Disney launch 'Limited Time Magic' for Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort in 2013

[Patricia Melton]

Or perhaps they love Walt Disney World enough to not want to see it deteriorate.....just sayin'

No. There's a difference between people who "love WDW enough to not want to see it deteriorate" and the true malcontents. Not everyone who voices a criticism of the parks is a malcontent. This is not a "you are either with us or against us" situation.

I think Tomorrowland looks very junky and needs to be completely demolished to the ground and rebuilt. I could write a book on how awful I think the Speedway in particular is. I also think that Chester & Hester's at Animal Kingdom is one of the worst things Disney has ever done. So Disney is not perfect and deserves criticism here and there.

The Chorus of Malcontents are the people who say that Disney's food is "inedible" or "the worst ever" etc. The malcontents use a lot of hyperbole and in doing so say a lot of things that aren't factually true. As in, is the food really "inedible" if the people complaining about it admit to eating it and finishing their meals? Well, that's certainly not the definition of "inedible"...or they wouldn't have even been able to physically eat the food. The malcontents are less concerned with expressing realistic opinions as they are with being as dramatic as possible when attacking the Mouse. And a few sentences later, of course, they will claim that Universal's food or whatever is just the best thing ever. That's what makes me think they have agendas they don't tell people about.

I think the writer Kevin Yee is a great example of someone who very accurately and effectively expresses criticisms with the Disney parks. He never goes overboard, never makes up things like "it's inedible!", and never lets personal grudges over petty things get in the way of what he's communicating.

There are a lot of good posters on these forums who express criticisms of Disney very well...but they get drowned out by the more melodramatic and vocal malcontents who take criticism to a new level.

I think Kevin Yee's way of doing things is the right one. He reminds me of a good teacher in school who demands excellent and only gives out As when they are earned. The malcontents remind me of the Soviet judges during the Olympics back in the 70s and 80s who would not give a gold medal to someone they didn't personally like no matter how great a job they did.

I wish everyone could be like Kevin Yee...and be fair when criticizing and give praise when it's due.

 

[71jason]

I remember for the 10th or 15th Anniversary like every 5th person through the turnstyle won a prize. In the week we were at WDW, I won a pin (not an Official Disney Trading Pin (tm), those hadn't been invented yet, just a pin--I still have it somewhere in my garage). My dad won a hat. But some people, like my mom, didn't win anything.

Similarly, the characters used to just walk around. There were no set locations and queue lines and Fastpasses. If you happened to be in Fantasyland when Snow White walked by, you could say hi, snap a pic. If, purely by chance, you weren't there 5 minutes later, you didn't see Snow. [Mickey's Birthday Land, in the mid-80s, was a revelation in this sense--finally you were guaranteed a single place where you could always meet the Mouse.]

Given that background, I sort of like the horribly-named Limited Time Magic. It harkens back to a time when every speshul snowflake didn't get to be a Padawan. When random bits of "magic" happened randomly, so you really felt lucky and unique when they did. Will every Darkwing Duck fan have enough time juggle their calendar and shop Southwest to arrange a trip down to see him for "Retro Disney Afternoon Week"? Nope. But much like those who fought with Henry V on St. Crispin's Day, those who do see him will appreciate the experience all the more because of it.

[BTW, I'm sure this is just a byproduct of the fact they still have no earthly idea what they're doing for 45 of the 52 weeks, but it's a positive byproduct, I think.]

 

[Nemo14]

I remember that too, except it was the 15 th Anniversary, not the 25th. I won a pass to River Country and Discovery Island.

 

[RSoxNo1]

Does everyone here know what "jump the shark" means? I think Disney's marketing department jumped the shark with "Limited Time Magic" as a concept...it is probably the dumbest marketing name I've ever heard for anything.

I have to stop and read it a few times to understand what they are talking about, for one thing. It can be read as either:

* limited TIME magic...as in, this is magic for you if you have limited time in the parks to spend and so this is magic for people who will only be in the park for like an hour or two...

* LIMITED time magic...as in, it's limited for some reason...so there used to be more of it, but now it's in short supply and is being rationed...

* limited TIME MAGIC...as in, this is some kind of time-traveling magic that can maybe take you back to be there on opening day in the park

All of them seem strange to me.

And nothing about this name makes me really want to take part in it. This thing just gives my brain a negative vibe...I really think the "limited" is the word that bothers me the most and makes me want to stay away from it.
Bad job by the marketing department. They must be listening to the MBAs again who think things like this up at retreats in break-out sessions.

Did it jump the shark more or less than "Celebrate the Magic"?

