For any of the newcomers to the thread, who have perhaps not had a chance to skim the previous pages...
It's time to momentarily interrupt our Theme Week Countdown to recap what we know about the Holiday 2013 season, much of which has been discussed in this thread, thus far.
You will notice that I added in a Haunted Mansion Holiday paragraph. It was something that PHXscuba happened to mention yesterday (she read about it in the Disney Rewards/Visa newsletter). After reading my copy of the newsletter I later found the PDF file online, for anyone who wants to read it.
1. Official: According to the most recent AP Backstage Pass newsletter/magazine and the Disney Parks Blog, the holiday season is going to officially begin on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 (the end date is Monday, January 6, 2014). As this came from two
official Disney sources we have to assume it is true, although the same
BP newsletter was recently incorrect about the start date of the MHP, and
Disneyland News recently claimed that the season begins on 11/15, so...who knows? In any event, most likely some of the in-park holiday merriment will be going on a few days before 11/12 (unofficially!);
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 few months 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 place 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 and Disneyland News):
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. There are always chances for a soft opening of Winter Dreams when the holiday season begins on 11/12 (pending further notice);
4. Official (from the Disney Rewards Visa Fall 2013 Newsletter/booklet, in an article entitled "
13 Years of Delightful Frights")
: Haunted Mansion Holiday's 13th year (it opened in 2001) will be recognized with new effects and surprises!
Here is the PDF file of the newsletter:
http://disneyrewards.com/pdf/newsletteraug13.pdf
In case you cannot open that file, the highlights are:
- While little surprises are added to HMH every year, this year is "one of the biggest refreshes" Disney has ever created;
- There will be a new animation effect in the Stretching Portrait Gallery, involving shattered stained glass windows and a peek-a-BOO appearance by master of scaremonies, Jack Skellington;
- This year's gingerbread house in the dining/ballroom focuses on HMH's 13 years of delightfully frightful fun;
- Groups of 13 holiday surprises from skulls and snappy plants to slinky ribbons have been added in every room. Look sharp to find them all; and
- A specially designed HMH pin and a decorate-it-yourself Zombie cookie kit will be available at the Nightmare Before Christmas merchandise cart, outside the Mansion.
5. Rumor - Very Unlikely for 2013 (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 seemed 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 and at this point it is
highly unlikely that it will happen, though I think that most of us believe that a Christmas party of some sort is inevitable -- probably in 2014 or 2015.
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 this month -- maybe even late August. They could be so bold as to wait until September, but that would just be silly...and annoying.
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
6. 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.
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!
The current Theme Week Countdown will help to pass the time in between bits of info/news/rumors/discussion over the next few months!!
)!!!
!
If you know what to expect it will be less surprising when you get there, and it can be more manageable that way.
). Because I was expecting more of what I had experienced in 2008 and 2007, I was quite taken aback at the massive crowds packed into New Orleans Square and everywhere else.
wink: Sherry) but that leaves us an evening to do nothing but hang around the hotel. I know there are 3 pools at DH and only 1 at PPH and the dining is more plentiful at DH too. Of course, PPH is a little easier on the pocketbook. 
). I brought back 9 million brochures and booklets so I have all of my reference material and photos ready! 
That was simply amazing. I must see this show! Took me approximately 0.2 seconds for my eyes to well up. 
