food IS a theme park
Thanks to The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is full of yuletide cheer!
Osborne Family Tribute Window
Or perhaps I should say, Yuletide CHEERS… [Read more…]
If you are spending any part of this holiday season in Disney World (which has already officially kicked off with events like Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party), I’m just going to assume that a visit to the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is on your vacation itinerary.
This special holiday event has become even more of a Must-Do this year, with the fact this holiday season is the final chance to watch the Lights dance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Before the Lights even come on, though, lots of folks like to stake out their spot on the Streets of America to wait for the moment when the Lights begin to shine. Fortunately, there are some snacking opportunities to help you pass the time with some tasty treats!
As always, the Pretzel Garden opens up in advance of the show, serving up… well, pretzels, of course. Churros, glazed almonds and pecans, and a few beverages round out the list.
I spotted the ol’ standbys at this little kiosk right away: the Cream Cheese Pretzel and the Mickey-shaped Pretzel.
Pretzel Garden
But there was also an addition to the pretzel selections on the menu: the Pumpkin Spice Pretzel. [Read more…]
Last week, Disney announced that 2015 will be the last year for The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The popular show is wrapping to accommodate construction for two new Lands coming to the park in the future: Toy Story and Star Wars.
The festive synchronized holiday lights and music show will be on display from November 6, 2015 through January 3, 2016.
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
The announcement also revealed that two new extra ticket events will be added this year to celebrate the final run of The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Details have been released for each of these events, which are now open for booking.
The Merry & Bright Dessert Party will take place from November 6 through December 30, 2015. Please note that the hours change based on the date you choose:
Guests will enjoy a reserved viewing area, and will also receive a custom stadium blanket as a souvenir.
Price to attend is $69 for adults, $39 for children (including tax and gratuity).
Guests Enjoying the Seating Area
Guests can book by calling (407) 939-3463 or online via the Walt Disney World website.
Osborne Lights — Peace On Earth
From January 1 (8:30 to 10:00 pm), and 2nd, 3rd (7:00 to 8:30 pm), the Merry & Bright Dinner Reception will offer a chance to ring in the new year by enjoying small plates (turkey, beef, and shrimp dishes among them) along with specialty drinks, wine, and beer, all from an exclusive reserved viewing area. At evening’s end, each guest will receive “a custom shadow box keepsake featuring their own Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights!”
Seating at Dusk Before the Lights Come On
The price to attend is $99 for adults, $54 for children (including tax and gratuity).
Interested guests may book this event online, or by calling (407) 939-3463.
Osborne Lights
Please note that seating for the events is outdoors and uncovered without assigned seating, and an alternate location will be used in the event of rain (usually this is Studio Catering Co.). It is anticipated that these events may book up quickly, due to the popularity of the Dancing Lights.
For more information, be sure to visit the Merry & Bright Dessert Party and Merry & Bright Dinner Reception pages on the Walt Disney World website.
Will you be seeing the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights during its final run? Please let us know with a comment!
Well, I don’t know if this is a huge surprise with all of the upcoming construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to make way for Toy Story and Star Wars Lands, but it is with some melancholy that we learned that it is — indeed — official: this Holiday Season will be the final year for The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights — the joyful and unique holiday celebration featuring millions of lights synchronized to holiday music at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The display will run from November 6, 2015 through January 3, 2016.
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Two new events have been announced in conjunction with the final year of the Spectacle (a chance to “go out with a bang,” so to speak): the Merry & Bright Dessert Party will take place from November 6th – December 30th, and the Merry & Bright Dinner Reception will be available to book for the first days of the New Year, January 1 – 3, 2016. [Read more…]
Summer may have just officially started, but we are already thinking of the Holidays at Walt Disney World!
Sounds crazy, I know, but we’re just over 180 days — six months! — until the holidays are in full swing, and NOW is the time to make dining plans for your holiday meals — but it’s also the time to consider what other fun activities you’ll enjoy at Walt Disney World this holiday season.
To jumpstart your planning, today we’re talking about some of our favorite Tips from the DFB Guide to the Holidays at Disney World: Three Holiday Events that you can’t miss!
And speaking of the DFB Guide, don’t get to take advantage of our 180 Days Til Christmas Sale! Through June 28, we’re offering three great ways to save when you pre-order the 2015 DFB Guide to the Holidays at Walt Disney World. Check out all of the details about the sale here!
