May not be the last we see of the Osborne lights...

[Tinkerdreams]

They used to called lights of winter they were stopped in 2009 I believe.

Well they need to bring them back. It's a huge park and the tree just isn't enough!!

 

[lockedoutlogic]

They used to called lights of winter they were stopped in 2009 I believe.

Those were great and it was a travesty...

The "rumor" was that el cheapo didn't want to replace the lights when they began to degrade so they never bothered to bring them back...

You know...because there were "so poor"

Should just doubled the price of le cellier...it wouldn't have matter to the B rate connoisseurs

 

[HopperFan]

I'm hoping that Disney has a similar light display in Epcot. We were there last week and not for anything but the Christmas decorations at Epcot were lacking to say the least.

They used to do more ...
http://www.disneytouristblog.com/lights-winter-tribute/

 

[Pigletpal40]

Didn't Disney change to LED lights? These are not the same lights that were originally donated to them.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

Didn't Disney change to LED lights? These are not the same lights that were originally donated to them.

Yes...awhile ago

Led lights consumer 1/7th power of incandescent...they pay for themselves almost immediately

 

[rteetz]

Yes...awhile ago

Led lights consumer 1/7th power of incandescent...they pay for themselves almost immediately

Yep. Vast majority of my own display is now LED. I haven't blown any fuses this year so far

 

[k5jm]

My DW was just saying to me while we were at WDW this past weekend that "for an attraction that is going away, Samantha Brown (the unofficial/official Disney Sales Dept) has been hyping the Osborne Lights as the #1 Christmas Light Display in the Country and everyone should go see it."

The Osborne Lights may be getting returned to Arkansas, but the Siemens PLC's and Automation equipment that run the show belong to WDW and can be deployed anywhere, including a revamped Lights of Winter.

You know, Wonders of Life sits pretty dormant from Mid-November to Mid-March and you could easily put Backlot building facades inside and imagineering does have it's office right behind WoL.

 

[OKW Lover]

but the Siemens PLC's and Automation equipment that run the show belong to WDW and can be deployed anywhere, including a revamped Lights of Winter.

Be still my heart

 

[DisneyRobin]

I heard the same thing from a cast member - that they may not be going away Nd that they may be moved to disney springs.

It makes s lot of sense especially since they're investing so much money in DS right now and building it up so much. There will be tons of restaurants, bars and shops and they want to make sure people go and spend money there.

The lights will bring people and their wallets to DS.

I personally never go to DS since we always have park hoppers and there are plenty of restaurants and stores in the parks. If the Osborne lights move there, I may go and check them out as they were my favorite thing in all of disney. Of course, I'd spend money while there and my family wouldn't be adding to the crowds in the parks... another problem disney is dealing with - crowded parks.

I would bet this is definitely going to happen and it will be very beneficial for disney.

 

[ColoradoDreamin]

I love the idea of it going to Disney springs, but I too doubt it. I don't think people open up their wallets as much as you think when they go to look at the lights. Some would, definitely, and some would go to the restaurants. But I am not sure it would generate the profit that having it at HS has been. You have people paying for tickets to just see the show in HS right now. To me, Disney would rather find a way to pull you into the parks for something like this then have it free for anybody to see at DS. The way I think about it, more people would decide to come on vacation and not get tickets for every day they are there...I would imagine a large number of people who come see the lights now are spending most days in the parks, thus buying tickets, more often park hopper tickets, to see it. If they were to bring it to DS, I could see the thought process changing "why don't get 1 less ticket and just spend the day in DS" and other things around Disney rather than paying for that extra day. I know I would certainly do that instead, and probably wouldn't spend that much money if any at all at DS (I am not an annual pass holder).

I am sure there is a lot more dynamics to it than that, I'm just saying I think Disney would rather it's "top winter attraction" to be in an area where the consumer has to pay to see it than be able to just walk in off the street. I imagine the crowds to see it would get even worse as well (why would anybody in the Florida area skip a year if they can go see it for free).

 

[Ursula's Apprentice]

It just doesn't make good business sense to have it at DS, where there's no charge to enter. If it returns, you can bet it'll be at a park...

