From planDisney Search to Becoming a Panelist: Dreams Do Come True

planDisney search season is the most wonderful time of the year for planDisney Hopefuls. It’s full of excitement, anticipation, and hope that maybe…just maybe…this could be the year the shoe fits!

But I’m going to be honest. I truly thought it would be impossible to make it onto the planDisney Panel. I mean, rumor has it that THOUSANDS of people apply each year. But as Walt Disney said, “It’s kind of fun to do the impossible.” And so, I kept applying.

Fast forward to after 4 years of applications, and I can officially say, “I’m a planDisney Panelist!” Now there’s a sentence I NEVER thought I’d say (or write). But I’m proof that dreams can come true, and I’m here to share how it all went down!

From the planDisney Search process to what it’s like being a Panelist, let’s chat about it all.

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planDisney Search Process and Application

Applications to become a planDisney Panelist open once each year. And they’re usually announced on planDisney’s Instagram page and the Disney Parks Blog. So keep an eye out! 

The only way to become a planDisney Panelist is to go through the application process, which consists of 3 rounds. Here’s a quick breakdown of each of them.

Pre-Round 1: Choosing Your Specialty

Ok…this is actually part of Round 1, but I wanted to make it its own section because it’s important.

When applications open up, you will need to choose which specialty you’re applying for. While the Panelists may answer questions beyond these specific specialties, there are 4 main specialties that you’ll be able to choose from:

• Walt Disney World
• Disneyland Resort
• Disney Cruise Line
• Disney Vacation Club

If you qualify for more than one specialty, I recommend choosing the one you’re most comfortable with and confident in. You can even take a look at the questions in each specialty to see if that helps with your decision. 

While you’ll answer the questions for only one specialty, you can select a secondary specialty to let planDisney know that you have experience elsewhere, too. But your primary specialty will be the one that your entire application is focused on. 

Round 1

Round 1 of the planDisney application consists of written answers. There are usually a small handful of questions to answer so that those reviewing the applications can get a sense of who you are, your writing style, and your Disney experience. 

The answers you give will need to be short and sweet! There is usually a limit of 100 words for each answer you write. So you’ll want to be detailed enough to show your personality and knowledge, but also succinct enough to fit your answer within the guidelines. 

Round 1 is usually open for just under a week. Once that round closes, it becomes a waiting game as all of the applications are read. Those chosen to move on to Round 2 will receive an email with details.

Round 2

In Round 2, you’ll answer a few more questions in writing, but you’ll also provide a video answer! The written answers will still have a limit of 100 words. And the video will need to be 60 seconds or less. 

The cool thing about the video answer is that you usually get to choose from a few questions. So, you can pick the question that you feel most comfortable with. 

Round 2 will likely also be open for just under a week. And again, the waiting game begins after you submit your application! If you’ll be moving on to Round 3, you will receive a congratulations email. Then, not long after that, you’ll get a phone call to schedule your interview. 

Round 3

Round 3 is the final round of the application process, and it’s an interview via video chat. This is your chance to meet the planDisney team and really show them who you are!

While I can’t give many details about the interview, just know that there’s truly nothing you need to do (or really can do) to prepare for it! 

The interviews for all of those who make it to Round 3 are scheduled over a few-day period. Then, a couple of days after that, those selected to be in the newest planDisney class will be notified.

My planDisney Search Story

Every Panelist has a different story when it comes to planDisney Search. Some people apply for years and years before becoming a Panelist, and others join the Panel the very first time they apply! Some visit Round 3 a few times. Some make it all the way to Round 3 one year, get cut after Round 1 the next year, then make it onto the Panel the year after that. It can be quite the rollercoaster! 

But how did it all work out for me? Well, I feel like I landed somewhere in the middle of all that! I applied for planDisney for 4 years in a row before becoming a Panelist.  

The first year, I was cut after Round 1. In the second and third years, I made it to Round 2. Then, it was time for year 4.

The Year the Shoe Fit

I’m not going to lie…I almost didn’t apply! I was somewhat in the headspace of: so many people apply that there’s no chance I’m ever going to stand out enough to make it all the way to Round 3, let alone onto the Panel!

