December 2015 Walt Disney World Bits and Bites
Feature Article
This article appeared in the November 24, 2015 Issue #844 of ALL EARS® (ISSN: 1533-0753)
Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.
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STEP BACK IN TIME
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by Debra Martin Koma
AllEars® Editor
Ever wonder what Walt Disney World and The Walt Disney Company were like way back when? We rummage around in our archives for this monthly feature, which takes you back in history for a glimpse of Walt Disney World through the ages.
This month, we thought we'd share the interview that I did in 2002 with Jennings Osborne, creator of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights, back when the Lights were still on the theme park's Residential Street and before they learned how to "dance." Hard to believe it was 13 years ago that I had this conversation with Osborne, who passed away in 2011. Even harder to believe that this will be the last year for his legacy, the Lights, at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
A CONVERSATION WITH JENNINGS OSBORNE
"I can't do anything in moderation," admits Jennings Osborne.
Even that seems to be an understatement for this Arkansas businessman, who is as well-known throughout the state for his philanthropic acts as he is for running a thriving business.
But what Osborne is referring to in this case is Christmas lights, which is not surprising when you learn that he is the man who started what is arguably one of the biggest holiday light displays in the world.
The road to holiday light excess began modestly enough in 1986, when Osborne's 6-year-old daughter, Breezy, asked her dad to put some Christmas lights on their Little Rock, Arkansas, home. Each year thereafter, though, Osborne added to the original 1,000 lights, until by 1993 the Osborne home was sporting approximately 3 million lights.
"I put lights on our tire swing, on the grill," Osborne recalls. "Anything that didn't move."
Although thousands of visitors enjoyed the spectacle, some neighbors complained and the Arkansas Supreme Court ordered the Osbornes to shut down their display. Osborne took his case before the US Supreme Court, yet was unable to win approval to re-open his light show.
"It was just about the worst day of my life when the Arkansas Supreme Court said I couldn't put up my lights," Osborne says. "But then I was contacted by a man who wanted to move us — he said something about a 'residential street,' but I had no idea until I saw it in writing that it was Disney or the MGM studios!"
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Osborne wasn't unfamiliar with the Orlando vacation spot. He says that he and his family had been going to Walt Disney World for the Christmas and New Year's holidays for several years, so he was excited at the prospect of relocating his displays there. In fact, he laughs, he often dreamed of lighting up the Magic Kingdom's Cinderella Castle, or even Epcot's Spaceship Earth. But, he adds, "Never in my wildest dreams did I really think I'd see our lights at Disney."
Today, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights is one of the most eagerly anticipated of the holiday festivities at Walt Disney World. Numbering approximately 5 million lights, the displays feature everything from reindeer and Santa, angels, Christmas trees, to a number of newer exhibits with Disney characters. Not to be missed are all of Osborne's originals, including one of his personal favorites, the prominent Peace on Earth display with the turning globe.
"They reproduced almost everything as we had it in our yard," he says. "That one big tree they have over a house — that was over our kitchen."
Although he oversaw putting up the lights the first few years they were at Walt Disney World, Osborne notes that he now leaves most of the work to Disney. He and his family have continued their tradition of visiting WDW every holiday season, however, and Osborne says he's walked through the lights with Disney CEO Michael Eisner several times, the two of them marveling at how the displays touch people.
"We have three years left on our contract with Walt Disney World," he notes, dispelling the rumors that this year will be the Lights' last in Orlando. "And I'm sure we'll renew when the time comes. Disney is the perfect place for these lights to be, where millions of people can enjoy them and share in the magic. I still can't believe they're there sometimes."
He adds with a laugh, "Mickey's doing a great job."
RELATED LINKS
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
2015 Osborne Lights Photo Gallery
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PHOTO OF THE WEEK
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Do YOU have a wonderful photograph that captures the Magic of the Disney Parks or Disney Cruise Line? Send it to us and it could be chosen as our Photo of the Week! Each week we'll select one photograph that we think best conveys that extra sprinkling of pixie dust, and display it for all our readers to see. Send us your favorite memories and let's see what "develops!"
Be sure to check our guidelines before sending in your entry!
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HERE'S THIS WEEK'S PHOTO:
"Make a Wish!"
Taken September 15, 2015 at Crystal Palace, Magic Kingdom
Photo by Chelsea Langley, Old Lyme, Connecticut
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HIDDEN MICKEYS ALERT
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Steve Barrett, author of the Hidden Mickeys books and webmaster of HiddenMickeyGuy.com, shows you a few Hidden Mickeys from Walt Disney World. Enjoy the search!
