The weeklong love fest is part of “Limited Time Magic” at Disney Parks, where each week in 2013 guests will be treated to a sprinkling of Disney magic, with fun and surprises that enhance their vacation memories.

During True Love Week, a tapestry of romance is woven throughout the resort — from special entertainment and limited-edition Valentine’s merchandise to candlelit dinners for two and new, themed photo locations offering encounters with beloved Disney sweethearts – all for a limited-time only.

The weeklong event celebrates the love of friends and family, and invites couples to rekindle the flame. Here is the lineup:

• Romantic Setting: Guests will feel the romance at every turn, as heart-shaped signage and sweetheart-themed décor adorn Disneyland Park, making it an ideal place to celebrate Valentine’s week.
• Blushing Castle: At dusk, hues of red and pink will bathe Sleeping Beauty Castle, with projections of flowers and hearts.
• Floral Heart: A giant floral heart makes a sweet setting for a Valentine photo, in Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland.
• Valentine Wishes: Flowers, garlands and decorative doves will create a second ideal location around Snow White Wishing Well near Sleeping Beauty Castle. At night, magical lighting adds a romantic touch to the wishing well and Snow White Grotto.
• Disneyland Sweethearts: Also near Town Square, guests will find a photo location with resident Disneyland sweethearts – Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Daisy Duck.
• Dinners for Two: Romantic dinners for two with prix fixe menus will be offered at select restaurants during the most romantic week of the year.  Specially-created menus at Blue Bayou and Café Orleans in Disneyland, Carthay Circle Restaurant in Disney California Adventure Park, Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel or Napa Rose in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel make    ideal choices for a romantic evening. To book call 714-781-DINE (714-781-3463).
• Cupcake Lovers: Chefs have prepared a specially themed Valentine’s dessert: a chocolate cupcake with raspberry mousse filling and dark chocolate mousse frosting. It will be available at Jolly Holiday Bakery Café in Disneyland, Fiddler, Fifer & Practical Café and Pacific Wharf Café in Disney California Adventure, and Disneyland Hotel Coffee House.
• Valentine’s-themed Takeaways: Limited-edition pins, plush, newly-designed apparel and Vinylmations will be available at select merchandise locations.
• Ears for your Sweetheart: The classic Disneyland ear hat gets a total glitz makeover just in time for the most romantic time of the year. It will dazzle your Valentine and become the most sophisticated pair of ears in your collection.
• Royal Romance:  Guests will enjoy a rare opportunity to get photos of Disney Princes as they escort their Princesses along The Royal Walk in Fantasyland. In New Orleans Square, guests will find another pair of sweethearts, Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen.
• In Search of True Love: Guests may also encounter the Wandering Wallflowers, in search of “true love.”

The Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla., will celebrate True Love week with similar in-park offerings. Visit Disneyworld.com for details.

For more information about “Limited Time Magic,” guests may visit www.LimitedTimeMagic.com or search for Twitter hashtag #LimitedTimeMagic.

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About the Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure Park – plus three hotels and the Downtown Disney District, comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences.  The Resort’s hotels are the luxurious, 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which also features 50 two-bedroom equivalent DVC units; the magical, newly renovated, 969-room Disneyland Hotel – both AAA Four Diamond properties -  and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun. For information on attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort, visit Disneyland.com, call (866) 43-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.

Media Contact:
Disneyland Resort Public Relations
714-781-4500
www.disneylandnews.com
www.disneyparksblog.com

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Jan. 13, 2012) – The year 2012 promises even more fun and adventure across the Disneyland Resort, with new experiences highlighted by the unveiling this summer of Cars Land, Carthay Circle Theatre and the Buena Vista Street entry into Disney California Adventure park. With these and other recent additions at both theme parks, guests of all ages will enjoy more magic than ever at Disneyland Resort, a premier, multi-day vacation destination in Southern California.

