In the 1974 classic Christmas special "The Year Without a Santa Claus," Saint Nick decides to take a year off.  For the characters (and those watching), it was a blue Christmas, indeed.

For many in Central Florida, the blues have returned.

According to today's Orlando Sentinel, the historic Cypress Gardens theme park will temporarily close on Nov. 17 and reopen in March as a smaller, more focused park. 

This, of course, means that the park's popular "Old-Fashioned Christmas" celebration, which once boasted the world's largest Christmas tree (a whopping 116-feet tall!), will remain dark this season. 

Here's hoping that Florida's oldest theme park can use the hiatus to get their finances in order, and emerge in the spring as a more profitable endeavor.

We'll be first in line next Christmas!