Illuminations at Epcot has changed...

[Celine]

Oh, Celine, are you talking about the Tapestry of Nations parade? That was amazing. But Epcot is totally not built for a parade, that would be a nightmare to work parade control... lol

Yes!!! I think that was it!!! I kept singing that song in my head for months!!! I wonder if I could find it online somehow...

 

[LSchrow]

Here you go

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfuDsaACOu4&feature=bf_prev&list=PL7A9FDB815C430F8D

EPCOT IllumiNations - The ORIGINAL - 1988 -

The video part is not very good, but you can hear the various songs for each country. I had forgotten about this, too many visits I guess lol

Here is 97-99

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw1kIfbmKKI&feature=related

thank you for sharing that, sammie
i've loved illuminations in all its incarnations (hmm, maybe that should be the next "new" name), but there is something about the current show, from the pfff to blow out the torches (which gives me goosebumps every time) to the sounds of "we'll go on, through the good times and the tears" (which dd and i sing quietly along with - btw, DH has disliked that song ever since i told him i would use it if i ever got married again lol).
to us, illuminations is the epitomy of WDW. wishes, however, is just too cute for our tastes (i.e., chuck e cheese vs victoria and alberts) - nice show, but not as much sophistication or substance as illuminations.

then again, our favorite park is EPCOT...

 

[Silver Queen]

We definitely miss the old Illuminations, so much so that we really don't make it a pint to see Reflections of Earth anymore. We loved how the original version highlighted the different countries and then moved the laser from one to another as if the countries were communication with each other. I definitely go a sense of world community from that. We also loved the music from the original version, which I believe was more than a few minutes longer. The current show seems more like "just fireworks" to us although we do enjoy the music and message. I appreciate music, but am not that knowledgeable about it. given that I respect the opinions of some of the Disers who have commented on the music and will make it a point to listen with a different ear when we are at EPCOT in a week and a half. Mouseworld Radio plays Illuminations at 9:00 every night. It's fun to listen to.

 

[Robo]

in 2002 there was a parade that I just LOVED the music to.
I was completely wowed by it..

2- when I went back again in 2008, it had changed and

3- it was still different in 2011.

4- I wish I could find the music somewhere that they played in 2002. It was so wonderful! Yes, I know that's not Illuminations, but since we're on the topic of Epcot changing stuff.... thought I'd throw that in.

1- The parade in Epcot in 2002 was Tapestry of Dreams.
The parade was ended in early 2003.
The original version of the parade was called Tapestry of Nations.
The music used in both versions was very similar (although I liked the "Nations" parade better.)

2- No parade in Epcot in 2008. IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth was still the same as in 2002.

3- No parade in Epcot in 2011. IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth was still the same as in 2002.

4- The music of both Tapestry of Nations and Tapestry of Dreams was released on CD's (also featuring the music of IllumiNations.)
Those CD's may still be available at WDW.
I know you can buy them from other sources.

http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Epcot-...=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1339159463&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-W...2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1339159838&sr=1-2-spell

 

[disnut8]

4- The music of both Tapestry of Nations and Tapestry of Dreams was released on CD's (also featuring the music of IllumiNations.)
Those CD's may still be available at WDW.
I know you can buy them from other sources.

http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Epcot-...=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1339159463&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-W...2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1339159838&sr=1-2-spell

I have the second CD and it's fantastic. Ever have a bad day at work? Get some headphones, plug in that CD and you are transported to Disney World. That's my relief from the daily stress.

Another thing to realize about Illuminations is the undercurrent of the "We Go On" theme. No matter what happens in the world, we do go on as a people. We are united.

 

[EvangelineG]

You know what our problem is,,,WE ALL JUST GO TO DISNEY TO MUCH .

I was reading through the thread thinking exactly this. We saw illuminations for the very first time last year, and we thought it was spectacular! The music, the fire effects and the message all very beautiful and quite moving. Of course, we have nothing prior to compare it to, but watching Illuminations from the balcony in Japan was one of our favourite parts of our trip. Maybe you lucky, lucky people who get to go to WDW a lot are just getting a tad jaded?

 

[MarieA]

I prefer the old Illuminations too. I really do not like the whole globe thing. I find it very slow moving and a boring part of the show. We saw the show recently where the globe wasn't working and we sat through 3-4 minutes of just music.

