Posted on Thu, Nov 12, 2009 @ 04:05 PM
Disney's Hollywood Studios Osborne Family of Lights
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is the primary Holiday Happening at the Disney's Hollywood Studios. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights sparkle with yuletide cheer. What began as a father's Christmas gift to his daughter has grown into a holiday tradition for many Walt Disney World guests with a dazzling display of millions of colorful lights and animated displays.
Bathed in bulbs of brilliance, the Streets of America glow with millions of dancing lights and animated displays November 10 through January 4, 2010. Amid gently falling snow, guests will bask in the glow as twirling carousels, melodic angels, colorful wreaths, marching toy soldiers and Santa and his reindeer move to high-energy music and 3-D effects, creating a dazzling symphony for the senses. The spectacle actually starts behind the scenes while the summer temperatures are still on the rise in Florida as dozens of Disney "elves" begin their meticulous work on more than 10 miles of rope lights, 130 angels, 44 snow machines and more.
Holiday cheer continues with the daily "Hollywood Holly-Day Parade" decked with favorite Disney characters in their holiday best, parading down Hollywood Boulevard. Click here for last years video.
Just what *is* the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights and how did it start?
Jennings Osborne, a Little Rock, Arkansas, businessman, began putting up lights nearly a decade ago, at the request of his young daughter. (Read our 2002 interview with Jennings Osborne HERE!) Each year, he added to the displays. When he ran out of room, Osborne bought the two houses on either side of his home so he could continue his creativity. Neighbors complained, however, and the Arkansas Supreme Court ruled in October 1994 that Osborne's house, when adorned with the 3 million lights, was a public nuisance. Although legally barred from causing a "spectacle", Osborne still lit the display three nights. He was found in contempt of court and fined $1,500. The court suspended a 10-day jail sentence, but ordered him to pay $7,000 in attorneys' fees. In 1995, the Walt Disney Company brought the Osborne Christmas lights to Walt Disney World! Disney's agreement with Osborne gives it the option of keeping the display for 5 years, possibly longer.
It sounds very impressive -- what exactly does the display entail?
The Spectacle of Lights includes:
-- 5 million lights
-- 32 miles of extension cables
-- 66 snow machines
-- 100 gallons of snow fluid a night
-- 43 hidden Mickeys
In 2006, the spectacle was enhanced to include choreographed "dancing" lights that swirl and soar to an exhilarating medley of holiday music every 15 minutes, thanks to electronic wizardry featuring more than 400 dimmers. Every building facade, all the trees, wreaths, bells and holiday figures dance to classic tunes among "Florida snow" flurries. Also bringing the Disney's Hollywood Studios backlot to life are three-dimensional and motion-based displays - some originally created at the Osborne home in Arkansas by businessman Jennings Osborne as a holiday display for the delight of his daughter.
How much does it cost to view the Osborne Lights?
There is no extra admission charged for the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights beyond admission to the Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Where exactly are the Osborne Lights located?
The Lights used to start at the beginning of New York Street at the back of Disney's Hollywood Studios. As of 2004, they are located in the revamped "Streets of America" city backlots. Every night there is a brief lighting ceremony and guests are directed to walk down through the lights along the backlot area.
How long are the Osborne Lights on display? Are they shown every night during the holiday season?
The Osborne Lights usually have special previews just before Thanksgiving. They are officially unveiled after Thanksgiving and are displayed every night until the first week of the new year.
If you have comments or tips to share with others about touring the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at Disney's Hollywood Studios, please post them. We would love to hear from you.
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Posted on Tue, Oct 27, 2009 @ 06:56 AM
Princess Tiana makes her official Magic Kingdom debut at Disney World with a special welcome and Showboat Jubilee
The following article & video's ar courtesy of Orlando Attractions Magazine
A host of Disney characters welcomed Princess Tiana this morning following her horse-drawn carriage ride to Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. Tiana is featured in the upcoming Walt Disney Pictures animated film "The Princess and the Frog" which marks Disney's return to traditional 2-D hand-drawn animation.
Today's special welcome was a one-time event in honor of Disney's newest princess making her way to Walt Disney World's most magical theme park. Here's a video of the welcome ceremony:
Shortly thereafter, the official premiere performance of Tiana's Showboat Jubilee took place. Following a jazz-filled procession through Frontierland and Liberty Square, Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen, Dr. Facilier, and Louis the alligator performed with dancers, musicians, and even park guests in a live musical production that takes place on board the Magic Kingdom's Liberty Belle riverboat.
