Lights of Winter at Epcot
Lights of Winter was a Christmas light display that ran for Epcot’s Holidays Around the World at Walt Disney World. They were a series of archways that covered the walkway between Future World and World Showcase with over 30,000 lights that danced to the area’s music loop. This offers our photo tribute plus rumors about Lights of Winter’s return. (Updated October 4, 2020.)
We caught the Lights of Winter several times over the years, and really miss their presence in Walt Disney World during the holidays. The Lights of Winter was beloved among guests, a true Walt Disney World fan favorite. We loved the Lights of Winter so much that we actually we made the trek to Kobe, Japan to see Luminarie, which bears an incredibly strong resemblance to the Lights of Winter.
Since their retirement, occasional “rumors” have surfaced that the Lights of Winter would return to Epcot. It’s within the realm of possibility that new archways could be constructed, and the Lights of Winter could return to boost Epcot attendance. In fact, we recently ranked the Lights of Winter on our List of the Top 10 Things We Miss at Walt Disney World That Could Return! Their comeback is more plausible now than ever…
We’ll preface this by saying there are zero concrete or credible rumors, or anything else, to suggest the Lights of Winter might actually be returning. However, crowds and congestion were one of the big (actual) reasons why the Lights of Winter display was retired.
Right now, Walt Disney World is in the midst of its phased reopening, and attendance is down dramatically. Independent travel experts are predicting that the industry won’t recover until 2023, and even the Walt Disney Company is forecasting a couple of years before attendance returns to pre-2020 levels.
While there’s no chance of the Lights of Winter returning for Christmas 2020–between physical distancing requirements and the time it would take to create the decor, it’s simply not feasible on such short notice. However, Christmas 2021 is another story entirely.
Not only will the current capacity caps and limitations be gone by then, but Walt Disney World will be looking for ways to lure back fans and other travelers in an effort to bounce-back from the impact of the closure and its aftermath. As discussed in Why Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Should Be Big, it’s likely that Disney will deploy new entertainment, seasonal offerings, and other nostalgic favorites to help boost attendance during the milestone anniversary.
The Lights of Winter check all of those boxes. Not only that, but the display would be a nice aesthetic “Band Aid” on this section of the park, which is a maze of construction walls due to the Epcot overhaul that will eliminate Future World and replace it with 3 new neighborhoods. The Lights of Winter would actually help with congestion at this point, drawing guests back to the front of Epcot during the evening hours, which would help better distribute crowds in the park.
But this is just our pie-in-the-sky wishful thinking. It makes a lot of sense and would be a savvy decision, but there’s no reason to believe that the Lights of Winter will actually return until/unless Walt Disney World officially announces it. Not to burst any bubbles, but we think it’s better to have realistic expectations rather than set yourself up for disappointment.
Now, enjoy the rest of this Lights of Winter at Epcot tribute…
This tribute is mostly in the form of my few photos of the Lights of Winter, plus limited info and links I’ve scrounged up from elsewhere. The Orlando Sentinel ran an article on the Lights of Winter back when they premiered, but other than that, I couldn’t find much historical information on the Lights of Winter. It seems to be one of those things that was beloved, but taken for granted.
The most extensive information I’ve found about the Lights of Winter is on E82: The Epcot Legacy, which has several articles. The most extensive photo gallery of the Lights of Winter (at least that I’ve found) is this one from Mousesteps. AllEars also did a post with a few photos showing off the beauty of the Lights of Winter. Whenever we visited Epcot during its Holidays Around the World, the area around the Lights of Winter archways was packed with people gazing at the lights and taking photos.
Official word from Disney via social media (posts that since seem to have disappeared) was that the lights were “obsolete technology,” which became a running joke among fans and was like salt in a wound. The rub is that Christmas lights aren’t obsolete technology–if they are, there are plenty of obsolete homes in every neighborhood in America each December. Not only that, but virtually every ride in Fantasyland should be shuttered for the same reason.
The reason given isn’t superficially plausible, and if there is some sort of obsolescence issue with the control system, a few more words clarifying what, exactly, was obsolete might have been wise. (Even then, control systems can be replaced.) I think what irritates fans the most is being talked down to by Disney. Does the Company truly believe its fans are so dim that everyone would blindly accept the obsolete technology excuse?
It’s even worse than the “we continually evaluate the various aspects of our operation and make changes and additions based upon feedback from our Guests” (possibly throwing in a gratuitous Walt Disney quote about change) justification for cuts made in the parks. Both of these responses lack any sort of substance, which is frustrating. I don’t think any fans expect detailed operational and financial rationale, but at least provide an actual justification. It could even be a carefully crafted marketing-speak, just so long as it actually says something.
Back to the Lights of Winter, while we will never know the real reason why the Lights of Winter were eliminated, there are some possibilities. Perhaps they were a victim of Disney’s green initiative, with the upgrade costs prohibitive in terms of Epcot’s annual budget. Maybe other upgrades needed to be made that were deemed cost-prohibitive. It’s possible that the Lights of Winter’s location in a main artery of the park caused excessive congestion issues, and operational headaches. Maybe the look of the Lights of Winter during the day was deemed an eyesore, and they were cut as a result.
Giving Disney the benefit of the doubt, I think either of these last two possibilities could be likely. We typically visit during Christmas at off-peak times, and even then, the walkway for the Lights of Winter was packed–I can only imagine how bad it got during Christmas week and leading up to New Year’s Eve. Likewise, for all of the beautiful nighttime photos of the Lights of Winter, what’s missing are the photos showing how ugly it looked during daytime hours.
