By Peter Covino
Lifestyles Editor

Lend me your ears and I promise to get my own pair tomorrow. Yes, from the sound of it, the ear just might be the favorite body part at the Walt Disney World theme parks this year.

Along with the new Fantasyland expansion at Magic Kingdom, some of the biggest news coming out of the Disney resort for 2013 is Limited Time Magic: 52 weeks of magical experiences big and small that appear, then disappear as the next special surprise debuts.

And a highlight of many of those weeks will be limited edition Mickey ears (or other characters) commemorating the Disney park’s observance of holidays such as July 4 and Valentine’s Day.

Highlights of the magic include things such as candlelit dinners for couples in love, a Friday the 13th dance party with Disney villains (the party, of course, lasts until the 13th hour) and more.

Disney officials noted that Limited Time Magic was inspired by the reality that many of life’s most cherished memories are made during those special, but fleeting moments when families spend time together with shared experiences.

Here’s a sampling of Limited Time Magic in store for guests in 2013 — for a limited time only:

True Love: Celebrate romance and enchantment throughout Valentine’s Week with special moments and entertainment geared to lovebirds. Guests can celebrate their Valentine as Magic Kingdom and Disneyland turn up the romance, complete with their iconic castles bathed in hues of red and pink. Disney Princes join their Princesses to meet park guests in special settings, prix fixe menus turn up at select restaurants and Valentine collectibles will be offered for the week.

Independence Week: It’s red, white and blue as Disney Parks salutes America with a 4th of July Fireworks Party — for an entire week, with patriotic lighting bathing the Disney castles on both coasts. Mickey Mouse appears in his patriotic finest and guests will find special USA shirts, Ear Hats and other limited-edition souvenirs.

During “Long Lost Friends Week,” lesser-known Disney characters will move from the shadows to the spotlight with meet-and-greets on both coasts. Photo opps with characters that could include Flik, Clarabelle Cow, Remy, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum will surprise and delight guests. And Disney guests will even have the chance to vote online for which characters they want to see.

Pirate Week:  Why talk like a pirate one day when you could celebrate these scalawags all week long? The adventures of Jack Sparrow come to life like never before during a bicoastal buccaneer bash in which Disneyland and Walt Disney World become pirate-palooza: pirate bands, pirate meet-and-greets and more.

Dapper Dans Sing Boy Bands: Dapper Dans, the iconic quartet from Main Street, U.S.A., will add a special finale to their show, claiming the title of the “Original Boy Band” and delivering a medley of hits from One Direction, *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys.

Unleash the Villains: A Friday the 13th in 2013 is a special day, so Disneyland and Disney Hollywood Studios are staying open until the 13th Hour (1 a.m.). Maleficent, Capt. Hook, Jafar and other Disney villains host a dance party, complete with limited-edition collectibles and nighttime mischief on Sept. 13.

Golden Horseshoe Revue: A tribute to the fabled Frontierland show comes to Disneyland for one month only, bringing back some of fun-filled humor, songs and dance numbers often enjoyed by Walt Disney himself.

Disney dream makers are crafting more surprises and magical offers that will be rolled out weekly during the magical year. The experience of the week will be announced in a variety of ways including in-park, Disneyworld.com, Disneyland.com, Facebook, Twitter, the Disney Parks Blog – adding to the element of surprise.

For more information about Limited Time Magic, guests should visit www.disneyparks.com.

LEGOLAND

LEGOLAND Florida kicks off the year with a full line-up of fun for 2013 with special events specifically geared towards families with children age 2 to 12. All events are included with regular park admission. Families will also enjoy more hours of interactive family-fun with extended daily operating hours for 2013, 9:30 a.m. — 6 p.m. Operating hours are extended even further for certain special events. Operating hours are available at www.legoland.com.     

This year’s events include:

•Junior Master Model Builder is a fun and interactive LEGO building competition that takes place quarterly. Guests are invited to participate and build a model that follows the designated LEGO theme for each competition. Quarterly winners receive special prizes and will be invited to participate in the Ultimate Build Off at the end of the year.

