Minnie and I (in the funky lighting)

The first night of our experience was actually a press event. Families of attendees took part in activities, while bloggers joined a cadre of other journalists to learn about new Disney ventures. In particular, we learned about the Fantasyland expansion and the newest addition to the Disney Cruise line (what I wouldn’t give for a cruise on that gorgeous ship!). We also heard about the long-term ESPN vision and how they are working to achieve those goals. After the press conference, we joined back with families for a rousing dinner filled with music, dancing and plenty of Disney character opportunities.

Day 2 started far earlier than I would have preferred with a 7:30am bus to EPCOT. That said, it was fun to arrive backstage before the park was open to the general public. We had breakfast and then listened to Guy Kawaski speak about using Twitter as a marketing tool. It was my least favorite part of the conference, in part because it was so early, in part because there was almost nothing I could/would eat, and in part because most of what Guy was talking about didn’t apply to me.

Hey, Kermit, Over here!

After that, we walked to a different World Pavilion for the Family Volunteer Celebration. One volunteer family from each of the 50 states was invited to Disney World to kick off a year of Disney’s Give a Day, Get a Disney Day program. The event, which was staged in a Disney-typical grand manner, involved the families marching in to applause from media (including us) and Disney cast members. We had special appearances by Kermit the Frog and Ty Pennington before Disney unveiled a can sculpture involving nearly 120,000 cans, plus an additional 10,000 other food items. As an aside, when I later asked  where the cans came from, they told me, “We bought them. We went over to the local Publix and picked them up.” The afternoon was filled with volunteer opportunities, but by the time we made it back after lunch, they had finished all of the work.

That night, there was a massive VIP party that closed off portions of EPCOT. We enjoyed a dinner by Chef Robert Irvine of Dinner:Impossible fame, and performances by a variety of Disney Channel stars (including Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato.)

Marissa Jaret Winokur and I

The last day of our experience was the actual conference at the Contemporary Resort. We heard from Kathy Ireland, Marissa Jaret Winokur (Hairspray/Dancing with the Stars), Chris Brogan (Social Media Guru), Maxine (the founder/CEO of Build-a-Bear) and comedienne, Mary Ellen Hooper. All of the speakers were wonderful.  There were goodies and giveaways, including a magical night in the Princess Suite at Cinderella’s Castle.

That's my high score up there - 193700!

This evening, we had dinner at Hollywood Studios and then had two hours of private time at the Toy Story Midway Mania ride with access to Woody and Buzz Lightyear for pictures. I rode the ride countless times with the lovely and sweet KristenWDW before securing the high score of the night. By the end, the cast members let us just stay on the ride over and over!

Our conference registration of just $350 included all of the above activities/meals, as well as 7-day park hopper passes for the attendee and up to 3 additional family members. It also included 2 nights at the Polynesian resort. My favorite perk came in the form of a media fast past card that allowed us to get immediate fast passes on rides with no wait time and no restrictions, even when regular fast passes had already been distributed. Wow! And, because Disney knows how to treat us right, we were loaded down with all manner of swag from custom watches and bags to t-shirts and jackets. It was truly a magical experience both for conference attendees and their families.

I thought I’d share some highlights from the conference, as well as some things that I hope will change for future events.

Loved:

• Those crazy fast passes
• Inspirational, high-quality speakers
• Plenty of surprises and goodies
• Bloggers without families felt treated the same as bloggers with families
• The opportunity to include families with family-friendly activities

Could Use Improvement:

• Communication before the conference and especially before travel arrangements were made
• Lack of quiet space/time early on during our stay for us to connect with each other without other media present
• Extremely early mornings followed by events going into the night (give us a day with a bit of sleep-in time)

My favorite ride - Toy Story Midway Mania

Want more details? Head on over to the Cutest Kid Ever – she did a fabulous job of liveblogging the sessions. I am a pitiful liveblogger. I can’t blog and listen at the same time!

* Disclosure: I attended the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at my own cost, but the price of the conference (including meals and hotel) for all of the attendees was at a discounted rate. The opinions contained in this post are my own.

Related posts:

1. We’re Going to Disney World for Disney Social Media Moms
2. Disney Social Media Moms Celebration 2012 Family Highlights
3. Social Media and the Myth of the Perfect Parent

Rockin' the Tiaras with Liz Henry at the Bloglicious Princess Party, Photo by Liz Henry

In contrast to my fears, Blogalicious was a life-changing experience. The women (and men) present represented every hue you can imagine, but there was a collective sense of purpose and energy throughout the weekend. Race and ethnicity were certainly topics of discussion, but they didn’t dominate us. And most importantly, as a woman who has felt marginalized throughout her life, it was one of the few experiences where I wasn’t lumped into some pre-defined group. I was able to just be me, with all of the complexities and quirks that come with that.

