Osborne Lights

[miko]

We just got back from 2 nights at POR and 4 nights at BC. Weather was a little cool (cold?) but except for last Saturday (12/11) at MK crowds were very manageable. We visit around this time every year, missed the Osborne Lights last year due to construction. We were quite disapointed this year with the new city layout. Previously the lights were seperated by individual homes and really had some themes and plenty of space. Now they just seem to blend together in mass lights. I am not sure if the total area is larger or smaller then the previous layout but it just seemed too cramped up.
I guess if you have never seen them before you might be impressed with the lights, but for us it was just no where near as good as previous years.

 

[nataliesdaddy]

We just got back from 2 nights at POR and 4 nights at BC. Weather was a little cool (cold?) but except for last Saturday (12/11) at MK crowds were very manageable. We visit around this time every year, missed the Osborne Lights last year due to construction. We were quite disapointed this year with the new city layout. Previously the lights were seperated by individual homes and really had some themes and plenty of space. Now they just seem to blend together in mass lights. I am not sure if the total area is larger or smaller then the previous layout but it just seemed too cramped up.
I guess if you have never seen them before you might be impressed with the lights, but for us it was just no where near as good as previous years.

Sorry to hear that - it was beautiful back in Christmas of 2001. I was afraid they might screw up that old homey neighborhood feel

 

[Chuck S]

We just returned from WDW, and saw the Osborne Lights...we'd seen them on two previous visits.


I would not say we were "disappointed" exactly. The layout is certainly different, it does not have the "neighborhood stroll" feel of previous years. However, the pedestrian traffic seemed to move much more smoothly and there were still a LOT of lights. It was pretty. I certainly understand the need for the change, considering residential street no longer exists. Perhaps they will build a "new" residential street for the tram tour that they can use for the display in the future.

Still a lot to see, but most of the "carousel" moving attractions are at rooftop level.

 

[Tink]

I felt it was missing that "homey" feel you got when you walked through and the lights were all over the homes. I did enjoy them, but it just wasn't the same as it had been in the past.

 

[Puffy2]

Way too crowded. and the decorations were "over the top" - to me it had a very commercial feel. We did not enjoy them like we have enjoyed other light displays in other cities.

 

[Lucky4me]

Wow, sorry you didn't like them. We thought they were incredible!! We've seen them several times too.

 

[n2mm]

We were there on 12/11 and it was crazy. This was the first time we've seen them in 5 years. They were much better 5 years ago. The crowds were unbelieveable.......and still we can't get over not having 3-D glasses to view them. That was the best part, seeing all of the angels everywhere!

 

[FatCow]

Maybe my expectation is just too high due to all the hype about Osborne Lights.

Although they are not bad, they are just okay. So there are lots of lights... and?

I think the 'neighbourhood' setting everybody mentioned (before they moved it to 'New York') would've worked better.

 

[Pinnie]

We were there on Saturday, Dec 11, too and the crowds were UNBELIEVABLE. We have been going in years past and never saw anything like last Saturday night before. The crowds to get INTO MGM that night were unreal. IT took over 30 minutes to get into the park at 6:00 p.m. They had to stop letting people in so that guests could leave!

I was disappointed in the new set up for the lights also. To me it just seemed like "Lights for Lights sake" I missed the themeing of the "neighborhood" I overheard someone in the crowd say, "Too Vegas for me!"

pinnie

 

[Dznefreek]

missed the themeing of the "neighborhood"

I believe NY street is supposed to be a neighborhood.

 

[Happy2BGrumpy]

Agree with Miko and Puffy2; we were there on 12/8. It was much better back in 2001 when you meandered down the streets. Nothing like queing up in front of the commissary to view the lights!! We'll pass next year and spend our time
at Epcot for the CP.

 

[FatCow]

I believe NY street is supposed to be a neighborhood.

You know what we mean. It looks too Vegas-y neighbourhood rather than a neighbourhood of people who loves Xmas.

 

[leebee]

Yes, I have to agree with OP...we were VERY disappointed with Osborne Lights. We saw them in 2001 or 2002, can't remember which, and loved them- and this was seeing them with 10,000 of our best friends after Fantasmic! We were so excitd to be going back to see OL this year...what a disappointment. All those lights crammed on to NY st. buildings, and what happened to the soldiers? Four of 'em crammed together at the end of a street. This year we went on 12/14 DURING Fantasmic, to avoid the crowd, thank goodness...it would have been unimaginably packed if all those folks from Fant hac wandered over. Definitely disappointing, took about 10mins max to see, very little "oohing and ahhing" (save it for the Indy Jones show!), no angel glasses, etc. So sad...

 

[FatCow]

Definitely disappointing, took about 10mins max to see, very little "oohing and ahhing" (save it for the Indy Jones show!), no angel glasses, etc. So sad...

Took you 10 minutes? Wow, you must still be impressed with some of the lights! (I'm just joking, because it took me about 15 minutes before I can start walking due to the crowd, and then because the traffic was moving THAT fast, I got forced to do the entire 'sightseeing' in much less than 10 minutes)

 

[KevinM]

We were going to see them on 12/8 before we went to Fantasmic. They closed the street off at around 6:00 PM and there was a million people standing around waiting. Well, we had to ge get our seats for Fantasmic so we didn't stick around.

Maybe next year...

 

[diz*chick]

this is funny so here goes.....

I'm going to WDW over x-mas with my sister and BIL and my mom, so my sister calledd and said," I'm not going to see the osbourn lights. Quite frankly I don't like the Ousbourne family they arn't a very good role model. Have you ever seen their show?" I quickly told here not that family!

 

[Lucky4me]

this is funny so here goes.....

I'm going to WDW over x-mas with my sister and BIL and my mom, so my sister calledd and said," I'm not going to see the osbourn lights. Quite frankly I don't like the Ousbourne family they arn't a very good role model. Have you ever seen their show?" I quickly told here not that family!

LOL!! I would have probably played along awhile and told her Ozzy would be there...

What's funny to me is when I heard people say the new ones look tacky. What ARE multi colored, blinking lights supposed to be if not tacky?

 

[NancyIL]

We were there on Saturday, Dec 11, too and the crowds were UNBELIEVABLE. We have been going in years past and never saw anything like last Saturday night before. The crowds to get INTO MGM that night were unreal. IT took over 30 minutes to get into the park at 6:00 p.m. They had to stop letting people in so that guests could leave!

I was disappointed in the new set up for the lights also. To me it just seemed like "Lights for Lights sake" I missed the themeing of the "neighborhood" I overheard someone in the crowd say, "Too Vegas for me!"

pinnie

I almost left MGM on the 11th after standing in a non-moving line just to get in the park! I had been looking forward to seeing them after their absence last year. While they were quite impressive, they lacked that "cozy" neighborhood feeling from years past. However, they were much more enjoyable on Monday the 13th without the massive crowds.

 

[Epcotgal8]

 

[Luv2Roam]

I told DH about this thread and asked which he liked best -- the old or current version.
He went with the old, and for the same reasons others mentioned here. Foremost being lack of variety in the current display. DH says now its just a bunch of lights on the sides of buildings.
I thought it was very pretty. But our first time was at a private event where they served desserts and beverages. So that will always bring fond memories to me.
I would not have wanted to wait in a long line to see the lights this year.
And I am glad I have glasses from previous years. That makes the effects much better!