• Jan. 26-27: LEGO City Theme

•May 4-5: Yoda Chronicles Theme

•July 4-5 2013: Independence Day Theme

•Nov 9-10: LEGO Chima Theme

• LEGOFriends Weekend is a daytime party for girls that includes a LEGO Friends building event, entertainment, games, activities, a chance to meet your favorite character and much more. This second annual event celebrates girls and their personal individuality, just like the LEGO Friends product line for girls.

Feb 9-10

•LEGOLAND Water Park, a park within a park, re-opens with a splash and just in time for spring break and summer-time fun. Guests of all ages can spend a full day of play in the water park with the Build-A-Raft River, where guests can build their own LEGO inner tubes and float down a 1,000-foot lazy river, the DUPLO Splash Safari, the Joker Soaker water playground, a 583,000-gallon wave pool and five slippery-fast water slides. Opens March 9 and runs through the end of October. Daily operational hours vary and can be found at www.legoland.com.

March 9

Winter Haven Hospital Foundation’s Citrus Classic 5K Run and Fun Walk allows runners and walkers to “play their part” during this community-wide health event designed for participants of all ages. Participants receive exclusive discounts for post-event park admission. Visit www.legoland.com for event registration fees and processes.

April 6,

•LEGO Star WarsTM Days is a thrilling event where guests will feel the power of the force. Celebrating all-things Star WarsTM, guests will enjoy reliving the Star WarsTM saga in the park’s newest expansion of Miniland USA where the six live-action Star WarsTM movies, as well as a scene from the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars are created of more than 1.5 million LEGO bricks. Guests will enjoy a Yoda Scavenger Hunt and a special LEGO Yoda build activity.

• Red, Brick & Boom allows guests to celebrate the 4th of July with a bang at this second annual Independence Day event.  With special viewing glasses that turn ordinary fireworks into millions of exploding bricks, this July 4th celebration is sure to dazzle and delight with three nights of family fun and fireworks.

•Brick-or-Treat offers safe and family-friendly Halloween festivities every Saturday and Sunday in October. This spooky, kooky event features a Haunted Scavenger Hunt in Miniland USA, trick-or-treating along the brick-or-treat trail, LEGO build activities, the largest LEGO Jack-O-Lantern in the world, Halloween entertainment and an all-kids costume contest with brick-tastic prizes!

• Christmas Bricktacular brings in the holiday season with a 30-foot tall LEGO Christmas tree made of 270,000 LEGO bricks, festive decorations, LEGO build activity stations, a LEGO Santa Scavenger Hunt and holiday entertainment. LEGO Santa and LEGO Toy Soldier make daily appearances in the park providing a perfect family photo opportunity.

•  Countdown to Kids’ New Year’s Eve Party features nightly fireworks over Lake Eloise. Watch the spectacular fireworks explode into millions of tiny LEGO bricks with special viewing glasses. Dec. 26-30.

• Kids’ New Year’s Eve is the perfect way to bring in the new year with the family where the giant LEGO brick drops at a very kid-friendly midnight KST (Kid Standard Time) – otherwise known as 6 p.m. EST. Other event elements include a spectacular fireworks show and a DJ dance party in Miniland USA.

December 31

All events (*except Citrus Classic 5K) are included with regular park admission. The best way to experience LEGOLAND Florida is with the new LEGOLAND Florida Resident Pass starting at just $10 per month after a down payment (only $159 for adults, only $129 for children/seniors). Pass members receive unlimited admission for 12 months to LEGOLAND Florida and the LEGOLAND Water Park, as well as all other Merlin US attractions (LEGOLAND California & Water Park, LEGOLAND Discovery Centers, Sea Life Centers and Madam Tussauds), free parking and 10% off food and merchandise with no black-out dates. The Monthly Payment Plan includes a down payment of $57.24 with a monthly payment of $9.26 for an adult and a $46.44 down payment with a monthly payment of only $7.51 (pre-tax) for a child/senior. For the most current information on special events, daily operating hours and to purchase tickets, visit www.LEGOLAND.com.