I love going to Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I live about an hour from the Disneyland Resort and make great use of my annual pass. I first visited Disneyland as a kid with my family in 1982 and have been back almost on a yearly basis. With that many visits, I’m always seeking new things and new ways to experience the park. On Leap Day, February 29, both Disneyland in Southern California and Walt Disney World in Florida will be open all night long.
For Disney fans and travelers who like to do things in the middle of the night, Disneyland Park and Magic Kingdom Park (as they are formally referred to by Disney) are celebrating Leap Day 2012 with a promotion they call “One More Disney Day.” The company is celebrating the extra day and for the first time ever, both parks will be open 24 hours, starting February 29 at 6:00 a.m. I’ll be checking it out at Disneyland with some friends.
As a fan of the Disney experience who has traveled to both parks, I think it’s an exciting opportunity to see the park at night and overnight, which has never been done before. I’m sure it be be crowded in the evening until midnight or so, but I wonder if there will really be people there at three, four and five o’clock in the morning. It also makes me wonder whether every single ride will be up and running all night long. I’m hoping it may be empty, allowing visitors like me to have the park to ourselves.
To add to the excitement, the company is doing a One More Disney Day sweepstakes, offering 60 vacation packages for four people, awarded one per day, starting on January 1, until February 29. The prizes are good for either Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort.
I like when Disney does things like this and adds new and interesting things to their offerings beyond just the standard theme park experience. I would like to see more behind-the-scenes tours at the parks, showing how things are created and designed. I also think it would be cool to have a pre-park-open tour, where you could walk the park with an experienced guide, seeing and learning about the architecture and history of Disneyland, without the crowds found during normal operating hours.
Freddy Sherman is a world traveler and editor of the travel blog travel4people.com . Follow him on twitter, @thefredsherman
More from this contributor:
Track Day Travel – Where to Drive Your Own Car on a Racetrack
Local’s Guide to Los Angeles Hotels
Why Paris is a Great City for Kids