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DHS

The End of The Great Movie Ride – Goodbye Yellow Brick Road

27 September 2017 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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Great Movie Ride
Image ©Tom Bricker disneytouristblog.com because I could not do justice with any of my photos!

Being raised by parents who grew up in the middle of the golden age of movie-making, I think Disney-MGM Studios on a whole had an instant familiar feel to it, though I had never stepped foot west of the Mississippi. As I’ve mentioned before, California seemed like a distant other country to me.

I was 15 in 1989 when the park opened; raised on a steady diet of old movie lines and songs sung by my father, who had over the years made me watch a few of his favorites. I say “made” because at that age and prior, I had no real appreciation or interest in anything black and white that wasn’t an A-Ha music video.

But this time in my life, 6 years after I’d met and fallen in love with EPCOT Center, was filled with quite a few trials and tribulations, so it was easy to find solace here and take an immediate interest. I’m not exactly sure of the date the first time I walked down Hollywood Blvd, enveloped by the motion picture soundtracks that swirled in the air, but I do know I was instantly in love once again, this time with the Hollywood that never was, and always will be.

Just as with EPCOT Center’s opening, I had gotten my news about what to expect from my trusty Birnbaum’s: Walt Disney World guidebook. I was fascinated and oh-so excited to experience all of the interactive and behind-the-scenes attractions that Disney-MGM Studios promised, all of which I now miss dearly as they have faded away over the years. It was a different time of course, even the then-modern television showcasing and state-of-the-art production studios were from a time when there was no reality tv. The magic and glamour of movie and tv production was still a palpable, undiscovered mystery to most.

Today, anyone with a phone can be a star or be famous, even if only in viral form, and kids know that. So for many that grew up with me or before, Disney-MGM Studios was a romantic interpretation of the real, live movie and tv-making processes and history. Now, the park seems like a fantasy that exists nowhere and those that appreciate the history and nods to the past are, as with EPCOT’s history, few and far between (though we do tend to find each other and stick together online and off).

As the years have passed, the park changed its moniker to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but slowly cannibalized itself from any real connection to a studio park. What we were left with was a front section still in tribute to Hollywood’s past, in both architecture, landmarks, and overall feel, but the rest of the park became almost a question mark as to how things related to the original theme (as has also happened with much of EPCOT). So we were left with a just a few highlights to the transitory feeling of being a part of Hollywood past, and indeed a part OF the movies. How long these places and theming will remain is unknown.

Rather than walking through an Ewok village “set” or a backlot restaurant with props, we will now roam through a galaxy’s edge where you are expected to be part of the landscape and population. How will the park explain those anomalies? I guess they don’t have to, as we have learned. Guests’ tastes change, kids’ interests change, and as is evidenced by crowd levels at all of the attractions that have been on the chopping block recently (Maelstrom, Universe of Energy, etc.), the things that made us fall in love with a particular park or area, are not the most popular in today’s time.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is certainly a park in flux, and many of the experiences we knew and loved, and maybe took for granted, are now a part of history. We are no longer entering a park that is a tribute to Hollywood and movie making, but mostly tilted toward the actual movies themselves. Which is fine, but we are also allowed to mourn what once was, when it was (for a while), done so well.

Even those not bothered by the closing of The Great Movie Ride will admit it was a great ride, but proclaim “it needed more love” or “it needed updating.” And while I agree that every ride that features animatronics needs a lot more updating than it currently receives within Disney parks, on the Great Movie Ride specifically, how does one keep updating a field which changes daily? Sure, they could keep adding movies to the montage at the end, but at which movies’ expense? Do you take out Singin’ in the Rain’s show scene and add Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump sitting on a bench? Or John Travolta and Uma Thurman dancing from Pulp Fiction? Movies are for the most part, so subjective, it’s impossible to please everyone.

For example, I love the Great Movie Ride as it is. For what it is. I would love to have the latest model animatronics in it, but other than that, I would’ve left it how it was pre-TCM/Robert Osborne additions. But that’s just me. I know there are countless others like me who have the entire ride sequence memorized, down to the music cues and the original montage ending, both music and clips. It’s provided endless quote opportunities within my family and friend groups.

One of my favorite memories of The Great Movie Ride was when two cast members were acting out the scene from The Searchers that played in front of us in the queue, one of them shouting “No you don’t, Ethan! Ethan, no you don’t!” The entire ride experience is forever ingrained in my brain, as I’m sure it is for many other guests and cast members. It is, in a word, iconic.