We have a video of the old Illuminations but never felt the need to video the new one.

 

[Robo]

watching Illuminations from the balcony in Japan was one of our favourite parts of our trip. Maybe you lucky, lucky people who get to go to WDW a lot are just getting a tad jaded?

I had my tad jaded in Epcot's Japan in 2009.

(A lovely shade of blue-green.)

It's still just a tad, but it's a tad better than my unjaded tad.

 

[WSLover]

I have the Refections of Earth/Tapestry of Dreams CD and love it.

The second incarnation of Illuminations can be found on this CD which I also have:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Official-...1M3X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339168944&sr=8-1

It also includes the finale from Fantasmic and the music from The Main Street Electrical Parade.

I would love to have the music from the original Illuminations (my favorite) to complete the collection.

 

[Celine]

1- The parade in Epcot in 2002 was Tapestry of Dreams.
The parade was ended in early 2003.
The original version of the parade was called Tapestry of Nations.
The music used in both versions was very similar (although I liked the "Nations" parade better.)

2- No parade in Epcot in 2008. IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth was still the same as in 2002.

3- No parade in Epcot in 2011. IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth was still the same as in 2002.

4- The music of both Tapestry of Nations and Tapestry of Dreams was released on CD's (also featuring the music of IllumiNations.)
Those CD's may still be available at WDW.
I know you can buy them from other sources.

http://www.amazon.com/Disney-Epcot-...=sr_1_4?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1339159463&sr=1-4

http://www.amazon.com/Walt-Disney-W...2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1339159838&sr=1-2-spell

Thank you SO much for clearing that up for me!! I would never disagree with your obvious MUCH BETTER recollection of those years, but I would have sworn I saw a parade in 2008??? I remember thinking.. well hell, that's not the same music I remember hearing and loving! Could they have had a -little- parade or something.. just nothing as grand a scale as the Tapestry one was?

The only thing I can think I may be (probably very) confused about, is I was there in both 2001 and 2002.. and maybe it was the 2001 one that I thought was better than 2002??? And there wasn't anything in 2008? Lord help me my memory is fading faster than my looks! LOL


Either way, thank you for the links and the wonderful blast from a wonderful past!!! I went on youtube (why did I never think to do that before??? LOL) and found both versions!! Nations isn't the best recording, but still took me back and let me have that wonderful music to sing to myself all day!

Nations - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJtvnJLfqGQ&feature=related

Dreams was a much better recoding - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77j6Ngk8Xqo

 

[TDC Nala]

As far as I can recall (been going to WDW regularly since 2000) Epcot has not hosted any type of parade since Tapestry of Nations/Dreams.

While the parades were nice, they were a traffic control nightmare. The World Showcase was not set up for parades. I didn't realize just how bad it was until once when I was actually trying to get somewhere in WS and not watch the parade.

Again according to Wikipedia, Tapestry of Nations was rethemed to Tapestry of Dreams in 2001. Tapestry of Dreams ran until March 2003. I remember going to the last Tapestry of Dreams parade.

Wikipedia also says that Tapestry of Nations (1999 - 2001) had several minor changes made; the first to give the Sage of Time, who opened the parade, a "gentler tone." The second was to incorporate the theme of dreams, which was made the focus of the parade in 2001 when they changed it to Tapestry of Dreams, eliminated the Sage of Time altogether and added "elfin characters" intended to appeal more to children.

 

[Celine]

Okay, having watched both now.. I KNOW that is what happened. I saw both of the versions (2001 and 2002) and loved the Nations one better than the Dreams one and that's what I was remembering... all screwed up evidently, but now I have it straight!! LOVE LOVE LOVE the beat to the Nations one! I'll be listening to that all day!

Thank you again, everyone!!!!


Just out of curiosity, why do you think they don't do parades in Epcot anymore?



Celine

 

[jensen]

My friends and I just returned from a great week at WDW! We had a blast! The only thing that I was slightly disappointed in was the Illuminations show at Epcot. We had 4 newbies with us and I had talked up this show and told them that we had to stay to see it. It was a total bust! For as long as I can remember (...and I have been going pretty regularly since participating in the College Program in '93) during the Illuminations show each "pavillion" was individually focused upon, had special lighting and music that pertained to that Country. Now it is just a giant fireworks display with the globe floating in the middle of the lagoon. When did this change? I really wish they would bring the old show back! The show used to bring emotion. Now it just brings loud bangs and lots of smoke. My friends liked the fireworks. Disney does fireworks like no other, but my big build up was a met with disappointment.