The summer debuts of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street will mark the completion of the five-year expansion of Disney California Adventure. Additions to the park since 2007 have included the 4D fun of Toy Story Mania; the spectacular after-dark “World of Color” show; a classic dark ride, The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure; Mickey’s Fun Wheel, Silly Symphony Swings, Goofy’s Sky School and two restaurants, Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta and Paradise Garden Grill.

Mad T Party also opens this summer at Disney California Adventure, with nighttime, family fun inspired by the whimsical world of Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland.”

Throughout 2012, Disney Parks is encouraging guests to “Let the Memories Begin.” A visit to Disneyland Resort could include a memory-making, 24-hour Leap Year adventure in Disneyland park, which will remain open “One More Disney Day“ from 6 a.m. Feb. 29 to 6 a.m. March 1* (entry valid with regular admission ticket). Guests may also choose to make memories with seasonal celebrations in the parks, a meal at the new Jolly Holiday Bakery Café on Main Street, U.S.A., or a stay in the newly renovated Disneyland Hotel.

COMING TO DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE – HIT THE ROAD WITH MATER AND LIGHTNING MCQUEEN!:  Crowning the multi-year expansion project at Disney California Adventure will be the opening of Cars Land, inspired by the Disney•Pixar blockbuster “Cars .”

Cars Land features three immersive family attractions showcasing characters and settings from the movie, including one of the largest and most elaborate attractions ever created for a Disney park: Radiator Springs Racers, a twisting turning, high-speed adventure through Ornament Valley and the town of Radiator Springs. Other Cars Land attractions will include Luigi’s Flying Tires (striking a chord with anyone who remembers the former Flying Saucers in Tomorrowland) and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, where guests ride baby tractors as they whip to the left and right in rhythm to the music. Guests in this land also will enjoy new, “Cars”-themed dining and shopping locations such as Flo’s V8 Café, Radiator Springs Curios, Sarge’s Surplus Hut and Ramone’s House of Body Art.

BUENA VISTA STREET WILL WELCOME GUESTS INTO DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE: Guests will be welcomed through a new entry and onto Buena Vista Street when the expansion of Disney California Adventure is completed this summer. The transformation will immerse guests in the atmosphere Walt Disney experienced upon first arriving in Los Angeles in the 1920s. Buena Vista Street will feature Red Car Trolleys, inspired by the transportation system that once served Southern California, and the Carthay Circle Theatre, modeled after the site of the 1937 world premiere of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” Carthay Circle Theatre will become home to a new lounge and an elegant restaurant, designed to be the premier dining location in Disney California Adventure.

INTO THE RABBIT HOLE AT MAD T PARTY: Beginning summer 2012, guests at Disney California Adventure may fall into the rabbit hole and land in the wild, whimsical world of Mad T Party. Inspired by the world of Tim Burton’s “Alice in Wonderland,” the all-new nighttime family celebration will feature a live band, unique entertainment, fun-filled games and plenty of dancing. Familiar faces from the story will be re-imagined in new ways to immerse guests in a captivating world that’s also filled with signature foods, beverages and merchandise offerings.

Additional Disneyland Resort Highlights for 2012:

“ONE MORE DISNEY DAY”: For the first time ever, both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park at Walt Disney World in Florida will stay open for 24 hours straight as part of a bi-coastal salute called “One More Disney Day.” From 6 a.m. February 29 to 6 a.m. March 1, local time, guests can make an extra day of Disney memories with a Leap Year marathon of Disney magic and fun.*  And for 60 days straight – from Jan. 1, 2012 to Feb. 29, 2012 – a daily winner will be chosen in the “Disney Parks One More Disney Day Sweepstakes” to receive a Disney Parks vacation.  One entrant each day will win a vacation for four to make memories at either Disneyland Resort in California or Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.**

SPECIAL OFFERS: With so much to do at Disneyland Resort, guests will want to play multiple days and they can find special offers at www.disneyland.com/offers.  For example, as part of “One More Disney Day,” guests at Disneyland Resort get one more day and night of memory making, free when they buy a 3-night/3-day non-discounted Walt Disney Travel Co. room and ticket package at select Disneyland  Resort hotels. The package offer is good for arrivals most nights Feb. 26 – March 10, 2012 and must be booked by Jan. 31, 2012. *** Additional offers include special tickets for multiple-day visits and for Southern California residents.

