Disney is still being haunted by a holiday change made nearly a decade ago!
For 20 years, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights served as one of Walt Disney World’s most beloved Holiday institutions, lighting up the Streets of America portion of Hollywood Studios each December from 1995 through 2015. However, Disney got rid of the lights in 2016, and has been dealing with the problematic aftermath ever since.
Arkansas residents Jennings and Mitzi Osborne first began decorating their house with a massive Christmas light display in 1986 at the request of his then-6-year-old daughter Alison “Breezy” Osborne. Over the next decade, the display became larger and more ornate, attracting both tourists and legal challenges. Eventually, a court order put an end to the display. However, Disney contacted the family about bringing their lights to Disney World, and The Osborne Lights first came to Hollywood Studios (then Disney-MGM Studios) in 1995.
Initially, the Osborne Lights were displayed on the park’s Residential Street (a collection of facades of television homes that was part of the Backlot Tour). After Residential Street was closed and demolished to make room for the Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show, the Osborne display was moved to the Streets of America portion of the park.
During this period, the display grew to include more and more technologically advanced lights, as well as fake snow. However, in 2015, Disney announced that the area would be closing to make way for the construction of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Unlike what happened when Residential Street closed, the Osborne Lights would not be moving on to a different area of the park. Instead, the Osborne Lights at Disney were no more, with Disney donating at least parts of the display to charity.
The permanent end of the Spectacle of Dancing Lights in January of 2016 upset fans who had come to make visiting them a holiday family tradition. In addition, many lamented the fact that the removal of the lights left Hollywood Studios with no major exciting holiday offerings, an issue which has only compounded over the last 8 years.
While Hollywood Studios consistently offered some exceptionally delightful mid-century Christmas decorations on Hollywood and Sunset boulevards, the park didn’t attempt a major holiday offering again until 2023 with the introduction of Jollywood Nights — a holiday party with special entertainment and food, that required a special ticket. However this event was met with controversy.
For starters, many were upset that — after waiting nearly a decade — the replacement of the included-with-admission Osborne Lights was an up-charged after-hours event. Furthermore the event’s comparatively scant offerings and long waits were met with highly negative reviews. In fact, Disney has yet to confirm that the event will be returning for 2024.
The closure of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights nearly a decade ago has left a massive holiday-shaped hole in Hollywood Studios that still remains a problem for Disney. Stay tuned to AllEars for more updates on Disney’s holiday offerings.
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Do you still miss the Osborne Lights? Let us know in the comments below.
Absolutely miss the Osborne lights