News EPCOT's Harmonious to be replaced with new nighttime spectacular Luminous

TTA94

Well-Known Member
Yes. One of the things I really like about the new hardware setup is the width it gives to the show across the lagoon. And most importantly, it can be viewed very well from all sides.

Less fountains though than Harmonious but maybe because it’s more spread out it will look just as good? Is there more lighting, spotlights in Luminous? or about the same or less than Harmonious?
 

SaucyBoy

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
They cut the exploding/floating sparklers from the "Peace on Earth" holiday tag just after one incident. One rogue sparkler flew towards a crowd of guests and landed in a planter. It was a shame it was never brought back during the remainder of its (final) run during that 2018 season.

So them having restraint at least for the perimeter launchers is encouraging. Plus they upgraded them during Harmonius's construction, so would be a waste to ditch them now.
I was there the night that happened, it caused quite the fuss. 🎇
 

monothingie

Nakatomi Plaza Christmas Eve 1988. Never Forget.
Premium Member
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mattpeto

Well-Known Member
50/50 that this makes it 18 months before Epcot Forever comes back.
I think what makes this different is the infrastructure won't be stationed in the lagoon all day. If the show story/music isn't successful, they can utilize the same infrastructure.

Plus if I'm being honest, your negativity is a bit harsh. You are killing the show before any one of us has seen it.
 

monothingie

Nakatomi Plaza Christmas Eve 1988. Never Forget.
Premium Member
I think what makes this different is the infrastructure won't be stationed in the lagoon all day. If the show story/music isn't successful, they can utilize the same infrastructure.

Plus if I'm being honest, your negativity is a bit harsh. You are killing the show before any one of us has seen it.
You've all already seen this show before. It's the same copy/paste formula that has already been employed everywhere at WDW. (In Epcot's case this is the 3rd? 4th? Iteration.)

Generic Pyro + IP + 1 Original Song, all under 20 minutes in length. Wash Rinse Repeat.

Nothing Original or Unique or technologically ground breaking.
 

monothingie

Nakatomi Plaza Christmas Eve 1988. Never Forget.
Premium Member
With the exception of the barges in the center of the lagoon, the new show uses basically all the same surrounding Infrastructure that is decades old.

You have such an amazing stage to perform on, with World Showcase, so much potential for special effects and the showcasing of new show technology.

But instead we get a couple of fountains and "Remember Me" Or "Let it Go" or whatever IP based song played for the umpteenth time that has been played so much we've lost all connection to it and it becomes indistinguishable white noise.
 

mattpeto

Well-Known Member
You've all already seen this show before. It's the same copy/paste formula that has already been employed everywhere at WDW. (In Epcot's case this is the 3rd? 4th? Iteration.)

Generic Pyro + IP + 1 Original Song, all under 20 minutes in length. Wash Rinse Repeat.

Nothing Original or Unique or technologically ground breaking.
It's clear that some of you draw the line at any IP. I get it, but this is not 1980 anymore. I wish there was less IP too, but I'd like to see it play out a bit before calling the show a copy/paste or a failure. The IP connection hits a different target group (children/teens) that still matters to some around here. There's a delicate balance where it can work IMO.

The one snippet of music we got (instrumental) was very classic Epcot/RoE to me.

@wdwmagic is very optimistic about this show. I chose hope.
 

bmr1591

Well-Known Member
You've all already seen this show before. It's the same copy/paste formula that has already been employed everywhere at WDW. (In Epcot's case this is the 3rd? 4th? Iteration.)

Generic Pyro + IP + 1 Original Song, all under 20 minutes in length. Wash Rinse Repeat.

Nothing Original or Unique or technologically ground breaking.

Harmonious was technologically groundbreaking.
 

donsullivan

Premium Member
So many who continue to be absolutely, almost irrationally obsessed with No IP in the parks, at this point are now just making a choice to be unhappy about everything Disney does, even before they see it. The Pre-Hate that boils over things they have not experienced or every time they hear or see anything that isn’t totally new and never before seen or heard is kind of ridiculous at this point. It’s a choice to be unhappy, not a critique.