Now, let’s take a look at some of our favorite holiday events that you should definitely plan on working into your Disney holiday calendar…
Snow on Main Street USA and life-size Toy Soldiers? That’s part of your reality when you attend the long-running and beloved Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.
Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
This hard-ticketed event takes place during select evenings from November 8 until December 18, 2015, this year, and brings all of the joy and warm fuzzy feeling of Christmas and the holiday season to Magic Kingdom.
Toy Soldiers During the Once Upon a Christmastime Parade!
During the event, guests enjoy special entertainment and character meet and greets. Complimentary cocoa and cookies fuel you up for all the fun. And there are TONS of special, exclusive treats that you can enjoy only during the Party!
Snickerdoodles and Hot Cocoa
And be sure to grab a front row seat for Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade, which features Santa as well as some of your favorite Disney holiday characters. And, of course Anna and Elsa will be there!
Looking to observe the holidays with international flair? Then an evening at Epcot for Holidays Around the World will fit the bill nicely. Enjoy a stroll around Epcot’s beautiful World Showcase as storytellers from around the globe share seasonal tales within several of the pavilions — free with Epcot admission!
Père Noël
And if you didn’t score a seat for the [Read more…]
There is about one month left to check out an unforgettable Hollywood Studios holiday tradition: The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights! So while you’re enjoying this…
Osborne Lights!
Osborne Lights!
You might want to know where you can enjoy one of these…
Holiday Drinks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
A small pop-up bar has made its place directly under the “Honey, I Shrunk the Kids” marquee. And there are also bars to grab these “to-go” just outside of Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater, and at the Hollywood Brown Derby patio.
Marquee to the right
This is where you’ll find specialty cocktails like the Winter Berry Margarita, which was first available at Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post. You can check out our review of this brightly colored blend of tequila, triple sec, Monin Wildberry, sweet and sour, and cranberry juice here.
Winter Berry Margarita
Personally, I like the Gumdrop for the sheer fun factor… Stoli Razberi Vodka, Chambord, pineapple and cranberry juices, and Sprite (for some fizz action!). Alas, no glow cube… but it is topped off with gumdrops. And that’s gotta count for something! (Note that the gumdrops are cinnamon and mint…so…um, gross…but still gumdrops!)
Gumdrop Cocktail
This has a nice balance of sweet and sour. Loved it!
Einstok Doppelbock also makes the menu! A small selection of assorted beer is also available. A Holiday Punch in Pomegranate or Orange Lemonade (souvenir glow cube included, of course!) provides a non-alcoholic option, and Beso Del Sol Sangria rounds out the list.
But that’s not all… during the day, you can find some cider with an added kick at Backlot Express. Just take a look at the ingredients in the Torched Holiday Cider…
Torched Holiday Cider
Angry Orchard Hard Cider with Fireball Cinnamon Whisky? Don’t mind if I do… thanks, Backlot! Didn’t know you had it in ya ;).
And over at Studio Catering Co., you can find this awesome-looking Very Merry Cherry, with Grey Goose Cherry Noir Vodka, Sweet-and-Sour, Grenadine, and Sprite! YUMMMM!
Very Merry Cherry Drink at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Just a little extra yuletide cheer comin’ at you from Hollywood Studios!
Would you like to try any of the specialty holiday beverages at Hollywood Studios? Please let us know with a comment!
We’ve got a holiday surprise for you today… . I’ll give you a hint — it involves Frozen, dessert, and more Christmas lights than you can possibly imagine!
Well, maybe it’s not really a surprise — after all, you already saw the title at the top — but still!
Osborne Family Lights
On a recent trip to Walt Disney World to check out some of the early holiday decorations and events, I bought a ticket for the Frozen Holiday Premium Package. This package includes reserved viewing in the Premiere Theater for the “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration”, plus a unique Holiday Lithograph and Frozen Pin. There’s also a Frozen Dessert Party — which includes an all you care to enjoy spread of sweets and beverages. And the party was taking place right underneath the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights in a reserved area!!
Can I be honest? I really didn’t care about the Frozen stuff. I don’t have a “Frozen-aged” kid at the moment, and while I saw the movie, I didn’t need to see it a bajillion times. So the big reason why I booked this party — besides wanting to show YOU guys what it was all about, of course — was to get a VIP vantage point for the Osborne lights.
