Alright, level with us Disney. We need answers. How could you do these things that are so TOTALLY unforgivable?!
Epcot Monorail
Disney World is always changing and sometimes that means that some of our FAVORITE things at the park are affected. We get it, it happens. We love us some Disney World and we’ll recover, but WHY did Disney have to make THESE changes!?
1. Retiring the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
RIP The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Disney’s Hollywood Studios just isn’t the same at Christmastime! The park used to be home to some absolutely spectacular Christmas lights. Literal MILES of lights were strung around the Streets of America section of Hollywood Studios from 1995 allllll the way to 2016. Oh, and the lights? They DANCED. TO. MUSIC.
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Unfortunately, the lights had to end just prior to the Streets of America section closing for the development of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Yeah, we get it. It had to happen eventually — OR DID IT??? Look, Disney, all we’re saying is that we’d be pretty happy to waltz beneath a canopy of dancing lights again, OK? It doesn’t matter where or when. WE MISS OUR OSBORNE LIGHTS.
Osborne Lights — Extra Shiny in the Rain!
At least we can still get our fix of beautiful Christmas spirit elsewhere. Sunset Seasons Greetings is a fun continuous show in Hollywood Studios each night of the Holiday Season, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has the A-MAZ-ING new Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks.
Epcot is reliable holiday favorite with the Festival of the Holidays and Candlelight Processional to enjoy. Plus, there are a TON of new ways to celebrate in Animal Kingdom — last year they debuted park-wide Christmas decorations and PUPPET ANIMALS and entertainment for the first time EVER! I guess we’ll be able to find stuff to do during the holidays without our fav lights. Sigh. But the ache continues in our hearts.
Click here for a look back at the Disney holidays of Christmas past!
2. Getting Rid of Sweet Spells in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and NOT ADDING A NEW CANDY STORE?!?!
You know what Hollywood Studios? We have another bone to pick with you! How could you get rid of Sweet Spells and NOT replace it with another candy store!? We need our candy, okay? Sweet Spells was the go-to spot in the park for all your sweets needs like gourmet apples, Disney fudge, cookies, rice cereal treats, cupcakes, and more — and it’s been GONE since 2018 with no replacement. The audacity!
Sweet Spells in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The spot where Sweet Spells resided is now a shop selling primarily Pixar merch. Pixar swag is good and all but it’s not as good as CANDY. We could maybe forgive this one if they had opened another candy shop in Hollywood Studios, but they didn’t. And now Disney guests are candy-less when they’re wandering the Studios. Who ever heard of a Disney park without krispie treats?!?
Sweet Spells Candy Apples
You can still get your sweets fix in Hollywood Studios, just maybe not quite the same way! There are always awesome ice cream concoctions at Hollywood Scoops or Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction or 50’s Prime Time Cafe. Plus, you can still find the OG Carrot Cake Cookie from Writer’s Stop (it lived at Sweet Spells for a while!) over at Trolley Car Cafe. But is it the same as having a FULL candy store? No, not it’s not.
Want to see more about the Carrot Cake Cookie Update? Click here!
3. No More Main Street Electrical Parade ?
And last but certainly not least: How could we EVER forgive the fact that Main Street Electrical Parade is gone for good? Wait, we know the answer to that. We CAN’T!
Main Street Electrical Parade was the beloved nighttime parade that ran off and on from 1977-2016. It had a few breaks from 1991-1999 and 2001-2010 to make way for SpectroMagic, another beloved Disney World nighttime parade that has since been permanently retired.
Main Street Electrical Parade featured impressive, light-covered floats like a Casey Jr. Train Dumbo float, a Cinderella float, and even a Pete’s Dragon float! With Main Street Electrical and similarly styled SpectroMagic running since the 70’s, generations of guests grew attached to these parades and made them beloved parts of their trip they looked forward to.
Main Street Electrical Parade
Our main issue here is that there are now NO MORE nighttime parades during the regular park day in Disney World. The daytime parades are cool and all but there’s something really special about seeing all of the awesome lighting effects that come with a nighttime parade.
Main Street Electrical Parade Disneyland Version
Now, luckily, there is actually a special way to still catch a nighttime parade in Disney World, but you’ll have to head to a separately ticketed event.
The parties in Magic Kingdom usually have night parades! You can see the Villains Cursed Caravan at Disney Villains After Hours, Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, or Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!
Boo to You Parade
These parades are great and all, but it’s just not the same. Meanwhile over in Disneyland, did you know they have not one but 2 nighttime parades that are currently NOT in use?! The Main Street Electrical Parade (which had a short comeback in Disneyland and is now stored there) AND the insanely cool Paint the Night parades both still reside at Disneyland, yet both are currently not in use. What is UP?
Want to make sure you’re ready for all the upcoming changes in Disney World? Click here!
So, you see? There are definitely some things that Disney has done that we just can’t bring ourselves to forgive. We still love ya, Disney World, but we REALLY loved these things in the parks, too! With so much always evolving in Disney World, maybe they’ll find a way to make it up to us.?
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What I miss the most is Soarin’ over California. I really miss it. Over the world is ok, but we did it twice and we were done. I don’t really care about the great wall of china or the Austrailia opera house. Bring back California! 🙂
So incredibly sad that the Main Street Electrical Parade is never coming back! It’s the most magical memory of my childhood & was THRILLED to be able to share that memory with my son in 2004.
I still miss the Adventurer’s Club!
Money, Profit, and Greed drive the reason why these things are cancelled!
Tell Me I’m Wrong !!!
