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

Vinnie Mac

Well-Known Member
Was thinking a lot about this last night.

If a new EPCOT show didn't have a completely original soundtrack, would y'all accept a soundtrack that takes elements of the cinematic soundtracks for different movies if it is appropriately applied to the show?

Like for example think about the first half of the villain segment in HEA. The music ain't entirely original but it fits very well
 

surfsupdon

Well-Known Member
Was thinking a lot about this last night.

If a new EPCOT show didn't have a completely original soundtrack, would y'all accept a soundtrack that takes elements of the cinematic soundtracks for different movies if it is appropriately applied to the show?

Like for example think about the first half of the villain segment in HEA. The music ain't entirely original but it fits very well
I often think of how some of the best Disney music is original park music content. Things like Illuminations, Spectro, MSEP, tapestry, etc. Thirds songs/instrumentals became as iconic as the classic Disney songs of the 90s and beyond.
Harmonious uses popular songs from Disney movies. Although the show was new, it had a “been there already” kind of vibe to it.
 

Bocabear

Well-Known Member
to me, Harmonious just felt like watching a lot of movie previews with each one having a finale...by the time the overall show had it's true finale, everyone around me seemed bored and clapped-out... there was no overall show arc... And seriously the movie clips were insulting... I know World Of Color's original show used film clips but it didn't feel like I was watching a 25 minute commercial. People around me were getting restless after the third been-there-done-that movie preview and finale... It lacked the pacing and story that other shows have... The group I was with all sort of agreed it was a one and done kind of thing. and none of us ever felt that way about ROE or the original show.... New tech and barges don't necessarily mean a better theatrical experience.
 

aladdin2007

Well-Known Member
to me, Harmonious just felt like watching a lot of movie previews with each one having a finale...by the time the overall show had it's true finale, everyone around me seemed bored and clapped-out... there was no overall show arc... And seriously the movie clips were insulting... I know World Of Color's original show used film clips but it didn't feel like I was watching a 25 minute commercial. People around me were getting restless after the third been-there-done-that movie preview and finale... It lacked the pacing and story that other shows have... The group I was with all sort of agreed it was a one and done kind of thing. and none of us ever felt that way about ROE or the original show.... New tech and barges don't necessarily mean a better theatrical experience.
this!! Yet they touted a new original score and theme song when they announced it, whatever happened to all that no idea. Its just what they went with is blaring, forced, and over done and no flow from thing to the next. Though I will say listening to the soundtrack at home on its own without the show has its moments, but its all all very forced.
 

Vinnie Mac

Well-Known Member
If the soundtrack for the new show isn't already finished, they should really contact Ludwig Göransson. I am a huge fan of what he did with Black Panther 2's soundtrack and Turning Red.

He could really bring that cinematic energy that Reflections of Earth had
 

fgmnt

Well-Known Member
"Thinking is hard, gimme movie clips! *grunt*"

RoE wasn't perfect, but it was very, very, very good.
At the end of the day, RoE was just old. It was old 5 years before they ended it. EPCOT needed leadership that understood what brought the crowds in for RoE: a straightforward fire and light show reaching into every nook and cranny of the lagoon viewing area equally, a well-paced show clearly directed by a composer that understood their assignment, and an experience completely unique to the park that you could take home. Leadership that bothered to watch it more than once in different locations and around different members of the audience may have proactively developed a new IllumiNations show, but instead the nighttime show at EPCOT got the same myopic and contemptuous treatment the rest of the park has been treated to since RoE first played.
 

HMF

Well-Known Member
At the end of the day, RoE was just old. It was old 5 years before they ended it. EPCOT needed leadership that understood what brought the crowds in for RoE: a straightforward fire and light show reaching into every nook and cranny of the lagoon viewing area equally, a well-paced show clearly directed by a composer that understood their assignment, and an experience completely unique to the park that you could take home. Leadership that bothered to watch it more than once in different locations and around different members of the audience may have proactively developed a new IllumiNations show, but instead the nighttime show at EPCOT got the same myopic and contemptuous treatment the rest of the park has been treated to since RoE first played.
I agree with the sentiment that they needed a better replacement show but I am firmly in the camp that RoE was timeless and did not need to be replaced.
 

RSoxNo1

Well-Known Member
The way Josh D'maro so casually announced its demise leads me to believe that Chapek was the only one behind the scenes who genuinely wanted this show.
I'm curious how early in the development it become a "Disney concert". The original announcement referred to it as HarmonioUS. That could have just been an un-clever gimmick or the change could have been indicative of a creative change on the show.
 

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
Given that the replacement is coming next year, i'm going to assume it will be a very hastily cobbled together swap out of the music and clips, but still use all of the same infrastructure (including the stargate and tacos). I also would assume IP will be included again as well. It doesn't seem likely that they're going to actually address any of the issues people have with Harmonious.
 

HMF

Well-Known Member
Given that the replacement is coming next year, i'm going to assume it will be a very hastily cobbled together swap out of the music and clips, but still use all of the same infrastructure (including the stargate and tacos). I also would assume IP will be included again as well. It doesn't seem likely that they're going to actually address any of the issues people have with Harmonious.
The cynic in me agrees with you but @wdwmagic is excited so I am cautiously optimistic for now.
 

MerlinTheGoat

Well-Known Member
The cynic in me agrees with you but @wdwmagic is excited so I am cautiously optimistic for now.
Yeah i'm actually only just reading through some of the thread and just noticed his comment. Guess we'll see. I still don't expect them to scrap the stargate and tacos though, they sunk a lot of money into them to just toss them out immediately. I at least wish they'd flatten them out or something though...
 

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