Ummm... are you sure you've been there "pretty regularly" because this version of IllumiNations has been running for over a decade.

That said, I do agree that I liked the previous incarnation of IllumiNations better. We were there in 1998 and were blown away by the laser show and the lighting effects on each pavillion. When we started taking our kids to Disney in 2005, we were dissappointed in the new show.

 

[Robo]

Just out of curiosity, why do you think they don't do parades in Epcot anymore?

Sadly, it was nearly impossible to present the parade AND let people walk in the same narrow lanes of Epcot.

At parade-time many of the CMs had to leave their respctive "countries" short-handed so that they could stand along the parade route with flashlights and (try to) direct guests' foot traffic.

Also, it has been reported that the puppeteer CMs in the parade had difficulty handling those tall puppets in any kind of wind.
Many complained of neck and back problems after a performance or two.

Those parades were some of THE most magical at Disney...
but they just were not "practical" to continue at Epcot.

You'll note that they still don't offer any kind of general parades back in World Showcase because of foot traffic problems.

 

[TDC Nala]

why do you think they don't do parades in Epcot anymore?

Parades in the World Showcase are a traffic nightmare. The walkways are too narrow to allow the parade to pass, keep space for parade viewers, AND allow those who were just walking through to walk past. Something had to go, and it was the walking through. While the parade was going through or approaching, in many areas it was not possible to walk past it.

 

[Celine]

As far as I can recall (been going to WDW regularly since 2000) Epcot has not hosted any type of parade since Tapestry of Nations/Dreams.

While the parades were nice, they were a traffic control nightmare. The World Showcase was not set up for parades.

Again according to Wikipedia, Tapestry of Nations was rethemed to Tapestry of Dreams in 2001. Tapestry of Dreams ran until March 2003. I remember going to the last Tapestry of Dreams parade.

Wikipedia also says that Tapestry of Nations (1999 - 2001) had several minor changes made; the first to give the Sage of Time, who opened the parade, a "gentler tone." The second was to incorporate the theme of dreams, which was made the focus of the parade in 2001 when they changed it to Tapestry of Dreams, eliminated the Sage of Time altogether and added "elfin characters" intended to appeal more to children.

Not to disagree with your knowledge or your memory, but I know for a FACT I was there in 2001 and again in 2002 (we went the first time in 2001 (just my XDH, children and I), loved it so much, I went again in 2002 so that I could bring my terminally ill brother before he passed away) The two shows were different.. I loved the first one more than the second, both were wonderful! I never got to go again until 2008 and mistakenly thought I remembered a parade of some sort, but I was totally remembering wrong and forget 2011, that was memory gone bad! LOL

 

[Phatoomch]

Things change ... some of us embrace change, some of us long for days gone by. As others have pointed out, some people have just been way to much

For me, I went in 1980, 1988 & then last year so i only know the current Illuminations and it suits me just fine

 

[Celine]

Oh okay.. I understand about the parade problem now.. that makes perfect sense. Too bad though... it -was- beautiful!!!

 

[TDC Nala]

Not to disagree with your knowledge or your memory, but I know for a FACT I was there in 2001 and again in 2002 (we went the first time in 2001 (just my XDH, children and I), loved it so much, I went again in 2002 so that I could bring my terminally ill brother before he passed away) The two shows were different.. I loved the first one more than the second, both were wonderful! I never got to go again until 2008 and mistakenly thought I remembered a parade of some sort, but I was totally remembering wrong and forget 2011, that was memory gone bad! LOL

The shows were different, because the parade changed during 2001. You could have seen one parade in 2001 and another in 2002. That's not my knowledge up there, it's Wikipedia's, and Wikipedia doesn't say anything about WHEN in 2001 the parade changed (and I don't remember) but I think it's safe to assume it didn't change on January 1, 2001.

 

[Celine]

The shows were different, because the parade changed during 2001. You could have seen one parade in 2001 and another in 2002. That's not my knowledge up there, it's Wikipedia's, and Wikipedia doesn't say anything about WHEN in 2001 the parade changed (and I don't remember) but I think it's safe to assume it didn't change on January 1, 2001.

LOL! I'm sure!