Ask any diehard Disney park fan, and most likely one thing on their bucket list would be to stay in a park overnight. This year, they can cross that wish off their list – and you can, too!

That’s because for the first time ever, both Disneyland in California and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom will stay open for guests for a full 24 hours.

Taking advantage of the fact that 2012 is a leap year, with an extra day on the calendar, Disney has chosen February 29 as the date this special promotion will take place. From 6am on that day through 6am on March 1, local time, each of the two parks will be open non-stop.

That means if you want to ride Splash Mountain at 3am, you can finally do it.

To make things even better, this is not a special ticket event like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Regular park admission, from single park tickets to annual passes, will get you in.

I’m super excited about this and am already planning with friends to do an overnight at Florida’s Magic Kingdom. I can’t wait to see the sun rise on the castle. How about you? Will you be taking advantage of this rare opportunity to stay in the park all night?

[Image courtesy of Walt Disney World]