^Nearly all the schools in SoCal are out by Dec 21, so I can imagine they'd want to hit that target--it'll be a pretty big peak season with Holiday in the Park going on, as well as an upcoming new Winter Food Festival being debuted in about a week. It'll be pretty busy in the parks, weather permitting.
But there's also still a lot to do, and the state has to sign off on the ride, so that can take a while. it'll be a close call, and while I'd prepare for it to not happen, it's not entirely out of the question. Cautious optimism...