ELKHART — From the first time Laura Munkel visited Walt Disney World when she was 12 years old, she knew it was an enchanting place where fantasy becomes reality and fairy tales flourish.

Roughly 30 years later, the Elkhart mother of three said the magic is still there, and she hopes to spread a little fairy dust of her own this year as part of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel.

Selected out of thousands of applicants from the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, Munkel is among 15 new members of the group, which added its first bilingual members this year. Panelists answer travel questions via an online forum that reaches out to families planning a vacation to the “happiest place on Earth.” Munkel’s area of expertise is the Disney Vacation Club, a timeshare program for Disney’s resorts.

“I love Disney so much, and I love to share my knowledge of it,” said Munkel, who has been a vacation club member since 2003. “[The panel] is a wonderful resource, and I don’t think many people know that it’s out there.”

Munkel is no stranger to Disney’s parks and resorts. She and her family travel at least once a year to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

“When I walk into the Magic Kingdom, I still tear up,” she said. “I feel the magic and the happiness that’s there. Now, I get to see that through my children’s eyes, and they really feel like it’s their home away from home.”

Munkel’s family has also taken cruises and vacationed at two of the West Coast theme parks, Disneyland and Disney California Adventure in Anaheim. But for Munkel, the “adventure of a lifetime” was a few years ago when her family made the trek to Germany for an enchanting excursion with a touch of Disney spirit.

“It was all very magical,” she said.

Munkel’s passion for all things Disney was clear during the application process, Disney social media manager Laura Spencer said. Spencer was among the first members to join the Moms Panel, which has grown to include more than 60 panelists since launching in 2008. Most recently, she sifted through thousands upon thousands of applications to help decide on the panel’s newest members.

“The thing about the 15 most recent panelists, including Laura, that got them through to where they are is that they jumped off the page,” Spencer said. “There are so many people who love Disney, but the difference between a Disney fan, a Disney vacationer and a Moms panelist, they can’t stop talking about it. They truth love it.”

So far, Munkel has responded to inquiries about vacation club benefits, restaurant recommendations and entertainment among other subjects.

“Every question is different,” she said. “I find myself learning a lot of things about Disney’s parks and resorts that I didn’t know much about before.”

For more information on the Moms Panel visit disneyworldforum.disney.go.com.

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