Surprise announcement update!

[Robo]

just sounds as though the Cast Members are going to be in for some long, brutal shifts.

I just don't see how they would be able to pull this off , am I missing something here?

Why would it be that much different than when MK closes at 1AM with EMH until 4AM, then reopens at 9AM (5 hours later?)

 

[mom2rtk]

Great minds must think alike, MOM2rtk. I posted a similar guess several days ago (Post #s 125 and 126 as quoted above) . Don't you wish that would be the case. I think this would a great incentive to have people make two trips. Alas, it may not be but I do think it would be exciting.

LOL! I completely missed that!

Doesn't sound like that's even the case now.

Guess I can go to sleelp early!

I'm just not sure why they thought their phones would be ringing off the hook. Maybe you have to buy a special ticket to the after hours party and they think they will sell a ton of them right away? Really, how many people are going to put together a "last minute" trip for that?

 

[castleri]

Heard the promo for the Dick Clark program yesterday and it is the 40th such event. That will tie in with WDW 40th anniversary. It seems they didn't do much for the 40th back in October so maybe this will be a new promotion to celebrate the 4oth which could include any or all of the proposed extra ticket days, extra room days etc. Sure would like another of the Give a Day Get a Day type incentives they had but set up so it could last longer than the last one did for people to get involved.

 

[AuntieSkadoo]

The clocks imply more time at the parks, which is great and all....but only for feb. 29th? thats a bit silly considering it'll only benefit one days worth of park guests....and at days they are already open until 2am....so its a little over-hyped if its all for 24hr park access. :

Disney is all about IMAGINATION!!

Go big or go home disney!!!

 

[pmaurer74]

I really hope it is not a 24 hour Leap Day party since I will be there starting March 1 and hope the crowds don't sky rocket maybe this is why there is a crowd calendar discrepancy for the first weekend of March. I have been holding off on buying airfare until the announcement just in case...

 

[twokids0204]

The clocks imply more time at the parks, which is great and all....but only for feb. 29th? thats a bit silly considering it'll only benefit one days worth of park guests....and at days they are already open until 2am....so its a little over-hyped if its all for 24hr park access. :

Disney is all about IMAGINATION!!

Go big or go home disney!!!

Agreed!

I think the 24 hour party is not a bad idea.

But not 1 day for the whole year.

It seems like a way to aggressive marketing campaign for only 1 day.

Maybe one 24 hour party a week. At least most guests would (potentially) benefit.

 

[Robo]

Heard the promo for the Dick Clark program yesterday and it is the 40th such event. That will tie in with WDW 40th anniversary. It seems they didn't do much for the 40th back in October so maybe this will be a new promotion to celebrate the 4oth ...

They never intended to make a big deal out of MK's 40th.
They have already had a national "100 Years of Magic" promotion and a
"50 Years of Magic" promotion.
Subsequently hauling out a "40 Years of Magic" promotion would be a bit anticlimactic, as well as unexplainably silly.
What's more, 40 years in business is not at the same level of "milestone" hierarchy as 50 years or 100 years.
Half-century and century marks are automatically more dramatic.

What's more, MK's 40th (and MK not being the "first" theme park) is not related to DLR, and this promotion is to include both parks.

All that said, I have no idea of what the announcement will actually be.
(I know it will relate to "time" in some primary way, of course... CLOCKS being the "teaser.")
But, I, like some others here have opined, anticipate that "big announcement" will be a far less "important" or "exciting" situation than many have been led to expect.

In that vein, do expect nearly everyone on the DISboards to be disappointed in its lack of substance.

 

[mom2rtk]

Go big or go home disney!!!

Well PUT!

 

[supersuperwendy]

Are they making the announcement later tonight or sometime today?

 

[skater]

But, I, like some others here have opined, anticipate that "big announcement" will be a far less "important" or "exciting" situation than many have been led to expect.

In that vein, do expect nearly everyone on the DISboards to be disappointed in its lack of substance.

