Disney Parks InsidEARS (re)Releases Videos, Launches Facebook Page

As a follow-up to our announcement yesterday regarding the unofficial launch of the Disney Parks InsidEARS website, we are pleased to note that there is additional activity on the InsidEARS front.

The first item worth noting is that the official InsidEARS Facebook page is now live. The page encourages visitors to Like it as a way of knowing when the program will be accepting new InsidEAR applicants.

In other news, Disney Parks has released two four new videos via its YouTube page featuring the InsidEARS moniker. Hosted by Walt Disney World social media community manager (and former ‘The Bachelor’ contestant) Marissa May, the videos take a look at activities beyond the parks at the Walt Disney World Resort.

First up is a visit to the Downtown Disney District where Marissa helps us explore Little Miss Matched, the popular boutique that encourages its customers to ‘think outside the socks.’ Here Marissa shows off many of the shop’s fashions including a look at its Disney line.

Second is a video that was actually posted a while ago but was quickly hidden (we caught the upload, but didn’t catch the video itself in time). It’s a look at some of the water-oriented activities offered at the resort through Sammy Duvall’s.

This video features the Disneyland community manager, Kelly, as she looks at the fairy tale suites at the Disneyland Hotel

Lastly (and actually first), this video from July 2011 features both community managers as an introduction to the Disney Parks InsidEARS

Disney Parks ‘InsidEARS’ Website Now Live as Beta Site

For several months — over a year in fact — we have been talking about a new Disney Parks and Resorts program titled the ‘Disney Parks InsidEARS.’ Although the anticipation has been high, a recent announcement on the official Disney Parks blog did hint at a name change for the Walt Disney World Moms Panel, a possibility we did speculate on in the first article.

Today, we are pleased to announce that we have discovered that the official ‘Disney Parks InsidEARS’ website has gone live. Currently there appears to be no movement on the Facebook and Twitter accounts (assuming they are even legitimate), although the InsidEARS website does mention them as specific locations one could find an InsidEAR.

Which leads us to wonder what makes a Disney Parks InsidEAR. The program is currently by invitation only and presumably the initial group of invites will go to existing Walt Disney World Moms Panels, along with a few other bloggers and contributors that the Disney Parks public relations team deems fit. The site explains ‘with so many places to turn, we know finding answers to your individual questions is sometimes as tough as finding a Hidden Mickey’ so it is an official one-stop location to find answers from ‘enthusiasts who may be willing to share their opinions regarding the Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort.’

In order to qualify, potential InsidEARS must first be invited (whether this will change or not in the future is unknown, but the site makes it clear that initially it will be the case) and pass either a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort quiz (but not both). There are also supplemental specialty quizzes, for which an InsidEAR will be awarded a virtual ‘specialty pin’ for their online profile. Once they are logged into the Disney Parks InsidEARS website, InsidEARS will be able to chat online with fellow members of their respective resort.

The program is open to legal residents of the United States, Puerto Rico or the United Kingdom, 18 years or older. Current and former Cast Members (since June 2010) and their immediate families are ineligible as are any one who works or worked at a travel agency promoting Disney vacations.

The Disney Parks InsidEARS website can now be found online at http://www.insidears.com

UPDATE #1: 1/18/12 – A source has advised us that the Disney Parks InsidEARS will actually be a new version of the ‘Mickey Moms Club,’ the elite core of applicants to the Walt Disney World Moms Panel who didn’t make the cut. It was indicated that although the program may open to every one eventually, MMC members will have the first opportunity.

UPDATE #2: 1/20/12 – The official Facebook page notes that not all initial invitees (1,000 total) came from the Mickey Moms Club pool. Indeed, we have confirmed with several bloggers that they were invited to join (not surprisingly, we were not among those selected).

UPDATE #3: 1/21/12 – After several technical issues with those invited being unable to sign up, the issues appear to be resolved. The home page has been disabled as the site continues to find its footing, but is otherwise operational. You can access the site through other links such as this one.