EPCOT Epcot Forever to debut as interim show before full Reflections of Earth replacement

[cmb5002]

After watching the stream, I don't think it's aweful. I really enjoyed the Tapestry of Nations and Golden Dream segments.

Everything else was thoroughly meh. I don't know that anything will every replace ROE in my heart. Too many good memories are associated with that show. I was hoping the next shows might come close. This doesn't.

I'm not one to skip fireworks shows. Love them. Can't say I'll watch this one more than once in person. I won't miss it when it's gone this time next year, and I wouldn't miss it if I never saw it in person.

 

[Unibits]

I think this is a solid C. Being around Disney parks for at least 3 weeks a year since 2006 this does not lend itself to top notch production work. I can only hope that the next one knocks it out of the park.

I don’t want to start an argument here but sound to light fireworks is old hat. The kites although visually appealing in the night sky is quite a simple process. I built something similar with rgb lighting for a dance show. The only part I did not have was the jet skis or the budget of the mouse

 

[tomast]

From twitter Bioreconstruc (if you use twitter just follow him)
Kites glow and ignite in Epcot Forever.

by the way. I think the ilumiNation Earth barge should be shown at the new Odyssey center

 

[Yert3]

To everyone giving this a pass for being temporary, don’t forget what @stitchcastle mentioned earlier, that RoE was originally a temporary show, only to last a year.

 

[ABQ]

Well, I was warned a while back about the music on this show. Sad to say, it's excatly what I was worried about.
This would have been SOOOOOO easy to have nailed.

Take the actual source tracks, start off with the opening notes of JII, and one little spark song (sung by dream finder..)
then build the show from there, hitting highlights of past rides, and perhaps end it with Horizons new horizons melody as a walk out music.

Right, I have no idea why they had to rework One Little Spark with children. Even if they didn't use Dreamfinder, use Figment for Pete's Sake. Once I heard the child's voice on the preshow announcement, my expectations of the show went to near nothing. No need for that, doesn't make sense at all.

 

[ChrisFL]

Yes, I don't know why they re-recorded the songs in the first place, unless it was to show "HEY Guys we're REALLY trying to appease you here".

Agreed about the kids singing, or at least....hate to say this....find talented kids to sing?

I don't see how it would be so difficult to take original tracks, give them 1 minute or two each, do the fireworks that actually make sense and not just feel random, etc. It wouldn't cost anything more.

Also, regarding the Whole New World....in a show of nothing but original Epcot tie-ins, besides it being IP, it just felt REALLY out of place

 

[Epcot82Guy]

For those asking about IP (which is fair), here is an analogy that may help.

They announce they are ending the Avengers movies. Doing one final one meant to be a love letter to the previous films. The ending battle scene is then filmed in a way that feels a bit cheap, but still awesome to see your favorites in battle. As everything burns on the background, the heroes prepare for the epic conclusion. Which you know will be a huge classic action film scene.

And then Elsa comes in and freezes the enemies and puts out the fire. And they all sing I Can Go The Distance together.

 

[Brer Oswald]

I think the worst part about Harmonia** is that it doesn’t seem to be unique at all. It’s not just the IPs. Even the soundtrack seems to have a lot of crossover with HEA. If it ends up having some unique to Epcot songs (One Little Spark, New Horizons, Golden Dreams, Soarin, whatever theme goes in Spaceship Earth, heck, even Guardians) I think it’ll soften the blow. But if it really just ends up being HEA 2, the two shows will act more as substitutes than compliments. And really, who in their right mind is going to pick the body of water over Cinderella Castle on their once in a lifetime trip?

 

[Rue D'Baga]

I only watched the livestream just now- I have a bit of classic Epcot nostalgia, but for the most part I was too young and only have vague memories. That said, I loved the songs that I recognized and remembered (they can bring back Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit any day of the week). But count me in as a person who doesn't really want to hear children doing the bulk of the announcing/singing.

