A little piece of EPCOT Center history is found

[marni1971]

For years, hardly anything about EPCOT Centers second night time show was known. A New World Fantasy opened in 1983 and by summer 1984 had been replaced.

I can now confirm the soundtrack was almost identical to Laserphonic Fantasy, and contrary to some reports there were no mist screens - slide projections were rear projected during act one onto 2 floating screens, viewable from between Mexico and Canada. There were no lasers, but 2 searchlights were introduced onto the roof of AmAd. Fountain barges that were used up to and including in RoE were one of the show highlights. There was no pavilion lighting. Fireworks only featured in the 3rd act of the show.

Whilst very low tech compared to today, what was state of the art in 1983 paved the way for the shows that followed. It’s interesting to see how this show evolved through Laserphonic Fantasy and the different IllumiNations spectaculars.

Coming soon-ish to a YouTube channel near you

 

[SaveDinosaur]

For years, hardly anything about EPCOT Centers second night time show was known. A New World Fantasy opened in 1983 and by summer 1984 had been replaced.

I can now confirm the soundtrack was almost identical to Laserphonic Fantasy, and contrary to some reports there were no mist screens - slide projections were rear projected during act one onto 2 floating screens, viewable from between Mexico and Canada. There were no lasers, but 2 searchlights were introduced onto the roof of AmAd. Fountain barges that were used up to and including in RoE were one of the show highlights. There was no pavilion lighting. Fireworks only featured in the 3rd act of the show.

Whilst very low tech compared to today, what was state of the art in 1983 paved the way for the shows that followed. It’s interesting to see how this show evolved through Laserphonic Fantasy and the different IllumiNations spectaculars.

Coming soon-ish to a YouTube channel near you

Great, now give us a date.

 

[SageOfTime]

For years, hardly anything about EPCOT Centers second night time show was known. A New World Fantasy opened in 1983 and by summer 1984 had been replaced.

I can now confirm the soundtrack was almost identical to Laserphonic Fantasy, and contrary to some reports there were no mist screens - slide projections were rear projected during act one onto 2 floating screens, viewable from between Mexico and Canada. There were no lasers, but 2 searchlights were introduced onto the roof of AmAd. Fountain barges that were used up to and including in RoE were one of the show highlights. There was no pavilion lighting. Fireworks only featured in the 3rd act of the show.

Whilst very low tech compared to today, what was state of the art in 1983 paved the way for the shows that followed. It’s interesting to see how this show evolved through Laserphonic Fantasy and the different IllumiNations spectaculars.

Coming soon-ish to a YouTube channel near you

that's awesome!! i've been trying to find more info about this show for the last year or so, so i'm glad something finally turned up! do we know if it has any similarities to the Carnaval de Lumiere soundtrack, or is that still mostly unknown?

 

[Santa Raccoon 77]

Great, now give us a date.

View attachment 825566

Have a bunch

 

[marni1971]

that's awesome!! i've been trying to find more info about this show for the last year or so, so i'm glad something finally turned up! do we know if it has any similarities to the Carnaval de Lumiere soundtrack, or is that still mostly unknown?

Apparently it’s very similar if not the same version of. New World is actually a shorter version of Laserphonic more or less. I’m currently working on restoring the shows audio track.

 

[marni1971]

Great, now give us a date.

View attachment 825566

First half of next year.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I thought maybe they found the soul of Disney buried under the fallout muck in the lagoon that was put in a time capsule when Bob took over?

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Apparently it’s very similar if not the same version of. New World is actually a shorter version of Laserphonic more or less. I’m currently working on restoring the shows audio track.

If I have time I may be able to get on the synth and recreate it, I was going to do a 5 piece rock/pop little more symphonic sounding cover of Laserphonic fantasy with allot of synth as well dodo I can probably bang both out at the same time with tone adjustments

 

[marni1971]

If I have time I may be able to get on the synth and recreate it, I was going to do a 5 piece rock/pop little more symphonic sounding cover of Laserphonic fantasy with allot of synth as well dodo I can probably bang both out at the same time with tone adjustments

Im using Laserphonics source track with a bit of editing all
It’s all good. The live sound picked up just enough music on one camera to match to.

