10 Signs You’re Ready for the planDisney Panel Search Process

It’s the 2022 planDisney Panel application time! Are you ready? Do you think you should apply? Are you nervous? These are all questions I asked myself when I first started applying. It took me 5 years to finally become a planDisney Panelist (formerly Disney Parks Moms Panel) – Class of 2014! If you’re wondering what the Moms Panel and planDisney is and whether you should apply, here are 10 signs you may be ready for the planDisney application process!

2022 planDisney Search

The 2022 planDisney Search will open on Thursday, September 9, 2021, at Noon ET and will close promptly at Noon ET on September 14, 2021. Applications will be available at planDisneySearch.com.

What is planDisney?

planDisney is the official digital resource for helpful tips, heartfelt advice, and unique insights from real Guests who have mastered the art of planning Disney vacations. 

If you’re the go-to Disney planner amongst your friends and family, then this is the [non-paid] job for you. As a planDisney Panelist you’re answering questions for guests who want to know things like, “What are the best snacks at Disney Parks?” or “What Walt Disney World Resort is best for my family?”

10 Signs You May Be Ready for planDisney Search Applications

10. You’re an Annual Passholder, and you don’t live in Florida or California.

9. You’d be rich if you had a dollar every time someone asked you, “You’re going to Disney again???”

8. You’d be rich if you had a dollar every time you didn’t side eye a person that asked you, “You’re going to Disney AGAIN?”

7. You’ve considered wallpapering your home in Haunted Mansion patterns.

6. You’ve never called Cinderella Castle, Cinderella’s Castle.

5. You know that Tinker Bell is two words.

4. You’ve inserted yourself into a conversation when anyone says the word mouse…oh, they said house.

3. You may have a child or pet named after a Disney Character.

2. You know the difference between a Dole Whip and a Citrus Swirl.

And the number one sign you’re ready for the planDisney Panel process is….

1. You are sincerely happy for those who do make the planDisney Panel.

So now that you know you’re ready, hold on for a magical ride with the planDisney application process!

How Much Money Do You Make as a planDisney Panelist?

Do they pay you in cash money? No. As a planDisney Panelist, you’re a contracted worker and not a Disney employee. According to the website, “Panelists will receive a Walt Disney World^® Resort , Disneyland^® Resort , or Disney Cruise Line ^® vacation, based on specialty, for panelist and up to three family members and/or park tickets for their participation on the planDisney Panel.”

You can review your contract prior to signing. If you have a big family like me, then you would pay out of pocket for those additional family members for park tickets, flights, etc.

Do you want to be a planDisney panelist for a free Disney vacation? No. Because it’s not free; it’s a lot of hard work. Is it fun work? YES! But it’s still work that takes away time from your family and other things.

I recommend looking at questions on the site that Panelists have answered in the past to see if this is a job you’d like!

planDisney Application Questions

It’s been a few years since I’ve had to apply as a first-time panelist. In the past there have been 3 to 4 rounds during the application process. The first round is usually a set of questions that ask you to tell you about yourself and/or family and allows the selection committee to get a sense of your writing style. The second round has usually involved more questions and a video of yourself. The third round has been a telephone interview with various people on the selection committee.

This year, the planDisney video said the 2022 planDisney Search will be made of 3 rounds – short answer questions, a video, and an interview.

The planDisney Panel application process could change at any time. You never know what they’ll need next. So should you apply? If you love Disney, are knowledgeable about Disney Parks, are passionate about helping people plan Disney vacations, and meet the Eligibility Requirements, then YES! 

You can’t make it if you don’t try. I’ll admit when I made it to the final round one year and received a “no, thank you” call, I cried. I was heartbroken. But you know what? As Walt Disney said, “You may not realize it when it happens, but a kick in the teeth may be the best thing in the world for you.” It wasn’t my time. Something I learned a year later. I was meant to be with my class, that year, no doubt in my mind.

Now I’m a Cast Member, spreading magic in different ways. That Disney love stays with you. 

planDisney Panel Application Advice

Good luck to all those who are applying! Be you, it’s what makes you special. It used to drive me buts when people would say that, but it’s true. No one is a better you than you.

Also, check grammar, punctuation, spelling, etc. Do panelists still make mistakes sometimes? Yes! But I recommend reading your answers out loud, because I’d usually catch something. Also, have a friend or family member read them, because you never know what they may catch. Sometimes when I read something repeatedly, it all starts to jumble together. 

Make sure your personality shines through in your answers and remember your love of Disney parks. I’m over here chEARing for you!

And if you have any Disney vacation planning questions, then visit my pals at planDisney!