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

[mightynine]

This may have been said somewhere - are they offering FP+ for Epcot Forever like they did for Illuminations?

Because man, I feel bad for someone who uses one of their initial 3 on that show. (But then, it never made sense to use it for Illuminations either.)

 

[rreading]

HarmonioUS is being produced by Steve Davison, so I hope you like yet another World of Color clone with reused segments and arrangements from other Davison-produced shows.

iirc, Isn't Davison the one behind Wishes? Sure he recycled it into Remember, but that itself was still one of the best at DL as well.

 

[rreading]

They’re probably gonna have to change SOMETHING if they want to keep the sustained ADRs and dessert parties profitable

To me, it's a good sign that there were apparently folks there assessing reactions. Maybe said reactions will help guide the product to come? ...Maybe?

 

[Mainahman]

I thought the kites were cool, hearing Horizons and all that made me tear up...

 

[aladdin2007]

To me, it's a good sign that there were apparently folks there assessing reactions. Maybe said reactions will help guide the product to come? ...Maybe?

I was wondering this as well if they have heard some outcry yet, but I guess it depends who those folks were exactly, big management or just operational cast etc.

 

[aladdin2007]

I'm still amazed there is hardly any love for World Showcase. Why does the overrated and ugly Future World always get the attention? How hard could it have been to throw in songs from Grand Fiesta Tour, Reflections of China, Impressions de France, O Canada, not even a few bits of dialog from Maelstrom? It's supposed to be Epcot Forever, not Future World Forever. I can't believe how personal I'm taking this fiasco of a show

Agree there is so much that could have been integrated into the show from WS like you mentioned. And for the songs they did use why didn't they use the original tracks??? Why rerecord what was perfection. The singers totally botched it up. weak choruses, poor singing, and kindergarten karaoke as someone in another thread called it. Disney is really at its worst right now I think, and chapek needs to go.

 

[MTBaymax]

BIG missed opportunity to finish with "We've Just Begun to Dream" after that last Walt quote about Epcot always in a state of becoming. While I don't like the inclusion of "A Whole New World" towards the end, I can see how it "fits" into the idea of the show, and I'd be more accepting of it if the show ended on an actual piece of EPCOT music. And WJBTD was the perfect song for that.

I would like to build from there.
I, too, understand why they put in “A Whole New World” for the finale, but the execution...what they should’ve done was make it more of a medley of those past Epcot songs - “with new horizons to pursue/new horizons for you and for me...” - and then finish with the big “We’ve just begun to dream” at the end.

 

[monothingie]

For me the show fell short of expectations. Yes it may be a temporary show, but there are some glaring issues with the show that could have been avoided.

Hey WDI, we need a new show, but we don't really want to spend a lot of money on it.... Sadly it's not going to be around long enough for a retool so we're stuck with it.

The show felt small in scale and was lost in the lagoon. A lot of the pyro was angled in towards the center of the lagoon, which made it feel even smaller. Even the lighting and laser design felt very basic and generic - like it was just cycling through various modes. The torches and building outlines were almost being used randomly with no reason for their use other than they happened to be available.

Jetski driven kites were interesting and added at least something new, but I feel they would be more effective when combined with other show elements, and not being left as the main focus during those sections. Again during the kite sections, the lagoon looked very dark and empty.

Is it possible that whatever construction of infrastructure for the IP show HarmoniUS requires restrictions on the what can be placed on the lagoon, necessitating a smaller performance area? I mean I'm still kinda confounded by why Illuminations couldn't just lead into the next show, unless the infrastructure was not compatible the new show footprint.

 

[monothingie]

What happens when the kites can't run due to weather? Do they push the show or is there a bad weather plan?

 

[Epcot82Guy]

What happens when the kites can't run due to weather? Do they push the show or is there a bad weather plan?

They just play Lets go Fly a Kite behind the music tracks. Makes it even MORE DISNEY!!!

 

[note2001]

I just don't understand how a company that is known for amazing entertainment can bungle things up as much as they do.

Just re-editing the audio would do a world of good. I WANT to like this. I WANT to leave the park singing the main theme song for it but it feels like there is nothing... just clips that start to get our attention and then drive off leaving our sensibilities saying "What was that?" as we attempt to figure out the next song. This happens over and over again.

Zap some of the less popular songs and lengthen the ones that are liked. Put in good transitions.
I recommend doing away with "A whole new world" and replacing it with "Tapestry of Nations", a long version paying proper homage to it.

 

[ddbowdoin]

I’m actually just glad there wasn’t any Guardians of the Galaxy in there... I almost half-expected Chris Pratt to pop in there somewhere

 

[MaximumEd]

I’m actually just glad there wasn’t any Guardians of the Galaxy in there... I almost half-expected Chris Pratt to pop in there somewhere

They’re saving that for HarmoniUS.

 

[TJJohn12]

 

[britain]

And nary a nod to the original Illuminations. C'mon, how hard would it be to sneak in a bit of Firebird Suite?

 

[Kman101]

I liked it for what it was, personally. Could it be better? Absolutely.

 

[mouse_luv]

Break down of songs used and when: @AndyS2992

Spaceship Earth Theme
One Little Spark ("We call it EPCOT")
???? (I forgot the name of it)
We've Just begun to Dream
If We Can Dream It
Universe of Energy Theme song
Listen to the Land
Horizons Theme

Entrance Theme
Soarin' Theme
Tapestry of Nations/Dreams
Magic Journey
Tapestry of Nations/Dreams
Tomorrows Child

One Little Spark
Makin' Memories
Veggie Fruit
Fun to be Free

Tapestry of Nations/Dreams
Golden Dreams
Celebrate Hand in Hand (Should have been Finale IMO)
Tapestry of Nations/Dreams

One Little Spark
A Whole New World/Finale ()

One of the main voices you hear (Magic Journey, part of Whole New World) is a VOL and Voctave performer.

Yes, it's Sarah, I believe. There are others in the group parts that are from VOL and Voctave as well.

 

[MisterPenguin]

I like how the kites were an homage to the nostalgia of the hub's kite-shades hung up all over the place. They were always a fan-favorite.

 

[Epcot82Guy]

I like how the kites were an homage to the nostalgia of the hub's kite-shades hung up all over the place. They were always a fan-favorite.

The Epcot Future World Kite Experience (hosted by Michael Banks) confirmed. $87.99 plus tax.

 

[MKeeler]

This really is the requiem for EPCOT isn't it. A funeral dirge for EPCOT Center and all it represented.

The show is frustrating in so many ways. There is a structure there that would make a really great show for EPCOT. A thesis show that would perfectly encapsulate the message of EPCOT, in a way that Remember...Dreams Come True does for Disneyland.

Epcot Forever is so close to that, but falls short in so many ways.

The music choices are the ones that are most baffling. EPCOT should be symphonic. It should be grandiose. Inspiring. A grand adult choir with soaring vocals like Voices of Liberty. I suspect if you extended many of the arrangements instead of trying to cram them into a blip of a cameo and changed the kid voices out for adult ones, you could fix a lot of problems with the show.

Up to the ending.

A Whole New World is so insulting for this project. I am continually astonished how the Disney suits view IP. This whole show up to the end was full of Disney created IP. Park specific, EPCOT IP, which can be leveraged just like any other. The decision to cram in a film IP that has no connection to the park and no connection to anything else in the show is absurd.

If they wanted to connect with IP that has a definite sales factor, why not include Figment's voice and projections of Figment?

If you are celebrating EPCOT music and nostalgia, why not build to and close with We Go On, perhaps even combined in a medley with something else?

So close, yet so far.