 

[ppete1975]

Im using Laserphonics source track with a bit of editing all
It’s all good. The live sound picked up just enough music on one camera to match to.

Thank you for your hard work. I assume the video is of the 80s camcorder variety that has been degrading over the last 40 years, or the best option.... 40 year old epcot professionally produced VHS (if that ever existed), which is still very low quality compared to todays standards, so I am sure you have your hands full trying to restore it and bring it up to a decent quality for today.

 

[marni1971]

Thank you for your hard work. I assume the video is of the 80s camcorder variety that has been degrading over the last 40 years, or the best option.... 40 year old epcot professionally produced VHS (if that ever existed), which is still very low quality compared to todays standards, so I am sure you have your hands full trying to restore it and bring it up to a decent quality for today.

Thankfully it’s better than VHS so that helps, albeit the quality is what you’d expect of 1983 SD NTSC night time video. I had it copied by a transfer house but will clean it up a bit more myself. Whilst the quality is what it is, and the show itself isn’t amazing by today’s standards, I’m just happy it answers a lot of questions about something we had so little information on. And happy there was actually something still on the tape after all this time!

 

[SageOfTime]

Apparently it’s very similar if not the same version of. New World is actually a shorter version of Laserphonic more or less. I’m currently working on restoring the shows audio track.

interesting!!! can't wait to see your release!

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Im using Laserphonics source track with a bit of editing all
It’s all good. The live sound picked up just enough music on one camera to match to.

That’s good, I’d probably never get it spot on. I want to see a revival of Laserphonic using the new barges and the score done by Trans Siberian Orchestra but not so heavy on the guitars the whole time. That would be an awesome show.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

I saw this in the Regan visit to Epcot, some interesting hardware it almost looks like the sphere is permanent and hidden below the water level during the day.

 

[marni1971]

I saw this in the Regan visit to Epcot, some interesting hardware it almost looks like the sphere is permanent and hidden below the water level during the day. View attachment 825662View attachment 825663

Not sure what that was but it’s not any of the regular shows.

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

Not sure what that was but it’s not any of the regular shows.

I forgot to attach the video but it looks like there’s a sphere in there similar to the last laser barge one

 

[marni1971]

I forgot to attach the video but it looks like there’s a sphere in there similar to the last laser barge one

My bad, I thought your photo was from 1983 not 1985.

 

[donaldtoo]

I forgot to attach the video but it looks like there’s a sphere in there similar to the last laser barge one

I had forgotten about this, so watched the whole video.
I was 22 years old at the time…memories…!!!

 

[THEMEPARKPIONEER]

My bad, I thought your photo was from 1983 not 1985.

It drives me nuts when I see something I don’t know what it is or how it works, thought I learned everything about Epcot inside out. Maybe it’s a secret service barge

 

[The Empress Lilly]

For years, hardly anything about EPCOT Centers second night time show was known. A New World Fantasy opened in 1983 and by summer 1984 had been replaced.

I can now confirm the soundtrack was almost identical to Laserphonic Fantasy, and contrary to some reports there were no mist screens - slide projections were rear projected during act one onto 2 floating screens, viewable from between Mexico and Canada. There were no lasers, but 2 searchlights were introduced onto the roof of AmAd. Fountain barges that were used up to and including in RoE were one of the show highlights. There was no pavilion lighting. Fireworks only featured in the 3rd act of the show.

Whilst very low tech compared to today, what was state of the art in 1983 paved the way for the shows that followed. It’s interesting to see how this show evolved through Laserphonic Fantasy and the different IllumiNations spectaculars.

Coming soon-ish to a YouTube channel near you

Oh, you never had that? Here, let me give you a link to this corporate event sponsored, professional full show video of 'A New World Fantas

Click to expand...​