The December Crowd Calendar was updated with the changes listed in this post, plus the shortened hours on Wednesday December 5th and the removal of the Electrical Parade on that date. The flippy-floppy of the Extra Magic Hours and the fact that the Electrical Parade is only offered on two nights that week changed the recommendations quite a bit. I’m sorry. Chances are you can still make your original plan work, but it’s going to be a hassle to see the Electrical Parade when your only choices are Monday and Saturday. Monday will be less busy, but not by much. Animal Kingdom’s close was also extended from 5pm to 6pm on the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th, 8th, 9th, 15th, 16th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, and 24th. Feel free to post a comment if you have a specific itinerary question. December sees more operating schedule changes than any month, so expect more, especially in mid-November when the “big update” comes.
The November crowd calendar was updated slightly. Fantasmic is now scheduled on November 13th, which changed the recommendations around those dates slightly. Magic Kingdom is also open until 10pm on Thursday November 8th, a day that was already not recommended.
The daily analysis for the rest of March 2013 was added.
Disney is converting the standing-room-only-section of Fantasmic into bleacher seating. This news was met with some amount of amusement as the local news announced the morning of that Disney was going to announce an “expansion” that evening. Via Twitter, my (sarcastic) response was:
- DISNEY TO ANNOUNCE 17 NEW PARKING SPACES AT ANIMAL KINGDOM IN LIEU OF AVATARLAND. FAKE MEDIA WILL BE FED COOKIES AND JUICE. BUY BOSCH!
- IF THE NEW BENCHES @ FANTASMIC ARE NOT BRANDED “Disney World” I AM NEVER RETURNING. THIS IS NOT “declining by degrees” IT’S A RACE TO THE BOTTOM!
- IT WOULD BE HILARIOUS IF DISNEY WAS TROLLING US AND @ THE END SAID, OH BTW STAR WARS LAND IS OPENING TOMORROW
- THRU SOURCES HIGHER THAN OTHER SITES I HAVE ACQUIRED ARTIST RENDERINGS OF WHAT FANTASMIC WILL LOOK LIKE W/ +1000 SEATS:
- EXCLUSIVE VIDEO COMING OF THE GIRL THAT FRIES THE FRIES AT BACKLOT EXPRESS ANNOUNCING THE EXPANSION OF THE SEATING SECTION AT FANTASMIC.
- IF DISNEY WILL CALL MEDIA DAY ON NEW BENCHES WHY HAVEN’T THEY FOR THE “URINATING WITH RAPUNZEL EXPERIENCE” COMING TO FANTASYLAND? CONSPIRACY!
A crane will be on-site at Magic Kingdom from September 16th through October 1st to install the Castle Dreamlights on Cinderella Castle.
The Honey I Shrunk the Kids Playground at Hollywood Studios will be closed for refurbishment from October 8th through November 16th.
Backlot Tour at Hollywood Studios will be closed for refurbishment for the same dates, October 8th through November 16th.
The Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party map is available here: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/media/wdw_nextgen/CoreCatalog/WaltDisneyWorld/en_us/Media/InternetMediaType/Event/MickeysNotSoScaryHalloweenParty/mickeys-not-so-scary-halloween-party-2012.pdf.
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh no-say it ain’t so! A crane to mess up my photos! My vacation is ruined! LOL! Lucky thing we are there until the 8th-that way I can get those perfect photos.
So the castle lights are actually on the entire month of October? But they don’t turn them on till November?
At least I can get a crane-less image on the 2nd!
Pretty impressed they seem to be keeping Fantasmic open while they install new seating! I half expected them to have it closed for the duration.
Any idea why theyre closing early on the 5th? I really wish they had kept the parade and ditched Wishes. Fortunately we’ll still be around the following Wed. It’s an off-day for us and we were planning to visit Wilderness Lodge. Easy enough to jump over to MK for the parade. And way better than the Mon/Sat options.
@Anonymous – media event. the 6th is the official opening of the new Fantasyland stuff, iirc.
@Josh, do we expect more November updates to the November Calendar? Thanks!
A crane? A CRANE?!?!
The magic is gone. I want my free upgrade now.
I am always there during that stupid crane. They do lift it up and out of the way part of the day so if you keep an eye on it, you can still get a picture without it most days.
“URINATING WITH RAPUNZEL EXPERIENCE”
DO NOT GOOGLE THIS!!!!
We watched F! from the SRO last week and the bleachers will be a very nice addition. Standing during the whole thing after walking all day pretty much sucks. Especially with an almost 4 yr old on your shoulders. But that’s what DH gets for not following my plan (I had planned to do ToT and RNRC during the first F! and get seats for the 2nd. He did not want to stay any longer so we decided at 8:20 to go watch F!. Not a pleasant experience)
Yay! Seasonal crane and the castle pics!
I thought the fry girl comment had me lol-ing until I read the sentence below it.
Then I found out what lol-ing really was. So glad I accidentally hit the enter key before I was done.
Just out of curiosity, is there any big reason that HS is not recommended on 12/13? No EMH there and Fantasmic is shown every night.