52 Weeks of Surprises in 2013!

[lonepalm]

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2 ... ney-parks/


This sounds really intriguing!

[NaCler]

Thanks for posting this as I would have missed it. I like the Long Lost Friends week. However, a couple of them sound like a stretch just to sell more merchandise.

[Amy]

I hadn't seen this either. I would have to agree with NaCler though, some things sound intriguing, others scream whisper merchandising.

[mindflipper]

ca-ching, ca-ching, ca-ching...how I can hear the cash registers now ringing up the sales of all that related merchandise...

[theBIGyowski]

What's sad is that we have become accustomed to some kind of "celebration" every year now. It used to be good enough to have a vacation at WDW...now there has to be something special every time.

I guess there will be some kind of generic mention of it on the "Must Do Disney" thing with Stacey.

[Len90]

ca-ching, ca-ching, ca-ching...how I can hear the cash registers now ringing up the sales of all that related merchandise...

Couldn't agree more. It really seems like there is no substance to a "celebration" like this besides the merchandising aspect. Don't really see the possibility for any new shows.

What's sad is that we have become accustomed to some kind of "celebration" every year now. It used to be good enough to have a vacation at WDW...now there has to be something special every time.

I guess there will be some kind of generic mention of it on the "Must Do Disney" thing with Stacey.

I really feel the same way. It seems like every since Disneyland's 50th TDO has felt the need to put some sort of celebration into the parks. I don't know if it is an effort to attract people to come back year after year without changing anything but signs but it has been getting pretty cheesy. I wasn't a huge fan of the What will you celebrate? or Let the memories begin, but they seemed to be more intuitive than this thing. I personally feel that TDO should focus this wasted time and energy into rehabbing the parks and filling in the voids that currently exist at EPCOT and DHS.

[lonepalm]

I know for me, a vacation there is good enough for me....celebration or not. I also wish they would just fix up / update some of the other attractions or parks. Epcot surely needs an update to even get to modern day let alone futuristic stuff....and when they actually care about DHS, let me know. Ever since they built it, DHS seems to have been neglected. In my opinion, if Universal Studios never was built in Orlando, neither would've DHS. I think Disney "panicked" or felt they had to have a park like it to compete with it and quickly threw DHS together....but I digress...

[mindflipper]

To me it seems like the "celebrations" are the cheap alternative to get people to come rather than fix rides or renovate (like at EPCOT)...

[mindflipper]

ca-ching, ca-ching, ca-ching...how I can hear the cash registers now ringing up the sales of all that related merchandise...

Couldn't agree more. It really seems like there is no substance to a "celebration" like this besides the merchandising aspect. Don't really see the possibility for any new shows.

What's sad is that we have become accustomed to some kind of "celebration" every year now. It used to be good enough to have a vacation at WDW...now there has to be something special every time.

They are bringing back for 1 month the old Diamond Horseshoe Review show that was last done probably in the late 70's/early 80's...

[figmentaholic]

Is there going to be a place that will list what is happening each week, and how far in advance will they post it, so people will have time to plan?

I am hoping that we will get to go to WDW in late Sept/early Oct so I'd like to know what is there.

[Wyntuck]

It's all about synergy anymore. Whenever I see an new parade I can almost feel like it's 14 months prior and I'm sitting around the table in the Marketing Dept. coming up with ideas on how to move more made in China stuff. But, can you blame them? It seems to be working out just fine. I think they should bring back the "car a day giveaway" back when WDW turned 15. (the winner could choose either a Chevy Cavalier or S-10 pickup) after they were handed a big key at the turnstiles. Fun!

[SorcererDonald16]

Boy, it has been a long time since I have been here (8 months! ).

I did read about this a few days after the announcement. The idea itself isn't bad, IMO. The rare characters week sounds most interesting to me. Given my own life issues in the last 8 months, I haven't exactly kept up with things Disney-related much at all. I was sure there would've been more info published by now, considering how far in advance you have to make reservations, ADRs, etc. Imagine my surprise when I check tonight and see... zip. This whole thing seems very poorly planned.

If I am doing OK, I would like to try and go back to WDW again in May, but I'd like to know what the weeks are, if they have anything beyond the basic F&G Festival or SWW. I guess filling me in on that info is asking too much of the calendar folks.

[Len90]

If I am doing OK, I would like to try and go back to WDW again in May, but I'd like to know what the weeks are, if they have anything beyond the basic F&G Festival or SWW. I guess filling me in on that info is asking too much of the calendar folks.

Hope all is well and you will be able to make a another trek down. I don't think there will be much going on in May besides the generic F&G and SWW. Disney definitely has not given a full schedule that I have seen yet. We should have an idea of things within the next couple of months.

[JenMuse]

Uhm, I hate to rain on anyone's parade, how would it be a surprise if it were on a schedule?

Don't get me wrong, I'm a planner (it's easily half the fun of going, the planning), but I'm looking at the surprise as a bonus.

[Len90]

Uhm, I hate to rain on anyone's parade, how would it be a surprise if it were on a schedule?

Don't get me wrong, I'm a planner (it's easily half the fun of going, the planning), but I'm looking at the surprise as a bonus.

Very true. I think surprise is being used wrong by Disney in this sense as the schedule will probably be known beforehand. The concept is that there will be different weekly events/celebrations and they feel it will be a surprise to the average vacationer.