I still cannot believe that the 2017 Disney Social Media Moms Celebration has came and gone already — what a whirlwind of events!! I’m going to backtrack for a minute and tell you why this event was so special to me.
While this was my very first time attending DisneySMMC, this was not my first invitation. In fact, I was invited in both 2015 and again in 2016. In 2015 I was in a severe automobile accident. I was non-weight bearing, in a hospital bed in my living room. I was recovering from 14 broken bones; including my neck. While I was SO honored to be invited, it hurt me so much to have to decline.
In 2016 I was invited again! Although I was still recovering, I was okay enough where I would be able to attend. I was SO excited! Unfortunately a couple of weeks after I received my invitation, I re-fractured my left femur due to a complication from my accident the year prior. I was crushed.
Fast forward to this year. I honestly didn’t think I was going to receive an invitation as I saw them rolling out. I was incredibly happy for my peers, however, it still hurt to start to realize that my dreams of attending DisneySMMC may not happen. I was so surprised, and grateful to receive my invitation to this years conference early January. I could not RSVP fast enough!!
Because I received my invitation later than most, I had just about one month to plan our trip. No problem for me! We decided to invite my parents along. They’ve been with us every step of the way these past two years, that it only seemed right they be there with us to celebrate.
Once we were all registered, my parents took the boys to their hotel room and to explore the resort a bit. I had some “influencer only” events to attend! First up was a personal shopping experience with sponsor, Hanes. You can CLICK HERE to see my live unboxing video of the products I received. I promise it will make you laugh 😉
We learned about some of Hanes’ new products, my favorite being the new Oh So Light Comfort Line. These bras were SO SOFT!! Hanes also had some yummy treats and mimosas for us to enjoy!
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| photo credit: Disney Social Media Moms Celebration |
After spending some time with Hanes, I decided to head back to our room to get ready for the night ahead. One of the most exciting moments for me was getting my official conference badge. After these hard two years, I was finally here.
After I got ready for our evening at Animal Kingdom, it was time to head to our private buses that would transport us to the influencer only event — our families would meet up with us later. Our evening event was hosted by sponsor, GoGo squeeZ. It was held in the Festival of the Lion King Theater. Attendees were welcomed to this years celebration, and then we were welcome to network while we waited for our families to arrive.
Pandora – The World of Avatar arrives at Disney’s Animal Kingdom May 27, 2017. We got to see a diorama of Pandora, and I can tell you it’s going to be spectacular!
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| photo credit: Disney Social Media Moms Celebration |
Our families arrived, and we were treated to a fabulous dinner, entertainment, and dancing! I was so happy to see my boys, but my sweet Avery was so, so tired. He’s only 3-years old, and it was such a long day for him. He kept asking to go back to the hotel. My parents, being the amazing grandparents they are, offered to take him back while Jared and I stayed with Lincoln.
After enjoying some yummy food and dancing, it was time to head over to the amphitheater along Discovery River. We were going to be the first ever to see Animal Kingdom’s new nighttime show, Rivers of Light!!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom comes alive at night! With the Tree of Life Awakenings, Rivers of Light, and Pandora opening soon, Animal Kingdom will be on a whole other level! This expansion brings so much more to this beautiful park.
That looks amazing! How fun!! #blogginggoals 🙂