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

[SaucyBoy]

I am not yet sure it's a home run.

HEA was a home run, and this definitely not that level.

HEA did not have to grow on me.

For me personally : Out of the gate, this show had a better first impression on me than Harmonious. While Harmonious absolutely grew on me with subsequent viewings I really wanted to love my first viewing of Harmonious and I really just didn't. I had a bad view, too easy to do with the set up for Harmonious, and more then that the show just bored me. I felt the only reason why it had "more fireworks" was it was much longer. But it's firepower per minute definitely, in my opinion, was very weak. Even during big numbers like Dig a Little Deeper and it's finale the firepower in both just underwhelmed. I walked away kind of scratching my head wondering what snoozefest did I just see?

Now my first viewing of Luminous I absolutely enjoyed it. I thought the finale was fantastic, the best of out of Reflections of Earth, Harmonious and Luminous.

Having said that I also like to listen to the crowd's reactions. This entails listening to the final reaction of applause/cheers and also actively listening to what people are saying about around me post show.

Having seen the show a few times now I don't feel the post show Luminous crowds are as energetic as Harmonious. That's a head scratcher for me because this show absolutely out fire powers Harmonious especially during the finale yet the post show buzz seems more tempered.

I do enjoy reading all the love Luminous is getting on this forum. It's nice to read positive things about EPCOT, nice change indeed.

I think Harmonious had the cards stacked against it. It was the rebound relationship if you will. No matter how great it was it was never going to be better than Reflections of Earth, because well, Reflections of Earth . And for that reason alone Harmonious was doomed to fail. Now with that failure out of the way a new show can come in, expectations have been reset, understanding that reflections of Earth is now gone has definitely taken root, and as long as it was better than EPCOT Fornow, it will be accepted. Luminous checks all that and a lot more. But I would still stop shy of calling it a home run.

Great reply! I really shouldn't be offering any opinions since I've only seen the show via Steve's videos. I'll be seeing it in person for the first time Sunday night, so we'll see how it translates.

 

[jrhwdw]

Here is our multi-angle edit of 'Luminous The Symphony of Us.'

Shot from Canada, Norway, and Italy.

Brilliant Video Steve!!!! The is the first Vid that I heard Walt's Welcome!

 

[Disone]

Brilliant Video Steve!!!! The is the first Vid that I heard Walt's Welcome!

They really need to tweak that so that Walt's "Welcome" can be better heard.

 

[jrhwdw]

They really need to tweak that so that Walt's "Welcome" can be better heard.

Is it really softer that the other Welcomes?

 

[UNCgolf]

IP? Pacing? All the cards shown too soon?

Its overall better than Humungous so that’s a plus.

My only real complaint is the music, which isn't very good. It's not bad -- it's just kind of bland and generic.

I'd prefer no IP too but that was never going to happen.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

The opening and closing of the show is proof that Disney could produce a wholly original show if they wanted to.

The IP medley that makes up the middle, feels like a concession to upper management and where the pacing and blending of the songs becomes choppy.

It would be interesting to see an alternative version where the movie songs were replaced with EPCOT specific music.

 

[TheEPCOTHistorian]

My only real complaint is the music, which isn't very good. It's not bad -- it's just kind of bland and generic.

This. The only improvement I felt was the mariachi cover of Proud Corazon/EPCOT Anthem.

The original version of So Close is so good that it's kind of hard to top it, so I kind of expected that one.

 

[wdwmagic]

The opening and closing of the show is proof that Disney could produce a wholly original show if they wanted to.

The IP medley that makes up the middle, feels like a concession to upper management and where the pacing and blending of the songs becomes choppy.

It would be interesting to see an alternative version where the movie songs were replaced with EPCOT specific music.

Remember that the creatives are only doing what they have been briefed to do, and that brief was to include IP.

 

[Disone]

The opening and closing of the show is proof that Disney could produce a wholly original show if they wanted to.

The IP medley that makes up the middle, feels like a concession to upper management and where the pacing and blending of the songs becomes choppy.

