with champagne and the music of Susan Egan and Georgia Stitt. It was a lovely way to end the afternoon.


And now.....I'll save the rest of the day's activities for the next blog post. But I have to say, this day sealed the deal for me - it really was an incredible day. And there was more magic on the way.....


Disclosure: While I paid my way for this event, we were given an incredible deal by Disney. The conference fee included three nights at the Grand Floridian, 7-day park hopper tickets, the conference, most meals, several special events, and other 'goodies' to take home. All opinions expressed in these posts are mine. Disney did not ask that we blog about the event. But as a lifelong, dedicated Disney fan, I am more than happy to share my experiences with you.

Magical weddings, a party on the beach,and 'pinch me...are we really here?!?"

Recently, I was lucky enough to attend Disney's Social Media Moms Celebration at the Walt Disney World Resort. This was the second year I attended the event and it was even more magical than last year's event!

The event was all about social media - but because it IS Disney, there was magic added in at every turn. Our first day was no exception.

After checking in at Disney's Grand Floridian Resort and Spa (and spending half the day at the Magic Kingdom), we all headed to Disney's Wedding Pavilion... just a hop, skip and a jump away from the Grand Floridian...for the first event - the Platinum Soiree to celebrate Disney Weddings' 20 years of planning magical weddings!

We all received Minnie Mouse bridal ears and then we were greeted by Franck (yes...THAT Franck from Father of the Bride) and Edna (from The Incredibles)! And then we saw the candy buffet tables. Oh my, the candy. With 'carry out' boxes. To fill to the brim with all that candy! (At this point I was thinking "this would have been so neat at MY wedding!").

I ventured inside Franck's and immediately decided that I NEEDED a Disney wedding. Yes, I'm already married. But my 10 year anniversary is next year and well....wishful thinking, I know.

After mingling for a bit, catching up with friends, and enjoying some "bubbly" ... we all headed over to the Wedding Pavilion for more surprises! Along the way we had a chance to see some of the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings gowns by Alfred Angelo - so amazing!

The Pavilion itself is breathtaking. I've seen it so many times as we whiz by on the Monorail, but to be inside and (maybe) imagine a wedding (vow renewal) ceremony taking place....um, wow! Of course, at this point it was filled with about 150 moms in Minnie Mouse ears so that took it to a whole new level of fun!


One of the 'special guests' at the event was Michael Shettell, the designer behind the Disney Fairytale dresses at Alfred Angelo and he had a surprise for us! The newest dress, the Platinum Collection Cinderella gown was revealed. And oh my .... the dress is amazing.

Other 'guests' included Carley Roney with The Knot and celebrity wedding planner and host of My Fair Wedding, David Tutera. A few 'take aways' from these speakers:
- Your audience is everything!
- Social media is a cocktail party. Be clever and interesting.
- Create a trend!

And then....well, it got even more magical. We were introduced to a couple who had been married at Disney a few years ago. They told their story and then Franck whisked them away...only to have them return a bit later to RENEW THEIR VOWS! I think my tweet at that moment was "Oh my gosh! Surprise vow renewal!" It was such an amazing event to witness - the "wedding party" danced down the aisle and I think many of us were crying happy tears for this lovely couple!

After the vow renewal we headed back to Franck's Bridal Studio for one more surprise...Cinderella's carriage arrived to carry the bride and groom to their reception. Oh, and there were fireworks. Because no wedding is complete without fireworks!

And, I had my photo taken with Franck. Looking fierce!


And then it was time for US to party.
On the beach. At the Grand Floridian.
Did I mention how amazing the day was?
It was even more amazing once the party started.

This tweet summed it up:
Beautiful weather. amazing event. Incredible people! #DisneySMMoms

A couple of my favorite pictures from the night:




Throughout the evening many of us kept repeating "Oh my gosh! Are we really here?!? I can't believe we're actually HERE!" And that was a theme that repeated again and again during the weekend.

If this first day was THIS magical, what could the next few days bring?


Disclosure: While I paid my way for this event, we were given an incredible deal by Disney. The conference fee included three nights at the Grand Floridian, 7-day park hopper tickets, the conference, most meals, several special events, and other 'goodies' to take home. All opinions expressed in these posts are mine. Disney did not ask that we blog about the event. But as a lifelong, dedicated Disney fan, I am more than happy to share my experiences with you.

Oh for the love....

I cannot fail this 'challenge' on day two!!!!!!!!!!!

I just realized that it's 10:23 p.m. and I've written nothing today.

My excuse??
Um....I was busy.

Plans were sprouting up all over the place. :)
(see how I used that whole sprout theme? yeah....sneaky, I know).

My crazy Saturday started like this.....

First we practically ran out of the house at 8:45 this morning to get to the salon so Olivia could get a new 'do (last minute planning on my part). And then we had to stop for doughnuts.

Then we headed to that 'baby superstore' because we had to buy two new booster car seats for Olivia because she is growing like a weed and the old seats we had were rated "worst" last fall in that car seat safety rating thingy (yep, that IS a technical phrase).

And can I just point that that it's RIDICULOUS that something so essential to a child's safety in the car is so FREAKING EXPENSIVE! Seriously. We bought one of the "best bets" in safety ratings and lucky for us it was one of the "less expensive" versions...but good gravy people, there are car seats that cost nearly $300. For a CAR SEAT. To me, that's criminal.

And then there were groceries to be bought (hello high cost of food...can I blame my grocery bill on Libya too...because I'm blaming the cost of gas on them...it cost $45 to fill my minivan today...and that was with 80 cents off per gallon).

And of course, Mt. Washmore needed to be tackled today. (The clean clothes are still sitting, somewhat folded in the baskets).

Add to the mix a few meals and paying bills and whatnot...and well, I had no time to blog about the excitement that filled my day.

And then finally at 8 p.m. I finally collapsed on the couch....where I have been until just now.

So take THAT NaBloPoMo!!!
I just wrote a blog post. About nothing. But it's still a post.
HA!

Today, I win!
(Oh yeah....WINNING!)

We'll see about tomorrow....

It's April....time to grow

Yep, it's April.

April 1.
April Fools' Day.

Well, I'm no fool.
Except I'm going to try the whole NaBloPoMo "challenge" again.
And no, this is NOT an April Fools' joke.
I'm really doing this thing again.

This month's theme is 'sprout' - I see it as a theme about growing which is very fitting based on things that are happening in my little fishbowl lately.

Today's prompt is "what are you ready to let go of?"*

Wow.
That my friends is a loaded question.

I am ready to let go of the stress that has been hanging over me for the last few months.
I am ready to let go of that feeling .... you know the one where you're wondering if you're good enough or smart enough or talented enough.
I am ready to let go of the frustration that greets me Monday through Friday.

I am ready to GROW.
And be better.
And stronger.
I am ready to be ME.


*note: I am thinking of using the prompts from NaBloPoMo every now and then when I need that "push" to write.