Am I the only sap who CRIES during Illuminations?

[gatorlisa]

I've only seen Illuminations once, so it doesn't really get to me. For me, it's the Main Street Electrical Parade. My first trip to Disney I was about 2 and a half (see profile picture). The ONLY thing I have any memory of about that trip was the MSEP and that Elliott the dragon scared me when he blew smoke and made a loud noise. I did not see the MSEP again until a trip in December 2010 (30 years later), and I had no idea until arriving at the park that the parade had come back to the Magic Kingdom. When that music started up, I couldn't help but tear up. I know a lot of people think it's tired and needs to be replaced, but I love the MSEP and it is a can't miss item when I go.

 

[lugnut33]

Illuminations does me in. I believe it's one of the best composed musical scores ever.

OP, don't read the lyrics, you'll cry:

We Go On

With the stillness of the night there comes a time to understand,
to reach out and touch tomorrow, take the future in our hand.
We can see a new horizon built on all that we have done
and our dreams begin another thousand circles round the sun.
We go on through the joy and through the tears. We go on to discover new frontiers.
Moving on with the current of the years, we go on moving forward now as one.
Moving on in the spirit born to run.
We go on with each rising sun to a new day. We go on.

Promise

Every evening brings an ending. Every day becomes a legacy.
Every sunset leads to morning with the promise of opportunity.
We can reach for the stars we find along the way, dreaming as we learn to love everyday.
Promise you will take my hand as tomorrow comes. We’ll go on.
We’ll go on growing closer through the years.
Moving on through the good times and the tears.
Ever on, another thousand circles round the sun, we’ll go on.
There is music, if you listen, in the rhythm of each breath we take.
Destinations undiscovered, revelations from every choice we make.
And I know there are diamonds dancing in the sky. All we have to do is open our eyes.
Promise we’ll walk side by side as a new day dawns; we’ll go on.
We’ll go on growing closer through the years.
Moving on through the good times and the tears.
Ever on another thousand circles round the sun.
And we live to keep the promise – we’ll go on.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Was showing my kiddo the holiday ending to Illuminations (we are going in december so he wanted to see it) and wouldn't you know it, during "We go on" the tears started welling up. The first time I saw it was probably early december 1999, very shortly after it premiered. I remember we had just bought into Boardwalk Villas and pretty much caught illuminations every night we weren't in the MK. I remember holding my breath to see if the torch would fire or not (it took a very long time for them to get the technical difficulties worked out and we'd take bets on whether it would work or not). I remember being elated the times when the torch lit and a little disappointed when it didn't.

What an amazing visual and musical representation of just how much more similar we are than different and just how we all occupy the same earth and just how resilient we have been over the centuries. But gosh I feel like an idiot, standing there in the crowds with tears running down my face and 17 years later it still provokes the same emotional response. IMO this is the best show Disney has ever done and whenever they decide to replace it (as everything eventually always gets replaced) it will be a very very sad day for me. I can't believe this show has been going on for as long as I've been going to Disney and for as long as I've owned DVC. It has gotten a lot more expensive and a lot has changed (some good, some not so good) but it is still my favorite thing in all of Disney. And even watching a youtube video of it makes me cry.

please tell me I am not the only loon. if I can't find other Disney loons here, it's hopeless

You have company.

If you have not viewed videos by Martin Smith (the best Disney videographer, IMO), check these two out.

http://www.martinsvids.net/





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[kimmyg26]

Wishes gets me every time without fail. I also cry at the MK Welcome Show, FOTLK, walking down Main St. for the first time each trip. Sometimes the magic and pure happiness is overwhelming.

Seeing the joy on the faces of others especially little kids makes me tear up. I'm just a big sap.

 

[JiminyGuyMaine]

You're definitely not the only one! I tear up each time too! There's also the fact that Illuminations is traditionally our last nighttime show each trip, and "We Go On" is like our farewell song from Disney each time. Disney saps unite!

 

[DVCcurious]

What a bunch of weenies

 

[JiminyGuyMaine]

What a bunch of weenies

And proud of it!

 

[Tonka's Skipper]

I don't sap out on illuminations, but I still do on Wishes, as it bring back all those memories of the times I watched the fireworks over the castle with my kids when they were small!

AKK

 

[serenitynow]

I usually don't start crying until I try to exit the park in an ECV after it's over