Whatever the case may be, the disappearance of the Lights of Winter has created a void in Epcot’s Christmas lineup. We recently highlighted what Epcot does offer for the holidays, and it’s a pretty good list, but it’s missing that big, “breathtaking” draw. Something that is awe-inspiring, and leaves a real impression on guests. Sort of like a holiday “wienie.” In my opinion, every Disney theme park that I think does the Christmas season well does this.
Magic Kingdom has the Cinderella Castle Dream Lights. Disney’s Hollywood Studios has Sunset Seasons Greetings. Disneyland has Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle and ‘it’s a small world’ holiday. Tokyo DisneySea has Colors of Christmas. Disney California Adventure has World of Color – Winter Dreams. Arguably, Epcot does have this draw in Candlelight Processional, and while I enjoy Candlelight, it doesn’t fit the bill for me. It’s a great show if you have a meal package, but it’s not breathtaking.
In a perfect world where Epcot’s Future World actually is on the bleeding edge and utilizes emerging technologies in innovative ways, the Lights of Winter would be obsolete, and would be replaced by something that solves the eyesore problem and also showcases what the future of light displays might be for the rest of us. It could be a more passive display in terms of infrastructure, or even on the water. It could be something incredible–truly worthy of Future World.
I’m still optimistic that Walt Disney World will add a new Christmas light display to Epcot at some point, even if not in the same form as the Lights of Winter or in the same location. I’m not so optimistic that it will happen, but I still think it needs to. Especially in the next several years while the front of the park is a veritable construction zone, Epcot needs something during the holiday season to enhance the park, make it more inviting, and–most importantly–give guests a reason to visit. Lights of Winter 2.0 is the perfect solution.
For comprehensive tips for planning your Christmas-time trip to Walt Disney World, check out our Ultimate Guide to Christmas at Walt Disney World. For Walt Disney World trip planning tips and comprehensive advice, make sure to read our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide and related articles.
Your Thoughts…
What do you think of Lights of Winter? Any special memories to share of them? Did you ever see the display in person? Do you agree that it was Epcot’s big “wow” Christmas thing? Do you think it was nothing special? Hearing from you is half the fun, so please share your thoughts in the comments!
Wow, it’s a really great article, and thanks for sharing the wonderful article and helpful post.
Tom stop teasing. Pic please.
Yes! I loved this display and I love listening to the music loop!
Just came back from Disney and was so disappointed to find out that the lights of winter was gone!! It was my favorite Christmas experience! I wish they will reinstall holiday lights, Disney needs that kind of magic! Is there any way fans can voice their opinion to the park?
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Well, that explains it. We went to Disney during Christmas season 2 years ago and I was disappointed by the lack of Lights at Epcot. I told my husband that I thought it used to be prettier and much more impressive. We must have gone during one of the years that they still had the lights, because your pictures are what I remember. I was disappointed by the lack of Christmas Lights at Epcot. Actually, other than the resorts and the Osborne lights I was disappointed by what I felt was a lack of Christmas lights and decorations in all of the parks. We are going back in December this year and with the Osborne Family Lights gone too it just will not be the same. I didn’t get the same full on Christmas feel as before. They definitely need to up their game on the lights.
Small (and sad) correction – no more Osborne lights at DHS! 🙁 (I know, I know, Star Wars Land, but still…)
I like the photos very much. Lights makes photo more beautiful.
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Tom, thanks for this wonderful tribute. You gave good insights into what the real reasons for shutting it down might have been. Why it hasn’t been replaced with something “better” still mystifies me. And thanks for the link to the soundtrack! Best addition to my iTunes Christmas playlist this year.
Glad you like it! I love listening to that music.
I have heard of the Lights of Winter, but I have never seen a picture of the lights before, so thank you for the post about them.
They are not terribly attractive in the day, but I don’t think they were super-ugly. And the prettiness of the night makes up for it. I could imagine them being a congestion problem, though.
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the World of Color winter show. We watched a youtube video and really enjoyed it, and I’m that’s nothing compared with actually being there.
Looks like Disneyland Paris had this same instillation back in the day along their Main Street. Take a look:
http://www.laughingplace.com/News-PID505320-505326.asp
Such good Christmas memories with my family include seeing the lights. I miss them too.
Tom, the Lights of Winter were one of my top favorite places-to-be at Christmastime in Disney. The beauty of the lights choreographed to that great score of Christmas music along with the Fountain of Nations dancing in tune made for a spot to spend a lot of time. Many nights we were still standing looking, listening and enjoying even an hour or more after the park closed.
I’d love to see the Lights of Winter or something very similar back at Epcot in the future. Your word was perfect – they were truly breath-taking.
Thanks for the great tribute!
Interesting. Those lights look pretty cool, sorry I never got the chance to see them. I definitely agree with you on the Christmas “wienie” thought. The parks that have it give you that “magical” moment for the holidays like the nighttime spectaculars do for the regular seasons.
Glad to hear you liked World of Color: Winter Dreams! Being a singer & a Disney fan I jumped at the chance to be a part of the “Glow” virtual choir that opens the show. Super exciting to be part of something at Disney like that, even if it is a really really small part. We are headed out for a long weekend soon to see myself in the show and take in the other DLR christmas offerings. Really looking forward to it!
Regarding “obsolete technology” and the reason the Lights were removed, I always took that at face value and assumed that either due to improper storage/maintenance or simply age, some aspect(s) of the control system for Lights had broken. Because the control system was legacy technology (that couldn’t simply be purchased off the shelf), it was deemed cost prohibitive or just “not worth it” to repair/rebuild the control system or to upgrade the Lights infrastructure to make it compatible with a current generation control system.
I doubt anyone outside of those who worked on the Lights will ever really know, but that always seemed like the simplest/most logical explanation to me given the official line.
That definitely seems plausible.