Disney has made it very clear they consider their IP to be a valuable asset that they will continue to use in the parks, just as the company has done since 1955. The obsession some have here that nothing should be built that is linked to any sort of existing IP isn’t going to change that. A massively larger number of visitors (who are not posting in this bubble) very much enjoy and look forward to those tie-ins to familiar characters and places and Disney rightly chooses to capitalize on that when they can find a way that makes sense to the designers in the park.

It’s totally fine to not be a fan of some specific experience after you’ve actually experienced it, but the pre-hate is kind sad at this point.
 

Disgruntled Walt

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
The mindset for the RoE team was lets make a show about Earth, Humanity and hope for the future. The mindset for Harmonious and Luminous is lets make a show to promote our products.
Which is what the mindset is for every nighttime spectacular now. The only thing that makes this one any "different" is that it takes place at Epcot at the lagoon, but that doesn't change that it's basically HEA over water.
So many who continue to be absolutely, almost irrationally obsessed with No IP in the parks, at this point are now just making a choice to be unhappy about everything Disney does, even before they see it. The Pre-Hate that boils over things they have not experienced or every time they hear or see anything that isn’t totally new and never before seen or heard is kind of ridiculous at this point. It’s a choice to be unhappy, not a critique.
I don't hate the show. I distrust the IP because I've seen how it works.

A lot of people seem to think that an IP's placement in Epcot makes it no longer just an IP because it somehow serves Epcot's higher purpose. Frozen Ever After isn't "Frozen through an Epcot-lens." It's just a Frozen boat ride. Same with Ratatouille.

This show looks like an attempt to put the "Epcot-lens" on the modern nighttime spectacular. None of the Epcot-lenses have been successful to this point. All they do is blur the already failing vision of Epcot. Jury's out on this show till we see it.
 

SaucyBoy

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Plus if I'm being honest, your negativity is a bit harsh. You are killing the show before any one of us has seen it.
Like I said before, some of the people on this forum do nothing but complain like it's a full time job. Their lives are filled with unsubstantiated bitterness, anger, and they throw childish tantrums because a multi-billion dollar company isn't kowtowing to their exact personal preferences. The best thing you can do is mute them, this forum is a much more enjoyable when you silence the noise. Don't let them rain on your parade of excitement for Luminous. While they sit chronically online and lament for the days of yore, the rest of us will enjoy what we're being offered.
 

JediMasterMatt

Well-Known Member
Wonderful first look!!! Every Epcot Spectacular has Quiet scenes with no Pyro so that doesn't shock me . Nice use of the Prim. Launches. Hopefully Epcot has a Plan B to use them from the center of WSL on Bad Weather Nights like ROE and not just cut them like Harm.....

I think we are lucky the seawall launches are still there. After a few misfires/wind issues over the years they have been edging towards the chopping block.

I believe when the perimeter/seawall launch tubes got updated for Harmonious they changed them to a shallower angle to go further out and less upwards than they were for Illuminations and as such relaxed the wind restrictions a bit - at least for Harmonious at least. I've had more occasions of a cancelled Harmonious all together than the perimeters not going off for that show. Comparing exposures from Illuminations to Harmonious shows the differences in angle. My internal anemometer still is off as there were many nights on the last couple of trips where I was certain they would be scratched due to wind and they still went off.

Glad to see they are using the extra tubes they added; but, I do believe they are best served as a surprise moment later in the show. Putting them in the opening is like making Tink fly during the first act at MK when she works so much better at the climax.

I still think that you really haven't gotten the full Disney fireworks experience until you've had fallout land on you. Sure, getting some soot on you is just some extra pixie dust; but, only on those extra special occasions can you get smoldering cardboard dropped on you.
 

EvilChameleon

Well-Known Member
This show looks like an attempt to put the "Epcot-lens" on the modern nighttime spectacular. None of the Epcot-lenses have been successful to this point. All they do is blur the already failing vision of Epcot. Jury's out on this show till we see it.
When do you think they started failing the vision of EPCOT? When they started adding IP or changed the concept from a city to a theme park? 🤔
 

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