As some of you know I absolutely love Disney! So you can imagine how ecstatic I was to find a free ticket to the first-ever Polka Dot Summit hosted by Create & Cultivate. I found out about the event through Disney Style Instagram where they linked to the event website. It was free to RSVP though you were only able to attend one of the two days. Originally I was on a waitlist but only a few days later I got my actual ticket.
This post contains affiliate links. That means if you click on a link and buy something, I will earn a small commission from the advertiser at no additional cost to you.
I am very happy that I chose to go to Day 2 of the event. This is an event that I ended up attending by myself and when I was feeling unsure if I wanted to go alone I decided to follow Day 1 on Instagram. I immediately realized what an incredible event this was and how I would be missing out if I didn’t go.
What Is The Polka Dot Summit
The Polka Dot Summit is a Disney event hosted by Create & Cultivate which is a community that encourages women to create & cultivate the career of their dreams. Minnie Mouse has been an inspiration to young girls and women all around the world for decades. The polka dot summit paid tribute to Minnie’s influence. My biggest takeaway from the event is that I will be most successful when I am being my true self. This was an incredible event that really made me feel supported and encouraged.
Highlights of the Event
The day consisted of a few different panels. Up first was a panel featuring five guests of different backgrounds talking about how to fashion a life and career you love. The guests were Jeanette Ogden, Meghan Rienks, Gemma Correll, Brittany Sky, and Noelle Scaggs. It was an insightful discussion during which I took a lot of notes and walked away with ideas on how to improve my business moving forward.
Following the first panel, there was a podcast recording with Katie Sturino and Jaclyn Johnson. During the podcast episode, I started exploring the photo ops and other activities. The only downside to the event was there was not enough to listen to all the talks and do all the activities. But, at least since the podcast was recorded I can listen to it later.
Jeff Shelly taught everyone how to draw Minnie Mouse and shared fun details about why Minnie is drawn the way she is. One of the best moments of the event was getting a custom Jeff Shelly drawing. Since I used to be a Tour Guide at The Disneyland Resort I had to ask for Tour Guide Minnie. I showed him a picture and within a few minutes, I had an incredible sketch which I will keep forever.
The last panel of the day was a conversation with Alex Morgan of the US Soccer Team. She began her conversation by talking about Kobe Bryant and how he inspired her. It was at this event that I learned of his tragic death. This conversation focused on being a leader and like everything else was truly inspiring.
For my Minnie Style outfit I chose to wear my polka dot skirt from Windsor (you can find a similar one on amazon), my Kate Spade Keds and my Kate Spade Minnie Mouse backpack.
There were several cute photo ops which everyone seemed to love. I really enjoyed getting to meet Minnie Mouse in her new outfit designed by Paige. Throughout the day we were treated to some tasty snacks like Kogi tacos and a polka dot latte which included plant-based glitter. Everyone was given an incredible swag bag upon entering which included a David Lerner Minnie Mouse sweater, a Minnie Mouse otter box phone case, and a few other cool goodies.
There were two pampering stations to complete your Minnie Style. At the hair station, you could get a “Minnie Ears” hairdo which included cute bow hair clips while they lasted. Hair reservations ran out within 30 mins of the event so if they have another Polka Dot Summit in the future get your hair reservation first. You did not need a reservation for the lips and lashes makeup station.
Thank you so much to Disney and Create & Cultivate for a fabulous day!
Interested in having a Disney Day in LA? Check out this guide here.