News Walt Disney World holidays 2021

[TYOTimer]

Just a quick thought, could we see decorations thinned down even more compared to past years because of the projections in Main Street, with the new Fireworks show?

 

[HairyChest]

While I think they're a great Christmas season experience, I don't really think they need to do them anymore, at least not physically. The projection mapping has gotten so good that they can now re-create the same visuals and even add more effects now. I think they may try and go this route for the future, which will save them the cost of labor and renting a big crane for several weeks before and after the season. Not to mention, if they go virtual (projection mapped), it will save Guest Relations the negative comments that they get from guests when the crane is raised.

I disagree. Having seen both with my own eyes, the dream lights are spectacular and have such a beautiful shine to them. The projections last year were “nice” pictures on the castle. Staying at any of the monorail resorts and seeing the dream lights from them makes it feel like such a special time of the year. The projections did not have the same effect on me.

 

[TYOTimer]

I disagree. Having seen both with my own eyes, the dream lights are spectacular and have such a beautiful shine to them. The projections last year were “nice” pictures on the castle. Staying at any of the monorail resorts and seeing the dream lights from them makes it feel like such a special time of the year. The projections did not have the same effect on me.

I’ll easily second this. Disney has lost a lot of it’s Magic over the past decade, but the sight of this was one of the few that still gave you chills

 

[cslafferty]

Projections cannot compare to Dream Lights

 

[castlecake2.0]

While I think they're a great Christmas season experience, I don't really think they need to do them anymore, at least not physically. The projection mapping has gotten so good that they can now re-create the same visuals and even add more effects now. I think they may try and go this route for the future, which will save them the cost of labor and renting a big crane for several weeks before and after the season. Not to mention, if they go virtual (projection mapped), it will save Guest Relations the negative comments that they get from guests when the crane is raised.

Also they just never really looked great during the day. I’d much prefer the Disneyland style of decor their castle gets, and would also create less of an operational nightmare with install each year.

 

[cslafferty]

By this time in 2019, they had already started announcing narrators for the Candlelight Processional. I would think if it was going to happen they would’ve had to start booking talent by now

 

[castlecake2.0]

What.... is this? Merchandise? A party? Character dining?

 

[RobbinsDad]

This will be our First trip during the holiday season in years. I hope they try and make it special as its my kids first Holiday at WDW. Wife and I have been pre kids, but thats 18 years ago. Candlelight would be great for Wife and Daughter. I think my boy would be bored to tears LOL

I've been to Disney World during the holidays several times, and I've never seen the Processional for that very reason. I would love it but I always had small children with me. I hoped this year would be the year, but you can't have everything I suppose.

 

[Disstevefan1]

While I think they're a great Christmas season experience, I don't really think they need to do them anymore, at least not physically. The projection mapping has gotten so good that they can now re-create the same visuals and even add more effects now. I think they may try and go this route for the future, which will save them the cost of labor and renting a big crane for several weeks before and after the season. Not to mention, if they go virtual (projection mapped), it will save Guest Relations the negative comments that they get from guests when the crane is raised.

I would love to see a test of simulating the castle lights using projection mapping. I suspect it would not look as good.

As we know for the 50th, they put the extra decorations on the castle, not sure if they could put up the lights with the new decorations there, so I suspect IF the castle lights ever come back it will be the Christmas AFTER the 50th celebration is over.

If we never see them again, it will not be to stop folks from complaining about cranes.

Disney will stop doing it to save costs no matter how much happiness it brings to their guests.

No more Castle lights at Christmas? Conveniently, Disney can blame it on COVID.

Boy, do I miss the Osborne Lights!! I also miss the Lights of Winter at EPCOT

 

[ryguy]

One would think that the schools had something to do with this not coming back this year. One could also speculate that this would be a perfect time to get rid of anything you didn't want to continue with going forward.

 

[jpinkc]

One would think that the schools had something to do with this not coming back this year. One could also speculate that this would be a perfect time to get rid of anything you didn't want to continue with going forward.

Unfortunately I think thats exactly what they are trying to do.

 

[TYOTimer]

I would love to see a test of simulating the castle lights using projection mapping. I suspect it would not look as good.