The Great Movie Ride combines so many parts that make its whole a classic Disney attraction. First, you have the show building itself, an exact replica of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood (now the TCL Theatre). Seeing that at the end of the street when you first pass the Crossroads of the World instantly transports you to Hollywood. The detail in the building itself is impeccable. If you can before it closes, walk around and really pay attention to the workmanship (or if you can’t, watch Martin Smith’s Ultimate Tribute, which I watched in the background while typing this, for inspiration – and hopefully, the building itself will remain for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway…).

Great Movie Ride interior
Image ©Tom Bricker disneytouristblog.com

Next, you have the queue area, with again, ridiculously insane details from the original theatre, movie props and costumes, and the film trailers as you approach the ride. The ride vehicle system has always fascinated me (a smaller version of the theatre system from Universe of Energy, which I’ll discuss my thoughts on later).

Any attraction that has theatre style moving vehicles is just amazing to me. It is a shame that both of these types of attractions will soon be no more. I really think the technology has stood up to time and the fact that they hold so many guests at once is always a good thing.

Finally, you have the ride experience itself, which showcases both iconic scenes from famous movies or genres, as well as interactive “surprise” elements and of course, a happy ending. The level and attention to detail within the movie scene sections is mind blowing.

I’ve been lucky enough to have full access to walk the ride, and been able to see into the “trash” in the gangster scenes – with cigarette butts inside tin cans that are never visible from the ride vehicle, but there because it makes the scene authentic. The signs in the western scene are written as if you just happened upon a town in Deadwood or some other village of the old west. It’s truly Imagineering at its finest. You are transported to another location, where anything could happen, but within the safety of a Disney park. The finale with the movie montage lifts you up and shows you the power of movies to endure through generations and inspire our daily lives.

I always walked off The Great Movie Ride with a smile on my face, filled with a love of movies and their history. I will miss that experience, and that feeling, but I am very, very grateful for the many memories I have had over the years; with my late father, with my mom, with my children, with my husband (the first place we held hands), and many friends. To me, it was one of the truly “Disney-at-its-best” rides, and I hope that it isn’t the last of its kind. This particular ride closing is perhaps the first “park icon” attraction to close. 27 Oh, one more thing. When I yell “Action!”, don’t forget the thunderous applause for your tour guide. Places, everybody! And…Action!

Thanks for the memories, Great Movie Ride, and thunderous applause to all who were a part of its design, creation, and running for the past 28 years.

If you need a pick-me-up to remember this wonderful attraction, head over to my good friend Glenn’s fan site that he created long ago in tribute to the Great Movie Ride – Pretty Good Movie Ride.

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney Attractions, Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment, Disney Past Tagged With: Audioanimatrics, Closed Disney attractions, DHS, Disney attraction closing, Disney Attractions, Disney Imagineering, Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Extinct Attractions, Great Movie Ride, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, Pretty Good Movie Ride, The Great Movie Ride

The Hollywood That Never Was And Never Will Be

2 July 2015 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

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POTD- WDW- DHS Drive ThroughThe Disney park currently known as Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been the much maligned “not-a-full-day-park” for years and years now. It usually comes in 3rd or 4th place, depending on whether the person choosing enjoys Disney’s Animal Kingdom or not. I have personally defended Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the past, based on the memories and the hope it once held, and the potential future I thought it could enjoy. However, as of late, much like the former EPCOT Center, DHS has been slowly cannibalizing itself in the name of “progress” and throwing the old “Disneyland will never be finished” quote around as justification for whatever NEXTNEWNOW change comes down the line.

When the Disney-MGM Studios first opened, it was a fun, light-hearted, action-packed look through the history and current world of entertainment. The park combined a mix of Hollywood history with architecture and icons reminiscent of the golden days of the silver screen, along with a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how movies, tv shows and the stunts within them were made. The park also offered a loving and closer look at some of what made Disney famous; animation and its animated characters. It was a fun mix of the two other parks down the street; the fantasy of Magic Kingdom and the discovery and education aspect of EPCOT Center. Even with the advent of the cry “we need more thrill rides!”, efforts were made to keep new areas of the park and their rides fit in to the theme of the park, one way or another.

