Once again let's recap what has been revealed about the coming holiday season to date (facts, rumors and speculation), and what has been discussed in this thread thus far -- I will use what I have posted in the thread on previous pages, with some updated text:
1. Official (we
think):
According to the most recent AP Backstage Pass newsletter/magazine, the holiday season is supposedly going to officially begin on Tuesday, November 12th. As this came from an
official Disney source we have to assume it is true, although the same
BP newsletter was recently incorrect about the start date of the MHP, so...who knows? In any event, I don't
think the season would begin any later than 11/12 -- and most likely the majority of in-park holiday merriment will be going on a few days before 11/12;
2. Official (but maybe not completely set in stone?):
According to an official internal letter that Disney sent out to various choir directors and participants of the Candlelight Ceremony a month or two ago, the Ceremony will take place on Sat., 12/7 and Sun., 12/8 in Town Square this year. No mention was made in the letter of any other Ceremony dates, but the letter recipients were told that they would get more details in August.
Rumors include: 1)That more Ceremony dates will be added, possibly in DCA; 2)That the new management doesn't want to have any more than 2 nights of the Ceremony; 3)That the Ceremony is being scaled back to 2 nights so that a possible Christmas party in DL may take over multiple nights; and 4)That the Ceremony of last year (20 nights) prevented Main Street businesses from earning revenue and that's why only 2 nights this year;
3. Official! (announced by the Disney Parks Blog):
An all-holiday World of Color (called World of Color -- Winter Dreams) is headed our way, with a start date of Friday, 11/15/13. Previous rumors had indicated that this Yuletide version of WoC would begin on 11/8. The holiday season is supposedly beginning on 11/12 (pending further notice);
4. Rumor (mostly from MiceChat):
A possible Christmas Party. Supposedly the all-Holiday WoC will provide the "alternative" holiday entertainment to those who do not wish to attend a
hard ticket Christmas party in Disneyland. Yes, the rumor mill seems to be buzzing with whispers of a Christmas party coming our way this year, which would supposedly take the longstanding Christmas Fantasy Parade, Believe in Holiday Magic Fireworks and snowfall on Main Street and make them party exclusives. We have no proof that this will happen in 2013, though I think that most of us believe that a Christmas party is inevitable.
It is quite possible that Disney will run the holiday WoC this year and gauge how popular it is or is not with the crowds. Then, if it is a success, they could either hold a party in DCA next year and make WoC the party exclusive,
or they could create a party in DL and make the WoC in DCA the alternative choice.
I tend to feel that a party in Disneyland would have to have some new 'material,' as it were, so as not to enrage the holiday visitors who have been going to the parks in November and December for years and years, and who have come to expect to see the holiday fireworks and parade as part of the regular seasonal entertainment. I think Disney will be making a big mistake if they try to take an almost 20-year old parade and an almost 13-year-old fireworks show and make people suddenly pay extra to see them. It would be much more effective if they put together an all-new holiday parade and an all-new holiday fireworks show for the party. That would work for existing holiday visitors
and new visitors alike!; and
5. Speculation (mainly by me!
):
Limited Time Magic. How and where is this year-long celebration going to fit in to the holiday season, and what will be included in it? So far we know of LTM events happening up to 9/13 -- the Unleash the Villains/13th Hour event at the start of the Halloween Time season. I think that a LTM event of some kind -- maybe more than one -- will
have to be included somewhere in the holiday season. As to when -- who knows? Disney could run a LTM holiday event during a week that is typically less crowded to lure guests in -- like early November or the week immediately after Thanksgiving weekend ends -- or they could start it at the very beginning of the season to kick it off. I don't think a LTM event would take place during Christmas week or New Year's week, as those times are busy enough.
Could it be that Limited Time Magic may somehow be tied in with a sort of 'mini-party' event? Maybe a short-run Christmas party type of thing that just takes place on a few nights during one week, maximum, and then ends quickly could be a good way to test the waters and see how popular the idea of a Christmas party is or is not, for future reference.
I think that IF a major, multi-night Christmas party (that is going to change the face of the existing seasonal entertainment) is coming, we would hear about it (officially, from Disney) by sometime in August -- maybe even late August. They could be so bold as to wait until September, but that would just be silly...and annoying.
If there is just a little mini-Limited Time Magic thing happening, Disney could wait even longer to let us know about it...though that would be silly too!
Now we sit, patiently, and wait for more news and rumors to trickle in!
We have the 3-month long 3rd Annual Theme Week Countdown coming up in this thread in 11 days, so that will help to pass the time in between bits of info/news/rumors/discussion!!
). But, when Erin at the Parks Blog posted the MHP dates for this year and the start date turned out to be different from what Backstage Pass printed, I mentioned in the Blog's comments that Backstage Pass gave an incorrect start date and there was no acknowledgement of it by Erin. Not an "Oops, we goofed," or "The dates changed," or anything.
This will be our 3rd year of going during the holidays and to me Disney does them so well I am willing to deal with busy to be there 
