Worth It or Wasted? Orlando's new holiday display

ORLANDO, Fla. (FOX 35 ORLANDO) - The City of Orlando is looking to give the holidays an upgrade. More lights, more displays is what is expected for the holidays this year at Lake Eola Park.

"It's a beautiful park, we're enjoying it right now and I imagine come winter time, it would look great," said Rick Rivera, Lake Eola visitor, "it would attract more people throughout the holidays, especially people who aren't from Orlando but the surrounding areas."

"We think it will create an ambiance and experience that families will come from miles around to see," said Thomas Chatmon, Executive Director, Downtown Development Board.

The city likely to use the highest ranked bidder for the display, "Artistic Holiday Designs," out of Illinois, for this year's "Eola Wonderland." The company has executed displays in cities like Detroit, Miami and Beverly Hills.

"That company will then start to fabricate, by special design, unique holiday decorations that will enhance what we already have in downtown, particularly in the Lake Eola area," said Chatmon.

But the wonderland of lights, expected to cost $600,000 in total for three years and two possible renewal years.

"That's expensive; that's a lot of money man," said Brandon Boughton, Lake Eola visitor.

"That money could more than likely go to other things but if it gets the money back into the City, then it's being put to good use," said Rivera.

The idea is to draw more people into Downtown Orlando, boosting commerce.

"More attraction, you get more money out of people's pockets, the areas and restaurants and the bars," said Boughton.

Another plus is that the city will get to keep the decorations for future use. If all gets approved, the display is expected to be up by the first week of December and run until the New Year, according to the display company.