As we know for the 50th, they put the extra decorations on the castle, not sure if they could put up the lights with the new decorations there, so I suspect IF the castle lights ever come back it will be the Christmas AFTER the 50th celebration is over.

If we never see them again, it will not be to stop folks from complaining about cranes.

Disney will stop doing it to save costs no matter how much happiness it brings to their guests.

No more Castle lights at Christmas? Conveniently, Disney can blame it on COVID.

Boy, do I miss the Osborne Lights!! I also miss the Lights of Winter at EPCOT

At least you can go to Silver Dollar City and still see the remaining pieces of the Osborne Lights!

 

[Disstevefan1]

At least you can go to Silver Dollar City and still see the remaining pieces of the Osborne Lights!

I just Googled Silver Dollar City, it looks Great!!!!

 

[Disstevefan1]

One would think that the schools had something to do with this not coming back this year. One could also speculate that this would be a perfect time to get rid of anything you didn't want to continue with going forward.

Spot On! TWDC will use the pandemic to change/reduce/remove things they always wanted to do anyway and now they have the perfect excuse and the best part they can say, "For the safety of our guests"

Like getting rid of the orchestra at the Grand Floridian was "For the safety of our guests".

I have said this in many posts but I think the pandemic could be the BEST thing to happen to TWDC from a shareholder's standpoint and the WORST thing to happen for the DisneyParks guests now AND long after the pandemic is a vague memory.

 

[aladdin2007]

One would think that the schools had something to do with this not coming back this year. One could also speculate that this would be a perfect time to get rid of anything you didn't want to continue with going forward.

that does make sense. That along with what seems like half the restaurants being down, all the construction mess, the park is in the worse state its ever been in, but just my opinion. Some of it they have no choice of course but other things could have been avoided from being so botched up.

 

[ImperfectPixie]

I would love to see a test of simulating the castle lights using projection mapping. I suspect it would not look as good.

As we know for the 50th, they put the extra decorations on the castle, not sure if they could put up the lights with the new decorations there, so I suspect IF the castle lights ever come back it will be the Christmas AFTER the 50th celebration is over.

If we never see them again, it will not be to stop folks from complaining about cranes.

Disney will stop doing it to save costs no matter how much happiness it brings to their guests.

No more Castle lights at Christmas? Conveniently, Disney can blame it on COVID.

Boy, do I miss the Osborne Lights!! I also miss the Lights of Winter at EPCOT

Projected "twinkle lights" look absolutely tacky and horrible. 1) they're spaced way too evenly and lack the "natural" spacing that occurs when dealing with lights on a wire, 2) they're not nearly bright enough, and 3) they look like someone pointed a thousand laser pointers evenly spaced out over a surface - there's no glow around them that comes from an actual bulb.

 

[TTA94]

Just a quick thought, could we see decorations thinned down even more compared to past years because of the projections in Main Street, with the new Fireworks show?

Wondering that to. I personally hate those white wreaths hanging things that replaced the garland!

What I Do hope is MK finally gets a new tree!

 

[TTA94]

I’ve said this before but I really was hoping that WDW would continue or rather do the full show of Mickey’s Happy Holidays from DCA. Last year they used the music for Mickey’s cavalcade around World Showcase. Yes this would be a better fit at DHS or MK, but the music is a catchy .

 

[Zummi Gummi]

Wondering that to. I personally hate those white wreaths hanging things that replaced the garland!

What I Do hope is MK finally gets a new tree!

Not that this will happen, but the main reason for the white wreaths replacing the garland was that some of the FoF floats were too tall to fit under them. Given that FoF doesn't have a return date at this moment, there's no reason they couldn't go back to the garland this year! (note: this won't actually happen)

 

[Dan Deesnee]

Disney Tourist Blog lays out some fantastic reasons for why they had no choice but to do an event like this instead of the Christmas parties.

One of the best points he made is that you can't do a Christmas party throughout the 50th celebration. The 50th has it's own firework show so it's just not reasonable to kick people out of the park so frequently before the 50th fireworks happen that night. You can't tell guests to leave early because there's a Christmas party when so many are there for the 50th.