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In a surprise announcement in New York’s Times Square, Disney Parks today unveiled their 2013 promotion called Limited Time Magic, promising 52 weeks of special experiences that will appear and disappear throughout next year. Guests visiting Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California will have a chance to be part of unique moments and happenings throughout Disney’s theme parks, a different one for each week of 2013.
Disney hasn’t revealed all 52 plans, but did offer a few samples, including rare characters, pirate takeovers, and… boy bands:
True Love: Celebrate romance and enchantment throughout Valentine’s Week with special moments and entertainment geared to lovebirds. Guests can celebrate their Valentine as Magic Kingdom and Disneyland turn up the romance, complete with their iconic castles bathed in hues of red and pink. Disney Princes join their Princesses to meet park guests in special settings, prix fixe menus turn up at select restaurants and Valentine collectibles will be offered for the week.
Independence Week: It’s red, white and blue as Disney Parks salutes America with a 4th of July Fireworks Party — for an entire week, with patriotic lighting bathing the Disney castles on both coasts. Mickey Mouse appears in his patriotic finest and guests will find special USA shirts, Ear Hats and other limited-edition souvenirs.
Long Lost Friends Week: Lesser-known Disney characters will move from the shadows to the spotlight with meet-and-greets on both coasts. Photo opps with characters that could include Flik, Clarabelle Cow, Remy, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum will surprise and delight guests. And Disney guests will even have the chance to vote online for which characters they want to see.
Pirate Week: Why talk like a pirate one day when you could celebrate these scalawags all week long? The adventures of Jack Sparrow come to life like never before during a bicoastal buccaneer bash in which Disneyland and Walt Disney World become pirate-palooza: pirate bands, pirate meet-and-greets and more.
Dapper Dans Sing Boy Bands: Dapper Dans, the iconic quartet from Main Street, U.S.A., will add a special finale to their show, claiming the title of the “Original Boy Band” and delivering a medley of hits from One Direction, *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys.
Unleash the Villains: A Friday the 13th in 2013 is a special day, so Disneyland and Disney Hollywood Studios are staying open until the 13th Hour (1 a.m.). Maleficent, Capt. Hook, Jafar and other Disney villains host a dance party, complete with limited-edition collectibles and nighttime mischief on Sept. 13.
Golden Horseshoe Revue: The fabled Frontierland show returns to Disneyland for one month only, bringing back the corny jokes and enduring songs that were often enjoyed by Walt Disney himself.
To mark the announcement, Disney Parks created a three-story fairytale castle in the heart of Times Square, made of 45,000 pounds of ice, available only for a limited time (before it melted):
Also on hand were Minnie Mouse, Cinderella (sporting a new dress and hair style, to be seen in the parks soon), and a variety of other ice sculptures:
Throughout 2013, each week’s experience will be announced in a variety of ways including in-park, on Disneyworld.com, Disneyland.com, Facebook, Twitter, the Disney Parks Blog. More information will also be available on the official Disney Parks web site.