Walt Disney World has shared particulars in regards to the all-new nighttime spectacular at EPCOT through the 100 Years of Wonder Celebration, and in addition that the park would be the house to the Disney100 festivities in Florida. In this publish, we’ll share particulars, new idea artwork, and commentary.
To carry you up to the mark, a alternative for Harmonious was first revealed through the “A Boundless Future: Disney Parks, Experiences and Products” presentation finally fall’s D23 Expo There, Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro provided a sneak peek at idea artwork for the longer term as well as and teased what was to come back in just a few years.
Earlier this yr, Walt Disney World introduced that, earlier than the brand new present launches over World Showcase Lagoon, EPCOT Forever will return as an interim present beginning April 3, 2023. Similar to the way it appeared in 2021, EPCOT Forever is a stop-gap providing whereas the Disney Entertainment workforce preps World Showcase Lagoon.
This prep work features a phased elimination of fireworks platforms following the ultimate “Harmonious” efficiency on April 2, 2023. A limited-time spectacle of lasers, lighting, particular results, and fireworks, “EPCOT Forever” returns with a set of songs that provide each a visit down reminiscence lane and a glance towards the longer term.
“The most important story is EPCOT’s past, present, and future. It only took one little spark, and we have a whole new world,” mentioned Show Director Tom Vazzana with Walt Disney World Creative Entertainment when discussing EPCOT Forever throughout an occasion describing what’s on the horizon at Walt Disney World.
Vazzana then appeared additional down the highway, after the Disney100 Celebration begins this fall at EPCOT, and mentioned the everlasting nighttime spectacular that’s coming to World Showcase Lagoon. “This special show through music, pyrotechnics, lasers, and lighting reflect the commonality in all of us. You can be you, I can be me, and we can all be together in this one beautiful show,” Vazzana mentioned.
He added that EPCOT’s new nighttime spectacular will characteristic an unique composition and evocative choices from the Disney songbook, all woven collectively to “remind us that we are more alike than different.” This new (nonetheless unnamed) present will debut in late 2023 on World Showcase Lagoon.
In phrases of new-news from the March 15, 2023 occasion about the way forward for Walt Disney World, that’s actually about it. We know that EPCOT would be the epicenter of the 100 Years of Wonder Celebration at Walt Disney World. However, there are not any specifics as to what which means past the brand new nighttime spectacular, opening of Moana’s Journey of Water, and conclusion of the EPCOT central backbone challenge.
Actually, all of that’s greater than sufficient. You’re telling me we get to fill within the Giant EPCOT Dirt Pit and we get a particular occasion to have fun it?!? Well, colour me excited!
Joking apart, my expectation is that it’ll be just like Disneyland, with all the new stuff coinciding with the Disney100 festivities, and the addition of banners, medallions, and statues to have fun the 100 Years of Wonder. It is sensible that EPCOT is the park that’ll be Walt Disney World’s house base for the Disney100 festivities given all the things new and the best way Walt Disney is a spotlight of World Celebration.
As for why the corporate is ready till Late 2023 to kick off Disney100 at Walt Disney World regardless of beginning it in January at Disneyland, it’s in all probability a lot of little causes in combination. First, the World’s Most Magical Celebration for Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary isn’t ending till April. That was an 18-month occasion, and the corporate in all probability needs correct distance between the 2 so followers don’t get “celebration fatigue.” When all the things is a milestone, nothing is.
Second, it makes essentially the most sense to have the Disney100 festivities at EPCOT, and the entrance of the park is at present a building zone. Waiting till that’s in higher form after which centering the celebration in…World Celebration…simply is sensible. It’ll have the “Walt the Dreamer” statue at Dreamers Point and new area for a historic showcase or tribute in Communicore Hall.
Finally, there are sensible realities of timing. This might be the smallest consideration of the bunch (if it even is one), however summer time is vacationer season, and this isn’t the kind of factor that can resonate with the everyday vacationer. It’s the type of occasion to kick off the autumn or vacation season, when extra followers are prone to make homecoming journeys. Even although it’s not a milestone anniversary for the park, I wouldn’t be in the slightest degree stunned to see the Disney100 Celebration begin on October 1, 2023. (Though possibly they’ll watch for the brand new nighttime spectacular to be prepared and begin all the things concurrently.)
What follows is commentary in regards to the elimination of Harmonious. Nothing new right here if you happen to already learn the unique announcement of Harmonious ending and Happily Ever After returning…
I used to be shocked when this was introduced again on the D23 Expo, as Harmonious was by no means supposed to be a brief nighttime spectacular for Walt Disney World’s fiftieth Anniversary. The firm invested a ton of cash on this–Harmonious was rumored to price north of $100 million–placing it in the identical budgetary league because the Little Mermaid darkish trip.
That funding was not for an 18-month nighttime spectacular, both; Harmonious was alleged to be EPCOT’s reply to World of Color, lasting a decade or extra. It would’ve been Walt Disney World’s distinct nighttime draw, pulling individuals to EPCOT within the evenings to spend cash on meals & drinks, and recouping a lot of its funding. In equity, it did draw individuals to EPCOT for some time…however largely as a result of Animal Kingdom has no nighttime spectacular and Fantasmic took longer than anticipated to refresh.
Unfortunately, Harmonious garnered blended critiques amongst Walt Disney World followers, us included. (Read our Harmonious Review for way more.) We have heard quite a few credible studies that its visitor satisfaction scores have been low for a nighttime spectacular, proper across the similar stage as EPCOT Forever–not good since that was an interim present.