But I had made a friend during the planDisney Search process the year before! And she had made it all the way to Round 3 that year before hearing “not this year.” After chatting with her and daydreaming about what it would be like if we SOMEHOW got to be on the planDisney Panel TOGETHER, I decided it wouldn’t hurt to apply one more time. So, I did!

Round 1 application: submitted! About a month later, I got the congratulations email. I had moved on to Round 2 again (whoop, whoop!).

Round 2 application: submitted! Now, this is when I usually get cut, so I was mentally preparing myself. But then…it happened. I got the “congratulations” email instead of the “thank you” email. NO WAY. You’re kidding me, right?!

I was shaking…so excited I couldn’t stop smiling…in disbelief, re-reading the email…nervous I was going to miss the phone call to schedule my interview! All the feels!

The planDisney team called me later that day, and my interview was scheduled for a few days later. Now, this is when it really started to hit me. What felt impossible for so long, all of a sudden felt…possible? It felt so close to happening, yet so far away at the same time.

Time for the Interview

The morning of my interview, I was downright nervous. But I really tried to be in the moment and just enjoy it. “Jenn, no matter what happens, be proud of yourself for making it this far.” I repeated that in my head over and over. 

I put on my mom’s Disney sweatshirt (she’s the reason I’m such a big fan of Disney World, but unfortunately, she passed away when I was in high school. So this was my way of having her there with me!), and took a deep breath. It was time!

I got onto the video call early to make sure I had everything set up, and then BOOM. The planDisney team invited me into the chat right away! 

Honestly, the whole interview is a complete blur. It flew by! Since I was there so early, my interview actually ended before my scheduled interview time. Whew!

When the call ended, my immediate thoughts were along the lines of: the planDisney team was so nice…that was so fun! But not too long after that, I started second-guessing every little thing and had convinced myself that this wasn’t the year.

Getting “The Call”

A couple of days after my interview, I was going about my day. I had finished work, my two older boys had finished school, and we were doing normal after-school stuff, waiting for my husband and littlest guy to get home. Finding out about planDisney Search was truly nowhere on my radar. I truly thought I had another day at the very least before hearing one way or the other. 

So when I say I was SHOCKED to find out that today was THE day is an understatement. Some of the planDisney Hopefuls had started to share that they received their not-this-year email, and my heart started pounding as I rushed to open my email app. 

I think I refreshed my email about 100 times looking for the “Thank You” email. I was even checking my spam folder over and over.  Because, I mean, there’s NO WAY I’m getting a phone call, right?

And then, there it was! The call.

Let’s just say that I’m thankful they sent us an email with all the details from the call afterwards because I can barely remember a word that was said on that phone call! It was a moment of pure joy that I’ll never forget. 

Of course, my kids knew I was on this whole journey, and when they heard my excitement, they ran to me immediately with their arms open for the biggest hugs. (I love this crazy/blurry photo I captured in the midst of it all!)

After I caught my breath, I called my husband, who was still at work. He said he had no idea what I said in that voicemail. (I listened to it later, and I also have no idea what I said!). Then I called my dad, who said he had a gut feeling it was good news as soon as he saw my name pop up on his phone. Everyone was full of excitement! 

Wow…what an incredible day! I did it. I actually did it.

Oh, and that friend I told you about earlier who convinced me to give it one more shot? Not long after I got my call, she got hers! Yep…our crazy dream of being on the Panel together had just come true. She’s a Disneyland specialist, and I’m a Disney World specialist!

What It’s Like to Be a planDisney Panelist

planDisney Training Trip

The planDisney training trip has to be one of the coolest experiences as a Panelist. Not only do you get an incredible trip, but you really get to know all the other Panelists who were chosen to be a part of your class. 

The training trip location is announced during planDisney Search each year. And it just so happened that our training was aboard the Disney Cruise Line!

About 2 months after I was selected to be in the planDisney Class of 2025, I was hopping on a plane to Disney World. A handful of Panelists from our class decided to go down to our training a day early to enjoy Jollywood Nights, the holiday party at Hollywood Studios. Then things officially kicked off the next day!

We stayed at Coronado Springs for one night, so we had a chance to take our headshots for the planDisney website, record some social media clips, and enjoy a welcome dinner together.

Then, the next morning, we were on a bus to Port Canaveral, where we boarded Disney’s Wish. During our time on the ship, we had training during the first part of the day. Then we got to relax, explore the ship, and hang out with our class during the second half of the day.