At the end of the day though, I felt the show was a little disjointed and boring, and there seemed to be a strange amount of dead air where they were no effects really happening, or very tiny things happening in the very center of the lagoon.

Either way, I'm still looking forward to seeing it in person, but I have about almost-7-months and I'll probably see the show only a week before HarmonioUS shows up.

I really made this post to ask: what post-show music are they using? Is it still the old Illuminations loop, or...? I may have missed that on the last few pages.

 

[Andrew C]

The general population seems to be extremely confused on the use of Aladdin in an Epcot show,

I get why people don't like it...but there should be nothing confusing about why it was included in the end. The message is clear.

 

[tparris]

I really made this post to ask: what post-show music are they using? Is it still the old Illuminations loop, or...? I may have missed that on the last few pages.

Pre show and post show music seems to be original music based on the countries of World Showcase, at least from what I’ve heard so far.

 

[Mickeyboof]

I only watched on YouTube, but I was throughly entertained! I didn’t mind the Aladdin moment, only because the new orchestrations were splendid.

The kites are magic. Very kinetic. Lots of fireworks.

Can’t wait to see it in person!

 

[wdwmagic]

I really made this post to ask: what post-show music are they using? Is it still the old Illuminations loop, or...? I may have missed that on the last few pages.

It is new post show music - world music - similar to the pre-show music.

 

[JohnD]

I wasn't there personally but after watching the show a few times via Youtube, you are spot on with your analysis. I am not exactly sure who Greenlit this but knowing its temporary is probably why this was pushed through.

Illuminations I could see over and over. But like Rivers of Light, this show is one and done.

 

[Disney Analyst]

To everyone giving this a pass for being temporary, don’t forget what @stitchcastle mentioned earlier, that RoE was originally a temporary show, only to last a year.

And it showed... some good pyro choreography moments. But boring, long in the tooth, a story that’s hard to understand. It has great music, I’m not sad to finally move on.

 

[Musical Mermaid]

And really, who in their right mind is going to pick the body of water over Cinderella Castle on their once in a lifetime trip?

Good question, but I prefer Cinderella Castle during the day and I loved World Showcase at night. Watching Reflections of Earth on video is not the same as it was experiencing it in person. Granted, I’ve been to Disney World many times since I was in the womb and I don’t know how it is to have a once in a lifetime trip to the parks. I don’t care for Happily Ever After. It gives me an excuse to leave Magic Kingdom early and beat the exit crowds. I think it has a lot of mediocre Disney songs in it and if I want to watch that type of stuff (the projections on the castle), I can play one of those movies at home.

 

[Imagineerwannabe]

I get why people don't like it...but there should be nothing confusing about why it was included in the end. The message is clear.

'4 NEW WORLDS' for Epcot - and 'whole new world' seems pretty obvious to me!

 

[Imagineerwannabe]

Illuminations I could see over and over. But like Rivers of Light, it's one and done.

And people complained about a lack of story in EF!!!

And it showed... some good pyro choreography moments. But boring, long in the tooth, a story that’s hard to understand. It has great music, I’m not sad to finally move on.

This is how i feel, it was showing its age, and the rotating globe part was always too long for me...it was time to move on.

 

[JohnD]

And people complained about a lack of story in EF!!!



This is how i feel, it was showing its age, and the rotating globe part was always too long for me...it was time to move on.

I didn't get my point across clearly. I meant to say I could watch Illuminations over and over. But EF is one and done.

 

[Captain Barbossa]

To everyone giving this a pass for being temporary, don’t forget what @stitchcastle mentioned earlier, that RoE was originally a temporary show, only to last a year.

There also wasn't a new show already in the works when RoE debuted either, (someone correct me if I'm wrong) which gave them more of a reason to keep it running, especially since it turned out to be a success. Not defending HarmonioUS at all, but it's been about a year since they've started working on it and they're pretty invested in it at this point. With that being said, and with the direction that EPCOT and the company is headed in, I don't believe that they'll postpone or scrap HarmonioUS just so this abomination of a "love letter to EPCOT" can run longer than planned.