ENJOY A ‘PRACTICALLY PERFECT’ BITE AT JOLLY HOLIDAY BAKERY CAFE:  Newly opened on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland, the Jolly Holiday Bakery Café offers a menu of sandwiches, salads, bakery items and espresso beverages. Inspired by the song, “Oh, it’s a Jolly Holiday with Mary…” from “Mary Poppins,” the café has delightful whimsical touches from the film throughout the building and outdoor seating area. Among the delicious new tastes at Jolly Holiday Bakery Café are an Angus roast beef salad, a Caprese sandwich and quiche that will come in a variety of flavors. Fresh bakery items include a Matterhorn macaroon, flourless chocolate cake, fruit tarts and Mickey-shaped desserts.

NEW MAGIC AT DISNEYLAND HOTEL:  The Disneyland Hotel celebrates the completion of a two-year renovation in January, 2012, with significant upgrades and enhancements that have earned it a AAA Four Diamond rating. Guests are enjoying new room décor with modern amenities, an expanded courtyard and three pools, including themed waterslides at the Monorail Pool, a tribute to the early years of Disneyland park. Nostalgic new additions include Tangaroa Terrace, a casual dining restaurant, and Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tiki Bar, which takes its name from the familiar “head salesman” of the Disneyland Jungle Cruise. A magical Disney oasis, the Disneyland Hotel features 969 remodeled rooms, fine dining at Steakhouse 55, plus 120,000 square feet of convention and meeting space.

MAGICAL SHOPPING, DINING AND ENTERTAINMENT IN DOWNTOWN DISNEY:  The Downtown Disney District continues to be a popular destination for Disneyland Resort guests, offering a variety of music and outdoor entertainment throughout the year. This lively, colorful esplanade of innovative restaurants, shops and nightclubs is centrally located between the Disneyland Resort theme parks and hotels. Later this year, guests will enjoy even more space at a newly renovated La Brea Bakery Café. Also featured in the 300,000 square-foot District are more than 30 distinct venues including AMC_® Theatres, Catal Restaurant, ESPN_® Zone, House of Blues_®, Rainforest Café_®, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen, Tortilla Jo’s, Build-a-Bear Workshop, Naples Ristorante e Pizzeria, and, of course, World of Disney.

FALL 2012 WILL BRING RETURNING DISNEYLAND RESORT HOLIDAY TRADITIONS:  Holidays are always a very special time at Disneyland Resort, and 2012 will be no exception. The Halloween season, beginning in September, will see spooky décor, Disney characters in Halloween costume, the separate-ticket “Mickey’s Halloween Party” and special Halloween attractions. The Christmas season begins in November with holiday fireworks, snow on Main Street, U.S.A., Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, a giant Christmas tree and more.

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*Select attractions, entertainment and services will be available for 24 hours. Subject  to capacity restrictions.  Valid theme park admission required.

** NO PURCHASE/ TEXT MESSAGE NECESSARY.  Void where prohibited.  Open only to persons who are, as of Entry, legal residents of, and physically located within, the 50 U.S., D.C. or Canada (excluding Quebec) and who are not Minors. Sweepstakes starts 12:01 AM (EST) on 1/1/12 and ends 11:59:59 PM (EST) on 2/29/12.  To enter, send on your cell phone the key word “DISNEYDAY” as an SMS text message to the SMS shortcode 347639 (Disney).  Msg. & data rates may apply. Or to enter for free and for Official Rules, visit Disney.com/memoriessweeps.  If entering via SMS you will receive a confirmation text in response to your entry.

