9 days 2 resorts FREE Dining Christmas Lights & a bouncing Tigger who stole my heart

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Tuesday November 10th continued ~



YAY it's finally here ~ The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights!!!

I had planned dinner early so we could be outside and on the Streets of America before 6:00, when they turn on the lights. When I originally booked our trip I had no idea we would be able to see this, last year it didn't start until after Thanksgiving. Imagine my surprise when the November schedule came out and it was scheduled to start on November 10th - the day I already had planned to be at DHS!!! That was lucky!

So after dinner it was about 5:40 and we walked over to the Streets and had a seat on the curb and waited. It was very crowded. I'm not sure if it was because it was the first night of the Lights, or if it is that way every night. It hadn't been too crowded all day at DHS, so apparently everyone came just to see the lights. It wasn't an unpleasant crowded though. Everyone was pleasant and happy to be there. No one was pushing or being rude.

6:00 came and it was finally time!!!

WOW!! We just stood there in amazement. What an awesome sight. I love Christmas lights, I love WDW, and I love DHS, so I was in heaven!

The lights would dance to the music every so often and then they would be still. There would still be music playing though. We looked and walked around and enjoyed every minute of it. We even did a little dancing!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Continued. . . .


The snow was pretty cool too. It's like a foamy soap. That's what DS is pointing to in this pic ~

This picture looks almost exactly like the December picture in my new WDW calendar!

We took two videos at the Lights. One was of us dancing. But it is so shaky you can hardly look at it without getting nauseous! Apparently DS10 didn't understand that when it is your turn to do the taping you need to stop dancing. He continued to dance with the camera in his hand going up and down and all over the place! So I didn't put that one on YouTube.

But I did take this small one of the lights if you want to take a look! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDazdnxnPeE

We stayed until about 7:30 and then headed for the exit. Took a few pictures on the way out.

Got back to POR and it had started raining while we were on the bus. So we had to walk back to our room in the rain. It was more than a sprinkle, but still not very hard. I am pretty sure it rained most of the night. But it had stopped by morning and that was all the rain we saw all week!

 

[seacrestpromo]

Shelly - Those Christmas lights in DHS are amazing! Your pictures came out great. Very nice! Thank you for sharing! - Sea

 

[seacrestpromo]

More awesomeness Shelly! And your video is FANTASTIC!!! Great job!!! - Sea

 

[JoBird]

It is just simply breathtakingly beautiful.

Love the lights.

Wish I could have seen it.

Maybe one day....

LOL at more light sabers! The Force was with them.

That and Daddy WarBucks!


Thanks for the update!

 

[lala3291]

All caught up now! Loved reading about and seeing your pictures of the Osbourne Lights! We saw them in November of 2006, and they were just unbelievable! I'm with you...I love Christmas lights! It's sad though, people around where I live don't seem to be in the Holiday Spirit much...there are not many homes decorated

 

[Mndisneygirl]

Okay - I have finally caught up. Today was "read all of Shelly's report" day!
Illuminations - I think we sat in the same spot!
Osbourne lights - great pictures - I hope mine turned out that well! I don't remember seeing Santa on the balcony! Did you see the leg lamp in a window from The Christmas Story?
They used the same "snow" on Main Street for the Christmas party.
Beach Club/BW/YC - I would love to try them all someday. We visited them all this trip for Christmas decorations. We saw the magician on the BW on our January trip - he was funny and the girls remembered him and wondered where he was (of course it was about 10 in the morning!).
I agree with you on the kids' menus. Lucky for me, those 4 items are about all my kids want.
SciFi - I had wanted to book it for this trip, but b/c we were a party of 12, and DH said he'd rather go eat at Epcot, we missed it. Next time for sure!
I'll try to keep up now that I'm home again. I have to spend a day or two uploading pictures before I can start my TR. It will be full of photos!! Plus I have to do my photopass ones and see if I want to use those or mine to do Christmas cards. Yup, they will be late this year!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Shelly - Those Christmas lights in DHS are amazing! Your pictures came out great. Very nice! Thank you for sharing! - Sea

More awesomeness Shelly! And your video is FANTASTIC!!! Great job!!! - Sea

Thanks Sea! I'm glad you liked the pics & video.

It is just simply breathtakingly beautiful.

