On a recent holiday season trip to Walt Disney World, I finally had the opportunity to go see The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I had never been before and while I expected it to be pretty, I wasn’t prepared for the incredible amount of lights that make up this holiday attraction! It is truly a spectacle worth checking out!
To give a brief background, the Osborne lights were initially constructed by an Arkansas businessman in his front yard as a gift for his six-year-old daughter in 1986. As the years passed his display grew to the point that in 1993, it was lit for 35 days during the holiday season and as a result it attracted national attention. In 1995 the Arkansas state supreme court shut down the lights and that is where Disney stepped in. Later that year, Disney struck an agreement with Jennings Osborne and moved the lights to what was then known as MGM Studios. As the story goes, when the shipment arrived at Disney, the Cast Members found a purple Halloween cat mixed up with the Christmas Lights. Rather than discard the cat, they decided to hide the cat among the Christmas lights on display in the park.
Now when you go to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see the Osborne lights, you can have a little added fun by searching for the purple Halloween cat. In past years the cat was hidden in one spot and left for the duration of the season. With the growing popularity of the purple cat and social media, the Cast Members make the game a little more fun by moving the cat around almost every night. My suggestion is to arrive with a little patience and a willingness to hunt for a little while. My friend and I hunted for a good hour before she found a Cast Member who was willing to give us a hint. This is a fun scavenger hunt game that can be played by all ages, although I suggest showing younger kids a picture of what they are looking for because it can be hard to spot, even when you know what you are looking for!
Good luck! I hope you find the purple cat the next time you are at The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights in Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