Harmonious additionally, supposedly, was met with a blended response by excessive stage management on the Walt Disney Company. There was chatter about this previous to Harmonious debuting, with Chapek and others being disenchanted with the nighttime spectacular when it was screened for them. (For all of his different faults, this really is just not the one rumor about Chapek demanding higher of a notably underwhelming addition.)
This was strengthened by interviews with sure creatives, who instructed that the songs have been shuffled round comparatively final minute. If you’ve ever had the sense that Harmonious feels disjointed and a few songs slotted in virtually at random, you’re not that far off; the ordering of scenes may very well be modified by dragging and dropping songs on a pc. (It was additionally designed for future updates to maintain it recent.)
Perhaps equally as vital, Harmonious seems to be maintenance-intensive. While I can not corroborate this, it’s a type of issues that sounds believable. The infrastructure has a variety of shifting components (actually) and we’ve seen crews out engaged on the Stargate and water tacos many days whereas strolling round World Showcase. That can’t be low-cost.
Speaking of which, the Harmonious barges add plain visible blight to World Showcase Lagoon. The daytime fountains that will make the barges ‘blend in blue’ by no means got here to fruition. Feeble makes an attempt to hide them with cloud-covered screens have been laughably dangerous. Given that the announcement to finish Harmonious got here shortly after a Board of Directors website tour of Walt Disney World, I’m wondering if that performed a component within the nighttime spectacular’s downfall.
Beyond that, Harmonious doesn’t really handle the core complaints regular company had with IllumiNations. Once you look past the pyro and different results–options that will’ve been a part of any new nighttime spectacular–Harmonious is just not actually carrying out something distinctive or spectacular. That’s an issue for a present that’s elaborate and heavy-handed with its presentation.
Harmonious stumbles in a few of the very same methods as IllumiNations. It has restricted viewing angles and pacing issues together with some wow-inducing segments. Like its predecessor, Harmonious feels destined to alienate some company and partially fulfill others. It’s exhausting to check this being a homerun or beloved nighttime spectacular for a lot of company, however it additionally shouldn’t be an entire flop for a lot of company. It succeeds greater than Magic Kingdom’s new fireworks present (and fails much less), however given what Disney invested in Harmonious and its increased stakes, that’s not precisely a ringing endorsement.
Rather than constructing the bizarre tribute to Kang and Kodos from the Simpsons, Disney actually would’ve been higher off upgrading the infrastructure from IllumiNations, constructing a much bigger floating globe, and swapping out the soundtrack. (As a lot as I cherished IllumiNations, I understand it’s not what common company need.)
With that mentioned, I by no means heard of Harmonious having the identical visitor satisfaction rating shortcomings as Disney Enchantment. It’s been an open secret that the Magic Kingdom fiftieth Anniversary fireworks present is underperforming and never assembly expectations. The similar can’t be mentioned of Harmonious.
What little I’ve heard about its reception amongst common company is that it’s better-received than EPCOT Forever. Despite attempting to cater to each EPCOT purists and common company, that present didn’t do an excellent job of connecting with anybody–it scored nicely under each IllumiNations and Harmonious.
I’m unsure how Harmonious in comparison with IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. I’ve a suspicion that it was not considerably superior, as I feel that’s the kind of factor I’d’ve heard. (Or that we all would’ve heard. Disney likes to boast about its successes, so silence will be telling.)
Harmonious can’t be doing that poorly, as that’s one thing that will be identified. IllumiNations additionally wasn’t doing that nicely. At least, as in comparison with Happily Ever After and even Wishes. As I’ve beforehand shared, Happily Ever After’s visitor satisfaction scores have been by means of the roof, which is why I shared means again in July 2021 that the choice about which Magic Kingdom fireworks present would run in 2023 hadn’t even been made when Disney introduced that Happily Ever After Was Ending “Permanently.”
My anecdotal notion was that Harmonious was usually well-received, particularly by first-time and rare guests. Between what I noticed in EPCOT myself and never listening to something about visitor satisfaction shortcomings, a alternative for Harmonious was not on my radar.
As somebody who very a lot needs to see Harmonious changed, that is one thing I’d’ve cherished to have on my radar. I can’t imagine I missed the chance to depend down the times till now. I’d’ve put it on my calendar and began crossing off the times means again in October 2021 had I identified!
Ultimately, I’ve no sturdy opinion on the return of EPCOT Forever. That present really grew on me over time, and I don’t suppose it was practically as dangerous as a few of its detractors recommend. It was a brief present following a beloved nighttime spectacular–and virtually destined for failure because of this. Some of the music remixes have been a bit odd, positive, however it had some attraction and enjoyable visuals, too. I’m really wanting ahead to seeing EPCOT Forever once more, however I additionally wouldn’t shed any tears if I by no means noticed it once more.
What has me actually optimistic is the subsequent nighttime spectacular at EPCOT. I hope classes have been realized from the failure of Harmonious, and in addition the success of the Disneyland Paris thirtieth Anniversary nighttime spectacular additions. There’s undoubtedly a approach to do one thing wow-inducing over World Showcase Lagoon and not using a bunch of hideous everlasting infrastructure inflicting daytime blight. In a phrase: drones.
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Your Thoughts
What do you concentrate on the interim look of EPCOT Forever beginning in April 2023 and a model new nighttime spectacular for Disney100 someday in Late 2023? Excited about this information, or want Disney Enchantment or one other fireworks present have been returning? Any questions we will help you reply? Hearing your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each attention-grabbing to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!