Love the lights.

Wish I could have seen it.

Maybe one day....

LOL at more light sabers! The Force was with them.

That and Daddy WarBucks!


Thanks for the update!

Thanks JO! I hope you are able to see the lights someday!

Yes more lightsabers, just what we needed.

Daddy WarBucks More like Daddy NoBucks!!

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

All caught up now! Loved reading about and seeing your pictures of the Osbourne Lights! We saw them in November of 2006, and they were just unbelievable! I'm with you...I love Christmas lights! It's sad though, people around where I live don't seem to be in the Holiday Spirit much...there are not many homes decorated

Glad you enjoyed the update!

I have noticed that around here too, less and less Christmas lights it seems.

Okay - I have finally caught up. Today was "read all of Shelly's report" day!
Illuminations - I think we sat in the same spot!
Osbourne lights - great pictures - I hope mine turned out that well! I don't remember seeing Santa on the balcony! Did you see the leg lamp in a window from The Christmas Story?
They used the same "snow" on Main Street for the Christmas party.
Beach Club/BW/YC - I would love to try them all someday. We visited them all this trip for Christmas decorations. We saw the magician on the BW on our January trip - he was funny and the girls remembered him and wondered where he was (of course it was about 10 in the morning!).
I agree with you on the kids' menus. Lucky for me, those 4 items are about all my kids want.
SciFi - I had wanted to book it for this trip, but b/c we were a party of 12, and DH said he'd rather go eat at Epcot, we missed it. Next time for sure!
I'll try to keep up now that I'm home again. I have to spend a day or two uploading pictures before I can start my TR. It will be full of photos!! Plus I have to do my photopass ones and see if I want to use those or mine to do Christmas cards. Yup, they will be late this year!!

I feel very special that you devoted the day to reading my TR!! So glad you are all caught up. I know it's rough getting back into the swing of things and back to reality after being at WDW.

Can't wait to see your pics of the lights! No I didn't see the leg lamp from the Christmas Story. I did look for it briefly. Did you see it?

The resorts didn't have any Christmas decorations up yet when we were there. Well, expect for a half done Gingerbread House at the GF!

I hope you make it to Sci-Fi next time!

 

[NewCrew42]

Now I want to go to WDW at Christmas just to see the Osborne's Lights!

Shelly your photos are so good, and your video is wonderful!!!!

Below is the history of the Osborne Lights. We lived here in Arkansas and were able to see the light display at their home. It was truly grand, but I must say not as grand as what they have done with it as WDW!

Merry Christmas from Jennings, Mitzi, and Breezy Osborne



It all started innocently enough when a 6-year-old girl asked her adoring father for some Christmas lights. What eventually transpired, however, was a huge controversy that drew worldwide attention and the ears of the United States Supreme Court. While six years have passed since the Osborne's were ordered to shut down their massive Christmas lights display at their home in Little Rock, the legend of the lights lives and onlookers continue to drive by the compound in December wishing for one more glimpse.



Ironically, Jennings Osborne never had Christmas lights on his home as a child raised in Fort Smith,Ark., some 140 miles west of Little Rock. Even so, Christmas was the most celebrated time of the year and the single holiday where the Osborne's took a brief respite from their crushing workload to be together as a family.
"It was a tradition started by my father, Bryan,'' Jennings remembers. "He loved Christmas so much and made it a special day for our family.''Upon Bryan Osborne's death in 1968, Jennings emerged as the family patriarch and continued the tradition his father treasured. He, Mitzi and later Breezy (born in 1980) made the annual trek to Fort Smith. "For many years, it was our only day off,'' Jennings says.

A new tradition started in 1986 when Breezy, then 6, asked her father if he would hang some Christmas lights at their home in Little Rock. He happily obliged and began modestly with 1,000 red lights. "Each year after that, it got bigger and bigger,'' he recalls. "I'm never satisfied. I'm always chasing a dream.''
By 1993, the display grew to 3 million lights and could be seen by plane from as far as 80 miles away. The extravaganza included a three-dimensional replica of the world, which was suspended 100 feet in the air that would flash PEACE ON EARTH. Also included was a computerized light display of a train engineered by a waving Mickey Mouse.
"It was our own little Disney World,'' Jennings recalls with a smile. As a result, thousands from all over the state flocked to see the world's largest home Christmas light display. Television crews from as far away as Japan and Australia chronicled the massive event.

