How to Explain?

With all the "Twitters" busy, tempting us with little tweets about the Mom's Panel on Friday, it is almost certain that today will be the day the round 3 announcements will go out. It is too early, I imagine it will be sometime this afternoon, I don't remember there ever being an announcement before noon mountain time(my time!). Instead of sitting here at the computer for the next four hours, relentlessly refreshing, refreshing .......
I'm not going to begin the now familiar waiting game until 1:00 pm MT. Plenty to do to occupy the time, after a hectic weekend both the house and I am a mess. A quick reflection on my feelings and then off to workout and clean(surely the refreshing would be more fun!)

How to explain this DMP phenomenon? I can only try to understand my own feelings and reasons for attempting this "job" opportunity, but I do ponder the motivation of many of the other applicants. Many are parents of very young children, some babies and toddlers. I know that at that point in my life, I had very little energy or desire to take on this commitment. I wouldn't have been ready. Now as my girls are teenagers, I have plenty of time to do this job well.

Having "replied" to several of the Moms Panel questions, primarily as a way to kill time while waiting, I can honestly judge the extent of this work. Some questions may take only 10 minutes, some may take as long as an hour. Why so long? Even 10 minutes may seem like too long to handle a simple question. The answer is simple, the response to the question is only part of the response. Your answers need to be factual, but also warm, inviting and  friendly in the Disney way. Writing the facts may be quick, phrasing them in an interesting manner takes more effort.  Time is required to check out the facts, although I have been to WDW a dozen time, I would never presume to just start typing without checking to make sure the facts as I believe them are true. Whether that entails grabbing a guidebook, logging onto http://www.disney/....... or checking another reputable online source, time is involved.  The commitment of 25 responses a week should take the average "mom" at least 10 hours a week. I suppose you could just pick the easy answers, but somebody has to answer the people who want to know the best parks to go to if you can only go to three. You really have to spell out options on that type of question.

So how to explain this phenomenon? Why would 20,000 people want to work this hard for no real pay? Yes there is a trip to WDW as compensation, but no paycheck will be coming. I know there are many fully qualified "moms" out there that didn't make the round 2 cuts, who would be a great asset to the DMP, but I think there are many that did it as a whim and would have been shocked to learn the work involved. Back to the why for the many who understand exactly what they are getting into. Disney has a way of working itself into your heart, WDW in specific makes you feel like your real world has just vanished, at least for the short time you are there. We as a family are better people, we either behave better, or we really are these better people underneath the stress of our daily lives. I hope it is the latter, Disney just gives us a place to be who we really are. I think if you feel that, you just want to share that joy with others. Some will get it, many won't. You have to let that feeling into your heart(I think that might be a line from Scrooged!), and for many, letting go of the outside world is for them just impossible. We who truly "get it", need a place to share. I know I do. New Mexico is not close to WDW, for many this far west, it may be a once in a lifetime trip. Maybe if I lived within a days drive to WDW, where most families will take a WDW trip, my Disney planning needs could be met by helping plan trips all the time. I'm not sure though, this idea of "working" for Disney calls to me. My family all knows that my retirement days are planned as a cast member, preferably at Haunted Mansion or Tower of Terror(love the crabby, spooky acting job, plus the ToT costumes call to me!). This way I get to be a cast member twenty years ahead of schedule.

Anybody reading this post, leave a comment about any reasons you may have for wanting this "moms" job. I know I'd love to hear your feelings.

Off to work! I'll post later on the new results and the aftermath.;)