 

[rteetz]

It just doesn't make good business sense to have it at DS, where there's no charge to enter. If it returns, you can bet it'll be at a park...

This is exactly it.

 

[Eoghann]

Well... I wouldn't trust what the Cast Members have to say... unless it's a bus driver. Then we know it's gold! Seriously they aren't told this sort of stuff, they're just speculating.

 

[Disney Von Drake]

As part of their green initiative, WDW is looking to be more responsible in their energy usage and impact to the environment. The Osborne Lights show (even the LED version) is an energy waster. You've got to remember that the power plants that serve WDW are at Crystal River. Since the nuclear plant shut down, the power coming from Crystal River is all coal fired and is very dirty. They haven't even yet begun to build a gas fired power plant at Crystal River. It makes sense to shut down the Osborne Lights to minimize the environmental impact.

 

[rteetz]

As part of their green initiative, WDW is looking to be more responsible in their energy usage and impact to the environment. The Osborne Lights show (even the LED version) is an energy waster. You've got to remember that the power plants that serve WDW are at Crystal River. Since the nuclear plant shut down, the power coming from Crystal River is all coal fired and is very dirty. They haven't even yet begun to build a gas fired power plant at Crystal River. It makes sense to shut down the Osborne Lights to minimize the environmental impact.

I highly doubt the Osborne lights leaving has anything whatsoever to do with Disney wanting to save money on their electricity bill. If that was the reason the would've stopped the show 10 years ago.

 

[Disney Von Drake]

I highly doubt the Osborne lights leaving has anything whatsoever to do with Disney wanting to save money on their electricity bill. If that was the reason the would've stopped the show 10 years ago.

Actually that's not the case. You see the nuclear reactor at Crystal River supplied power from 1977 until 2009 when it had to be shut down due to an upgrade. But during that process (which was spread over many years) they discovered serious problems with the plant and projected it would take until 2014 to come back online.

That turned out to be a lie and in 2013 they announced that the nuclear plant would be permanently shut down. Since 2009 the Crystal River Plant has burned nothing but coal to generate electricity. Suffice it to say, Disney was not happy. Every time that WDW monorail runs or the Osborne Lights glow, thousands of tons of sulfur dioxide (S02), nitrogen oxides (N0x) and particulate matter pollute the air. Also other pollutants such as mercury, lead, cadmium and other heavy metals are produced.

Disney wants more than to save money. They don't want to project the image of being an environmental villain. WDW has a very aggressive environmental program and they seek to reduce power consumption and wastefulness as much as possible. Huge Christmas light displays waste energy and cause unnecessary pollution.

It's up to everyone to do their part to help reduce power consumption.

 

[North of Mouse]

We just came back from our Thanksgiving trip and the day we went to DHS to see the Osborne lights I had to stop at guest relations to get an AP card, since I forgot mine. While the CM was working on the computer, we were talking about the lights and I said it's very sad that this is the last year we will see them. See then said that "well it may not be", she said that she has heard a lot of talk about keeping them and trying to find a new location for them, maybe even Disney Springs. Just passing on the scuttlebutt

Kind of like hearing it from the bus drivers!!
If they had thoughts of future plans, why return the original lights to the Osbourne family?
Of course, anything is possible with Disney in the 'mind changing' game - especially when they count up all the 'jingles' they've made from this year alone on hyping the lights - merchandise, parties, increased attendance, etc.

 

[rteetz]

Actually that's not the case. You see the nuclear reactor at Crystal River supplied power from 1977 until 2009 when it had to be shut down due to an upgrade. But during that process (which was spread over many years) they discovered serious problems with the plant and projected it would take until 2014 to come back online.

That turned out to be a lie and in 2013 they announced that the nuclear plant would be permanently shut down. Since 2009 the Crystal River Plant has burned nothing but coal to generate electricity. Suffice it to say, Disney was not happy. Every time that WDW monorail runs or the Osborne Lights glow, thousands of tons of sulfur dioxide (S02), nitrogen oxides (N0x) and particulate matter pollute the air. Also other pollutants such as mercury, lead, cadmium and other heavy metals are produced.