Then, something happened, and suddenly, this fun, well-loved, full-day park began to decline. I’m sure there were several factors of which I am unaware, since I’m not in Imagineering or the boardroom discussing budgets, theme park attendance, profits, and whatever else results in the decisions Disney makes regarding its attention or lack-of toward specific parks or attractions. The hopes that this would be a “working studio” never really came to fruition. Hollywood stars didn’t really want to travel to Orlando to work, and certainly the conditions of humid, humid and more humid are not the best compared to sunny and 72 degrees every day in Hollywood. The Backlot Tour became more and more stagnant, with less and less relevant references, props, and costumes to interest newer guests. Part of the charm and allure for me as a young 13 year-old Disney fan visiting the park, was the wow factor of seeing props from favorites like the Rocketeer or Flight of the Navigator and actually believing “they are just storing these props here until they need them for a new film.” The pretense that “this is how movies and tv shows are made and you are getting an insider’s look” worked on me and I loved it. But when the pretense changed, the curtain fell and suddenly, the whole story and message of the park changed.

The once hour-plus-long Backlot Tour was broken up into two parts to create more attractions and make it easier on guests to enjoy. The special effects tour was still an incredibly fun and educational attraction. Seeing blue screen effects, miniaturization, sound effects and more, plus a short movie filmed right at the park ending in a walk through the props/sets of that movie was great. But again, soon the films used became outdated. These things could’ve been updated, or even treated in a kitschy manner, “back in the late 1980’s, this was the highest technology at the time for special effects!”. But instead, the tour was just closed. The death knell for the Backstage Tour was the demolition of Residential Street in 2003, to make room for Lights, Motors, Action!, which, while loud, and not particularly efficient in terms of loading and unloading the immense theatre to view the show, does fit in to the movies theme. After that, the Backlot Tour was an attraction you never really had to wait for, and went the way of Listen to the Land over in Epcot – replacing a live, interactive human cast member with a pre-recorded spiel. I remember how sad it was the first time I rode the tram tour through Catastrophe Canyon, and there was no presumption of driving through during a production break and the “surprise” of being caught in the middle of an elaborate special effects scene with potential “danger” that followed. It was a sad moment.

Photo courtesy of Parkeology.com
Photo courtesy of Parkeology.com

This brings me to my next point, that yes, Catastrophe Canyon could work as a “hey, we’re now going to drive through a set and you’ll see how an action scene could be filmed” just as the park itself could work as a “hey, welcome to the Everything-We-Couldn’t-Fit-in-Magic-Kingdom Park. Enjoy the random attractions!” But that’s not what this park was created for. It’s like when you see an old band you loved in the 80’s on tv, and now they have super trendy haircuts and hair dyed a couple shades too dark, and clothes that really don’t work on a 60+-year-old…and they are screaming “look at me, I’m still relevant! I’m still fun and cool!” Except they aren’t. They are focusing on all the wrong things and forgetting why their fans loved them to begin with. Disney basically created fans back in the 80’s with both EPCOT Center and Disney-MGM Studios, fans with discerning tastes, that appreciated and then craved story…history…and yes, even education.

Those fans were then pushed aside for the quicker, easier-to-control fan. Disney Jr. shows, make-shift “experiences” with little to no theming, and audience sing-a-longs receive no complaints from this new fan. This new fan is happy to see Olaf and take photos with rocks (sleeping trolls!), and just pretend most of the park doesn’t exist. A park that now, with the closure of the Magic of Disney Animation and One Man’s Dream (unofficially confirmed as of this post), has SIX attractions (rides), plus 5 “shows” and is a thin, staple-gunned-together shell of its former self. A park where, just because they can, turned a former queue of a former temporary replacement attraction, into a “lounge” with metal benches, air conditioning, and a few photos on the walls. These new fans will love this. A place to sit and cool down. Oh look, old black and white photos of Walt, wow! These new fans don’t come to this park expecting a story, details, or something new around each corner. They come to this park thinking, “I like Frozen. I like Star Wars. I like Pixar movies.” They walk in and see Frozen. They see Star Wars. They see Pixar films. They drink Olaf drinks. They buy Elsa dresses and build lightsabers. They leave happy, never knowing or wanting anything else. Leaving the old fans saying, “but…wait…what about…?”

DHS Lounge
A new Frozen attraction?
Errr…
DHS Lounge
Art! Who needs to draw Olaf!
DHS Lounge
Oh, it must be a pirate ride…no?
DHS Lounge
Well at least there’s a lot of charging stations for phones. Oh, wait…
DHS Lounge
BUT, at least these benches look comfy! Right? They must be.