1. Disney Springs Marketplace, Tren-D. On the checkout countertop to the right as you enter from the outside promenade, smile at a reference to Mickey and Minnie. On the side closest to the main entrance, and near the angle of the countertop, "M M + M M" is carved into the counter. (Thanks to Alexander McClintick.)
2. Disney's Hollywood Studios. In a fountain outside MuppetVision 3D, Gonzo is balancing on a floatie character with bulging eyes and face who resembles Mickey. (Also, from the rear, the head looks like a classic Hidden Mickey.)
3. Magic Kingdom, Fantasyland: Under the Sea – Journey of The Little Mermaid. Along the inside exit from the ride, look for a large opening in the left wall that looks into the exit path from Ariel's Grotto. Through this opening, you can see a Hidden Mickey: a classic Mickey is formed of three impressions in the rock wall along the left side of the exit from Ariel's Grotto. This image is tilted to the left and it's about halfway up the wall and below a ceiling light. (Note: You'll probably find other rock impressions along the exit that resemble classic Mickeys.)
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You can find a selection of past Hidden Mickey Alerts HERE.
And check out our latest Searching Disney with Steve blog: Hidden Mickeys at the Polynesian Village Resort and the Magic Kingdom.
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MONTHLY REMIND-EARS
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DECEMBER EVENTS
Holidays Around the World in World Showcase:
— Storytellers in the pavilions around World Showcase talk about the holiday or related customs in each country. For the 2015 holiday season, new live musical performances by the five-member a cappella group, American Music Machine are being added. With unique vocal arrangements by Tim Davis ("Glee"), American Music Machine will be rocking around the Fountain Stage, performing both modern and nostalgic holiday hits, including "White Christmas," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "All I Want for Christmas is You." The Canadian Holiday Voyageurs explore the musical holiday traditions from across the Great White North in the Canada Pavilion. In Mexico, "Feliz Navidad" features colorful dancers and mariachis, who celebrate the holiday customs of Mexico in an interactive, musical performance, and the China Pavilion bursts to life with the vibrant Chinese Lion Dance, bringing good fortune and happiness to all in honor of major holidays such as the Lunar New Year and Lantern Festival.
"Joyful! A Gospel Celebration of the Season" will perform at the Fountain Stage in Future World throughout the day.
The Candlelight Processional: The celebrity narrators for December dates are (entertainment and times subject to change):
11/30 – 12/3: Neil Patrick Harris
12/4 – 12/5: Whoopi Goldberg
12/6 – 12/8: Joe Morton
12/9 – 12/11 : Ana Gasteyer
12/12 – 12/14: Meredith Vieira
12/15 – 12/17: America Ferrera
12/18 – 12/20: Chandra Wilson
12/21 – 12/23: Daniel Dae Kim
12/24 – 12/26: Edward James Olmos
12/27 – 12/28: Blair Underwood
12/29 – 12/30: Amy Grant
Each evening* there are three shows — at 5, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m. — which last about 40 minutes. (*On December 6, there are only shows at 6:45 and 8:15.) The Candlelight Processional is included with admission to Epcot.
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party December dates: 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18 (NOTE: December 18 is SOLD OUT!)
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Check our Events page for a full schedule of upcoming events.
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Disney's Hollywood Studios
Toy Story Midway Mania – More midway track is being added; work is expected to be completed in 2016.
Epcot
Sum of All Thrills in Innoventions will be closed for refurbishment November 30 to December 4, 2015.
Captain EO will close permanently on December 6, 2015. It will be replaced by the Disney-Pixar Short Film Festival; a start date for the new attraction has not yet been announced.
Innoventions in Future World West is closed except for the Visa Character Photo Location.
The Vision House exhibit in Innoventions East has closed permanently.
The Maelstrom attraction and Spirit of Norway movie have closed to make way for "Frozen Ever After," based on the animated film, "Frozen." The new attraction will take guests to the film's land of Arendelle and is expected to open in early 2016. The Norway pavilion will also again host a royal greeting location where the characters Anna and Elsa can meet guests.
Magic Kingdom
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover will be closed for a short refurbishment December 7 – 10, 2015.
Blizzard Beach Water Park closed for its annual refurbishment October 25, 2015. It will remain closed until January 2, 2016.
All-Star Resorts
Grand Slam Pool at All-Star Sports is closed for routine maintenance. It is expected to reopen December 18, 2015. During this time, guests can use the Surfboard Bay Pool, located near Stadium Hall.
