To all the Disney fans who miss the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, or if you just want to see what a few million (yes million) Christmas lights look like dancing to music, there is a place for you to visit this holiday season.
The Night of a Million Lights Holiday Light Spectacular at Give Kids the World Village – not far from Disney World, in Kissimmee – will be open nightly from Nov. 12 through Jan. 2, 2022. The event features a dancing light show, a tram tour and a special behind-the-scenes look at this 89-acre non-profit resort that provides critically ill children and their families with magical weeklong vacations at no cost.
This is the second year for the event, which was created as a way to promote the village when it was shut down to families last year due to the pandemic. “We look forward to once again sharing some holiday joy with the community while raising the funds that will enable us to continue creating the happiness that inspires hope for these precious families,” Give Kids The World Presidents and CEO Pamela Landwirth said.
This year, the village massively expanded the number of lights and added a tram tour to the section of the village where about 50 wish kids and their families are now staying.
The display brings back memories of the first few years of the Osborne Family light show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, when the lights were part of “Residential Street,” on the backlot tour and the houses you drove by on the tram were decked out with lights. The annual light show at Disney started in 1995 and ended on Jan. 6, 2016.
Here you get to stroll around a large part of the village. In the front area around a lake are 21 fully programmed buildings set to music with six three-minute holiday vignettes playing each hour. The music includes light show favorites like Mannheim Steamroller’s “Carol of the Bells” and Andy Williams singing “Happy Holiday/The Holiday Season.”
In addition to 100 lit villas, there is a tree trail and larger-than-life holiday displays, as well as displays where you can pose for photos.
The displays are phenomenal and have been put together by various area companies. A few of these you should not miss include the Minions House from Universal Studios’ “Despicable Me” films. You’ll find a number of Minions you can stand near for photos, and don’t forget to look up, where you’ll find Gru overseeing the mayhem. There are also some fun animated scenes to catch in the windows of the home.
Another not-to-miss area is the Ripley’s Believe it or Not house. Here you can stand next to a figure of Robert Wadlow, who stood at 8 feet 11 inches and was the world’s tallest human. Sea World, Legoland, Hasbro and a number of other corporate sponsors also created fun places for photos.
Disney has decorated a house as well. The majority of the lights in the village – 3.2 million – were donated by Walt Disney World.
And when you go aboard the 8-minute tram ride to see the other section of the village, the narrator will sound familiar. Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel from “The Little Mermaid,” acts as your tour guide.
Over at the holiday marketplace, you can visit Santa in his elaborately decorated Florida home. (We all know Santa is really a snowbird.) Festival holiday merchandise from t-shirts to cups and holiday ornaments and cards are available for purchase.
The ornaments and cards are based on original art work from the wish children, Elizabeth Davis, from Give Kids The World, explained. In addition, as you stroll around the village you will see a variety of original artwork created by the kids on display, she said.
There are a variety of places to purchase food while visiting. A number of kiosks are set up, including Boston Market.
New this year there are also a variety of premium packages, ranging from behind-the-scenes guided tours and dessert parties.
The dessert parties are located at Matthew’s Boundless Playground in the heart of the dancing lights show. The desserts include cookies, mini cakes eclairs, cream puffs, brownie bites and ice cream. (Fun fact: The playground built by Hasbro is based on the game Candyland. When it was created the characters from the game were placed around the area but the backs were blank because the game character fronts were only designed. So, Hasbro designed the backs for the 3-D characters.)
The dessert parties are taking place Friday-Sunday through Dec. 10 and every night from Dec. 20 through Jan. 2, 2022.
And remember all the proceeds go to supporting Give Kids The World.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Event: Night of a Million Lights
Where: Give Kids the World, 210 South Bass Road in Kissimmee
When: Nightly, Nov. 12 – Jan. 2, 2022, from 5 to 10 p.m.
Tickets: They can be purchased here and range from $25 to $40 for adults and $15 to $20 for kids depending on the dates.
What else to know: Tickets are associated with timed entry.