 

[Longhairbear]

We live close enough to DLR to make day trips, but far enough away for most of our visits to be overnight, or 2 night stays. Limited Magic, depending on what is being offered up, might make us take day trips if it were something we just had to see, or experience. Otherwise, it's a bit of Pixie dust sprinkled on us when we had already planned to be there. We'll choose to inhale, or brush it off.

 

[celluloid]

Also not many people really will plan their vacation around such small events. This is more like a year round Summer Nightastic Randomizatiom of little venue alterations and meet and greets. Will that really drag people to spend more days at Disney or book a vacation based upon such announcements a week prior? I actaully agree with Patricia here. The only thing this is going to do be able to do is get the local crowds in to buy a drink.

It as if they finally realized there are only so many ways you can rephrase a term that describes a place where happiest memories come true through magical dreams/wishes.

 

[MoonMouse1]

According to the first press release the Princes will be out with their spouses during the week Valenties Day happens (a Thursday this year, so I'm guessing the 11th to the 15th). I think special merch will (surprise!) also be available.

One of them is having the Disney princes out with the princesses. My family happens to collect photos with the princesses...but we don't really have any with the princes. I think we have Prince Eric, Aladdin, and Naveen. We've never gotten a pic with Snow White and her Prince, Sleeping Beauty and her Prince, etc. We've also never met Flynn/Eugene.

So, that Valentine's Day "limited time magic" sure is tempting...but I don't think I can get my whole family down there for that and I feel guilty if just me and my husband would shoot down there for something. WDW is always a family trip for us and it's weird if my son and daughter can't fly down and meet us there too.

Haven't posted here in a LONG time...but I still read every few days to catch up on the latest rumors.

I just wanted to add that every year on Valentines Day (at least for the past 3 or 4 years) they have had the Princes meet with the Princesses...so if this is their big plan for that week it is nothing new...except for maybe extending this meet-and-greet opportunity for a week instead of just Valentines Day. But yeah...this is not new.

 

[asianway]

Haven't posted here in a LONG time...but I still read every few days to catch up on the latest rumors.

I just wanted to add that every year on Valentines Day (at least for the past 3 or 4 years) they have had the Princes meet with the Princesses...so if this is their big plan for that week it is nothing new...except for maybe extending this meet-and-greet opportunity for a week instead of just Valentines Day. But yeah...this is not new.

Thats only at Epcot, and only the Snow Prince & Prince Philip. Hopefully they mean at MK too

 

[asianway]

Looks like parks blog published an article on it. Guess the real purpose of Limited Time Magic is to keep the CPSMC in business another year

 

[awoogala]

Haven't posted here in a LONG time...but I still read every few days to catch up on the latest rumors.

I just wanted to add that every year on Valentines Day (at least for the past 3 or 4 years) they have had the Princes meet with the Princesses...so if this is their big plan for that week it is nothing new...except for maybe extending this meet-and-greet opportunity for a week instead of just Valentines Day. But yeah...this is not new.

when we went to the last hard ticket xmas, we got aurora and her prince, snow white and prince, and cinderella and prince. Not sure if this is the norm. That was our first and last xmas party.

 

[asianway]

when we went to the last hard ticket xmas, we got aurora and her prince, snow white and prince, and cinderella and prince. Not sure if this is the norm. That was our first and last xmas party.

It is for HP and CP. good call on it being the last-the Christmas parties simply aren't worth it

 

[Timekeeper]

I'm gonna have to call on my rocket-scientist friends over at NASA to help me figure out how to balance nextgen advanced booking and last minute limited time magic. I'm not sure that I'll be able to mix these oil and water concepts.

 

[Bolna]

Looks like parks blog published an article on it. Guess the real purpose of Limited Time Magic is to keep the CPSMC in business another year

Yes, I thought so from the beginning: new events every week should be a dream for any Orlando based blogger: no need to find a topic as a fresh on is being guaranteed to be delivered by Disney.

 

[drew81]

Rumor-

Tiana's Showboat Jubilee will be returning during Limited Time Magic. I would look for it to return around Mardi Gras.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Now there's a good idea.

 

[jt04]

She will only become more popular and there is great potential for a successful franchising of the story and characters. Disney Channel, are you listening?

 

[wdwfan22]

hopefully it's for more than a week, otherwise it seems like quite a bit of expense for just a short stent.

 

[djlaosc]

Will that mean that the Liberty Belle will be docked during that time?

 

[ISTCrew20]

That is fantastic news. It was the best entertainment offering I remember ever seeing at MK and really had so much more life in it before the run ended.

VERY excited to see it come back.

 

[wdwmagic]

It was a really good show that deserved to stay, would be great to see it return.