BoardWalk
BoardWalk Villas rooms are currently undergoing renovations.
BoardWalk Inn is also undergoing exterior repairs and painting now through May 5, 2016.
Polynesian Resort
Polynesian East Pool is closed for enhancement through early 2016. Expect noise and construction; some pathways may be blocked.
Pop Century
Computer Pool will be closed for maintenance November 30 – December 3, 2015.
Port Orleans French Quarter
Kiddie Pool is closed for refurbishment through December 23, 2015.
Yacht Club Concierge Lounge is closed through early December 2015.
The Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin is currently undergoing the largest renovation in its 25-year history. The Swan rooms have been completed; the first phase of the Dolphin Hotel room renovations have just begun, with the entire room project currently scheduled to be completed by the end of 2017.
Wilderness Lodge and Villas at Wilderness Lodge
General resort refurbishments and construction work in multiple areas will continue until 2017. Some pathways and the nature trail will be unavailable at certain times.
Hidden Springs leisure pool, resort beach, playground and recreation fire pit are unavailable.
Disney Springs
Roadwork on Buena Vista Drive – Through March 2016. Due to heavy roadwork, expect delays on Buena Vista Drive. It is recommended that guests use complimentary Walt Disney World Resort transportation from Parks and Resorts to Downtown Disney and plan to arrive early for reserved dining and entertainment experiences.
Parking Lots – Entrance 2 – Lots A-G – closed through August 2016, in preparation for the construction of Town Center and the East Garage.
Read HERE for more on Disney Springs.
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A complete list of known rehabs can be found HERE.
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MAGICAL MOMENTS
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Kim Cole: We just got back from a 10-day Disney World vacation, which was incredible. My husband and I were celebrating our 6th anniversary and my sister and her husband were celebrating their 30th anniversary. (Yup, that's right — no kids, just us "young at heart" adults.) One of the best moments of our vacation happened at Hollywood Studios. I had created two t-shirts for my sister and me to wear to the Frozen Sing-along. We are so-called "Irish twins" (I was born in January and she was born in December of the same year), so we found shirts that said, "She's my Anna!" and "She's my Elsa!" with the Mickey thumb pointing to the other person. I decided to "bling" out the shirts, so I bought some gemstones and made the "Anna" and "Elsa" bling. Hey, who doesn't love a little bling, right? When we were in the Fastpass line for the sing-along, we were approached by a cast member. He said, "I just spoke to my supervisor about you two ladies, and we've decided to make you VIPs for the show." We were ELATED! We were put in a special waiting area for VIPs and we were the first two escorted into the theater for the show. We were seated six rows from the stage, right in the middle. You couldn't have asked for better seats. It was so AWESOME to feel special. My sister was so happy that I took the time to "bling" out the shirts — it obviously paid off. And now we have a Disney moment we will never forget!
Barbara Intile: Magical Moments go way back! On our first trip in 1973, a cast member asked if it was OK if my sons, who were 7 and 4 at the time, were made guests of the day and marched in the Liberty Square parade. Of course, I said OK. At one point, the parade stopped, and a gentleman read from a scroll, announcing their names, and designating them very special guests of the day. I'll never forget the importance my sons associated with this honor. They each received pins and the scrolls to mark the occasion. It was the highlight of our trip.
Janet Hunter, Buckinghamshire, UK: I'm inspired to share my own magical memory — one in which the guests provided the magic. In 1990, I worked for a year as a Cultural Representative at the Rose and Crown in the UK pavilion in Epcot. One day, one of my friends served a couple from Missouri. Later on she told me that the couple had invited her to visit them and asked if I would like to go with her. We made the arrangements and flew to St Louis. The couple was there to meet us with their daughter and son-in-law and their young granddaughter. We saw the sights in St. Louis and rode to the top of the Gateway Arch. Later we drove to their house on the Lake of the Ozarks, a journey of about 200 miles. Over that weekend we visited Silver Dollar City, tried our hands at fishing on the lake and shared a potluck supper at a church. The generosity and hospitality we were shown that weekend have left a lasting impression on me and show how the Disney magic can work both ways.
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We just bet you have a story to tell about an unforgettable moment during your Disney vacation! Please send your favorite memory for inclusion in a future AllEars® to: [email protected] Thank you all for sharing!
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Editor's Note: This story/information was accurate when it was published. Please be sure to confirm all current rates, information and other details before planning your trip.
