The Disney World All Nighter is back! After last year’s success of the “One More Disney Day” on February 29th, Disney announced that Magic Kingdom in Orlando and both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks in Anaheim will open their gates this year for a full 24 hours on May 24th, 2013. This 24-hour theme park marathon kicks off Disney’s Monstrous Summer event, and in celebration, Disney briefly transformed Spaceship Earth into Mike Wazowski. Keep reading to see that amazing video and to get all the details on this Monstrous All Nighter event.

If you went to or are familiar with last year’s One More Disney Day, this year’s 24 hour event will seem very familiar to you. Just like last year, Magic Kingdom and Disneyland will be open from 6 am until 6 am the next day. There will be special events, dance parties, merchandise, and meet and greets exclusive to that day. However, there are some differences from last year’s event.

  • On the West Coast, Disney California Adventure will now be open as well. Last year, Disneyland was completely at capacity. Having the newly popular DCA open should help with the crowds inside the park, but still expect traffic on the 5 to be a nightmare again.
  • While last year’s event landed on a Tuesday in the light season February, this year’s 24 hour event is on May 24th, the Friday of Labor Day weekend. While last year’s event was seen as a clever way to boost business in a historically light part of the year, Labor Day Weekend already does big business for the parks. I’d expect this to result in heavier crowds at Magic Kingdom than last year, which is still the only park at Walt Disney World open for the event.
  • Since this is a Monstrous All Nighter, there will be special events specific to Monsters University. Read this excerpt from Disney’s Press Release for more details.

“In Florida, the Magic Kingdom will feature a Monsters University theme where Mike and Sulley will be the Grand Marshals of the “Celebrate a Dream Come True” day parade – complete with pomp and circumstance – and make appearances in Tomorrowland. Guests also will find extra entertainment throughout the day and night, including characters in their pajamas in Town Square during the late night and early morning, and late-night dance parties in and around the courtyard of Cinderella Castle.

In California, guests can party the night away at both parks with special entertainment, including a Monsters University “TLT Monstrous” Dance Club and Star Wars characters in Tomorrowland, and late-night Character Pajama Party in Mickey’s Toontown at Disneyland. The new Fantasy

Faire Royal Theatre at Disneyland will become a Royal Dance Hall late at night with a live band and dancing, and guests of Disney California Adventure will find Monstrous photo opportunities with new Monsters University “Dorms” in Hollywood Land and a new Monsters University float leading the Pixar Play Parade.

All three parks will feature limited-edition specialty merchandise and food and beverage offerings plus other surprises throughout the entire day.”

Stay tuned for updates and tips regarding the Disney World All Nighter. In the upcoming weeks, we’ll run an updated version of our “One More Disney Day Survival Guide,” filled with tips and tricks on getting through a Disney World all nighter. If you were in the park last year and have any wisdom to share, let us know on Twitter or Facebook, or email me at [email protected].