If you want to see the details of that trip and all the fun we had, you can check out my highlight on Instagram titled “pD Training.”

By the time we said our goodbyes at the end of training, I truly felt like my fellow classmates were extended family. On one hand, it all felt like a dream that I’d wake up from any second. And on the other hand, I felt a sense of belonging. It’s such a special bond that I can’t really put it into words. 

A Day in the Life of a planDisney Panelist

Once the new year rolled around, it was time to get to work! New Year’s Day of 2025 was the first time I had access to start answering guests’ questions. 

And it was the first time I saw myself up on the planDisney website! Eek!

Each week, we are given a number of questions to answer. And we can complete those whenever we want during the week. Early on, it takes a while to answer each question and find your new routine when adding in all of this extra time each day. But slowly, you start to find your rhythm. 

Now that I’ve settled into it, I tend to have all of my questions answered within the first half of the week. I like to answer a good chunk of them on Sunday, then I sprinkle them in here and there as I can between work as a physical therapist, taking my boys to practices, working on my Instagram account and blog, and just doing alllll of the mom things. 

The cool part about it is that every Panelist can find their own groove that works best for them. So my process might look totally different than another Panelist’s process. 

Being Invited to do an “Extra”

Extras. These are something special that aren’t guaranteed when you’re a Panelist. But they’re really, really cool if you’re lucky enough to experience one! 

While your main job as a Panelist is typing out answers for the website, there are some extra opportunities that the planDisney team may invite you to. These experiences can be so many different things, but in my case, I was invited down to Disney World for a video shoot! (Is this real life?) Of COURSE, I said YES!

A couple of weeks after my time on the Panel began, I was hopping back on a plane to Disney World. And this trip was also hosted and paid for by planDisney. (Again…is this real life?)

While I was down there, I was part of a video all about strollers – from how to rent them to tips on what to expect when using a stroller at Disney World. And that video ended up on the Disney Parks YouTube Page. You can check it out here!

During any downtime I had, I grabbed social media content at the parks, which included enjoying all the delicious food and drinks at the Festival of the Arts at Epcot.

To see all of the details about that extra I was lucky enough to be a part of, look for my Instagram highlight titled “planDisney.”

My Best Advice for Your planDisney Application

Ok…now that you have an idea of what to expect throughout this whole thing, let’s get into some advice when it comes to filling out your application. 

General Advice

Check out the planDisney website and social media pages.

You wouldn’t apply for a job you know nothing about, and this is no exception! Go check out planDisney.com and planDisney’s social media pages. Get an idea of what types of questions the Panelists answer and what skills are needed for the job. 

I do not (I repeat, do NOT) want you to look at these things to try to fit into a mold that you think you need to. I just want you to get an idea of what to expect to be doing if you’re selected as a Panelist. 

TIP: The planDisney Panelists often answer questions and give advice on Instagram leading up to planDisney Search. You can even go back and look at their highlights for advice from past search seasons.

Make sure you qualify.

When applications open, there will be a big section regarding qualifications that you’ll definitely want to review in detail. For example, there will likely be a recency requirement in which you must have traveled to the Disney destination related to the specific specialty you’re applying for within a certain date range.

Other qualifications may include not being a Disney Cast Member or related to one, and not being a travel agent. You’ll also want to make sure you’re able to attend the training trip.

Read the directions carefully.

The application will likely warn you that you can’t copy and paste your answers. Or that your application will time out and answers won’t be saved if you don’t complete it quickly enough. Or that written answers must be 100 words or fewer.

Prior to starting the application, make sure you’ve reviewed all of that important information.

Don’t try to be who you *think* they want. Be YOU.

I’ll be the first to admit that in the first couple of years I applied, I tried to write like I thought a planDisney Panelist wrote…which is nothing like I really write! 

The best part of planDisney is that the Panel is made up of so many different types of people, with different writing styles. Whether you write in a formal or casual manner…whether you write with puns or super straight forward…just. be. YOU.

Focus on the current round of applications.

I get it…it’s hard not to daydream about what could be! But don’t get ahead of yourself when it comes to applications.

If you make it to the next round, you’ll have a little bit of time between when you find out you’ve moved on and when that round opens, so you can use that time to think about the next round!