 LIMIT: ONE ENTRY ALLOWED PER PERSON/Cell/Address for each day.  Sponsor:  Disney Online 500 S. Buena Vista Street, Burbank, CA 91521.

*** Number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited.  Room charge based on average per night rate of applicable room during stay.  Offer is valid for bookings from 1/1/12 through 1/31/12 for arrivals from 2/26/12 through 3/10/12.  One (1) consecutive night will be added to the hotel stay and one (1) day added to the tickets.  Offer applied once per package/reservation and excludes suites.  Disneyland® Resort multi-day tickets expire 13 days after first use or 3/23/12, whichever occurs first, Walt Disney World® tickets are for one theme park per day and must be used within 14 days of first use.  Each day of use of a ticket constitutes one full day of use. Advanced reservations required.  No group rates or other discounts apply.  Subject to restrictions and change without notice. Check for packages of other lengths of stay.  Walt Disney Travel Company CST: 1022229-50.  ©Disney

About the Disneyland Resort
The Disneyland Resort features two spectacular theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure park – plus three hotels and the Downtown Disney District, comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences.  The Resort’s hotels are the luxurious, 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, which also features 50 two-bedroom equivalent DVC units; the magical, newly renovated, 969-room Disneyland Hotel – both AAA Four Diamond properties -  and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun. For information on attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort, visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 43-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.

Media Contacts:
Disneyland Resort Public Relations
(714) 781-4500

• ‘Let the Memories Begin’ – Press Conference
• Disney Parks – Let the Memories Begin TV Spot
• Disney Parks Guests on Vacation Memories
• ‘Let the Memories Begin’ Castle Show
• Peter Yesawich from Ypartnership on Family Memories
• “World of Color” – Disney California Adventure
• Disney Resort Sets Hawaii Opening
• Adventures by Disney Adds Egypt
• New Star Tours Adventures Are Out of This World
• Creativity and Innovation Take the Helm Aboard Disney Dream

Moments like these of real emotion – memories in the making – are becoming the platform for communications as Disney Parks invites guests to “Let the Memories Begin.”

The new ‘Memories’ theme focuses on parents’ desire to have lasting experiences with their children. “Making memories is the masterpiece of parenthood,” said Leslie Ferraro, executive vice president of Global Marketing for Disney Destinations.

To create the first round of TV commercials and other forms of marketing, the Disney Parks creative team scoured the Internet for publicly posted videos and photos.

They were enraptured by what they saw: People riding Disney attractions and hugging characters … a family around a dinner table, with the children opening a pizza box to discover a message that they were “going to Disney World” … the airport surprise … and more.

“And the kids, naturally, enthusiastically were going wild,” said Marty Muller, senior vice president, Global Creative, Disney Destinations. “We discovered parents finding unique and creative ways to tell their kids. We found all this video content filled with love, passion, reality, authenticity, genuine emotion around going to the parks.”

The consensus was unanimous. Disney’s tradition of beautiful film in its TV ads would give way to beautiful, authentic moments.

“We decided we were going to make our commercials a forum for these people to tell their stories,” explained Ferraro. “We were looking for authentic emotion around our brand and we found it here. The emotions of these people are nothing we could have shot.”

The initial series of four spots includes snippets from about 30 user-generated videos … from literally thousands of videos that were reviewed by the Disney creative team. Common to the user-generated content is a lack of fancy equipment – no gaffers or sound techs or mega-expensive recording equipment here.

“These real voices have impact and credibility,” Ferraro said. “They are making real-time moments that burn in your memory.”

As Disney envisions subsequent communications relating to “Let the Memories Begin,” it is creating a “memories website” (www.DisneyParks.com/Memories) where consumers can upload their Disney memories and share them with others. Disney Parks is planning on making user-generated content part of future TV commercial spots, print advertisements, newsletter articles and vacation planning video segments.