Here's video of a complete show of Tiana's Showboat Jubilee, including the processional beforehand:
The processional leads characters onto the Liberty Belle which then paddlewheels her way from the dock in Liberty Square toward Frontierland, stopping by the bridge in front of Splash Mountain where a song-filled performance is delivered to watching guests. Nearly two dozen Disney dancers join 30 randomly-chosen park guests to be part of each show. Guests are not necessarily chosen near the riverboat but throughout the park.
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Posted on Sat, Oct 24, 2009 @ 06:43 AM
Sign up to attend the 2009 Disney World Christmas Day Parade
Following article courtesy of
Orlando Attractions MagazineIt's a well-known "secret" that Disney's annual Christmas Day Parade is actually taped a few weeks before Christmas Day. This year, it's being taped at the Magic Kingdom on Dec. 3, 4, and 5 (Thursday - Saturday).
Registration is now open for anyone who wants to sign up to be part of the crowd and watch the taping. You can register by following this link.
On Dec. 3 and 4, guest star performances will be shot on Cinderella's Castle Stage and Main Street USA for the show. On Dec. 5, the parade itself will be shot featuring Disney Characters and guest star performances along Main Street USA. In the past, stars performing have included the Jonas Brothers, Miley Cyrus, Jessica Simpson, Katherine McPhee, the cast of "Dancing with the Stars," and many more. The whole event has been hosted by Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa, though they are generally only present while shooting the parade down Main Street USA.
Here are a few more details about the taping:
Cost: Registration is free.
Online Registration Ends: December 2, 2009 12:00 AM Pacific Time
There is no age restriction on who can attend the taping. Up to 8 people are allowed to attend per family.Children 2 and under will not need a ticket and do not need to be included in the count.
The shoot will start as early as 7:30 a.m. but generally lasts throughout most of the day. Space is available on a first-come basis. If you arrive late on the day of the taping, you will not be guaranteed admission into the park. Word of warning: It can get very cramped in the reserved spaces.
If you decide to visit the Magic Kingdom that day without signing up for the taping, it is still possible to watch the show, but you will not be allowed into the special reserved areas and will be required to keep moving along the sidewalks.
Here's a brief video we shot during the 2007 Christmas Day parade taping:
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Posted on Thu, Oct 15, 2009 @ 06:50 AM
New Attraction & Ride Opened Yesterday at Disney's Epcot "The Sum of all Thrills"
The following article courtesy of Orlando Attractions Magazine.
The Sum of all Thrills, a new attraction and ride sponsored by Raytheon, opened today at Disney World's Innoventions East at Epcot.
The Sum of all Thrills lets guests create their own ride experience by choosing a ride theme: a roller coaster, bobsled or jet plane. Using multi-touch object recognition tables, guests use math and engineering-based tools to design and customize their ride by adding corkscrews, inversions or steep hills. In the process, guests can learn a little bit about mathematical and engineering principles to determine how much energy is needed for a jet to take off or for a roller coaster or bobsled to make it up its first climb.
When the design of the ride is complete, it is saved on a personal card with a unique bar code. The card is then used to allow each guest to experience his or her custom ride from beginning to end on the robotic KUKA RoboSim 4-D simulator.
Disney previously utilized KUKA robotic arms in their "Rockin' Robots" exhibit also within Innoventions. This particular KUKA RoboSim arm is currently in use in one other United States theme park, this is the first installation combining the robot arm technology with the video simulator and hood. It has also been widely-rumored that Universal Orlando will be using a KUKA robotic arm in its upcoming Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction, though KUKA representatives would not comment on that today.
Inside the simulator, guests experience their ride on high definition video with stereo sound and a fan to simulate wind.
Before reading thoughts on the Sum of All Thrills experience, learn more about the new attraction and the KUKA RoboSim ride system in the following video featuring show producer for Walt Disney Imagineering Eric Goodman, concept designer for Walt Disney Imagineering Brent Strong, director of new market development for KUKA Robotics Michael Beaupre, and vice president of corporate communications for Raytheon Pam Wickham:
There are eight design tables and four robotic arms which each hold two people. Up to three people can experience the same designed ride (utilizing two arms simultaneously). If you're happy with your design, you can keep your card and return to reride the same ride for up to six months.
The ride experience and viewing screen graphics are similar to CyberSpace Mountain at DisneyQuest. Don't expect photo-realism here. Instead, the graphics are more cartoon-like, as shown in the image above.
