Pinch me. Someone, PLEASE!! I’m still flying high on pixie dust after the weekend I had at the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration ^[1].

Let’s start off with the conference itself. I was so looking forward to this year’s event. I didn’t attend last year since we were almost finished with paying off our debt ^[2]. While the conference in itself was a great value, I couldn’t justify waiting another month to pay off debt in order to attend a conference even if I knew how to save on a Walt Disney World vacation ^[3].

The waiting room before entering the Castle Suite – Squeeeeeelll!!!

Attending this year’s event proved to be worth it 10 times over! Everything was phenomenal (it is Disney, they can’t do mediocre). I could enjoy the learning (find great takeaway blogging posts on Savvy Blogging ^[4]), networking and magic without any worries over finances. I budgeted to attend this year and was excited that I got in (thanks to Toni ^[5] registering us since I was in California ^[6] the day of registration). So knowing that our finances were in order so I could attend without any worries was icing on the cake (royal icing, of course ;).

To be honest, I’m sorta glad I waited too since I won the prize to stay all night in Cinderella’s Castle Suite inside Magic Kingdom (I wanted to put all of that in caps but I realize that is annoying but please know that my voice is screaming as I type this. It’s screaming obnoxiously so please just humor me for my ecstatic moment!!).

AHHHHHH!!!!!

OK, I couldn’t NOT do it! I mean, how do you behave when there is a random drawing and your number is chosen? I don’t gamble or enter raffles all much, honestly. If I do buy a ticket to support a cause, it’s with the intent that I”ll never win – I consider it a donation and I’m done with it. But, not this one!

Ya wanna know a funny part. I nearly walked into the session WITHOUT getting a ticket. Everyone was shuffling into the room to be seated and I was running in too. I saw someone with a big thing of tickets and walked past, honestly assuming that there would be no point to even get one because I never win. Why bother ya know? Well, I turned around and realized everyone had a ticket so I may as well get one. It’s Disney, you never know what kinda magic a ticket could hold :)

Turns out it’s a lot! The first raffle prize was up and it was a beautiful Mickey Mouse Dooney & Bourke purse. Not my number. Not even close. The second raffle prize was a Mickey watch. I thought to myself, “I wouldn’t mind that since I haven’t had a Mickey watch since the first time Dad and I visited Disney World together ^[7].” Darnit, my number was STILL not the one. The third prize was announced and the squeels started from all of the attendees, ME included!! I leaned over to Briana ^[8] and said, “Forget those other prizes, I want that Castle night!” Again, I would never win it, but still that would be a sweet one!

The Fairy Godmother HERSELF was helping with this winner too. SHUT UP. I wanted to hug her. So the numbers were being called off…. “0…4…6…4…1…2…ONE more number ladies.” Oh, that tease (since my last number was the number one). “OK, ladies, the last number is…..1!” To which I was all like, “WHAT? SHUT UP, SHUT UP, NUH UH…Let me read this back to you…. 0464121, are you kidding?!!” That’s exactly how it was too, don’t believe me, here’s the video ^[9] from The Mommy Insider ^[10] to prove it!

It’s always 11:59 at the Castle!

I jumped up to the stage to claim my pass. I started hopping like a BUNNY! I have no idea why I did that, honestly. I think they piped in pixie dust because I was acting a fool! I was jumping, smiling, HAPPY – I didn’t care how crazy I may have appeared either!! Then Maria ^[11] says “But, Andrea you’re family isn’t with you.” And I was all like “I have three boys, they wouldn’t appreciate this as much as they should!”

This was after the dancing, jumping and hopping. I swear I’m not usually that hopped up normally. Well, not on Friday’s at least :)

You can’t even buy a night at the Castle. It can only be won. Later we found out from our VIP Park Guide, Steve (that came with the castle night) that celebrities and dignitaries have tried to purchase a night’s stay and it’s impossible. So, this is an exclusive night as a Princess.

I did SO sleep there!! The “C” stands for Cinderella and Charming. We later found out the “D” does not stand for Deckard but for Disney. Yeah, I was shocked!

OH YEAH!!

So, they immediately told me the stay was for that night (on Friday) and that the castle room slept 6 people. Who would I take? Well, it was so obvious who would go with me. I’m just glad some of my dearest, trusted friends were at the event with me! So, Briana ^[8], Amanda ^[12], Toni ^[5], Crystal ^[13] and Amy ^[14] all slept over at my “pad” for the night, Cinderella and Prince Charming’s castle. No biggie. Just an everyday occurrence for me…NOT EVER!

“Hon, yeah, I’m at the Castle. Uh huh. Walt Disney World wants me to stay since they need a blogger to tweet from the Castle. I’m gonna need you to call me Princess from now on.”

I’ll share more this week including pictures and the VIP access we were treated to, along with our Princess night stay. It was all amazing. I’m still smiling from the experience! Oh my word, I stayed at Cinderella’s Castle!!!!