It would be interesting to see an alternative version where the movie songs were replaced with EPCOT specific music.

So EPCOT Forever sans Whole New World in the middle?

No thank you.

I could get behind maybe a new version of One Little Spark replacing "You Got a Friend Like Me" piece. But even that part in growing on me. It's actually quite short but has some really good pow in the fireworks design. So it kind of delivers the goods and gets rewarded with some mid show applause from the crowd.

 

[Disone]

Is it really softer that the other Welcomes?

No. But the fireworks are louder and they drown it out.

 

[UNCgolf]

This. The only improvement I felt was the mariachi cover of Proud Corazon/EPCOT Anthem.

The original version of So Close is so good that it's kind of hard to top it, so I kind of expected that one.

I'm not a big fan of their use of covers in general -- people typically want to hear the version they know; not a new, alternate rendition -- but I know it's sometimes unavoidable when doing medleys etc. as part of shows.

I don't think the two original songs are good either, though. They're just generic pop.

 

[UNCgolf]

So EPCOT Forever sans Whole New World in the middle?

No thank you.

I could get behind maybe a new version of One Little Spark replacing "You Got a Friend Like Me" piece. But even that part in growing on me. It's actually quite short but has some really good pow in the fireworks design. So it kind of delivers the goods and gets rewarded with some mid show applause from the crowd.

I don't think he meant EPCOT Forever style -- I think he meant new original music.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

I don't think he meant EPCOT Forever style -- I think he meant new original music.

New original music, or new arrangements of songs written for EPCOT. Not necessarily how they were done in Forever.

 

[jrhwdw]

No. But the fireworks are louder and they drown it out.

Yep, Thanks!

 

[Disney Analyst]

So EPCOT Forever sans Whole New World in the middle?

No thank you.

I could get behind maybe a new version of One Little Spark replacing "You Got a Friend Like Me" piece. But even that part in growing on me. It's actually quite short but has some really good pow in the fireworks design. So it kind of delivers the goods and gets rewarded with some mid show applause from the crowd.

I agree that the play section is actually quite good, I think people immediately turned the nose up at it, but frankly it's a quick section, the musical arrangement takes you almost until the midway point until you realize it's "You've Got a Friend in Me", and then "Friend Like Me" is super brief, and the pyro design is fun!

I've watched various videos, over various nights, and that section seems to illicit a pretty loud audience response.

 

[Disone]

I don't think he meant EPCOT Forever style -- I think he meant new original music.

I considered that but he still said EPCOT specific music and it doesn't get any more EPCOT specific than Veggie Fruit Fruit, Tomorrow's Child, It's Fun to be Free, Universe of Energy, Imagination....

I do love the inclusion of Toprak's new EPCOT music through out Luminous.

Ok maybe I can be swayed. lol

 

[TheEPCOTHistorian]

I'm not a big fan of their use of covers in general.

The fact that royalties contribute to the constant use of covers rather than the original is slightly infuriating.

 

[SoFloMagic]

IP? Pacing? All the cards shown too soon?

Its overall better than Humungous so that’s a plus.

I think it does an ok job holding back a few elements - notably the two elements Steve wrote the post about. The big early giveaway is the perimeter shots. Maybe they should have used the b-mode shots from the barges at the intro and saved the perims for a little extra in the finale?

But certainly a better job hiding tricks that harm. Giving away the trick that the arms shoot fireworks in the first act was a joke.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Personally I think the perimeters are such a well known Epcot staple at this point, them being early in the show doesn’t make much difference.

This is probably one of the best shows in a while for keeping elements hidden until the end of the show. And as it’s pretty much a traditional fireworks show for a change, I think what they keep until the end works.

 

[doctornick]

The opening and closing of the show is proof that Disney could produce a wholly original show if they wanted to.

The IP medley that makes up the middle, feels like a concession to upper management and where the pacing and blending of the songs becomes choppy.

It would be interesting to see an alternative version where the movie songs were replaced with EPCOT specific music.

I think the choppiness is more due to the narration than an intrinsic issue with the songs.