Luminous thoughts

[slo]

I watched it live with ResortTV1 last night, and the first thing I said to my DH is - if you aren't up close, you're going to be out of luck with so much being low and close to the water.

In regards to the music - I wish they would have come up with all new music. We have enough Disney movie music in HEA and Fantasmic - a fresh new soundtrack would have been awesome. I found the music selection to be sappy, a little depressing and not something that makes me say - I need that soundtrack. Why would When Somebody Loved Me from Toy Story 2 be in this show? That song is so sad - I don't get it at all

In regards to the narration - there's to much - we don't need all that narration.

In the end......Disney needs to give their guests what they want, and what they want is Illuminations to return. I understand that change is good, but this show is one that I've seen many many times, and I wish my adult kids could show this show to their kids one day. I was bummed when they took away Tapestry of Nations too - it was the perfect tie in to Illuminations. Why can't Disney just make some updates and slight changes to Illuminations like they did with Fantasmic? Enquiring Minds Want To Know!

It will be interesting to see how long this show lasts. I have seen very little positive reviews from people posting on several social media sights. I for one know for a fact, that we will watch this when we are their on our next trip and after that, we won't feel compelled to watch it again, unless we have nothing else going on.

If I was giving this a grade - I'd give it a C+

 

[jeneric997]

From the article posted above- the reason why they chose to include Disney songs was for kids, so they could have something they recognize and can connect with. While I didn't really love all the songs they chose and the repeats that are in other shows, I understand why. My kids weren't fans of Illuminations when they were young, but it became their favorite when they were old enough to understand it.

 

[Mattieray1982]

Just watched it. Waiting to see it in person in February. I think with any of the shows, it doesn't quite hit your feels until you are seeing in live!

 

[TheDailyMoo]

Like many things in recent memory with Disney this too is "just good enough" but you also know they can do better. But not just shows. Rides. Attractions. Hotels. Service. We aren't imagineers but we have that innate sense of "I know this could've been better". We just have to keep accepting whatever they give us and we either keep consuming the product or we don't. But I think most of us think they can do more in general.

 

[PetePanMan]

The original music was very good IMO

 

[disneydreamer781]

Did they add When Somebody Loved Me which is a very sad song to make you feel something? I mean, Promise/We Go On just gave me chills every time I heard it but it wasn't a sad song it was about hope. If the sappy song factor is the case, then maybe the present Disney doesn't get it. It smacks of a lack of creativity and to be honest, it's pretty lazy just slapping IP on everything. How does this soundtrack have anything to do with Epcot? I'm bewildered!

 

[Genie+]

I’m so tempted to watch the video. 12 days until we’re in EP. It’s different in person - still, don’t want to ‘spoil’ it.

 

[disneydreamer781]

I only have one park day at EP on Christmas Day and I'm wondering how it will be watching it from the bridge between BC and the Boardwalk.

 

[CarolynFH]

I only have one park day at EP on Christmas Day and I'm wondering how it will be watching it from the bridge between BC and the Boardwalk.

You’ll be able to see the high fireworks but not the ones lower to the lagoon. I’m not sure whether you’ll be able to hear narration or music very well.

 

[Genie+]

You’ll be able to see the high fireworks but not the ones lower to the lagoon. I’m not sure whether you’ll be able to hear narration or music very well.

Yeah we tried this one time coming back from another park. Wasn’t good really. Not like MK from the lagoon area.

 

[SheSingsAlong]

I really enjoyed watching the recording Craig and Ryno made and I'm excited to see this in person in May! I think this fits in with Epcot because the story is the human experience which is universal to everyone no matter where we are born. I think Happily Ever After is so beloved because it tells a story: the Hero's Journey, which is universally understood. I'm glad they finally took those notes and applied them to the Epcot show. I liked Harmonious, but because it didn't tell a story, I knew it would never strike that emotional chord with me. My only complaint is that the narration is heavy handed. They need to pare back the narration (and replace When Somebody Loved Me with something else) and then this would be VERY good. Oh and I also really liked that they used Spaceship Earth as the globe, a nice nod to Illuminations.

 

[randumb0]

I haven't seen anything yet, but I really hope they chose to use original music from the movies. We get enough of that at MK and Hollywood

 

[MdmMim]

I saw it in person—for me, it’s a one and done. I thought it was boring (except for the ending), and the narration was kind of strange. I didn’t like the music and was basically disappointed.

 

[Grasshopper2016]

In the end......Disney needs to give their guests what they want, and what they want is Illuminations to return. I understand that change is good, but this show is one that I've seen many many times, and I wish my adult kids could show this show to their kids one day. I was bummed when they took away Tapestry of Nations too - it was the perfect tie in to Illuminations

Reserving judgment until I see it live. But I am strongly inclined to agree with these sentiments. Illuminations was not broken. Why did they have to try to fix it?

