Happy 2013, Happy Limited Time Magic! At least that’s the message from the Disney Marketing Team. If you haven’t heard, Limited Time Magic is the Disney Parks 2013 Annual Marketing Campaign which is an opportunity for guests to experience something new every week of 2013. Disney hasn’t released the full schedule but did offer a few ideas, including “True Love” over Valentine’s week, a Villains event to coincide with a “Friday the 13th” and a Pirate week. Disneyland is celebrating a Limited Time Tribute to the original Golden Horseshoe Review, and the WDWs Magic Kingdom was lucky enough to countdown the New Year every hour in Tomorrowland at the “Bling in the New Year Dance Party”. (Let’s be happy that one was limited to one week, not a full month). Just announced for this week, it’s snowing in a winter wonderland at Epcot’s Canada pavilion, but hurry because it’s only there for one week (1/13-1/20/2013)! The only thing that may be more limited than the engagements is the availability of a full 52-week schedule. If the first few weeks of the year are any indication, you can expect a Friday announcement for the following week’s
Limited Magic. Disney created www.LimitedTimeMagic.com as the official announcement location, or follow #LimitedTimeMagic on Twitter. A little more notice would be great; an opportunity to do a little planning (isn’t that what “My Disney Experience” is all about?} I’d sure be upset to find out I missed the Limited-Time return of Figment and the Dream Finder by a day or two. I’m considering planning my annual vacation to cross multiple weeks. If you typically do a 7-day trip, consider Wednesday to Wednesday for example, you’ll get two Limited Time opportunities…. Just a thought. I’ll keep you posted. The whole concept got me thinking. Disney, especially Walt Disney World, has us trained to expect limited offerings. In fact, I try to plan a trip every year to overlap the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival and Hollywood Studios Star Wars Weekends, both “Limited Time Magic” (but expected every year). If I can get back for the Epcot Food and Wine Festival and maybe a Halloween Party… well you get the picture.
The recent official announcement of Star Wars Weekend 2013 (Weekends May 17 – June 9, 2013) makes me look forward to what will be new for this year. And the fact that Disney owns Star Wars has me thinking much bigger than just this year. Will there be big changes like the long-rumored, “Star Wars Land?” Expand the Star Tours area to include the Cantina Bar? (Sorry Back Lot Express, your days are numbered). An outdoor market between Star Tours and the Cantina could finally eliminate the merchandise bottleneck at the Star Tours exit. Even expand into the space used for the “Carbon Freeze Me Experience” introduced at Star Wars Weekend 2012. The “Carbon Freeze Me Experience” at the Carbon Freeze Chamber in the ABC sound studio was something I personally participated in last year. I was “captured” by bounty hunters then frozen in carbonate. The whole experience was pretty cool and very nicely themed with cast members playing the part of the bounty hunters. As a big Star Wars and Disney fan, how could I resist? I talked about the experience back in Episode #16. In a related story, Disney opened a similar experience, this time at the World of Disney in Downtown Disney Marketplace Orlando, the “D-Tech Me Princess Experience”. (What a segue… Limited Time Magic to Star Wars Weekends to “Carbon Freeze Me” to “D-Tech Me, Princess”. Making the connection is all that matters, right ;-) This is from the Disney park blog…
“D-Tech Me is expanding starting August 26 at the World of Disney in Downtown Disney Marketplace. This new
interactive experience will allow guests ages 3-12 to live out princess dreams by placing their likeness on a three-dimensional 7-inch Disney Princess figurine keepsake!During this 10-minute experience, several cameras will instantly capture multiple angles of a guest’s face which are reconstructed in a computer for processing. The “princess in waiting” can choose one of seven different Disney Princesses including Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Rapunzel, Snow White and Tiana. Hair, skin and eye color of the figurine are customized to match the guest. A Princess silver link necklace with choice of colored gem charm is also included for participants.
The completed figurine is then shipped directly to the guest’s home within five to six weeks.
Each seven-inch Princess figurine is $99.95 (plus $15.95 shipping. Canadian and International shipping begins at $75.00). Guests can order additional replica seven-inch figurines for $74.95 each or a three-inch replica for $39.95. No discounts will be offered.Reservations are strongly recommended for this limited time experience and can be made by calling 407-WDW-TECH (407-939-8324) starting August 7, 2012.
Sounds cool, but obviously, I don’t fit the 3-12 age group. Fortunately, I know someone that does and was more than willing to
participate. SamsDisneyDiary Episode #25 is all about that experience, the “Disney D-Tech Me Disney Experience”. The technology behind both experiences is the same. Multiple cameras take a three-dimensional picture that is then converted to a 3D image that’s printed with a unique three-dimensional printer. That’s about where the similarities end. One difference, the “Carbon Freeze Me Experience” was only available during Star Wars Weekends 2012 (and again at Star Wars Celebration 6). Park admission was required for Carbon Freeze Me, while the Princess Experience is conducted at the World of Disney (Downtown Disney), where no park admission is needed. Reservations are “recommended” for both, but in both cases walk-ups were available.
The chart below is presented for informational purposes only, this experience is no longer available at Walt Disney World
Disney D-Tech Me |
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Availability | Star Wars Weekends 2012Star Wars Celebration VI | Original Run: August 7, 2012 – November 24, 2012 |
Currently Availability (As of February 2013) | NO LONGER AVAILABLE | NO LONGER AVAILABLE |
Location | Disney Hollywood Studios (Admission Required) | Downtown Disney Marketplace, World of Disney, Orlando |
Cost | $99.95 + $14.95 Shipping(No Discounts) | 7” Figurine $99.95 + $15.95 Shipping (Additional Figurines $74.95, 3” “Ornament” $39.95, 3” Requires purchase of 7” FigurinePrice was reduced October 17th to $84.95 & $34.95 respectively. Additional 7” Figurines available for $64.95 + Shipping. |
Also Included | Wristband | Princess silver link necklace with choice of colored gem charm |
Options | None | Choice on of 7 available princesses |
Age | No Restrictions | Ages 3-12 only |
Size | 8” Figurine | 7” Figurine and 3” option |
If you love Fireworks as much as we do, check these posts out: Disneyland Believe in Holiday Magic, Epcot Forever, Star Wars Galatic Spectacular, Happily Ever After, Disneyland Forever, Jingle Bell Jingle Bam, News Years Eve at Hollywood studios, Holiday Wishes, Star Wars Weekend Feel the force, World of Color, World of Color 60th Anniversary World of Color Season of Light, Illuminations, HarmonioUS, DVC Moonlight Blast
Looking for more from Disneyland? Check out It’s a Small World Holiday, and Projections, The Golden Horseshoe, Disneyland Forever Fireworks, Mickey and the Magical Map, Disneyland Band with the Dapper Dans, The Disneyland Band, The Tale of the Lion King, The Bootstrappers, or the original Toontown
[…] This year, it was a Storm Trooper Experience. It’s the same technology covered back in Sams Disney Diary Episode #25 D-Tech Me Princess. The theming wasn’t as immersive as the Carbon Freeze Me Experience, but it appeared to be […]