How NOT to Apply for the Disney Parks Moms Panel

I'll be the first to admit: I do NOT know how to successfully apply for the #DisneyMP. Sure, I made round two last year, which is both an honor and an incredible way to make friends with a great big beautiful group of Disney fans, but that's not quite the same as serving on the panel.

I did pick up a few different ways to NOT make it onto the panel. Here's hoping I've learned from these mistakes and that they might help you in your application adventure!

Ignore Social Media
My peaceful, lazy Labor Day weekend is about to give way to the exciting adventures of the #DisneyMP search. If you've caught the Disney Parks Blog last Thursday, you noticed that Leanne's lovely article finally let us peek behind the scenes. Yes, it's that time of year again. Disney Park Moms Panel Search 2015 begins next Tuesday the second of September at 10am EST and runs through Friday the fifth of September at noon EST.
Let the spell checking commence!

A whole week early with a day and a half less time?
"Hang onto your hats and glasses, folks, cause this here's the wildest ride in the wilderness!"

If I did not follow the #DisneyMP hashtag and @Gary_Jerry on twitter, I could have happily floated through this weekend. Late next week, I might remember to check if applications would open the Monday after Labor Day "as usual." At the very least, I end up filling out the application last minute; worst case scenario, I miss the application window entirely. If you do follow along on social media, the second comes as no surprise, but the confirmation of a fortnight of clues.
Gary Buchannan is very kind and helpful to us applicants, so feel free to ask questions about the process as it goes.
If twitter isn't your thing, there are many different Facebook groups that will keep you abreast of news, clues and other antics of the applicants. I love the ladies (and gentleman) in Amazing Adventures of the DisneyMP 2014 Search! Ignore the name. There were too many of us to change the name after last year's search.

Don't Read the Fine Print
If you know and love Disney, chances are you help anyone and everyone with their vacation plans.
After all, your husband completed the Disney College of Knowledge through his travel agency so you must be a complete shoe-in for the panel!
Not so fast.
Being a travel agent (or living with one) is a no-no (or at least it was last year.) The same rule applied to cast members, as well as member of the travel, hotel and theme park industry. You needed to have completed your "qualifying trip" in the previous calendar year for WDW and Disneyland (or 24 months for runDisney, DCL, DVC and WWoS) We'll have to read the rules on Tuesday, I guess!

Type How You Text or Tweet
Do you see all of those lovely Disney specific acronyms in the paragraph above this?
Forget that you know those.
The application ventures far into both the land of fantasy and the realm of the Oxford comma. These common place acronyms and nicknames for the parks and attractions are not your friend.

"Stay on target..."

Basically everything you learned in high school English regarding spelling, spacing, and spell check suddenly becomes very important.

Cut and Paste Your Answers Directly From Other Programs
With all  of the pressure to use proper grammar and spelling, running answers through a word processor seems to be the way to go. So you copy it and paste it back into the application (creating unreadable alphanumeric soup on the receiving end, hence the end of your journey.)
Please just don't.

Expect to Find Out Quickly
Round one will "be reviewed at least five weeks."
There will be four or more rounds.
This is a marathon not a sprint so get on your comfy pants and get ready to make friends!

If you need me on Tuesday, I will be cuddled up in my yoga pants and Minnie Ears filling out my application at www.MomsPanelSearch.com

Have a magical week!