Last week I had the unique pleasure of being invited to and attending the 5th annual Disney Social Media Moms Celebration at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. No matter how many times I visit the park, or participate in special social media events through Disney, I am always amazed at how different each experience is for me and my family.

During the celebration this year, we heard from Jay Ward, Creative Director Cars Franchise, Pixar Animation Studios. My mind is blown every time I hear from one of the brilliant master minds behind Pixar Animation Studios. I really took so much from his presentation at the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration this year. His insight also helped me begin to wrap my head around why each and every experience at Disney is different from the next. As I wrote down the words that most captivated me, I started to connnect them to places around Disneyland and California Adventure parks and the feelings evoked when taking a stroll down Main Street, the sights and sounds of parades and fireworks shows, or racing through Carborator County on Radiator Spring Racers. I often feel transported to a time and space as if were really there, making me never want to leave, and take in as much as I can. It’s all in the magic.

Two statements I took away from Jay Ward’s presentation made it all come together for me:

Details are crucial to the storytelling. People have to believe they are really there. – Jay Ward

Only make good stuff. And make less of it. -Steve Jobs

Pixar Animation is not limited in these premises. These actions and thoughts encompass the entire Disney company, and all the people who work to take those dreams and turn them into reality. The next time you find yourself wandering around a Disney park, take the time to notice the magic in the details:

Detail

Commitment to the Idea

Storytelling

Authentic and Accurate

Humanize the Idea

It’s no wonder I am particularly fond of the Pixar Studios and seeing how their creative teams make ideas come to life. One of my favorite places at the Disney Parks in Anaheim is in Carsland in California Adventure. Every visit, I feel as though I am living in the movie. I am reminded of my own road trips on Route 66, as the store fronts, street designs and mountainous landscapes exude a most authentic recreation with plenty of attention to detail. Did you know Ornament Valley, the huge rock scape that serves as a backdrop to Radiator Springs in Carsland, took over 2 years to build, 280,000 square feet of rock work, and 4,000 tons of steel to make it look and feel real? Part of my experience with the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration was participating in a 2 mile fun run that took me through Disneyland and California Adventure, with the finish line in Carsland. Once there, we celebrated with our families the conclusion of the conference with a grand breakfast and the opportunity to really enjoy Carsland in a private party experience. One final memory from listening to Jay Ward speak, was of him telling us a story about a young boy who visited Carsland at the grand opening. He looked up at his dad and asked, “Is this where they filmed the movie Cars?“. I do believe that statement settles my point.

Full Disclosure: I was invited to the Disney Social Media Moms Celebration. The Disneyland Resort offered a discounted rate for all attendees and their families.I was not asked nor expected to write about my experience. All stories are based on my personal thoughts and opinions, not those of the Walt Disney Company.

This post is apart of the Instagram Travel Thursday series hosted by SkimbacoLifestyle.com and other fabulous travel writers from the US and around the globe. All photos in this post were taken with my iPhone and used on Instagram.

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