2025 planDisney Panel Search: 10 Signs You’re Ready for the Application Process

It’s time for the 2025 planDisney Panel application! In July! 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 Disney Moms Panel and planDisney Panel is and whether you should apply, here are 10 signs you may be ready for the 2025 planDisney Panel application process!

2025 planDisney Panel Search

The 2025 planDisney Panel Search official dates are out and it’s super early this year!  The 2025 planDisney Panel application search for new planDisney panelists begins at Noon ET on July 8, 2024 and runs through Noon ET on July 13, 2024.

Applications open on the appointed date and are available at planDisneySearch.com. 

Don’t forget to hit submit before noon ET on July 13th. Once that time passes, you can no longer apply.

What is the planDisney Panel?

The planDisney Panel is an online forum of real guests who have mastered the art of planning a Disney vacation. These passionate planners provide personalized responses to guests all over the world to help them create the most magical vacations ever and make memories that will last a lifetime.

PlanDisney Panelists give helpful tips, heartfelt advice, and unique insights from their own personal experiences and really know how to plan a Disney vacation. 

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?”

There are Panelist specialties like Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line, and Disney Vacation Club. You can apply for the specialty that resonates most with you! Panelists also answer questions in different languages including English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.

10 Signs You May Be Ready for planDisney Search Applications

Here are 10 signs that you’re ready to apply for the 2025 planDisney Panel. 

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 Search 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 Panel application process!

How Much Money Do You Make as a planDisney Panelist?

Do you get paid as a planDisney Panelist? Not in cash money. As a planDisney Panelist, you’re not a Disney employee but are compensated with a super cool Disney vacation.

“Panelists have received/will receive a Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort or Disney Cruise Line® vacation for panelist and up to three family members and/or park tickets for their planDisney participation.”

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, job, 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!

How Many Hours a Week do You Work as a planDisney Panelist?

The hours of work can vary depending on the quota for questions per week. When I first started answering questions, I was so slow. There’s a lot to learn.

The average time spent answering planDisney questions was about 15 hours a week for me. Sometimes less, sometimes more, but it also depended on the types of questions I answered. Some answers require more research than others. And for other questions, I had too much to say with a character limit, so it was hard to make my answers concise. You’ll find your groove though.

2025 planDisney Application Process

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 2025 planDisney Search for new panelists is an application process that consists of three rounds: a series of short answer questions, a brief video submission and a virtual interview. 

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 and personality. They want to know you. The second round has usually involved more questions and a video of yourself. The third round has been an interview with various people on the selection committee.

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 planDisney Search 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.

Since then I moved to Florida, even became a Cast Member for a bit, and spread magic in different ways. That Disney love stays with you. 

2025 planDisney Panel Training

When is training for the planDisney Class of 2025? If selected as a 2025 planDisney Panelist, you will have training with the rest of your group on a Disney Cruise in November 2024!  You don’t need a passport for the training Disney Cruise. 

And you get your own stateroom! Sorry, no bringing your family on the cruise. This is your time to learn and connect with your planDisney family.

planDisney Panel Extra Trips

If you’ve been following the planDisney Panel for years, then you may have noticed some panelists doing the planDisney Podcast or extra media trips for the Panel. Do you HAVE to participate in the planDisney extras? Not if you don’t want to. They are optional and an extra isn’t guaranteed for every panelist. 

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 nuts 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!

 

If you have any questions about being a planDisney Panelist, my inbox is always open! 

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