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Giant Ice Castle in Times Square Kicks Off ‘Limited Time Magic’ at Disney Parks

Thomas Smith

by , Editorial Content Director, Disney Parks

We have 52 weeks of magical surprises planned for you at Disney Parks in 2013.

Regular Blog readers already know that next year is a momentous year – with New Fantasyland, the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom Park history at Walt Disney World Resort and the first full year of a re-imagined Disney California Adventure park. And now, we’re adding “Limited Time Magic,” featuring unexpected experiences with an extra sprinkle of Pixie Dust at Disneyland Resort and the Walt Disney World Resort that’ll appear, and then disappear when the next debuts.
Giant Ice Castle in Times Square Kicks Off ‘Limited Time Magic’ at Disney Parks

As part of this morning’s “Limited Time Magic” announcement, Mickey and pals helped unveil a three-story castle in the heart of Times Square in New York City. The fairytale castle is made of 45,000 pounds of ice and will be visible for a limited time thanks to the warm Autumn weather.

So, what can you expect with “Limited Time Magic” at Disney Parks when it begins in January? Here’s an idea:

  • True Love: Celebrate romance and enchantment throughout Valentine’s Week with special moments and entertainment geared to lovebirds. Disney Princes join their Princesses to meet park guests in special settings, prix fixe menus turn up at select restaurants and Valentine’s 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 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 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: The 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: Friday the 13th in September 2013 is a special day, so Disneyland park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios are staying open until the 13th hour (1 a.m.). Maleficent, Captain Hook, Jafar and other Disney Villains host a dance party, complete with limited-edition collectibles and other nighttime mischief.
  • Golden Horseshoe Revue: The fabled Frontierland show returns to Disneyland park for one month only, bringing back the corny jokes and enduring songs that were often enjoyed by Walt Disney himself.

We’ll be rolling out new experiences to begin the new year, so be sure and check the Disney Parks Blog in upcoming months to learn what’s happening. Also, you can learn more and follow along on Twitter by following @DisneyParks and using the hashtag #LimitedTimeMagic.

Comments

  • Can I vote now for Clarice to come to Walt Disney World for Long Lost Characters Week?

  • This is AWESOME! SO excited for the characters from the past coming back!!

  • Sounds AWESOME!!! I hope they have ALL of the surprises available at ALL parks and maybe some special surprises for Passholders (that you DON’T have to register for)!

    Can’t wait to take advantage of some of the surprises!!!!!

  • Also – just want to put a request out there to announce some of these weeks with enough advance notice for those of us who aren’t locals and have circumstances preventing us from planning last minute trips. It’s frustrating at times when I see all these fun meets and events happening that I am never able to attend due to distance.

  • Guess I have a date with a melting ice castle during lunch today. 🙂

  • I’m so excited! Hubbie & I will be there for our anniversary Valentine’s Week!

  • For “Long Lost Friends Week” how about bringing back Darkwing Duck?

  • I hope something’s happening around the Easter period – we go just after it – on the 8th – 22nd April and we can’t wait. I love being there for the special events, it makes travelling fron UK even more worth it 🙂

  • Time to start saving pennies to enjoy the “Unleash the Villains” Friday the 13th Celebration……

  • Will something be happening each week in the parks or just select events scatter through each month?

  • Can I get a hint of the price for the Valentine’s Day prix fixe at Be Our Guest? I made reservations on the first day I could, but now I need to know how much to start saving…

  • Dapper Dans Sing Boy Bands!!! Yes please!! 🙂

  • I am looking for to the Golden Horseshoe Revue coming back to Disneyland. I think the place will be packed the whole month it is back at the park. I love Billy and the Hillbillies but let’s keep them over at Big Thunder Ranch area and bring back the Revue permanently

  • Wow! I wish I could see the castle how long will it last? I tried to pin it but it wouldn’t work. :0(
    Can’t wait for Valentine’s week it sounds great!

  • Please tell me Disney World is also going to have a Golden Horseshoe Revue!!! I always stopped in to see what updated corny jokes had been added. I miss it.

  • I really just need to move the family to Florida so we can take part in these things. I really, really do.

  • I vote for the return of FIGMENT. Why is he not out?

    I would give a second vote to Darkwing Duck. Love him…

  • Is there an anticipated time frame for the specific dates for each of the weekly events to be released? Our trips need to be booked and planned with schedules far in advance!!!

  • Would love to go for Unleash the Villains/My birthday !!

