From the Official Disney Parks Blog.
“As you plan ahead, we also wanted you to know that this holiday season will mark the finale for The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. The display of lights has enjoyed a successful run at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, going all the way back to when it first appeared on Residential Street.
In order to prepare for some incredible experiences coming to the park, including the recently announced Toy Story Land and a Star Wars-themed land, we will not be able to present The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights in the future. Our heartfelt thanks go out to the family of Jennings Osborne for letting us share their family tradition year after year. And thank you to all of you for being part of the spectacle with us. Here’s to making more memories in this, the 20th and final year.”
What is The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights? It is a light display that began at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 1995. It has grown to 5 million lights. The real beginning of this light spectacular was at a family home, the Osborne family home to be precise, in 1986. Jennings Osborne, an Arkansas businessman was asked by his little daughter Breezy if they could decorate their home with Christmas lights.
Enter into a wonderland of twinkling lights and rotating displays, 130 angels flying overhead, and many light sculptures. The Disney version of “snow” falls making a truly wonderful wintry wonderland display. The lights “dance” to the music every 10 minutes. In between the dance, all of the lights remain on which makes it great for getting photographs of the family. The dance is really choreographed lights changing colors and moving to classic Christmas music.
In the interest of being more energy-efficient all of the lights have been changed to LED lights. Some of the original light elements from the family property are still in use and you will recognize them as you walk through the Streets of America. Others change a bit from year to year. There are even hidden Mickey’s in the display, so keep your eyes open! In transferring the lights to Walt Disney World some Halloween lights were inadvertently included in the shipment via four 18-wheel trucks. There is a Halloween Cat that the Disney Imagineers include each year, always placing it someplace different from the year before. See if you can find it. At the entrance you will see a life-size Manger scene, complete with Angels.
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There are eight songs that the lights “dance” to that only add to the magic of the scene. The song list is:
Jingle Bells, Feliz Navidad, A Mad Russian’s Christmas, Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/24, Parade of the Wooden Soldiers, Christmas is Starting Now, I’m Getting’ Nuttin’ for Christmas, and Winter Wonderland
There are Hanukkah lights included in this Holiday display too. And can you find the mannequin leg lamp from “A Christmas Story”? You will find several family photo op places along the streets, just please, no flash photography. If you have a manual exposure setting on your camera this is the perfect time to use it.
There are 350 miles of lights to put you in the Holiday spirit. For those who make their own light shows at home, this means there are 32.2 miles of extension cords. It takes 21,000 hours to install the lights. Since “snow” has been added they now have 66 snow making machines and use 100 gallons of snow fluid to give you the idea that you are in a flurry of snowflakes as you walk down the street.
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