Disney obtained the display in 1995 from the Jennings Osborne family of Little Rock, Arkansas. The wealthy family began hanging Christmas lights on their home in 1986, eventually buying the two properties next door to expand the display, which by 1993 included more than three million lights. With thousands of visitors swarming local streets to see the display, neighbors sued, obtaining an injunction that limited the display. Eventually, state courts moved to shut down the lights, and Disney offered to move the display to Florida.
In 2004, Disney moved the display from the old Residential Street — which was torn down to make way for the Lights, Motors, Action stadium — to its current home on the Streets of America. In 2006, Disney added dimmer switches and a musical score, allowing the lights to "dance" to the music. (That's when Disney added the word "Dancing" to the display's name.) In 2011, Disney converted the display to LED lighting.
Disney is closing the display to accommodate the upcoming construction of Stars Wars Land in the park. Yesterday, Disney COO Tom Staggs announced that Disney would begin construction on that project next year.
In addition to the in-park construction, we have heard from sources inside Disney that the resort will prepare for Star Wars Land by building a new approach to the park — a flyover bridge off Osceola Parkway at Victory Way, that will lead traffic to the park's planned new entrance off Victory Way, south of Buena Vista Drive. Expect construction to begin on that project after the holidays, as well.
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I guess that this is part of the movement to turn DHS into Empty Kingdom in preparation for some distant time when some of the promised attractions finally arrive.
Universal has gotten the last laugh over Disney's attempt to take over the "Studio Tour" niche in FL.
I thought they're only borrowing the name. The decorations were replaced numerous times. I thought Disney owned the actual decorations.
I highly doubt Disney will completly get rid of the lights outright. I am guessing it is going to be somewhere else in DHS. After all, it was their Holiday Attraction.
The lights are a "thing" people come to see a "thing". "Things" become tradition. Disney will put it somewhere else!
Anyway...a new entrance to the park? Will that mean DHS will have two entrances like EPCOT has? Or will they be removing the current entrance? I imagine two entrances, as the boats from EPCOT Resorts would then essentially be pointless, taking guests to nowhere in particular.
It also makes me wonder about the new size of the park. I mean, EPCOT is like two distinct parks in one, so having two entrances makes sense. DHS is so small, having two entrances would be beyond overkill, so perhaps they are really planning for this park to finally draw in crowds that stick around more than 5 or 6 hours?
Or am I just misunderstanding "park's planned new entrance"? Perhaps it just means the cars entering the parking lot via the flyaway bridge, and not the people entering the park itself.
I'm sorry to see the Osborne lights leave. But I'm a bit more interested in the new park entrance, and wonder who knows what about this news?
The Osborne lights are the latest, most modern technology and can easily be re-purposed.
THE EPCOT LIGHTS OF WINTER HAVE RETURNED !!!!!! yeah, right
Walt Disney: One Man's Story is dead, Jim...
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