What became of the Osborne Lights ?

[Klayfish]

Kind of. Some of the salvageable figures were given back yes but the strings of lights were not as those were often replaced on a yearly basis anyways.

As an avid Christmas decorating nut...I even took a few cues from what I saw when I got to see the Osborne lights in 2015...I can attest to the light strings probably needing replacement over time. Typically, 10-15% of my lights will burn out during the season, or go bad while in storage until the next year (always test your lights before hanging them). I can imagine the failure rate for the Osborne lights was pretty high, given how long they were on.

As for giving them back to the Osborne family, I'd have loved to see how that was done...

 

[rteetz]

As an avid Christmas decorating nut...I even took a few cues from what I saw when I got to see the Osborne lights in 2015...I can attest to the light strings probably needing replacement over time. Typically, 10-15% of my lights will burn out during the season, or go bad while in storage until the next year (always test your lights before hanging them). I can imagine the failure rate for the Osborne lights was pretty high, given how long they were on.

As for giving them back to the Osborne family, I'd have loved to see how that was done...

You could say I took inspiration from Osborne as well...

 

[Klayfish]

You could say I took inspiration from Osborne as well...

That's awesome!! Light O Rama products? That's what I use. I mentioned in another Xmas themed thread that this year I've actually really had to scale back because of our two WDW trips...we were gone 8 days at Thanksgiving and are gone 11 days at Xmas, so it didn't make much sense to put up a big show this year. Plus, I had no set up time due to an extended football season for DS10. Next year, I plan to go really big.

 

[rteetz]

That's awesome!! Light O Rama products? That's what I use. I mentioned in another Xmas themed thread that this year I've actually really had to scale back because of our two WDW trips...we were gone 8 days at Thanksgiving and are gone 11 days at Xmas, so it didn't make much sense to put up a big show this year. Plus, I had no set up time due to an extended football season for DS10. Next year, I plan to go really big.

Yep LOR all the way. The monorail was new this year. I go bigger and better every year.

 

[AngiTN]

This is so funny. After visiting Branson about 10 years ago, I've ever since called it the Redneck Disney World. Maybe it's true?

Dan

Nope, the original is Dollywood and Pigeon Forge. Branson is 2nd fiddle to them.

 

[cgattis]

Nope, the original is Dollywood and Pigeon Forge. Branson is 2nd fiddle to them.

Now, being from TN, you should know that before it was Dollywood, it WAS Silver Dollar City!!! In a related story, man, am I old

 

[JayLeeJay]

I wipe my tears away every time I think about the now gone Osbourne Lights. I was lucky enough to experience them 3x in person.

As for what became of them... I believe that I read that the runs of lights were cut into segments and were handed out to any cast members that wanted them. If I'm wrong or mis-remembering, please feel free to correct me.

I'd have been willing to clean the utilidors with my tooth brush and then brush my teeth with same tooth brush, just to have been a cast member that day and have a chance to bring a piece home.

It’s not exactly a big piece of the lights, but Disney did give away a shadow box with a single light to those who attended the dinner party held on some of the last nights of the lights. You could probably be able to find them on eBay. My family has one we display and one that is tucked away for super safe keeping in case something happens to the first.

 

[AngiTN]

Now, being from TN, you should know that before it was Dollywood, it WAS Silver Dollar City!!! In a related story, man, am I old

Oh, of course. DH worked there. As an Olde Tyme photographer

 

[Flower1]

Although there's a suspiciously similar display currently running at Silver Dollar City in Branson Missouri (ftr, I'm sure they're not literally the same lights)...

Officially, Silver Dollar City claims there's no connection.

"No, we have not acquired the Osborne Lights. We travel all over the world looking for inspiration for the things we do at all of our properties... but no direct inspiration came from the Osborne Lights at Disney." Lisa Rau, Director of Publicity at Silver Dollar City Attractions/Herschend Family Entertainment Corp.

Uh, huh. Tell me another one! "No direct inspiration," my tuckus!

(Though now I really do want to get out to Branson for Christmas, someday. If the Osborne Lights - or whatever they want to call them - won't come to me, I'll just have to go to them!)

We were just in Branson last week- saw the brand new light display they had advertised and the first thing I said was "These are those lights from Disneyworld!" If they are not the same, they are very, very similar. And very pretty. It was so worth the trip- Silver Dollar City is all lit up- every building covered in lights- not just the light display area. I loved it!

