But Chuck Smith, the man behind the 200,000-bulb holiday light show PlanetChristmas, already has his mind on Christmas 2006.

That'll be the next time holiday gazers can check out the display; Smith has announced he's taking the year off this December to go to Disney World.

"I figured out that this was going to be my 22nd year of doing a computerized display. I decided it was time for a vacation," Smith said. He explained that much of his holiday season is eaten up every year by the massive light display, which operates using a Pentium computer controlling 576 separate circuits.

"It takes three weeks to set up the display, and a solid week to tear it down, starting the day after Christmas," he said.

For years, Smith ran PlanetChristmas out of his home in the Cobblestone subdivision, but in 2003 it outgrew its venue and moved to The People's Church. There it grew to include four distinct areas — Santa at the Beach, Toyland, Back at the North Pole and Nativity — measuring 200 feet wide and 45 feet deep.

This year, Smith was having trouble making everything come together for the display.

"The church and I are having preliminary talks about where to put the 2005 Christmas display. Nothing seems easy anymore," Smith wrote recently in his planetchristmas.com blog. "I'm not real sure what to do."

Smith said he's always wanted to "see how the professionals do it" at Disney World but had never had time because of his PlanetChristmas obligations.

"This will be the year to do it," he said. "From what I've read, they take Christmas very seriously there. I'll be able to see how they do it, and hopefully take advantage of some of their ideas."

Meanwhile, Smith asks that would-be gawkers look on the bright side.

"It's not bad news," he said. "Everybody look forward to 2006, when the display will be that much better." •