Now I’m not saying there isn’t hope. Just like with EPCOT, I cannot abandon all hope for a place that fostered and nurtured my love for Walt Disney World to begin with. I just can’t. At the same time, I can’t just forget all that “once was” and blindly accept whatever replaces it. It saddens me that the ideals and ideas that once created such amazing, unique, and entertaining places seem to have disappeared. I know that the ideas are there. I know that there are Imagineers who remember and value the once (truly) untouchable Disney Difference. Imagineers who want to create amazing environments and experiences for guests. Who wanted to be Imagineers because of how affected they were by some aspect of Walt Disney or the empire he created, and wanted to be a part of that creativity. But who are also sadly restrained by budgets and projections and profits and return on investment and how to get the most dollars out of the least materials/space/investment/time. The hope is still there, it just needs to be let out of its box and released upon the world. I get that the parks here in the states aren’t ever going to have the budget and carte-blanche that a place like Tokyo Disney Resort has. But I also get that Disney as a company isn’t exactly scraping together funds to pay the electric bill each month. There has to be a better way, which will, in the long run, create and keep more and more dedicated guests, fans and yes, brand evangelists. Yes, it’s harder and takes longer. It’s much easier to get a large group of people hyped over a particular facet of a brand and spread that hype across the land so that everyone wants to buy all the Elsa and Anna dresses/dolls/cups/pins/dessert parties/VIP experiences vs. getting a set group of people educated, interested and loyal to a place and the attractions within that place. Obviously it makes sense from a business perspective. Does it make sense in a long-term investor sense? I don’t know. Does it matter? I guess time will tell.

Image courtesy of Yesterland.comWe all know that the Studios park is in flux. There are things happening, we just don’t officially know what yet. Cars Land, Star Wars Land, Pixar Play Land, all of these things have been thrown around as rumor or fact depending on who you talk to. The problem, and really the impetus for this post, is that how these changes and “updates” have been handled is an embarrassingly good example of bad show. If you are going to close half of the physical park, have an announcement! Have a “Coming Soon!” sign or wonderful artist renderings of the future of the park for all of us to look forward to. Why the secrecy? Why the quietly displaced cast members and closed attractions with zero plans or hopes or ideas to look forward to? Even with the polarizing Avatarland/Pandora over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, we had a reason for Camp Minnie-Mickey closing, for walls being up, for construction happening. Even with the walls everywhere that characterized Disney(‘s) California Adventure, we knew Cars Land and Buena Vista Street were waiting. With each closure at DHS, we get nothing but a generic message. Are they waiting for the D23 Expo to announce all of the changes? Perhaps. But these closures and temporary band-aid pop-up attractions have been going on for quite some time here, with no explanation or alternative other than sing-a-longs and specialty drinks. With this much advanced knowledge of closings of attractions, surely better planning and action could’ve been taken to create replacements that don’t shine a light on flaws and problems, but rather are worthy of making positive impressions on all the park’s guests. Or, in absence of that, at the very least, some sort of acknowledgement that the park is growing and changing and please pardon the pixie dust. But to act like the park as is today, is okay is very “pay no attention to that man behind the curtain…” and we all know how that turned out.

There has been much speculation as to what the new iteration of a Studios park will be called. Disney Studios doesn’t fit because there are no studios left, real or imagined. Disney’s Hollywood Adventure doesn’t fit because the Hollywood is limited to the main Hollywood Blvd. shops leading to the Great Movie Ride, and Sunset Blvd. Disney Movie Magic? Disney Movies Park? Disney Entertainment Adventure? Disney-Frozen-Fun-Time-Featuring-Olaf-with-Added-Mater-and-Star Wars-Cause-We-Know-You-Like-That-Too-Oh-and-Also-a-Ride-About-Movies-Other-Than-Frozen? I kid, but seriously, the park is just digging itself further and further into a hole that die-hard fans won’t be able to let go (that does NOT count as a Frozen pun) for quite some time, even if the changes are spectacular. The recent Great Movie Ride update with Turner Classic Movies treatment has its plusses and minuses, in my opinion.  Part of what made that ride was the spiel and the cast members who recited it, and that has now changed, with the addition of Robert Osborne narration. We are no longer passing through the streets of London or the seedy underbelly of the gangster film, we are discussing movie facts, with an occasional aside from our driver. The ride itself is still intact, with newly added films to the end montage, and the interactive gangster or cowboy element is there, but makes a little less sense now, to me. That said, I’m glad it wasn’t ripped out and that a major sponsor such as TCM was willing to come on board. My plea is for Those Who Make the Decisions to remember what made this park so special to begin with. It was a giant inside joke that we were all in on – “we’re just tourists, but we get to go behind-the-scenes!”. That message can and has changed, but there should still be some sort of cohesive theme that ties all of the different portions together and makes the park worthy of the love and adoration its former incarnation once had. Maybe a little less synergy and a little more of letting the Imagineers do what they do best.