The thing that really stood out was that I didn’t experience an ounce of negativity the entire weekend. Sure there were tiny complaints about trivial things (Dear W hotel, we want MAPLE syrup on our pancakes, not elderberry – what the heck is that anyway?!), but the energy was positive, constructive and supportive. Consistently. And Wow! Blogalicious had more hightlights than I could possible mention in one blog post, but I’m going to share some that jump out at me:

Listening to Denene Millner talk about her life work, her passion and her mom.

Sharing a ride, having lunch and stalking celebs/bloggers with @KeepItClassyJen (More about Jen)

Hanging out with fab ladies from The Blogrollers and CleverGirls Collective (I loved them even before I won a great prize bag!

Some deep and engaging conversation about race, ethnicity, parenting and all sorts of other things with Gina Carol (@MaDonnaNegra) and Carrie Ferguson Weir (@Carrie_in_TN).

Listening to Karen Walrond (@chookaloonks – which I can now pronounce) speak on “The Beauty of Difference.”  Karen has a fantastic voice that I could listen to all day, plus a wonderful presence. Hey, Disney, how ’bout giving her a role in an upcoming animated film…?

Donning a tiara (a la Disney princesses) for a night of great music and glowy-blue drinks.

Sleeping in a wonderfully comfortable bed with no kids to wake me up.

Thanks to the ladies of MamaLaw for putting on a great conference. I’m looking forward to Miami in 2010!

Related posts:

1. Maria Bailey Interviews Christy at Blogalicious ’09
2. International Women’s Day 2009

With all that said, I’ve been to a lot of conferences. I’ve even planned a few myself. Sure, most of them were a bit smaller than BlogHer, but the general principles hold for most events like this.

1. Leave the guilt at home. Sure, call and check on the kids, wish them goodnight, and buy them souvenirs. But try to leave any parenting guilt at home with the unfinished laundry and dirty dishes. They may watch too much TV while you’re gone, or eat pizza every night, but most likely they’ll still be relatively happy and healthy upon your return. It’s good to have some time apart… it’s important for kids to learn that even if you go away, you’ll come back.

2. Skip the starstruck behavior. You may meet someone that you admire. Guess what? They also have people that they admire. Say hello. No one there is better than you, and if they ignore you, you’re better off without their friendship.

3. Know your priorities. Take a moment to think about why you’re attending a particular conference. Is it all the profound things you’ll learn? The great contacts you’ll make? The fabulous people you’ll meet? The swag you’ll collect? Being honest with yourself will allow you to make the most out of any conference experience. For example, I attend conferences almost entirely for the friendships, contacts and inspiration. I rarely learn anything that I couldn’t learn at home. When I’m planning my time, I make sure my schedule aligns with my priorities.

4. Know your limits. Even though I know better, some perverse part of me insists that I’m somehow obligated (to myself and to conference planners) to attend as many sessions as possible. But, going back to number 3, that doesn’t always match my priorities. First of all, there won’t always a be a session that you’re interested in. But, more importantly, sometimes you’ll have an opportunity to chat with someone really amazing, or chat with vendors/manufacturers. A lot of the best learning happens outside of official conference sessions. I also make it a point to take a break (quiet time, nap, walk, whatever) when I need to. If you’re too tired, you can’t learn anything anyway.

5. Bring your best self. Don’t try to be someone different at the conference, but DO strive to grow and learn. Push yourself to sit down at a table of new people and say hello. Try new foods. Go to parties. Exchange business cards. Invite yourself along. Heck, you don’t know these people! See tip #2. Rinse, lather, repeat.

6. Pack what you need, but don’t go crazy. There are a million lists about what to pack, so I’m not going to get into that except to add a few of my favorite things. They may not be the things that make you feel more comfortable, but maybe they’ll inspire you to make your own list. As you pack, remember one golden rule (I used to use this on trips to the Philippines, so it certainly holds in Chicago): almost anything you might forget will be available to buy wherever you go. So, my three little comfort items:

• Munchies. I always pack a few portable snacks because I hate being hungry. Crackers or mixed nuts or M&Ms (maybe all three). If you’re stuck in the airport, you’ll thank me.
• A candle, perfume or incense. Don’t tell the hotel, because I’m sure this is frowned on, but I like to bring something in a favorite scent. Obviously, don’t go crazy if you’ve got a roommate, but a little air freshening improves even the nicest of hotel rooms. Don’t douse the furniture or anything – some people are very sensitive to scents.
• A jacket, sweater, etc. This one is mentioned everywhere, but can’t be stressed enough. Conference rooms are always set at temperatures appropriate for businessmen in suits. Imagine an arctic breeze and you’re on the right path. In fact, I am convinced that the rooms are cooler in the summer than they are in the winter. Figure that one out.

7. Have fun. Trite, but true. And if you’re feeling lonely, hunt me down. I’m the bi-racial gal with a bushy ponytail, newly waxed brows and quite a bit of remaining baby weight. I won’t remember your name, but I’ll be nice to you anyway.

Related posts:

1. Thanksgiving, Quirky Style
2. Mom and Son Journey to NYC – Taking on the Big Apple, Quirky Style
3. Quirky Fusion Gets a Makeover