One More Disney Day

The Magic Kingdom on Leap Day 2012.

Rumors had been circulating for years.  With the coming of several milestones, there was talk that Magic Kingdom and Disneyland would be open for 24 hours straight.  It never materialized.  That is, until this year.  In honor of Leap Day, the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland were both open 24 solid hours, from 6 a.m. to 6 a.m. on February 29, 2012.  They called it “One More Disney Day.”  And yes, it was crazy.  Hundreds of people were waiting at the gates of Magic Kingdom at 6 a.m.  They were greeted by many of Disney’s most beloved characters, including the Mouse himself and his sweetheart Minnie (in their pajamas, no less!)  The mice did meet and greets at Main Street, USA in their pajamas before being whisked away to Disneyland to interact with more guests.

The park was packed with people claiming commemorative pins and merchandise in the morning.  The crowds subsided during the afternoon as guests explored other parks, but later in the evening, attendance was back up.  I was working that day, and saw many commemorative tee shirts, mouse ears and buttons come through Pixar Place during my work day.

The entire Leap Day was packed with activities and opportunities, including some that were special for the day, or offered at increased intervals.  For instance, “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” could be seen at 7:45, 9:00, 11:00, and 5:30 a.m., and there were two showings of the Main Street Electrical Parade. With the exception of scheduled down times for maintenance, several of the attractions were open into the wee hours of the morning.  There were also some special character meet-and-greet opportunities.  Phineas and Ferb came over from Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the night.  All seven of the dwarfs were with Snow White, and the ever-popular Jack Sparrow and Flynn Ryder made special appearances.

Like many of my colleagues, I went to Magic Kingdom after work.  I originally intended to stay for an hour or two.  I was going to check out the line to meet Rapunzel, something I’d wanted to do for a while, but never managed to wait in line long enough to accomplish.  I figured, “How long could her line be at midnight?  I mean, her line is usually pretty long, but in the middle of the night?”  Then I ran into some people, and walked around with them for a little bit.  Cue: Flynn Rider.  We walked by Rapunzel’s garden and saw Flynn with Rapunzel, as well as the line to meet them.  I stayed with the group for a while, then went back to stand in line.  And stand in line I did.  For about 4 1/2 hours.  And yes, it was worth it.  I can hang out in Magic Kingdom any day, buy Flynn Rider is hardly ever seen anymore, so I had to acquire his autograph for my collection.  Plus, I can safely check it off my bucket list.  I even had an enjoyable time in line.  I met a family from North Dakota, and a nice fellow CP from San Francisco.  I also ran into a cousin (read: colleague) from DinoLand, USA, who stayed for a while.  The people around me were quite pleasant, and the managers who came by to check on us were very nice, as well.  I’m glad I ended up staying.   I’m sure I didn’t make a whole lot of sense as I tried to talk to Rapunzel and Flynn when I finally met them at 3:30 in the morning, but they were very gracious.  I do remember that we decided that they were going to use my idea of a line of paintbrushes using Flynn’s color names (i.e. Pascal Pink.)  I expect a royalty check soon.  Rapunzel even allowed me to take Flynn’s arm, and assured me she was OK with it.  It was a fun evening.

I finished the morning with a stop at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, the second-busiest eatery of its class in the world.  I had chicken nuggets on the go, and stopped to say “hi” to my roommate in Fantasyland before heading back home.  A glow was creeping over the horizon as I made my way to the Ticket and Transportation Center.  There was an incredible line at the bus stop, but I did make the second bus, thanks to the engineering of the bus driver, who got us to scoot back and stand back-to-back.  By the time I rolled into bed, it was 6 a.m.   I did get up at 9:20 to make food for our potluck at work, but I was surprisingly energized the entire day, and things went well.  It must have been the magic from Magic Kingdom staying with me.

Overall, the day was a success.  Everyone I met was pleased with the outcome (at least until it was time for the Magic Kingdom cast members to go home in the morning.)  All of the guests and many of the cast members were energized to be there.  Some of the guests took it to the extreme, visiting both parks in the same day!  I’d never take it that far, but I guess it did add to a spirit and energy that made the entire day magical.  And I know that many more magical moments lie in store at Walt Disney World.