We rode the Sum of All Thrills five times this morning with varying thrill levels. At the end of each ride, you are literally presented with a "sum of all thrills" in numerical form, rating the various elements you rode. If you don't select any inversions and pick the most basic track elements, your "sum" will likely be in the 200s and your ride will be rather tame, though still somewhat entertaining. The maximum "sum" we received was in the 1,200s for a jet plane ride that included six inversions and a number of thrilling maneuvers. A ride in the 200s feels less thrilling than Big Thunder Mountain, so almost anyone meeting the height and safety requirements should be able to enjoy this experience.Guests must be 48 inches or taller to ride, 54 inches or taller if the designed ride includes inversions. The seats don't fit all body types. Outside of the attraction are two sample seats for guests to try. The hood and screen must come down to a certain point before guests will be able to ride so larger guests may not be able to experience The Sum of All Thrills.
Since the ride system's visually separates riders from the world around them, the feeling of being moved around on the end of a giant robot arm is minimal. Instead, you feel like you're safely seated in a chair that's rolling, pitching, and flipping you upside down. The ride looks more intense from the outside than it feels once you're experiencing it. But that's not to say that six inversions won't make the blood rush to your head.
Overall, The Sum of All Thrills is better than most (if not all) Innoventions exhibits but not quite up there with Epcot's best rides and attractions. The screen inside the hood is smaller than we would have liked. It seems to only be somewhere around a 15-20″ screen, which isn't large enough for a totally immersive experience. But as Innoventions' first ride, it serves its purpose of being entertaining, exciting, and even teaches guests a little something about math. And given the popularity of DisneyQuest's CyberSpace Mountain, The Sum of All Thrills will likely prove to be a winner, especially with the teenage crowd.
In addition to the attraction at Epcot, Raytheon also unveiled a virtual Sum of all Thrills experience online at MathMovesU.com. The Sum of all Thrills world, aimed at middle school students, combines the three ride elements of the theme park experience into one multidimensional ride. Students answer math-related questions to unlock elements that enable them to build their own ride online.
"Sum of all Thrills is an example of how Raytheon is using innovation to encourage students to develop and sustain an interest in math and science," said William H. Swanson, chairman and CEO of Raytheon Company. "By experiencing the ‘thrill' of math in this environment, students have the opportunity first hand to feel the excitement and possibilities of careers that are possible with math and science. We hope young people and adults alike will enjoy this innovative experience."
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Posted on Tue, Sep 29, 2009 @ 10:32 AM
Disney World 2010 Promotion Offers Volunteers a Free Day
The following article courtesy of Orlando Attractions Magazine
Today Disney announced a new program that celebrates the spirit of volunteer service with a simple proposition: "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day."
Disney World hopes to inspire families to volunteer in their communities during 2010 through this first-of-its-kind program. One million people who perform volunteer service for a participating organization will receive a free one-day admission ticket to a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park.
While the "Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" program kicks off Jan. 1, 2010, you can learn more about the program and how to get your free one-day admission to a Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme park by visiting www.DisneyParks.com or www.DisneyParks.ca (Canada).
This year, guests were given one free allowed into Disney World for free on their birthday as part of the "What Will You Celebrate?" campaign.
"In 2010, we want to recognize and add one more reason for celebration: the contributions people make to their communities every day," said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "We want to inspire one million volunteers - people who will invest time and energy to make their own communities and neighborhoods a better place."
To enable people to sign up for an eligible volunteer project, Disney is working with HandsOn Network, the nation's largest volunteer network. Part of Points of Light Institute, HandsOn Network has 250 on-the-ground volunteer action centers across the country and connects volunteers to more than 70,000 nonprofit agencies that need their help.
Starting Jan. 1, 2010, guests can go visit the Disney Parks Web site to search for volunteer opportunities available in their area through HandsOn Network and sign up for a day of volunteer service. Many of the opportunities will be for projects that entire families can participate in together.
If annual passholders would like to participate, they'll be offered one of three choices instead of the free ticket:
• Special Fastpass cards for certain attractions for up to six people.
• A collectible Ear Hat figurine with exclusive trading pins.
• Donate the free ticket to a non-profit organization designated by Disney.
The free tickets will not be valid at Walt Disney World between March 29 and April 8 or on July 4, 2010.
Ticket quantities are limited. The program begins January 1, 2010 and continues until all tickets are distributed or Dec. 15, 2010, whichever occurs first.
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Posted on Sun, Sep 20, 2009 @ 06:48 AM
Choosing The Right Hotel For Your Orlando Vacation In The Orlando/Kissimmee Area
If you are traveling to the Orlando are for your Disney Vacation, be sure to look for Kissimmee Hotels rather than a hotel in the downtown Orlando area or around the Orlando airport. The reason that you want to focus your attention away from Orlando, Florida and towards Kissimmee is that Disney World is actually in Kissimmee, Florida and not in Orlando. Orlando just happens to be the largest city in the area.