 

[Liljo22]

They gave them back to the Osborne family

Are you sure about that? Disney years ago had replaced all the original lights with LED lights

Although there's a suspiciously similar display currently running at Silver Dollar City in Branson Missouri (ftr, I'm sure they're not literally the same lights)...

Officially, Silver Dollar City claims there's no connection.

"No, we have not acquired the Osborne Lights. We travel all over the world looking for inspiration for the things we do at all of our properties... but no direct inspiration came from the Osborne Lights at Disney." Lisa Rau, Director of Publicity at Silver Dollar City Attractions/Herschend Family Entertainment Corp.

Uh, huh. Tell me another one! "No direct inspiration," my tuckus!

(Though now I really do want to get out to Branson for Christmas, someday. If the Osborne Lights - or whatever they want to call them - won't come to me, I'll just have to go to them!)

This is a pic from DHS not Silver Dollar City. This was in an article that was questioning if the Osbourne Lights were in Branson now. The Trackers just had a video on their channel from their visit. There are slight differences from the DHS and Silver Dollar City lights like the rotating lights are a train rather than angels.

 

[bizeemom4]

Omg! I went to Silver dollar city a decade ago. I had forgotten how awful and hokey their shows were until I watched the video and it all came back to me.

I might be convinced to go to see the lights but I’m never going on that stupid train again. Lol

 

[rteetz]

Are you sure about that? Disney years ago had replaced all the original lights with LED lights

The figures and frames were given back. Actual light bulbs not so much.

 

[DOOM1001]

Tim Tracker recently visited Silver Dollar city and put a detailed video of the lights,I definitely saw some of the displays looking pretty similar to the Osborne lights,check out his video on YouTube.Oh @Liljo22 beat me to it!

 

[Magpie]

Omg! I went to Silver dollar city a decade ago. I had forgotten how awful and hokey their shows were until I watched the video and it all came back to me.

I might be convinced to go to see the lights but I’m never going on that stupid train again. Lol

After watching that video, my husband and I looked at each other and said, "I want to ride that train!"

Clearly we like "awful and hokey".

 

[Klayfish]

Yep LOR all the way. The monorail was new this year. I go bigger and better every year.

Yeah, I started small too. The first year I tried to do anything beyond just static lights, I had a $20 4 channel thing that DJs use. It simply did 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 over and over. Then I discovered LOR and the addiction started. I don't have a ton of time for sequencing or building, so I'm sort of hamstrung in really going all out. But at this point, I have 48 channels and plan to dip my toe into RGB in 2018.

Where did you get the monorail and the Disney character heads? They're fabulous!!

 

[rteetz]

Yeah, I started small too. The first year I tried to do anything beyond just static lights, I had a $20 4 channel thing that DJs use. It simply did 1,2,3,4,1,2,3,4 over and over. Then I discovered LOR and the addiction started. I don't have a ton of time for sequencing or building, so I'm sort of hamstrung in really going all out. But at this point, I have 48 channels and plan to dip my toe into RGB in 2018.

Where did you get the monorail and the Disney character heads? They're fabulous!!

I made them. I haven’t dipped into RGB yet either.

 

[JuneChickie]

You could say I took inspiration from Osborne as well...

I love this ,, thanks for sharing ,, very very nice !!!

 

[goopysolelady]

If you get to Branson, look for the purple cat and let us know if it is there.

I'm thinking it enjoyed the Florida sunshine and decided to stay....

 

[goopysolelady]

Why did they get rid of the Osborne Lights, if they were so beloved by guests?

I'm sorry I never had the chance to experience them. I've heard such wonderful things.

...to make way for the new Star Wars section ....but I miss them too.

 

[Klayfish]

I made them. I haven’t dipped into RGB yet either.

You made them? From scratch? Wow, your artistic skills are far, far better than mine. I'd love to do something like that, but would need templates of some kind. Most of the "dancing' part of my display is either mini-mega trees using upside down tomato cages (I think those are what you have in the front), or something using PVC pipe. Frankly, I'm not happy with it and am looking to rebuild next year and start over (I'd attach a picture but I don't know how...I don't have it posted on a site I can share...just Photobucket). j

I actually have an RGB controller, a power supply unit, everything I need to set it up. I even programmed 5 songs in Superstar. I just don't know how to solder and haven't had the time to try and/or build my props. I think I'm going to hire someone to do that part for me for 2018. Once the props are built and wired, I'm ready to roll.