|
 |
||||||||||
If 1994 is remembered as a sad year for the Osborne family because they were ordered to shut down their Christmas light display at their Little Rock home, 1995 has to go down as one of the banner years. While the Osborne's were still in litigation toward the end of the lengthy battle with neighbors, a representative from Walt Disney World contacted the family attorney about bringing the lights to Orlando, Fla. "I had no idea they called,'' Jennings says. "Our attorney simply ignored the message.'' Luckily, the Disney representative was persistent. John Phelan, who is the project director, took a chance and called Jennings at his office in Little Rock to pitch the idea. Already swamped with offers from thousands of cities across the nation, Jennings was intrigued with the notion. "But there was a little bit of confusion on the front end,'' Jennings laughingly recalls. "I got the impression that they wanted me to decorate a residential street in Orlando, not on the Disney World grounds. I asked John to put it in writing and that I'd think it over.'' As promised, the letter arrived within days. As Jennings later came to find out, this wasn't just a residential street. It was Residential Street, which is a prominent area on the Disney World grounds. "I was absolutely elated because I knew exactly where it was,'' Jennings says. "I had all these great ideas with what I planned to do. It has worked out great because they have never tried to change anything I've done. I get to do it my way.'' Beginning in 1995, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights opened with 3 million lights and has become one of the park's favorite attractions. The display opens at Thanksgiving and runs through the middle of January. Jennings, Mitzi and Breezy are the guests of honor each year from Dec. 26 to New Year's Day. "When we were ordered to shut off our lights in Little Rock, it was one of the lowest times in my life because the neighbors were denying a gift I was giving,'' Jennings says. "But now, I can give my gift to millions.'' The Osborne family also sponsors lights exhibits in 32 cities in Arkansas. |
||||||||||
  |  | |||||||||
Click on the images below for a larger view.
|
||||||||||
 More Disney Lights | Christmas Lights | Photo Album | Disney Home
[ HOME ]
[ FAMILY STORY ]
[ BARBECUE ]
[ CHRISTMAS LIGHTS ] |
||||||||||
