Any truth to rumor that Illuminations is changing?

[Tampalude99]

I am a pyrotechnician by hobby and have talked to fellow cast members/technicians and have been told to keep cost down they use 1.3g class fireworks. these type of fireworks are the same kind you can pick up at a consumer fireworks store. Cost per night is around 32k and special shows about 45k. I too miss the Tapestry of nations show which has pieces still in Illuminations but like said in this thread... would devastate a lot of people.

 

[GiggleGoddess]

Yes, they have toned it down. When I worked at WDW on the Fall 2009 College program I remember HUGE FIREBALLS and feeling the heat...it was AMAZING! Then when I took my family for the first time (not a CM anymore) I was standing there waiting for huge fireballs and....NOTHING. I thought I was imagining things cause it wasn't the same. So, I went onto Youtube to look up Illuminations from 2009-2010 and found the huge fireball footage. And it's just been replaced with more aerial fireworks...not as cool. Either that or the fireball barge was down for the night. I figure it comes down to money...but man were those bursts of flame amazing! I wish my parents had a chance to witness it...not anymore it looks like.

Footage from 2010 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDJf90WAGA8

 

[manning]

Yes, they have toned it down. When I worked at WDW on the Fall 2009 College program I remember HUGE FIREBALLS and feeling the heat...it was AMAZING! Then when I took my family for the first time (not a CM anymore) I was standing there waiting for huge fireballs and....NOTHING. I thought I was imagining things cause it wasn't the same. So, I went onto Youtube to look up Illuminations from 2009-2010 and found the huge fireball footage. And it's just been replaced with more aerial fireworks...not as cool. Either that or the fireball barge was down for the night. I figure it comes down to money...but man were those bursts of flame amazing! I wish my parents had a chance to witness it...not anymore it looks like.

Footage from 2010 : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDJf90WAGA8

They are cutting down on cost. They don't feed the dragon as much beans as they used to.

 

[lockedoutlogic]

There are those on this board and that work for Disney that SWEAR to the end of the earth that nothing has changed.

The show in 1999 was truly impressive...the best they've ever done in my opinion (honorable mention to the electric water pageant )...

Now it's ok...but not close. It doesn't pass the common sense test...or the eye test either.

And why anyone has doubted reductions is beyond me... They've made drastic reductions across the board in the parks as much as possible...including food quality and mothballing rides...which goes against the first 40 years of Disney parks...
Why anyone would think that they wouldn't shave the fireworks down is something I can't comprehend.

 

[rrushford]

Illuminations, with all it's new technology, is not as good as it used to be. Back when they had more classical music, a song for each country, projections on Canada and Germany, it definitely felt more international. Combine the old music and theme with the new technology for lights, fireworks, lasers, and fire, then you will have a great show.

 

[FRANKTSJR]

Yes, I think IllumiNations could use some refreshing. The laser part of the show is certainly lacking. Improving the laser part of the show could be an inexpensive fix. I see Disney using this new projection technology throughout WDW recently.
Projecting on each of the buildings around World Showcase along similar lines of the "Celebrate the Magic" show would also be a nice, fairly inexpensive upgrade.