Seriously, most of the time when I go to the Lights, I’m shoulder to shoulder with everyone else there. It’s PACKED many nights, so I was thinking it might be worth the money for the dessert party if I’d be able to enjoy the lights without re-living my “on-the-subway-going-to-work-during-rush-hour-in-NYC” days.
Unfortunately, the evening that I attended the event, the weather was…well…crap. One of those Orlando days when it just pours…and pours…and pours…with no break at all.
Cupcakes AND Lights?!?
BUT — the show must go on. And so, with the dessert-eating portion of the event moved to a covered location (Studio Catering Co.), we still had the opportunity to view the Osborne Family Lights. But they were not “dancing” due to the weather and TORNADO WARNINGS (wha???!!!???!?!). And, did I mention it was pouring? So it wasn’t all that hard to find a spot to watch whatever WAS happening out there, since everyone else was smart enough to go back to their hotels during said tornado warnings.
Fortunately, our friend, Mealtrip, took some pics on his Frozen party night that show you what the event looks like when the weather behaves itself!
Let’s head back to the Streets of America for a close up of the festivities.
If you’ve purchased tickets for the Frozen Holiday Premium Package, you’ll want to head to Guest Services first, where you’ll pick up your credential. Hold onto this. It gets you into the different experiences included in your package.
Frozen Dessert Party Credential
Consult the back of the badge for a map of the route you should take to get to the area where the party is set up.
Back of Credential with Map
In addition, you’ll find a rip-off coupon-type thing at the bottom of the credential; you’ll need this to pick up your Special Pin and Lithograph. I waited until the end to pick mine up so I wouldn’t risk setting it down someplace, but I’ll go ahead and show it to you now.
Pin and Lithograph
So, in order for this to make sense, I’m going to show you what the Frozen Dessert Party should look like — and then what it looked like for me.
When it’s not raining, you can expect to attend the Frozen Dessert Party in a special reserved area on the Avenue of the Americas. For those who know DHS well, it’s called the “teardrop.”
Here’s a shot of the seating area at dusk before the lights came on. You can already see the crowds building in anticipation of the lights coming on.
Seating at Dusk Before the Lights Come On
And once they’re on — lookout! This area can become extremely crowded. And that can become the opposite of fun very quickly. But the seating area of the dessert party gives you a fair amount of elbow room to enjoy the display.
Seating with the Lights On
Another View of the Lights and Seating
Tables and Lights
Here’s a shot of a Beverage Table.
Beverage Table and Gorgeous Lights
Tables laden with sweets are positioned with [Read more…]
Ready for another trip around the World? We’re heading to three parks and a few resorts to check out holiday treats, gingerbread feats, and new menu eats! And which Counter Service location is now serving up steak? Just read on to find out and see What’s New!
Red and green aren’t the only colors taking over Disney World now that the holiday season has launched around here… hues of blue decorate the festive snacks at this year’s brand new “Frozen” Gingerbread Display at the Contemporary Resort!
Contemporary Resort Gingerbread Display
We tried the Blue Raspberry Cake Gelato…
Blue Raspberry Cake Gelato
Read our review and see all the other treats available at the new display here!
Get ready for all your favorite Disney World bakery items (we’re talking Krispy Treats, Candy Apples, and Mickey Macarons) to be dressed up for the holiday season in spots like the Main Street Confectionery, Seashore Sweets, and Big Top Treats.
Holiday Bakery Case
Ornament Candy Apples
More candy apples!
Holiday cupcakes
Red and Green Mickey Macarons
And now let’s look into some ways the Parks are getting into the [Read more…]
Just in time for the holidays, Disney World debuts a yet another new seasonal experience — Disney’s Hollywood Studios Frozen Holiday Premium Package!
Elsa and Anna Letting It Go!
For those of you who love desserts, the Osborne lights, Anna and Elsa, and souvenirs, read on…
This brand new VIP package includes reserved viewing in the Premiere Theater for the “For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration,” which could come in very handy during those packed holiday days at the parks.
Speaking of crowds, this package provides a reserved location (at the end of Streets of America) for the magical Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.
Osborne Lights!
You’ll also get to splurge on “free with the price of the ticket” specialty alcoholic drinks, non-alcoholic beverages, and Frozen-themed desserts.
As for souvenirs, you’ll receive a unique [Read more…]
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