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Filed Under: Commentary Land, Disney News, Disney Past, Top Stories, Walt Disney World Tagged With: DHS, DHS lounge, Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Frozenland, imagineering

Sneak Peek at Sofia the First in the Disney Christmas Parade and In the Parks Too!

20 December 2012 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

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The Sofia The First character will make her Disney Parks debut in the 29th Annual “Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade” airing nationwide on Christmas Day, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25 (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., ET; check local listings) on the ABC Television Network.  It was also recently announced that Sofia will be joining the Disney Junior – Live on Stage! show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure in early 2013 – joining Doc McStuffins as a new addition.

Sofia the First parade

 

Disney’s first little girl princess, Sofia was introduced in the music-filled animated television movie “Sofia the First: Once Upon A Princess” which debuted on November 18, 2012 and became the #1 cable telecast of all time in Kids 2-5 and Girls 2-5, and the #1 preschool cable TV telecast ever in Total Viewers and Women 18-49.  A “Sofia the First” television series which continues Sofia’s journey as she learns how to adjust to royal life, premieres FRIDAY, JANUARY 11 on Disney Channel (9:30-10:00 a.m., ET/PT) and Disney Junior (5:30-6:00 p.m., ET/PT).

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Filed Under: Disney Attractions, Disney Holidays, Disney Special Events, Official Disney, Theme Park Holiday Events, Top Stories, Walt Disney World Tagged With: christmas day parade, DHS, Disney California Adventure, Disney Channel, Disney Christmas, Disney Christmas parade, Disney Junior Live on Stage, Disney parks, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Doc McStuffins, hollywood studios, Princess Sofia, sneak peek, Sofia the First

NEW Her Universe Merchandise Debuts at Star Wars Weekends

19 May 2012 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

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Star Wars Weekends - Photo ©DisneyOne of my absolute favorite times of the year are when Star Wars Weekends roll around at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While I do profess that I am a geek/nerd in many ways, Star Wars holds an even dearer place in my heart because I grew up with it too. Like many of my favorite things at Walt Disney World – classic EPCOT Center and Magic Kingdom in the early 1980s, I have an emotional attachment to all things Star Wars.

Being able to walk through a park and see Stormtroopers or Boba Fett just hanging around is just as close to heaven for a kid from the 80’s as you can get. And don’t even get me started on Chewbacca hugs. Add in the cool exclusive merchandise, a parade, celebrity appearances, and the Hyperspace Hoopla show and you’ve got something for everyone. Star Wars Weekends are the perfect place to combine your love of Disney and Star Wars, and there are no shortage of fans who share that love. Last year, the weekend was kicked off with the grand re-opening of Star Tours: The Adventures Continue, but the excitement is still going for 2012 with lots of new surprises in store.

The great thing about Star Wars Weekends is that Disney keeps it fresh, with current stars of the popular Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series appearing each year alongside stars from the classic films as well. One star, Ashley Eckstein, voice of Ahsoka Tona from the Star Wars: Clone Wars series, has become a staple at the Weekends. Ashley and James Arnold Taylor, voice of Obi Wan Kenobi in the same series, join forces as the celebrity hosts for 2012.

Looking for Love in Alderaan Places
Looking for Love in Alderaan Places - LOVE this!

In 2009, Ashley introduced her new line of clothing and accessories aimed specifically at girls and women, Her Universe. Last year, she also introduced designs exclusive to Star Wars Weekends for a limited time. This year she’s back with even more exclusive fun from Her Universe:

Several new apparel pieces are also being introduced for the younger “Jedi-in-training” including several Star Wars youth designs and, for the first time, a Jedi onesie for the tiniest followers of the Force featuring the adorable art of popular Star Wars illustrator Katie Cook.

 

“I was very excited when Ashley approached me to do kids’ designs for Her Universe,” said Cook. “She’s doing a wonderful thing for the female fan community already… and she’s doing those of us with little girls an even bigger favor by giving the littlest fangirls nerdy gear of their own!”

 

In addition to the new product line being available at Disney’s Star Wars Weekends, Eckstein will also, for the fourth year in a row, be co-hosting the Behind The Force live stage show and signing autographs each weekend of the event.

