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Credit: DisneyDisney is planning to take advantage of the extra date added to the calendar in 2012 to promote their theme parks. Today Disney revealed they plan to offer “a special surprise announcement” on New Year’s Eve.
The coming year is a Leap Year and it seems Disney intends to celebrate February 29, 2012 with something new as part of 2012 being dubbed “The Year of More Magic.”
UPDATE (12/23/11): Disney has launched a new web site with a teaser indicating “Disney Parks will be celebrating like never before!” in 2012. A video shows time lapse footage of many recognizable theme park clocks rapidly spinning through the hours and minutes of a day. Rumors point to some Disney theme parks being open for a full day, 24 hours, on Feb. 29. The “One More Disney Day” site confirms the announcement will be made during Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve with Ryan Seacrest on ABC (and Univision Television Feliz 2012 hosted by Don Francisco, for Spanish speakers).
Recent years’ promotions offered guests opportunities to enter the parks for free, either on their birthdays or by volunteering their time. 2010’s “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” was intended to allow guests to trade service for free admission throughout the year, but maxed out the free ticket offer within just a couple months. But it’s not yet clear what Disney intends to offer for “leap day” in 2012.
Disney also notes plans to unveil “more than just Leap Year” in 2012, from regular special events including the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, Epcot International Food and Wine Festival, and Star Wars Weekends, to new additions like the debut of the first phases of New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom theme park, with Storybook Circus opening early in the year, followed by Fantasyland Forest, the Under the Sea: The Voyage of The Little Mermaid ride, and Be Our Guest restaurant opening near the end of 2012.
Throughout 2012, be sure to return to Inside the Magic for all the latest from the “Year of More Magic.”