Enjoy the unknown.

I’m TOTALLY one of those people who, once I have my mind set on something, I want to know the result right away! But there’s something special about the unknown when it comes to planDisney Search! One more day of not knowing whether you’ve made it to the next round is one more day of being a planDisney Hopeful. Enjoy it!

Don’t be hard on yourself if you get cut. 

Rumor has it that THOUSANDS of people apply for a chance at becoming a planDisney Panelist each year. As the rounds progress, the number of people cut each time is significant. 

By all means, feel all the feels if it’s not your year! But give yourself some grace, too. 

Advice for Round 1 (and some of Round 2!) – Written Answers

Write your answers in a separate document first. 

Before starting your application, you can view all of the questions for your specialty. I would always copy those questions over to a separate document and write out my answers there. That way, I could spend as much time as I wanted on each answer without the pressure of the application timing out. 

Once it’s time to input your answers into the application, do not copy and paste! Retype each answer into the designated area.

Proofread. Then, proofread again.

Grammar and spelling are an important part of being a Panelist! And when there are so many people who apply, you’ll want to make sure you catch any of those mistakes prior to submitting the application.

Know that there’s a time limit to submit your application once you open the page.

Once you open the application, you’ll only have a certain amount of time to fill in your answers and submit your application. If you don’t complete the application in time, you’ll lose everything you’ve entered.

So, I always liked to be confident in the answers I had written in a separate document first. Then, when I opened the application, it was just plug and chug! Input the answers, do some proofreading, then submit! I tried my best not to overthink the application at that point.

Advice for Round 2 – Video Answer

Follow the video guidelines provided.

Just like the written answers, the video answer will have guidelines as well. So read through them thoroughly. The video usually needs to be 60 seconds or less and compressed prior to uploading it. 

I’d always email the video to myself, then save it from there before uploading it. That way, it would compress for me!

There will likely be certain requirements regarding what can and cannot be in your video. For example, you should be the only person in your video. And you won’t want anything with a brand name on it in the video. 

Talk like you’re chatting with a friend.

It’s not about being perfectly scripted and formal. It’s about being approachable, knowledgeable, and friendly.

Remember, the planDisney Panelists are normal park guests just like the people asking us questions! So, I’ll give similar advice to what I gave for the written answers – just be you!

Don’t stress out about the actual filming components. 

Feel free to film in portrait or landscape. Add in a bunch of creative edits…or don’t! Wear whatever you’re comfortable in. Want to wear Mickey ears? A fancy outfit? A sweatshirt? Go for it! Don’t overthink it.

I personally just sat on my couch at home in a Disney sweatshirt for my video, but other Panelists have really gone all out with their videos. Both are fun to see and showcase us all in unique ways. 

The things I would make sure of, though? Film your video in a place with good lighting and make sure the audio allows the planDisney team to hear what you have to say! This is your chance to let the team see you for you, so make sure they can clearly do that.

Advice for Round 3 – Interview

Prepare your space the night before.

The last thing you want on the day of your interview is to be rushed trying to get things set up. I found my spot and set up my computer the night before. I even got on a fake video call with my husband to make sure everything was working properly. That way, everything was ready to go on the morning of my interview!

Be early.

As your interview time approaches, go ahead and jump on the call. You’ll sit in the “waiting room” until the planDisney team officially invites you in. But if they end up being a bit early, you’ll be ready for them!

Don’t overthink the interview (before, during, or after it!).

There really is nothing you can do to prepare for the interview, so try your best not to worry about it! They’re not there to try to quiz you or stump you. Just be yourself as you answer each question. 

The thing I regretted the most about my interview was overthinking each answer I gave after I got off the call. It caused so much unnecessary stress. At that point, there was literally nothing I could do to change any of it. Instead, I wish I had celebrated the fact that I made it that far and did the best I could!

FAQs about planDisney

Wrap Up: planDisney Search

Well, that “impossible” dream I had turned out not to be so impossible after all. So, if you needed a sign to go for it…here it is! Worst case scenario, you have fun answering questions about something you love. Best case scenario, you’re joining the planDisney family! 

No matter where your journey takes you, I’ll be here cheering you on! And if you have any questions at all, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram @thosemagicaldays. I’m wishing you the BEST of luck!

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