But Jennings couldn't fathom how many lives he would touch. Wading through thousands of letters of appreciation, one continues to stand out. "Last December, our little girl, Alex, was 4 years old and as most children, she loved your beautiful Christmas lights,'' Pat Pope of Benton, Ark., wrote in 1991. "Shortly after seeing your lights, she relapsed with the cancer she had been fighting for a little over a year. We lost our Alex on Dec. 30. "Thanks you so much for your lights. My family appreciates the time, hassle and the money that you share and put into your lights. I hope you get an opportunity to see the faces of the children (and adults, too) that look at your lights.''
To this day, Jennings is still moved by that letter. "That's what made it all worthwhile,'' he says with a smile. "I think some people have the impression our lights were to get attention. No, our lights made people happy. And as a result, that made us happy.''



Unfortunately, the Osborne's neighbors couldn't grasp the altruism behind the light display. They cited it as a nuisance, and filed a law suit that was eventually heard by the Arkansas Supreme Court. "It tears my heart out to this day,'' Jennings says. "They don't get it. Our lights were Christmas for a lot of people.''
To appease his neighbors, Osborne was amenable to several compromises. He shortened the time his lights were turned on and even hired four off-duty policemen to assist neighbors leaving and returning to their home. But just like Alex, one family pulled at his heart strings and he defied a court order.

"It was a family from Pine Bluff who arrived minutes after the lights were ordered to be turned off,'' Jennings recalls. "The father had gotten off late from work and rushed his children to see the lights. He told me his story and I just couldn't say no.''
As a result, the Osbornes paid a $10,000 fine for defying the court order. "And it was worth every penny,'' Jennings says. Again, his neighbors used the act as ammunition to have the display shut down for good. The Osborne's appealed to the United States Supreme Court but Justice Clarence Thomas sent the motion back saying that it was not unique enough.






"I thought my world would come to an end,'' Jennings said. "Somebody was denying a gift I was giving.''But as the Osbornes came to find, God opens a door for every one he shuts. Soon after his light display was shut down, he was contacted by Disney World to bring his lights to Orlando, Florida.

Beginning in 1995, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights opened with 4 million lights and has become the park's third largest attraction. Additionally, the Osbornes sponsor light displays in 32 cities in Arkansas. "As it turned out,'' Jennings muses, "it's the greatest thing that ever happened. Now, millions get to see it. I get to share my gift with the world.''

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Now I want to go to WDW at Christmas just to see the Osborne's Lights!

Shelly your photos are so good, and your video is wonderful!!!!

Below is the history of the Osborne Lights. We lived here in Arkansas and were able to see the light display at their home. It was truly grand, but I must say not as grand as what they have done with it as WDW!

Glad you enjoyed it!

I think they read that same exact thing before the show started. Maybe not exact, but definitely pretty close. And I remember thinking that you had told me about it before I left. I felt so informed!!

It really is amazing! That must have been really cool to see it at their home.

 

[Mndisneygirl]

I feel very special that you devoted the day to reading my TR!! So glad you are all caught up. I know it's rough getting back into the swing of things and back to reality after being at WDW.
Ugh - it sure is. Plus it snowed and got SUPER cold while we were gone. So I have to adjust to the "real" winter now too!
Can't wait to see your pics of the lights! No I didn't see the leg lamp from the Christmas Story. I did look for it briefly. Did you see it?
I can't wait to see them either. LOL. Well, I could be really sly and say, come to my TR, but since I haven't started it yet,... Yes I did! It was in a window down one of the side streets. I may have a picture. For that, you'll have to wait for the TR.
The resorts didn't have any Christmas decorations up yet when we were there. Well, expect for a half done Gingerbread House at the GF!
I'll post pictures of all of them on my TR (someday...)
I hope you make it to Sci-Fi next time!

Me too!

 

[Jane-in-PA]

Oh my gosh, Shelly, now I see why this was your favorite part of the trip! That is the most spectacular sight! The pictures are great and thanks for sharing the youtube video, too. Seeing and hearing it in live action is awesome! I also checked out your other 2 videos and got a kick out of DS10's performance. Where do you get that much energy on a Disney trip?

