I’ve been blogging for 15 years and I can tell you it’s been quite a ride. No one really knows what it’s like to be a blogger except for other bloggers. I’ve learned so much over the years and made so many great connections and that’s really how the Magical Media Retreat was born. The Magical Media Retreat is an opportunity for bloggers and content creators of all levels to come together to fellowship and learn. Together with my friends, Jenny from Princess Turned Mom and Kim from The Parentologist, we’re bringing you the fourth annual Magical Media Retreat in southern California. Even though in the past we’ve been near Disneyland, this year we’re switching things up and holding our retreat at California’s first theme park–Knott’s Berry Farm! Because the magic in the Magical Media Retreat was never about Disney, it was always about the magic the attendees created!
what is the Magical Media Retreat?
In 2021, Jenny, Kim, and I started talking about planning a retreat or small-scale conference together. It was something we had all wanted to do for a long time and knew we’d need help pulling it off. Our goal has always been two-fold: to motivate those who have been creators for a long time and might be feeling burnout; and also provide continuing education for all levels of digital marketers.
Each year has been slightly different but the same basic, magical formula. We’ve had inspiring keynote speakers, educational sessions and Q&A sessions, delicious food, team building, and fun swag from our event sponsors. After needing to take 2025 off for scheduling conflicts, we are really looking forward to our 2026 retreat!
details of the 2026 Magical Media Retreat
When: March 6 – 7, 2026
Where: Knotts Hotel in Buena Park, California
Price: Tickets are $249
If you’re coming from out of town, Long Beach Airport (LGB) is the closest airport. Orange County Airport (SNA) is also a convenient airport when visiting the Buena Park area. You are responsible for your own hotel accommodations during the retreat, or if you’re local you’re of course also welcome to just come for the daytime activities. If you’re staying overnight we recommend the Knotts Hotel for its convenience! Any of us three hosts would be happy to suggest activities in the area if you want to extend your trip.
what’s included?
First of all, you’ll be learning from our keynote speaker, Stephanie Dulgarian. Stephanie has been blogging professionally since 2009 and is the the owner of the very successful Somewhat Simple brand. Jenny, Kim, and I will also be sharing some advice from our years of blogging as well with some topics we’re really excited about!
2026 Session Topics:
Stephanie Dulgarian – Stop Copying, Start Connecting: The Power of Being Yourself Online
Kim Van Dusen – Beyond Brand Deals: New Pathways to Profit in the Digital Age
Jenny Rose – From Pitch to Paradise: Perfecting Travel Partnerships
Justine Young – Making Magic with A.I.: Smarter Content, Better Results
We’re really excited to share that Amanda of @captivatingbyamanda will be joining us to take new headshots of all attendees again. Past attendees can tell anyone considering a ticket this year that her headshots alone are worth the price of a ticket!
Beyond educational conference sessions, we’ll be enjoying a group dinner on Friday evening. We are also excited to announce that for our 2026 retreat every attendee gets a Knott’s Berry Farm ticket! We hope you’ll join us for a fun day of park meetups and challenges on Saturday, but you also have the option to hold onto your ticket and use it any regular operating day of 2026. Each attendee will also go home with a fun swag bag from our event sponsors.
meet our keynote speaker:
Stephanie Dulgarian is the founder of two websites: SomewhatSimpleLiving.com and SomewhatSimple.com. She has been blogging professionally for 17 years and has amassed an impressive 400k following on Instagram. Stephanie believes strongly in being yourself online to find your people. She also loves helping fellow homebodies create a home they love! When she’s not organizing her home and working on content, she loves traveling and spending time with her husband and five kids.
What Stephanie says about her keynote session: “Tired of feeling like you have to follow every trend to grow your following or stay relevant? It’s time to cut through the noise, find your unique voice, and build a social media presence that actually feels like you. Walk away with practical tools, fresh inspiration, and the confidence to start truly connecting with your audience.”
already bought your ticket?
Linsi, a previous retreat attendee and part of the Magic Mornings Vacations travel team, is happy to assist anyone with their travel plans for our Magical Media Retreat in 2026! Feel free to send her an email at linsi@magicmorningsvacations.com and she’d love to help you plan an extra magical weekend!