Alright, level with us Disney. We need answers. How could you do these things that are so TOTALLY unforgivable?!
EPCOT Monorail
Disney World is constantly changing and sometimes that means that some of our FAVORITE things at the parks are affected. We get it, it happens. We love us some Disney World and we’ll recover, but WHY did Disney have to make THESE changes!?
1. Retiring the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
RIP The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Disney’s Hollywood Studios just isn’t the same at Christmastime! The park used to be home to some absolutely spectacular Christmas lights. Literal MILES of lights were strung around the Streets of America section of Hollywood Studios from 1995 allllll the way to 2016. Oh, and the lights? They DANCED. TO. MUSIC.
The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights
Unfortunately, the lights had to end just prior to the Streets of America section closing for the development of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Yeah, we get it. It had to happen eventually — OR DID IT??? Look, Disney, all we’re saying is that we’d be pretty happy to waltz beneath a canopy of dancing lights again, OK? It doesn’t matter where or when. WE MISS OUR OSBORNE LIGHTS.
Osborne Lights — Extra Shiny in the Rain!
At least we can still get our fix of beautiful Christmas spirit elsewhere. Sunset Seasons Greetings is a fun continuous show in Hollywood Studios that is typically offered each night of the Holiday Season, and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party has the A-MAZ-ING Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks.
EPCOT is a reliable holiday favorite with the Festival of the Holidays and Candlelight Processional to enjoy. Plus, there are a TON of ways to celebrate in Animal Kingdom — a few years ago, they debuted park-wide Christmas decorations and PUPPET ANIMALS and entertainment! I guess we’ll be able to find stuff to do during the holidays without our fav lights. Sigh. But the ache continues in our hearts.
Click here for a look at everything coming to Disney World for the 2022 holiday season
2. Getting Rid of Sweet Spells in Disney’s Hollywood Studios and NOT ADDING A NEW CANDY STORE?!?!
You know what, Hollywood Studios? We have another bone to pick with you! How could you get rid of Sweet Spells and NOT replace it with another candy store!? We need our candy, okay? Sweet Spells was the go-to spot in the park for all your sweets needs like gourmet apples, Disney fudge, cookies, rice cereal treats, cupcakes, and more — and it’s been GONE since 2018 with no replacement. The audacity!
Sweet Spells in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The spot where Sweet Spells resided is now a shop selling primarily Pixar merch. Pixar swag is good and all but it’s not as good as CANDY. We could maybe forgive this one if they had opened another candy shop in Hollywood Studios, but they didn’t. And now Disney guests are candy-less when they’re wandering the Studios.
Sweet Spells Candy Apples
You can still get your sweets fix in Hollywood Studios, just maybe not quite the same way! There are awesome ice cream concoctions at Hollywood Scoops, Dinosaur Gertie’s Ice Cream of Extinction, or 50’s Prime Time Cafe. Plus, you can usually find a version of the Carrot Cake Cookie from over at The Trolley Car Cafe (the park’s Starbucks location). Trolley Car Cafe is actually a great spot to find sweet treats, though these can change throughout the seasons, so check to see what’s available when you go.
The Trolley Car Cafe!
Be on the lookout for pre-packaged candy in some spots too. But is it the same as having a FULL candy store? No, not it’s not.
Click here to see our cookie showdown: Carrot Cake Cookie vs. Red Velvet Whoopie Pie!
3. No More Main Street Electrical Parade 😭
UPDATE: The Main Street Electrical Parade officially returned to Disneyland on April 22nd, 2022 for a limited time, but Disney World is still without this beloved spectacular.
And last but certainly not least: How could we EVER forgive the fact that Main Street Electrical Parade is gone for good? Wait, we know the answer to that. We CAN’T!
Main Street Electrical Parade was the beloved nighttime parade that ran off and on from 1977-2016. It had a few breaks from 1991-1999 and 2001-2010 to make way for SpectroMagic, another beloved Disney World nighttime parade that has since been permanently retired.
Main Street Electrical Parade
Main Street Electrical Parade featured impressive, light-covered floats like a Casey Jr. Train Dumbo float, a Cinderella float, and even a Pete’s Dragon float! With Main Street Electrical and similarly styled SpectroMagic running since the 70’s, generations of guests grew attached to these parades and made them beloved parts of their trips.
Our main issue here is that there are now NO MORE nighttime parades during the regular park day in Disney World. The daytime parades are cool and all but there’s something really special about seeing all of the awesome lighting effects that come with a nighttime parade.
Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland
Now, luckily, there is actually a special way to still catch a nighttime parade in Disney World, but you’ll have to head to a separately ticketed event. You can see Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party (though it is sometimes offered during the day to all guests). And if you head to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party you can catch the Boo-To-You Halloween Parade at night too.
Such a Great Parade
The Main Street Electrical Parade did return to Disneyland in 2022, and we might have been a little bit jealous. Okay…a lot, but who can blame us! This parade is full of classic Disney magic, and it even got an upgraded finale in the new Disneyland version featuring Encanto!
But the parade was only available there for a limited time and has since ended its 2022 run.
We’re SO Jealous
We might be able to forgive you, Disney, if and only if this parade returns to the Magic Kingdom.
Want to make sure you’re ready for all the changes in Disney World? Click here!
So, you see? There are definitely some things that Disney has done that we just can’t bring ourselves to forgive. We still love ya, Disney World, but we REALLY loved these things in the parks, too! With so much always evolving in Disney World, maybe they’ll find a way to make it up to us.😉
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I’m ok with the candy store leaving, but I’m in complete agreement on the Osborne Lights and the Electrical Parade. I can still hear Baroque Hoedown in my head, and would enjoy those two every time I saw them. I would add the Adventurer’s Club to the list. Who didn’t love that place?
What they did to Main Street Confectionery is unforgivable. No appeal anymore, poor selection of a few goodies. Looks more like a factory.
I agree with your list and would like to add getting rid of toon town for Circus. The awful makeover of Main Street confectionery and replacing fast pass with genie +.
My three unforgivable Disney World (and Disneyland) Changes.
1. Mandatory Park Reservations
2. Removal of FastPass and replacing it with Genie+
3. Park Hopper time restrictions.
There are a few more, but these are the top three for me.
Agree completely but also think that the removal of The Writer’s Stop, in Hollywood Studios, should be part of #2 since they both were great treat stops in the park that were removed.