We had a chance to visit one of our favorite holiday experiences at WDW last night, The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios. This is an amazing display of Christmas lights and decorations located at an area of the park known as The Streets of America. This should not be missed if you are visiting during the Holiday Season.
The history of the display is very interesting. A business man from Arkansas, Jennings Osborne, had his daughter ask him one year if he would decorate their house with lights for Christmas. What started out as 1000 lights over the years turned into a display of 3 million. Eventually neighbors complained and a law suite was brought going all the way to the Arkansas State Supreme Court who ordered the lights be removed. This is were Disney stepped and in 1995 brought the display to WDW eventually adding more lights and more effects.
Today the display is known as the "Dancing Lights" as they are choreographed to "dance" when a song is played. After the performance the lights remain steady for about 6-7 minutes before "dancing" again.
Some of the songs the lights "dance" to include: Jingle Bells by Barbra Streisand, Feliz Navidad by Jose Feliciano and Parade of the Wooden Soldiers by the Boston Pops Orchestra. Adding to an already magical display are "snow" machines on top of the roofs of the buildings which bring flurries to the heart of Central Florida. If you are planning on catching The Osborne Lights we suggest arriving about an hour before Sundown (the show starts around 6:30) and finding a spot towards the middle of The Streets of America so you can experience all the lights. Enjoy and Merry Christmas!!
