Secrets of Residential Street

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Portions of George of the Jungle was filmed on Residential Street
A week before it's general opening, the Disney-MGM Studios opens the Osborne Family Christmas Light Display to Annual Passholders. Guests are treated to the lighting of Residential Street and a performance of the holiday carolers in addition to complimentary cookies, hot cocoa or cider, and a family photo portrait.
REPORTED: Richard Olko 28 NOV 01
For eight years, Osborne, a Little Rock businessman, did what many people do at Christmas. He decorated his home and yard with lights. But he must have hit every sale on colored bulbs in the country because he used 2 million of them. And those millions of lights brought thousands of visitors to gawk and point, which brought Osborne's neighbors to a boil. After battles that went all the way to the United States Supreme Court, neighbors finally got what they wanted. An eye-popping Christmas light extravaganza at the Jennings Osborne home in Little Rock, Arkansas, is now dark. However, Osborne moved his holiday display to Disney Studios. He loaned Disney 2 million of his 3 million Christmas lights. The lights are used between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Every night at dusk, a child throws the switch to turn on Osborne's lights. And they're still on a residential street. In fact, it's called Residential Street. But here, no one worries about the neighbors. And no one worries about all the spectators. On this street, the houses are facades of the homes used in television shows.
REPORTED: Newspaper reports
Disney just added another 1 million lights for 1996 to bring up the total to 4.5 million lights! If strung end-to-end the lights would span over 426 miles!!!
CONFIRMED: Tom & Renée Shaw 27 DEC 96
Disney added more lights for 1999, so the total is now over 5 million lights.
UPDATE: Jason Dixon 22 NOV 99
In the Osborne Family Christmas Light Display, Mister Osborne maintains control of the light display at the red brick house. Disney has artistic control over the rest of the Christmas display. For 1998, due to the upcoming bowl game for the University of Arkansas football team, part of the light display at the red brick house said, "Go Razorbacks!"
REPORTED: Tom & Renée Shaw 27 DEC 98
The red brick house done in red light is very similar to Mr. Osborne's house in Arkansas
REPORTED: Tom & Renée Shaw 26 DEC 00
It takes Disney from August to Thanksgiving to put up the Osborne Family Christmas Light Display but it only takes them two weeks to take them down! During the time they are putting them up Disney has to work around production schedules of TV and Movies that are using the backlot area.
REPORTED: Tom & Renée Shaw 27 DEC 98
It takes Disney 21,000 hour to put up the Osborne Family Christmas Light Display.
REPORTED: Tom & Renée Shaw 27 DEC 98
In 1998, for the Osborne Family Christmas Light Display, Disney handed out special glasses which made angels appear around all the lights in the display.
REPORTED: Tom & Renée Shaw 27 DEC 98
CONFIRMED: Ry Ogron 07 OCT 99
In 1999 the glasses for the Osborne Family Specticle of Lights make snow flakes appear around the bulbs. They are also continuing to distribute the agel glasses so you have your pick of what you'd like to see.
UPDATE: Karen Rice 06 DEC 99
This year December 1999 Disney is passing out Glasses at the Osborne lights that turn all the lights into snow flakes.
UPDATE: Bob Thomas 12 DEC 99
200 also.
CONFIRMED: Tom & Renée Shaw 26 DEC 00
When you come to the end of the walk through the Osborne Lights, you see a line a soldiers to your left. If you look closely the one before last has ears under his hat. It's cute and shouldn't be missed.
REPORTED: Sarah 27 NOV 99
90% of the figurines were part of the original display in Little Rock. This inclused the 70 foot tree, Mickey Train, globe, two 30 foot carousels and the Flying Santa and Raindeer.
Lights up neighborhood fascades from "The Golden Girls" and "Empty Nest"
If you go on the Backstage Tour you can see the front of the Golden Girls House.
REPORTED: Dayna 16 JAN 01
Take a tour of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights

Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights

Fact	Figure
Type	Walk Through
Designer	Jennings Osborne
Year	1995
Installation Time	21,000 hours
Snow Machines	66 machines & 100 gallons of snow flake liquid
Power	800,000 watts
Length	760 feet From New York Street, thru Washington Square, thru Residential Street
Light Strings	350 miles of lights
Extension cords	32.2 miles
Total Lights	> 5 Million
Flying Angels	170
Angels	150
Mickeys	45
Hidden Mickeys	> 40
Christmas Trees	70 foot tree with 58,000 lights 30 foot tree with 27,300 lights
Carousels	2 thirty foot high
Giant Candles	18
Snowmen	10

Where to next?

Go on to the Fun Facts of Mickey Avenue, or
Take a virtual tour of the Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights
Go back to the Spacecoast Hidden Mickeys Home Page,
Submit a new or confirm a Hidden Mickey located on Walt Disney World Property,
or just send me EMail.