 

“Disney’s Star Wars Weekends is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Ashley Eckstein. “I truly enjoy meeting Star Wars fans of all ages and that’s why I am so excited to be offering merchandise for women, girls and now babies! As the voice of Ahsoka Tano, I cannot wait to see baby girls in an Ahsoka “Jedi in Training” onesie or little girls running around in Ahsoka’s new costume top!”

 

These new designs are just so adorable and the message they send is one of girl power and strength, so needed today! The new styles will also be available online at www.heruniverse.com on May 21st. Photo credit below: – Kelsey Edwards Photography



I was able to see the new merchandise in person today and loved it all! The “Looking for love in Alderaan places” shirt is hysterical, and the Princess Leia hoodies and Ahsoka tunics are super fun. The little kids shirts and baby onesies were killing me with cute!

Princess Leia hoodie
Of course I had to try one on... 😉

 

Sophia modeling the Ahsoka Tano tunic
Sophia modeling the Ahsoka Tano tunic - she wants it!

 

Star Wars Weekends run from May 18-June 10 this year and are a must-do if you are in the area. We’ll have more coverage of the galactic fun in the coming weeks!

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Filed Under: Disney Merchandise, Disney News, Disney Special Events, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Ashley Eckstein, DHS, Disney Special Events, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Her Universe, HerUniverse, Star Wars, Star Wars fangirls, Star Wars Weekend, Star Wars Weekends merchandise, Star Wars: Clone Wars, SWW2012, Walt Disney World

Disney’s Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights Canopy Show

22 December 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

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Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

Yet another family tradition each year and yet another moment to cry tears of joy in a Disney park. My dad loved these lights as well as Disney’s Hollywood Studios, so I’m always flooded with memories when we first turn the orner and see the amazing sparkling colors. I will have to admit, I was a little disappointed with the crowd control this year, normally we can walk right through from the Writer’s Stop, but this year we were detoured at every turn from left of the Great Movie Ride on, and funneled around to the back of the San Francisco area and Lights, Motors, Action!. Unfortunately, this is a terrible way to view experience the lights, especially for first-time visitors. You are able to SEE the lights as you turn into the New York Street area, but cannot gain access until the back, making for teeming throngs of disgruntled guests, and I was among them this week.

Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

Having visited the Spectacle of Dancing Lights (SODL) each year since it premiered, the overall ‘show’ has always started at the end of New York Street and culminated with the turning Peace on Earth globe, angels and the Nativity. Granted, this route has changed slightly since first opening, when guests would get to walk down Residential Street, but the Peace on Earth was always the ‘finale’ so to speak. As years passed, the lights began to dance to music and more and more interactive elements were added. As a result, I understand that there isn’t any one centerpiece or finale, but the current route with countless detours and barricades made for a very disappointing experience.

In addition, there are many more PhotoPass stations now, making it almost impossible to take family photos, or even photos of just the lights, without a line of guests in front of you, waiting for professional photos. Again, I understand why Disney is doing what they are doing, but from a guest standpoint, it’s not something that benefits most people. How about photo stations outside of the fray of New York Street, where PhotoPass software can add the SODL into the background later? Surely, the photos will look better than a close-up of the base of a giant tree of lights, or building, where you can’t see the immense detail and overall wow factor of the experience. Just my thoughts, as a long-time visitor and someone that heard lots of complaints the night I went, and online too.

Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Still awe-inspiring, each year.

 

Luckily, the lights and the family memories won out in the end and magic again took over, but I implore Disney to work on a better plan that doesn’t involve so much confusion and frustration. When and if you visit, be prepared for crowds and ask the cast members where you actually enter for the lights so you can head there first. My advice is to go during the week and see the lights later in the night, not when the lights first switch on. Those caveats given, I’d love to share one of my favorite musical portions of the nights’ songs, that I was able to record. If, like me, it’s one of your favorite things at Walt Disney World during the holidays, or you aren’t able to make it down to see the lights, I hope you enjoy the show. This video features the all-new canopy, offering some amazing effects.

 

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Filed Under: Disney Holidays, Family Memories, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Christmas, Christmas light display, dancing lights, DHS, Disney Christmas, Disney holidays, disney park, Disney parks, Disney's Hollywood Studios, family tradition, hollywood studios, Jennings Osborne, nativity, Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, Osborne Lights, residential street, SODL, video, videos, Walt Disney World

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  • Walt Disney’s Grumman Gulfstream I Airplane Makes its West Coast Return for D23 Expo 2022
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