Thanks to NewCrew for the Osbourne lights story. I have to admit I have always wondered what the story was, but felt too dumb to ask. I just couldn't imagine how Ozzy Osbourne got hooked up with Disney! So now I know!!

 

[Momto2PrncChrmgs]

Now I want to go to WDW at Christmas just to see the Osborne's Lights!

Shelly your photos are so good, and your video is wonderful!!!!

Below is the history of the Osborne Lights. We lived here in Arkansas and were able to see the light display at their home. It was truly grand, but I must say not as grand as what they have done with it as WDW!

Thank you for sharing that!! That's wonderful!

I just showed my husband those pix of the lights...his response was "that's depressing." WHAT??
Then he said, "Cause we should be there seeing that in person!" OH, OK, that's better!

 

[VroomVroomLightning]

I started reading your TR a day or so ago and just got all caught up! I love your pictures and can't wait to read more! I love the details you give!

 

[Northern Disney Girl]

Beautiful Pictures Shelly! Those lights look absolutely gorgeous! I truly hope that I will be able to see them in person some day!

 

[JoBird]

Okay, seriously- I know I can be impatient and bossy- (that's what happens when you're an only child- it's my parents' fault)---- but really now, Shelly-- where are you? I NEED me an update to get my day going.

You act like you have Christmas shopping to do or something.

YOU STILL HAVE 9 DAYS!
Priority, people!!!!!!





Jo

 

[NewCrew42]

Glad you enjoyed it!

I think they read that same exact thing before the show started. Maybe not exact, but definitely pretty close. And I remember thinking that you had told me about it before I left. I felt so informed!!

It really is amazing! That must have been really cool to see it at their home.

I am so glad that they read that before starting the display. I hope they do it every night. The Osborne are such a nice family. They do lots of philanthrophic things here in Arkansas.

Here is a link to photos of there home/homes when the display was here in Arkansas:

http://www.jenningsosbornefamily.com/christmaslights/osborne.asp

I think I recognized the angels as well as several other things that were from the original display.

Oh my gosh, Shelly, now I see why this was your favorite part of the trip! That is the most spectacular sight! The pictures are great and thanks for sharing the youtube video, too. Seeing and hearing it in live action is awesome! I also checked out your other 2 videos and got a kick out of DS10's performance. Where do you get that much energy on a Disney trip?

Thanks to NewCrew for the Osbourne lights story. I have to admit I have always wondered what the story was, but felt too dumb to ask. I just couldn't imagine how Ozzy Osbourne got hooked up with Disney! So now I know!!

Glad I could help!

Thank you for sharing that!! That's wonderful!

I just showed my husband those pix of the lights...his response was "that's depressing." WHAT??
Then he said, "Cause we should be there seeing that in person!" OH, OK, that's better!

Your welcome!

I just love Shelly's photos and video! It is truly a sight to behold!

 

[praisehisname]

Wow, the only bad thing about going to Disney is coming back and getting caught up on the reports!

Friday night??? Do tell

DH and I were there from December 10 through December 14. I have a report started if you want to read along.

Sounds like you guys had a blast at DHS! I totally fell in love with it this trip, too.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I'm so glad everyone enjoyed the pictures as much as I enjoyed sharing them!!

Oh my gosh, Shelly, now I see why this was your favorite part of the trip! That is the most spectacular sight! The pictures are great and thanks for sharing the youtube video, too. Seeing and hearing it in live action is awesome! I also checked out your other 2 videos and got a kick out of DS10's performance. Where do you get that much energy on a Disney trip?

Thanks to NewCrew for the Osbourne lights story. I have to admit I have always wondered what the story was, but felt too dumb to ask. I just couldn't imagine how Ozzy Osbourne got hooked up with Disney! So now I know!!

Glad you liked the pics & videos. That kid just has endless energy. Seriously, he's like that all the time!

I just showed my husband those pix of the lights...his response was "that's depressing." WHAT??
Then he said, "Cause we should be there seeing that in person!" OH, OK, that's better!

Hmm. . . Do I sense a trip in your future??? I hear November is nice. . .

I started reading your TR a day or so ago and just got all caught up! I love your pictures and can't wait to read more! I love the details you give!

Welcome! I'm glad you are enjoying!