My history in applying for the Disney Parks Mom's Panel doesn't go as far back as a lot of the other hopeful panelists, but it is worth mentioning.
The 2012 Mom's Panel Search was my first year applying, and I made through to the second round. I was trying to become the Disney Cruise Line (DCL) specialist, as I have every year I've applied. I was pretty surprised that there were not a lot of DCL specific questions in the first round, but the second round was filled with DCL planing essays, plus a video requirement describing our best Disney Parks memory. Well, something didn't go right so round 2 was the end of my voyage.
For the 2013 search, I wasn't as lucky. I didn't even advance out of the first round. I was actually kind of shocked, as I thought my essays were almost as good as the year before, but I guess not. There were some DCL knowledge questions that I know I got right, so I don't think that eliminated me, but maybe one of them was a trick.
So September 2013 rolls around, and I -like thousands of other Moms, Dad, Aunts, Uncles, and other hopefuls- throw my mouse ears back into the ring. I approached the first round a little differently this year. Unlike in the previous two years, I didn't do several rewrites of each essay, looking for the perfect words. I wrote what came to mind immediately, and only spent a couple of hours on the application, not several days. The new process was a success, and I was officially back in round 2 after a year in purgatory (or maybe a Carnival Cruise).
Round 2 was a little different than two years ago. There were a lot more essays, but not the typical 100 words or less requirements. There were several DCL specific questions, and a couple about me and the family. Again this year there was a video requirement, but it was 60 seconds on why I should be the DCL specialist on the Mom's Panel. I submitted everything last week, and I'm feeling pretty good. I think that I was able to answer the questions well, and with some imagination. My video was honest, and I think I presented it well. I know that the odds are long, but I feel a lot more confident than I did two years ago.
The entire process has been about one week behind previous years, so I don't think we will find out if we advance to round 3 for a couple of weeks, so now all there is to do is wait.