In fact, if you chose to say in downtown Orlando, you would be a good thirty to sixty minutes away from the Disney World resort. Of course this all depends all the local traffic. If you stay in a Kissimmee Hotel, you will be anywhere from five to twenty minutes from the Disney World Resort.
If you like having a shorter drive to Disney, then try booking a hotel like the Radisson Worldgate, Ramada Orlando Celebration or Celebration Suites at Old Town. These Kissimmee Hotel are not owned by Disney but still sit near the Walt Disney World entrance.
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Posted on Thu, Sep 03, 2009 @ 06:27 AM
Book Your Labor Day Vacation Package Before it is to Late
With Labor Day just a few days away, Orlando Discount Tickets USA is proud to announce their Labor Day Vacation Package specials.
Even though all our Orlando Vacation Packages are discounted, we have put together some really great packages that are deeply discounted for you and your family in this rough economic times just in time for Labor Day.
Whether you want to come to Orlando, Florida to visit Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando or SeaWorld Orlando, we think that we have just the right Labor Day Getaway Package for you and your family.
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Posted on Sat, Aug 29, 2009 @ 06:27 AM
La Cava del Tequila at Disney's Epcot Center Mexico Pavilion
*The Following Article Courtesy of Orlando Attractions Magazine*
The newest addition to the Mexico pavilion at Epcot Center, La Cava del Tequila features more than 70 types of authentic tequila, ranging from the simplest to the rarest of them all, aged and made from distilled spirits from the agave plant. Tequilas range in price from $8 to $50 for a specialty tequila.
The addition features warm décor, art work and original artifacts all celebrating the Mexican heritage. A "Tequila Ambassador" is on hand to educate Walt Disney World guests on the history of tequila-making.
Along with tequila, margaritas are offered with a variety of flavored salts, spices and tropical fresh fruits masterfully prepared by experienced mixologists. Quick tastes, tapas style, are also available, including freshly made guacamole and ceviche as well as mahi mahi tostadas with diced mango and avocado and blue crab tostados with chipotle mayo and Valentina sauce.
The 30-seat La Cava del Tequila is open from noon until Epcot Center park closing time. It is connected to the pavilion's main restaurant, the San Angel Inn.
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Posted on Fri, Aug 21, 2009 @ 06:18 AM
Night of Joy Concerts at Hollywood Studios
Night of Joy 2009 is a contemporary Christian music festival held September 11-12, at Disney World Hollywood Studios. From 4:00 p.m. to 1:00 a.m. each night, hear live performances by today's top bands in contemporary Christian rock, pop and gospel as you ride some of the Park's most rockin' attractions.
* Buy Group Tickets and save!
* Buy Individual Tickets
The Night of Joy artists perform on several stages around Disney's Hollywood Studios, which means you can choose from different musical performances and locations throughout the festival.
Between shows, take a break from the festival for a brush with fame or for cinematic thrills packed with movie magic. Soak up the glitz and glamour as you experience these spectacular attractions at Disney's Hollywood Studios:
* The American Idol Experience
* Toy Story Mania!
* Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
* The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
* The Great Movie Ride
Group Special Rates
Bring your Group to experience the fun and fellowship of Night of Joy, where you'll receive a number of special benefits! In fact, any group of 10 or more qualifies, so get your fellowship grooving. Between sets, you can experience exciting, new attractions like Toy Story Mania!, and The American Idol Experience, plus classics like The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock n' Roller Coaster starring Aerosmith. It promises to be a night...or two...that you and your Group will never forget!
Disney World Vacation Packages:
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Posted on Mon, Aug 17, 2009 @ 07:58 AM
View The Trailer for Disney Pictures "The Princess and the Frog"
In a long overdue move, Disney has added another Princess to a lineup that hasn't changed in ten years. They have added the first African American Princess to the lineup....
Meet Princess Tiana from the upcoming movie The Princess and the Frog.
And her real counterpart that you will meet in the parks, who is scheduled to make her first appearance on October 16th 2009.
The movie is also the first in several years to be done in hand drawn animation and looks to be a hit, as most Disney movies are. It has a prince, shape-shifting magic, lots of music, lovable animal compainons to help our royal couple, and an extravegant villan. Would you expect anything less from a movie designed to be the next classic?
The Princess and the Frog is scheduled for a limited release in New York and California on November 25, 2009 and then released everwhere else on December 25, 2009.
Below is the movie trailer for Disney Pictures "The Princess and the Frog...Hope you enjoy...
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