Disney wants more than to save money. They don't want to project the image of being an environmental villain. WDW has a very aggressive environmental program and they seek to reduce power consumption and wastefulness as much as possible. Huge Christmas light displays waste energy and cause unnecessary pollution.

It's up to everyone to do their part to help reduce power consumption.

I'm sorry but what is it with you being against these Christmas lights? You are the first person I have ever seen make this claim that Disney is getting rid of them to save money and save themselves from causing pollution. I truly believe if that was the case they would've stopped them years ago. You are aware Disney is beginning a massive construction project in DHS in January right? That must have absolutely nothing to do with them getting rid of the lights then.

 

[LeeAndRobin]

Suffice it to say, Disney was not happy.

Please provide a reference for the statement that "Disney was not happy".

Every time that WDW monorail runs or the Osborne Lights glow, thousands of tons of sulfur dioxide (S02), nitrogen oxides (N0x) and particulate matter pollute the air. Also other pollutants such as mercury, lead, cadmium and other heavy metals are produced.

Disney wants more than to save money. They don't want to project the image of being an environmental villain. WDW has a very aggressive environmental program and they seek to reduce power consumption and wastefulness as much as possible. Huge Christmas light displays waste energy and cause unnecessary pollution.

It's up to everyone to do their part to help reduce power consumption.

That's an interesting theory, but that's not how the US power grid works. It is a grid. Power comes from all manner of places on the grid. It is not strictly correct to say that all the power for Disney comes from Crystal River. It comes from many places, all over Florida and beyond.

Also, if Disney is so concerned about lighting and power wastage, why has every fixture in the World not been changed over to an LED one? They pay for themselves almost immediately (as lockedout pointed out above).

Finally, the amount of power that Osbourne consumes is literally a drop in the bucket compared to the total power required by just HS without it, let alone the entire World.

 

[Disney Von Drake]

Please provide a reference for the statement that "Disney was not happy".



That's an interesting theory, but that's not how the US power grid works. It is a grid. Power comes from all manner of places on the grid. It is not strictly correct to say that all the power for Disney comes from Crystal River. It comes from many places, all over Florida and beyond.

Also, if Disney is so concerned about lighting and power wastage, why has every fixture in the World not been changed over to an LED one? They pay for themselves almost immediately (as lockedout pointed out above).

Finally, the amount of power that Osbourne consumes is literally a drop in the bucket compared to the total power required by just HS without it, let alone the entire World.

What better source than the DIS to make the point:

FEATURED, JASON GARCIA, NEWS — BY JASON GARCIA ON MARCH 25, 2010 AT 8:50 AM

Problems at a nuclear power plant on Florida’s Gulf coast have created a bit of a headache for Walt Disney World.

Progress Energy’s nuclear plant in Crystal River has been shut down since late last year, after workers in the midst of a maintenance project discovered a crack in the containment wall that surrounds the facility’s reactor building

That has in turn left Disney World’s semi-autonomous government, the Reedy Creek Improvement District, scrambling. About 10 percent of the district’s power is generated at the nuclear plant, which is about 100 miles northwest of Disney World.

Reedy Creek utility officials say they expect the prolonged shutdown, which they have been told is likely to last until July, will cost the district between $500,000 and $700,000 out of an annual power-buying budget of about $100 million. Though Progress says it has offered to sell customers energy from its other (more expensive) generation sources to make up for the nuclear shortfall, Reedy Creek says it is opting instead to plug the gap through a combination of surplus power from its own generator facility, conservation and additional purchases through existing contracts with other utilities, such as TECO Energy of Tampa.

Also, as I had previously mentioned, the nuclear plant never came back on line as WDW had expected. Do you think WDW is happy about paying higher prices for power? The math is clear. As a large corporate customer WDW has the option to buy power from various sources on the grid. And they look for the lowest price they can get. Guess who provides the cheapest power? Can you say "coal fired plants"? Can you say "conservation"? I knew you could!