Of course, Disney has to change and update and innovate. And of course the older generation will always bemoan the changes, even as the younger generation is energized by them.

But that doesn't mean that literally everything has to change. There is something to be said for traditions handed down from generation to generation. And there is something lost when a superior product is replaced with an inferior one just for the sake of change.

Personally, I would be satisfied if they just committed to playing Tapestry of Nations after the end of each EPCOT show. That way, even if they insist on updating and innovating the fireworks show every few years (which, who knows, might be the right idea, despite what we old-timers want), there will always be this one constant than never goes away. A song that was written for EPCOT--designed to invoke the music, language, and cultures of the entire world. A timeless song, for a specific and special place.

I held my kids' hands to this song as we filed out of EPCOT at the end of a glorious day. Someday, my kids could hold their kids' hands to this song, on their way out of EPCOT, torches burning. And their kids after that.

Not everything has to change.

 

[CVG]

I'm completely OK with them doing something different to Illuminations. But all you need to do is sit 5 people in a room and ask whether the new music and songs(if any) is anywhere close to Illuminations. It's not rocket science.

For example, if you chose to start a show with Live and Let Die (I wouldn't!) then that would be comparable to the start of IROE. You'd know that the whole show could be as good.

EF, Harmonious and Luminous are just backing music to ok fireworks. Nothing special.

 

[subtchr]

Came across this article in my news feed
https://www.usatoday.com/story/trav.../epcot-luminous-symphony-us-show/71594513007/

Thank you for sharing this! I recommend everyone read it before commenting on the show. My daughter and I were there Tuesday night and loved it. As we were driving home from the airport last night, before reading this article this morning, we expressed some of the same points -- that the "loss" section evokes not just death, but all kinds of human loss. And that we loved how they could evoke feelings and meaning with just the movement of water, light, and colors.

I watched it live with ResortTV1 last night, and the first thing I said to my DH is - if you aren't up close, you're going to be out of luck with so much being low and close to the water.

In regards to the music - I wish they would have come up with all new music. We have enough Disney movie music in HEA and Fantasmic - a fresh new soundtrack would have been awesome. I found the music selection to be sappy, a little depressing and not something that makes me say - I need that soundtrack. Why would When Somebody Loved Me from Toy Story 2 be in this show? That song is so sad - I don't get it at all

In regards to the narration - there's to much - we don't need all that narration.

In the end......Disney needs to give their guests what they want, and what they want is Illuminations to return. I understand that change is good, but this show is one that I've seen many many times, and I wish my adult kids could show this show to their kids one day. I was bummed when they took away Tapestry of Nations too - it was the perfect tie in to Illuminations. Why can't Disney just make some updates and slight changes to Illuminations like they did with Fantasmic? Enquiring Minds Want To Know!

It will be interesting to see how long this show lasts. I have seen very little positive reviews from people posting on several social media sights. I for one know for a fact, that we will watch this when we are their on our next trip and after that, we won't feel compelled to watch it again, unless we have nothing else going on.

If I was giving this a grade - I'd give it a C+

I don't disagree with some of your points, and I completely respect that others will have have differing points of view. But we were there, and truly enjoyed the show, as did the people around us.

"When Somebody Loved Me" is SUPPOSED to be sad. It is used during the section about human loss, which is an inevitable part of the human experience, as the narration (which we thought really enhanced the show) explained. We, and all the people around us, audibly gasped when that section started, because of the emotional impact.

As for being close enough to see the surface of the water, that has always been the case for Epcot shows, to truly experience them.

I also loved Illuminations with my whole heart, and I wish it was still there. But I was open to Harmonious, and enjoyed it (or at least parts of it), but it didn't resonate with me emotionally. Luminous did, and although I am not yet ready to say it's a worthy IROE replacement, I hope that you watch it in person with an open mind and heart. If you still don't like it, then so be it, but I think you might be surprised.

I only have one park day at EP on Christmas Day and I'm wondering how it will be watching it from the bridge between BC and the Boardwalk.

It will be a view of a few high pyrotechnics, that's it. And no matter which show, I've always only barely been able to hear any music from that spot. I highly recommend trying to see it inside the park.

 

[MerlinandtheMouse]

Came across this article in my news feed
https://www.usatoday.com/story/trav.../epcot-luminous-symphony-us-show/71594513007/

I read this just now and I’ll admit I didn’t have that experience but I also think I was expecting something quite different so it was harder to appreciate what was in front of me. But I’ll keep an open mind and definitely take this article into account for the next time. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Grandmaof2]

What’s your opinion on the fireworks? I was watching it on utube and can’t wait to see it live.

 

[scrappinginontario]

What’s your opinion on the fireworks? I was watching it on utube and can’t wait to see it live.

Your question has been merged with a thread discussing this topic. Lots of helpful information above.

 

[Grandmaof2]

Great, thanks, I saw that other thread after I posted mine,