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The results reveal that vacation planning to create memories was the choice of nearly nine out of ten U.S. and Canadian adults surveyed. Nearly three-quarters canvassed said they think back “often” or “very often” to their vacation memories. They also identified the dramatic way in which new technology has altered the manner in which Americans and Canadians “memorialize” vacation memories, increasingly in “real time” and through postings on social media websites. And although the traditional role of the scrapbook has been diminished, souvenirs continue to play a very important role in the recall of vacation memories.

“The most enduring vacation memories derive from the people with whom the vacation was taken, and vacations taken with both parents and siblings trump all others,” said Peter C. Yesawich, chairman of Ypartnership. “The results also underscore the emerging phenomenon of people sharing memories in ‘real time’ as the events that create those memories actually take place.”

Selected highlights of the survey results are provided below:

Vacations an Important Part of Our Psyche

Parents view vacations as an important way to create special family memories.

• Almost nine out of ten (88%) U.S. and Canadian adults actively plan vacations with the hope they will result in special memories for/about their children;

• Vacation memories occupy a prominent place in our psyche: almost three quarters of U.S. (72%) and Canadian (70%) adults think of them “often” or “very often;”

• Vacations taken with immediate family are the most memorable, regardless of when they were taken (as a young child or after becoming a parent);

• Vacations taken with immediate family are cited as most memorable by both U.S. (89%) and Canadian (88%) adults, while only four out of ten U.S. (43%) and Canadian (46%) family travelers state their best vacation memories “include friends;”

How We Record and Share Vacation Memories

Family vacationers have quickly adopted new social media and digital technologies to capture and share their memories.

• Digital photos represent the most popular way to memorialize vacation memories today, cited by 82% of respondents, with over four out of ten (43%) using a smart phone to capture the images. Souvenirs play a very special role in memorializing memories, however, mentioned by almost half (46%). And the tradition of composing and keeping scrapbooks was mentioned by just one out of four respondents (25%);

• Although fewer people appear to be keeping scrapbooks, photo albums continue to be the number one way people share memories, mentioned by 57%. It’s clear this traditional method has been replaced by the evolution of technology, as almost half (46%) family travelers now post vacation images on social media websites. Nevertheless, personal storytelling remains a preferred method of sharing memories for fully one third (36%) of family travelers;

• New technology has also altered the immediacy with which people start sharing memories. Specifically, fully one out of five (21%) family travelers share the events that make the memories “real time” as they actually occur;

• Kids play a very influential role in planning vacations in both U.S. (52%) and Canadian (61%) households;

On the “Must Visit” List of Travel Destinations

When it comes to creating a memorable family vacation, there are some clear “must visit” destinations.

• The top three “must visit” vacation destinations with children less than 12 years of age include Disney Parks, Sea World of Orlando, and Hawaii;

• The top three “must visit” vacation destinations with children between 12 and 18 years of age include Disney Parks, Europe and Washington, DC;

Respondents included non-Hispanic white, Hispanic and African American family travelers, all of whom were asked to recall the specifics of their most memorable vacations at three different life stages: 1) as a young child (less than 12 years of age), 2) as an older child (between 12 and 18 years of age), and 3) since becoming a parent.

A total of 3,600 adults (3, 000 U.S., 600 Canadian) and 600 children (U.S.) participated in the survey, which was commissioned by Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. All statistical estimates have an error interval of less than 2%.

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Ypartnership is America’s leading marketing services company serving travel, leisure and entertainment clients. The agency’s Insights group is widely acknowledged as the preeminent source of market intelligence on emerging business and leisure travel trends as revealed in the Ypartnership/Harrison Group 2010 Portrait of American TravelersSM. The firm also co-authors the quarterly travelhorizons™ survey with the U.S. Travel Association. For more information, visit www.ypartnership.com. Stay current on our research findings and client activities by following Ypartnership Public Relations on Twitter (@Ytravels) or becoming our fan on Facebook at facebook.com/YpartnershipPR.

For further information on the results of the “Vacation Memories” survey please contact Mary Jane Kolassa at maryjane.kolassa@ypartnership.com or 407-838-1803.