my understanding is last year they lit them every night at 5:45 p.m. now i could be wrong.....that's just what i've heard.
Yes. MK Castle lighting 5:45pm every evening.
by the way, is it true that the osborne lights run about an hour after park closing at DHS? for example, if they're listed as running from 6:00 - 8:00, will they go past 8:00? just wondering because the night we're at DHS fantasmic is at 7:00. i want to head over to the osborne lights after fantasmic, if possible. but i don't want to have to SPRINT over there in order to only catch like 10 minutes of them!
The Osborne Lights attraction presented an unusual
problem for WDW.
When they were "acquired" by Disney from the Osborne
family (not OZZIE, BTW) there was a huge amount of
national publicity about them.
Disney got a lot of "mileage" out of having them and
they needed to DISPLAY them for lots of guests to see
(after dark).
But...
Even in the winter months, it simply does not get
really DARK in Florida until about 6pm.
So the lights can't be properly viewed until that
time.
(They simply are NOT a daytime or even "regular hours"
attraction).
And the DHS park usually closes (except EMH) only an
hour or so after dark.
Since Disney spends a major (MAJOR) amount of time and
money to set-up, promote, fund the electricity and
CM's and (after the holidays) remove and store these
hundreds of thousands of lights, they needed a way
that guests could actually VIEW them.
(Otherwise, what's the POINT?)
So since, at sunset, MOST (up to 7,000) guests in DHS
are SITTING IN THE FANTASMIC! THEATER and can't SEE
the lights as it gets dark... AFTER the show, the CM's
actually ENCOURAGE the exiting crowds from Fantasmic!
to go over and see the Osborne Lights.
Even though the rest of the park is closed, the lights
are in full glory, and there are even some concessions
open for refreshments.
There are some nights when the OLights are being used
for a private "event" and regular guests are not
allowed in.
You simply will not KNOW about this unless you stop at
Guest Relations that day and ask if the OLights will
be available after Fantasmic!
As for how late?
If Fantasmic! is at 7pm, then its over at 7:25pm, most
guests are out of the theater by 7:50pm and headed to
the Osborne Lights.
I'd estimate that they would keep the OLights open for
a hour-plus, so, say 9:15pm-9:45pm would be the
approx. wrap-up.
On EMH nights, the OLights should be on and open to guests until the EHM is concluded.
if all those lights blazing away are being seen "differently" by the outside world?
I hope not though...
). Disney announced the castle lights late summer/early fall so we COULD be waiting a LONG time for the announcement of Osborne & Castle Lights.