I think what I will miss the most are my points from DVC! Stolen money. Why doesn’t Disney take ALL of the people who have reservations and not give their money back? Now that would make everything equal. Take their money too. Not just the people who have put their retirement into this unforgettable lie! My grandkids were so excited that we did this . Now what do we tell them? We’ve been robbed? Mary H Kosloske’! Wrong in so many ways! The happiest place on earth has just become another lie.!!!
Country bear xmas overlay at magic kingdom ,epcot winter of lights, Osborne lights are still greatly missed by me and my family
Really miss the Osborne Family Spectacular of Dancing Lights.
Fountain of Nations…I will sorely miss you…As a “local”…I used to take my yarn and crochet hook, sit by the fountain and create…I will find another place, but I will miss MY fountain…:)
The two that hurt the most are the Osborne Dancing Lights and the Electrical Parade. And no, I really don’t mind that these things are gone. But what’s unforgivable is they weren’t replaced with something — ANYTHING! And I understand the dancing lights had to be removed because of space, but… there is a crap-ton of space and Disney World. So… Construct some faux building facades, prop them up behind the Cirque theater during the holidays, and string up the lights. Done. And if you’re worried about the ROI, then just fill the “streets” with food trucks and souvenir carts. Done. And with regard to the electrical parade… Instead of building yet another overpriced hotel, just simply design a nighttime parade that will last for 15-20 years — AND will be memorable and nostalgic for the next generation of Disney fans!
Osborne Lights, Adventurer’s Club and Off Kilter are my three biggest MIA disappointments. Special mention would include Sweet Spells AND Starring Rolls— was a perfect match. Not a Starshucks fan.
I miss Starring Roles in Hollywood Studios. (next to Hollywood Brown Derby) The Starbucks and kiosk lines are too long.
How is nobody going to mention Toon Town in WDW??? That was one of my favorite things as a kid
I still miss off kilter. What a talented group. #2 Osborne Lights #3 the swan boats in front of the castle. Anyone else remember these ?
Oh— and the original Pleasure Island with the New Years celebration every night.
We miss River Country!! Hard to explain the sheer joy you felt playing and swimming there that just did not translate over to the other water parks.
I agree completely. Let Disney know that some decision are not good. The candy store was a place I’d hit 2-3 times a day. And every kid should get to see the Electric Parade!
TMSEP belongs to Disneyland.
I’m sorry but Disneyland will always be #1
Toon town, the night time electrical parade and now no Grand Floridian Musicians.
They need to spend less money on building new hotel and refurbing things and let us enjoy what we all know and love.
Soon Splash Mountain will be added to the list- will never get over it.
Do you ever write something positive?
Why is the Adventurer’s Club gone? The fans that loved it, killed it. These devoted fans went and rarely spent a lot of money..
Toon town was always meant to be temporary. it long outlived its shelf life.
Splash Mountain was questioned by some imagineers when it was getting built. You have an attraction that hasn’t been shown in nearly 50 years and will never be shown.
I miss Disney the way it use to be. Try explaining to someone who can’t tolerate a mask that they’re not welcome. WDW use to be a place for everyone. Not anymore.
#2 is about 1/100 the importance of #1 and #3! And what happened with the Osborne Lights anyway. Are they all in boxes somewhere. Did they give them back to the Ostbornes?
I do not know about number two as I have not eaten there BUT I sure do miss one and three. The Osborne Lights were a favorite of mine as was the light parade.
Christmas at WDW just isn’t the same without the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights. I am also very disappointed at the loss of Off Kilter. I still enjoy British Revolution, but guessing they’ll go the same way, assuming they haven’t already.
Some part of the Osborne lights are currently up at the Presbyterian Church in Celebration!
Grand floridian orchestra!!! Can’t believe they got rid of them. Unbelievable. And the pool at the grand floridian that is deeper than 3 feet that an adult can actually swim in for a decent length! That was a beautiful pool for everyone. Did they really need a third kiddie pool?
The Electrical Parade was what we looked forward to most back in the day. We would stay until midnight and watch it twice. Talk about decisions Disney Corporate is making these days…. a lot of them need explaining and they aren’t all in the parks 🙁
Closing the Great Movie Ride, unforgivable
Walt is on the rotisserie spinning round and round. After Eisner, the place was transformed from the Happiest Place on Earth to most expensive place on earth to vacation. I am so sad with the changes that started with the Eiger a distraction. No one will dispute that the Christmas show at the Country Bears was a welcome site every holiday season… now it is gone and the summer show pales in comparison. Osborn lights were real Disney Magic and now that is gone. Prices up, content down… very sad
Doing away with the Osborne lights was criminal! It’s not a brick and mortar attraction, they could literally have put it ANYWHERE!
Disney world has made way too many changes so many things things that made it so much fun the Osborne lights were such a wonderful thing to go to see my family loved it Spectro magic was awesome and now no night parades and too many other changes besides that what r they thinking
Replacement of the original Journey into Imagination is WDW’s greatest failure. It incorporated everything that EPCOT stood for, and embodied Walt’s spirit more than any other attraction. The current version isn’t even close in terms of beauty and story. EPCOT will forever be incomplete unless the original version of the pavilion is restored.
Got to admit we never really like the Main Street Electrical Parade. The music drove us batty. But yes the Osborne lights were a favorite. We still have those special twinkle glasses they gave to passholders a few years back. Got them out on Christmas Eve and our tree looked magical. Surely there is some location they can use to recreate the dancing lights.
The Adventurers Club is the thing I can’t forgive. I’ll never be ok with it. Never.