  • So many of these weeks sound so much fun! Can I put in a request for Darkwing Duck, Scrooge, or Dreamfinder as the “long lost friends week”?

  • I hope gas prices drop so I can drive over every week 🙂
    Please bring Diamond Horseshoe back to Magic Kingdom!
    Long lost friends sounds awesome

  • Pirate!! Princes!! Long Lost Friends!!! Golden Horseshoe!!! Looks like alot of fun!

  • This says that “limited time magic” starts in January but the first event is the week of Valentine’s Day. Could you clarify? Will there be anything in January or will it actually not start until mid February? Thanks 🙂

  • Does “enduring songs” have a double meaning? 😀

  • So excited to see the Golden Horseshoe Revue! I used to love it as a kid! I’m an out of town AP holder and I just hope that the dates will be announced in advance so that travel arrangements can be made. Sounds like 2013 is going to be fun!

  • I can’t wait.. As a passholder I am going to be enjoy all… 🙂

  • Lost friends weekend sounds great – is there a date so I can book my room?

    Also, this sounds like the successful Character Fan Days Disneyland ran last year. A request though – please be sure the characters available on the “ballot” are truly Lost Friends. On Disneylands ballot, for example, Donald and Daisy were included and won by nature of their overall popularity. Lets try to keep to the true intent of the event, thanks!

  • I do hope that a schedule of the weeks will be released in advance. Especially if there will be a “limited” time frame for a specific theme that is appealing. Not everyone can plan a trip on short notice.

  • Dapper Dans… what about songs from New Kids On The Block and The Beatles for us over 30 crowd?? 😀

  • YIPPEEE….I am SO there….might have to surprise the parents for their anniversary in FEBRUARY!!!!!!!!!!

  • KRONK!!!

  • Any chance that Horace and Jasper will be out for the Villains day? My boyfriend says he would take out a second mortgage on the house if he had to to be able to meet Horace and Jasper if they were ever out!

  • So. . .while I’d like it to be full time magic, a limited engagement of the Adventurers Club would be a good start!

  • Friday the 13th!! Can’t wait! I love the villians!
    So ready to move there so we can visit more than once a year!

  • Will this be here late tonight or tomorrow?? My friend doesn’t get out of work till 10pm and wants to see it!!

  • Some nice extras there, We’ve been planning our 2013 stay for two weeks Sept. 4 – 18 so we’re sure to be part of Unleash the Villains. Awesome!

  • I am so excited for “Long Lost Friends”! Do we know when this will be? I’m an AP and try to get there as much as possible but coming from New Mexico I still need a little notice for flights and hotels. Please let us know ASAP! Can’t wait to get it booked!

  • crossing fingers to see the evil queen in september :), love the idea of the princes being with the princesses, and my mind is swirling with all the lesser seen disney characters they could bring out! love this idea!!

  • So excited for so much of this. Any idea of when we’ll get the definite dates? (I might be working at WDW this summer, so the more that happen May through August, the better!)

  • Ohhh I hope I can make it for the Villains day! I love Disney Villains!

  • OMG Thomas Smith you just made me soo happy with this post. me and my husban are making a scrapbook type of thing for our daughter with the autograph books trying to get every character possible. so far we have almost 80 without repeating characters.

    your announcement of the rare charaters is just the thing we needed to hear to renew our anuual passes. we werent sure if we were but now its a for sure thing.

    thank you sooo much for posting this.

  • It’s Awesome! I can’t wait to see some Pirates in Pirates Day!

  • This is a GREAT idea for 2013!! The first campaign I have been really excited about in a long time. Love this idea!

  • Thanks for the calendar of events. Now I know when I will be making my annual pilgrimage to WDW in 2013 🙂

  • Sounds like so much fun!

  • Do you have anything special planned for the first week of january?

  • If you could just send me the schedule of all these great events, then maybe I could have the park mostly to myself! HAHAHA!

  • I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am for the Golden Horseshoe Show in Disneyland!!!

  • I hope there is something special for the two weeks we’ll be at WDW! How exciting!

  • This sounds AMAZING!!!!!! I am SO excited for this. I go to WDW twice a year… I hope there will be something awesome going on during my trips! Pirate Week sounds particularly amazing, for a huge Captain Jack Sparrow fan like me! 🙂

    Is there going to be a different Limited Time Magic thing EVERY week, or just on particular weeks? Will a schedule be released in advance?

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