I hope you're wrong Robo, but I strongly suspect you're dead on right .

 

[twokids0204]

Are they making the announcement later tonight or sometime today?

Tonight - on ABC - New Year's Rockin' Eve with Dick Clark and Ryan Seacrest.

 

[brookmey]

Are they making the announcement later tonight or sometime today?

Tonight during Dick Clark's NYE show.

While it would be amazing if Disney's announcement just blew the socks off everyone, I'm keeping my expectations very low. Disney is a master at marketing and now they're getting people to watch a NYE show who wouldn't normally watch, all because of an announcement about Disney. Seems pretty smart to me, but I bet it will leave many people pretty disappointed. So, I'm not getting my hopes up that it will be anything that will relieve the costs of our December 2012 trip.

Other than FB, I haven't seen any other commercials or marketing regarding this. Is Disney really the one hyping this announcement or are we doing it by talking and speculating so much about it?

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Other than FB, I haven't seen any other commercials or marketing regarding this. Is Disney really the one hyping this announcement or are we doing it by talking and speculating so much about it?

Yes, that is an excellent point. I think WE are hyping it more than Disney is. I have friends who are into Disney (not nearly as much as US) but I mentioned something to her yesterday and she hadn't even heard of it. There hasn't been any commercials on TV or anything. I can't imagine that this is a way for Disney to get people to watch the New Year's Eve show.

 

[doconeill]

Current reasonably reliable word on the street is they will announce several things:

- A 24-hour "party" on Leap Day on both coasts (not expected to be any additional days)
- New discount promotions (likely along the "extra day" vein)
- That the Memories promotion theme will continue another year

Also expect them to hype the FLE and Cars Land...

I swear, between the "announcement" and the "parade", they are slowly turning ABC into a giant infomercial for Disney Parks...

 

[doconeill]

Yes, that is an excellent point. I think WE are hyping it more than Disney is. I have friends who are into Disney (not nearly as much as US) but I mentioned something to her yesterday and she hadn't even heard of it. There hasn't been any commercials on TV or anything. I can't imagine that this is a way for Disney to get people to watch the New Year's Eve show.

Didn't the "One More Day" commercials point towards the announcement?

 

[NikkiLovesWDW!]

Didn't the "One More Day" commercials point towards the announcement?

I saw that "One More Day" commercial just once during the parade on Christmas. I've been waiting to catch it again but haven't seen it since. It's almost like it was a mistake and wasn't supposed to have aired yet or something! Otherwise, I'm not sure why they haven't aired it again. I mean, I could have missed it but I watch TV a LOT!

 

[sjs314]

I am still sticking with my original thought that the announcement will be an extra day free when you purchase a package with tix and dining paying rack rate maybe buy 3 get one night free? but with how chintzy Disney has been with the discounts who knows. I do know I did the Disney math and if they offered buy 4 get 1 free my 30% off with the RO is better.

One thing is for sure there will be something since Last Year rumors were flying here on the DIS on 12/31 about new discounts coming out, late 12/31 DISers reported calling CRO and getting RO discounts, at 7am on 1/1/11 I called and switched our FD Dxl GW room at CR to 35% off CR TPV. Disney will need bookings tomorrow and through the 1st week in January, 2012 to meet the LY/TY figures.

 

[skater]

I may have the show on about 11:50 p.m. for say 10 minutes . Other than that, I think I'll just read about it on the DIS!

 

[danielephant]

we don't have cable and the kiddos will be in bed already ( we are leaving our party early since we have church in the morning and the hubbs has to work tonight...boy are we getting old!) So i will be checking back here for sure! the 24 hour thing would be cool but since i will be hanging out with little ones on our trip i am not sure we would be taking advantange of that at all... 9am-12pm one day is all they can handle

 

[kadesha]

If they offer something great tonight I am going to want to book ASAP. But I don't get a paycheck for a couple of days. Will they still hold the package for 10 days for you without the deposit?