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I really miss the Osborne lights, anyone else?
- Thread starter ExpeditionThemePark
- Start date
Minnesota disney fan
Well-Known Member
Count me and my family in as sorely missing the fabulous, magical Osbourne Lights. We always went to HS to see the lights at least twice while at Disney. It was a tradition. I also miss the "trash band" that was hiliarious! They always opened the show with a great, funny show. Disney took that away and I guess, put it in a theatre at HS? So, then it was just the lights without the preshow. Now, it is no lights at all.
It was something so simple, but spectacular, which was greatly appreciated by all. It made us feel special that Disney would put on such a light show for "free" just for Disney guests! It was a special and magical feeling, which is sadly missing for us now.
I tried to express my feelings, rather poorly, but It Is Missed!
It was something so simple, but spectacular, which was greatly appreciated by all. It made us feel special that Disney would put on such a light show for "free" just for Disney guests! It was a special and magical feeling, which is sadly missing for us now.
I tried to express my feelings, rather poorly, but It Is Missed!
GoofGoof
Premium Member
The entrance street may have worked although it would have been a problem with congestion. When they had the lights on SOA sets that wasn’t a main thoroughfare for the park. It still got pretty congested but you didn’t have guests attempting to come and go at the same time.
Sunset Blvd doesn’t have the taller buildings to hold the lights. It would also ruin the view of ToT in the distance down the street which is one of the most iconic views in the parks. One can argue that the new projection show does that too, but at least the daytime view is kept unobstructed.
I do think they had the opportunity to move that light display to DS where there are areas with buildings on both sides and a wide enough walkway. Probably didn’t happen because DS is free so no revenue for Disney. It’s an academic debate now anyway since as others stated they don’t have the lights anymore.
I may be in the minority but I don't miss them. I honestly didn't like them as I felt they were overkill. A bit like the Danny Devito movie where he tries to create a house you can see in space. The Disney lights were just so intense and over done it didn't seem pretty just overwhelming.
Graham9
Well-Known Member
I miss the lights big time. It's one of the things which made WDW special at around this time of year and one of the reasons why we would visit at this time. I can't understand why they couldn't be relocated and/or revamped in some way so others could enjoy it, as it was a huge crowd pull.
Whatsthegoodword
Member
I guess I'm in the minority, but I don't miss them at all. I think they were cheesy. 
mergatroid
Well-Known Member
They were brilliant, both my wife and I enjoyed them immensely. A sad loss
Captain Barbossa
Well-Known Member
I greatly miss the Osborne Lights too. Every now and then, I will pop in my old VHS tape (am I the only one that still uses one?) that we made of the lights. It's a shame that they're gone.
Liane Layman
New Member
Now I herd they are back on, anybody herd about this? I sure hope so because I want to see them someday,
GoofGoof
Premium Member
As far as I know Disney gave the original lights back to the family they got them from and there’s a rumor they are now part of a light display in Silver Dollar City in Branson. Not sure if Disney gave them all of the lights since they added quite a bit to the display over the years but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for a return.
NearTheEars
Well-Known Member
There was something about being on the streets, with all the people, immersed in the show that I’m not sure they can capture again. The new projection show is OK, but it has no soul. It’s hard to explain when it’s really just a feeling.
But then I’ve also heard others describe the lights a noise and sound pollution, so I don’t know. I definitely don’t agree with that.
NearTheEars
Well-Known Member
“While many of the graphic renderings resemble that of Disney’s now retired “Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights,” park officials say the new additions are SDC original creations but admit they take inspiration from a variety of sources.”
https://bransonchristmas.info/news/...lans-for-christmas-in-midtown-2017-expansion/
GoofGoof
Premium Member
Good info. The rumors I saw were speculating that they were the same lights and since they appeared shortly after the Disney ones were removed they probably just jumped to conclusions. Some of the lights do look pretty similar.
NearTheEars
Well-Known Member
Pretty much looks like they just shamelessly copied them ha.
BalooChicago
Well-Known Member
I end up replacing my lights every couple years. Disney clearly added lights over the years. The original lights would have been incandescent. I wonder what, if anything, really remained of the really Osborne lights anyway.
Surfin' Tuna
Well-Known Member
The people who said they were cheesy and light pollution...um, what is that they project on ToT? I think the over the top factor that some might call other names is what made them great. We will never get those lights back, but Disney could create something similar in one of the parks. I'm not smart enough to know where or what, but something like that again would be great.
I never saw the Osborne lights, but I have been to Silver Dollar City. Even before the “Christmas in Midtown” display that park has an amazing light display, the new display added 1.5 million lights this year to a park that used to put up over 5 million lights so this year they had over 6.5 million lights. Not only do they usually cover every plank of their wooden sided structures but they also will wrap half a dozen >50 ft trees including all their branches in lights. I highly suggest going there if you can.
rosewein59
New Member
Christmas is a joke at Disney. Tried to go after they closed The Spectacle of lights but it's not the same.
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
Diznee iz a Bizness
While people were enjoying the lights they were not dining, shopping or drinking. That did not help PRGS So the lights had to go.
Disney has forgotten that people visit theme parks to be ENTERTAINED. But WDW has gradually become and run like a Mall with a cover charge.
While people were enjoying the lights they were not dining, shopping or drinking. That did not help PRGS So the lights had to go.
Disney has forgotten that people visit theme parks to be ENTERTAINED. But WDW has gradually become and run like a Mall with a cover charge.
correcaminos
Well-Known Member
I miss the original Osborne lights. The last version just didn't hold a candle to the original and were too much crammed into one spot. I don't actually miss that version much at all.