Catching some early Christmas spirit, Disney style

Sometimes you end up in the right place at the right time.

During a recent trip to Disney World with family, we learned about the amazing Osbourne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. One of the world's largest displays of Christmas lights, it has become one of Disney's most popular attractions.

Sadly, because of expansion plans in its home at Hollywood Studios, after 20 years this is the final year for the display of millions of lights set to music.

We were also saddened when we learned that we would never get a chance to see the lights because we were too early: Christmas is celebrated at Disney World from Nov. 6 to Jan. 3. We were leaving on Nov. 1.

But, perhaps there is some Disney magic out there.

On our last night, we had dinner at a Japanese restaurant in EPCOT and were lucky enough to have two Disney employees at our table. We spent a lot of time asking them questions about the park and their jobs and eventually asked why the light display was being disbanded.

As we talked, in hushed tones, they asked us what we were doing that night. “Not much because we have to get to the airport early,” I replied.

They told us it might be worth a bus trip to Hollywood Studios because they had heard there was a soft-opening for the light show that night, prior to its opening later that week. They stressed they weren't 100 percent sure.

We were tired from another long Disney day and debated back and forth about going. We finally decided it was worth the gamble. We made the right decision.

Sure enough, as we rounded a corner on the Streets of America – an area of faux buildings set up as a movie set – we saw the lights and were literally blown away. It was hard to pull ourselves away.

It also happened to be extremely hot that evening, even by central Florida standards. It's the only time I can recall looking at Christmas lights and sweating at the same time.

It all started with a little girl's gift

The story behind the lights is also an amazing one. Late Arkansas businessman Jennings Osbourne started a small light display in 1986 as a gift for his young daughter Allison at their Little Rock home. That first display of 1,000 lights quickly grew to millions of lights, and by 1993, he had purchased two neighboring properties and expanded the display to 3 million lights as his answer to a lawsuit filed by six neighbors to halt the display.

The case went as far as the U.S. Supreme Court, but the high court would not overturn an Arkansas Supreme Court ruling that the lights must come down because of safety concerns in the neighborhood.

Osbourne was ordered to shut down in 1995, the same year Disney sent four large trucks to transport the display to Disney World.

Now, Disney is shutting down the Streets of America in Hollywood Studios to build a 14-acre Star Wars-themed land and a smaller Toy Story land.

Disney fans are not happy about the move, so it's a safe bet that Disney is working to find another home for the display.