Illuminations...am I the only one?

[DznyGrlSD]

...who's not all that impressed with it?

I dunno, granted - the last time I saw it was in 2004 but it's just 'meh' for me. Fantasmic, Wishes, & Spectro are WAYYYY better IMHO. I'm going to be checking it out again in December because I'm going with a Disney-Virgin but...:shrug:

Discuss. Flame away :lookaroun

 

[mickeypal1]

I love it! It is a great way to end the day at Epcot. It even makes me cry.

 

[CrashNet]

Blasphemy!!!

I'm teasing. While I'm a huge fan of it, its understandable not everyone would like the show. Wishes and all of its iterations (the holiday and special event shows) are great.

Just out of curiosity have you seen Illuminations during the holidays as you are this year?

 

[Laufschneller65]

IMHO, Illuminations is my favorite, yes Wishes and Fantasmic have the Disney theme to it. But Illuminations is so wonderful, and the meaning behind it is so beautiful, the music is so amazing, and you can't beat the fireworks anywhere else. People who I've taken to see it for the first time love it, and I listen to the soundtrack myself all the time. It may just be a matter of taste, you prefer the Disney Animated Theme to your shows, where as I prefer a show that inspires. which is what Epcot as a whole does for me

 

[DznyGrlSD]

Blasphemy!!!

I'm teasing. While I'm a huge fan of it, its understandable not everyone would like the show. Wishes and all of its iterations (the holiday and special event shows) are great.

Just out of curiosity have you seen Illuminations during the holidays as you are this year?

I have not seen "holiday-Illuminations" and I'm actually looking forward to it this year. Maybe it's shallow of me, but I just don't 'get' Illuminations. I'm college-educated so maybe I'll have to pay more attention to the meaning behind it this year :hammer:

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

Blasphemy!!!

:ROFLOL:

What is there NOT to like ???? Its a brilliant show of image projections, lasers and fireworks set to music - watch it again and become inspired

 

[kstella]

I'm kind of over Illuminations too. The first time was great, the second time okay, now I'd rather not deal with the crowd and you have to stake out your place so far ahead of time to get decent viewing... I've never liked Fantasmic and the last time I went was only because I was with people who had never seen it before.

 

[CrashNet]

I have not seen "holiday-Illuminations" and I'm actually looking forward to it this year. Maybe it's shallow of me, but I just don't 'get' Illuminations. I'm college-educated so maybe I'll have to pay more attention to the meaning behind it this year :hammer:

I think you might be posting a change of heart this year.

You haven't seen anything until you see the Christmas version of Reflections of Earth.

As for finding the meaning...We Go On gets me everytime. I'm a tough guy, but that song strikes a cord every time I hear it and I get a little teary eyed. *sniff* I think what sets it above everything else for me is the fact that there is nothing about Disney in it. Its about life, love, hard times, how we got here, and where we're headed. Makes you want to hug the person beside you. By the way, wouldn't do that if the person beside isn't someone you know. I kept getting strange looks. :lol:

 

[Phonedave]

Yes, something is very very wrong with you and you need to get it corrected


Nah, its different strokes for different folks. Just because I happen to think its the best show going, does not mean your feelings as they pertain to you are wrong.

The thing about it for me, at least, is that the message in it is more "mature". The whole wishes thing and Fantasmic thing are - well, to invite some flaming myself - kind of hokey. The "power of dreams" and "what you wish for" just seems, well, sort of childish to me. I know, Disney is for the child in all of us.

However, I find the message in I:RoE much more "adult" and moving, and for lack of a better word "real". The history of the Earth and the human race. All that we have done, good and bad, and all we continue to do, and despite it all "we go on". No magical wishing powder or fairy wand, just humankind and progress bought with the blood, tears, sweat, and courage of our brothers and sisters across time.

-dave

 

[vwayfan123]

i dont know how people can even compare fantasmic with illumintations. illuminations is so powerful, as is the music. fantasmic to me is just boring. i actually fell asleep during it once. wait until the holiday illuminations after thanksgiving. im sure you will be impressed.

 

[vwayfan123]

I'm kind of over Illuminations too. The first time was great, the second time okay, now I'd rather not deal with the crowd and you have to stake out your place so far ahead of time to get decent viewing... I've never liked Fantasmic and the last time I went was only because I was with people who had never seen it before.

i worked at epcot for 5months and made it a point to see illuminations everynight, and i did. you really dont need to stake out a spot, i would walk to the world showcase from FW as its starting and see it just fine. I dont think i could EVER get over illuminations. maybe because i was getting paid to see it?:wave:

 

[MythBuster]

I think many people just don't know the real story about it. So they think it just fireworks, lights, video, lasers, and water. There is an actual story just like a play or a ride where they have different scenes and each one has a different meaning and there is a lot of symbolism also.

Acceleration
Chaos
Space
Life
Adventure
Home
Celebration
Meaning
We Go On

 

[Fade_to_Blah]

I really liked Illuminations, and hated Fantasmic. So yea, its completely reasonable to have different tastes than other people

 

[disneydiva72]

...who's not all that impressed with it?

I dunno, granted - the last time I saw it was in 2004 but it's just 'meh' for me. Fantasmic, Wishes, & Spectro are WAYYYY better IMHO. I'm going to be checking it out again in December because I'm going with a Disney-Virgin but...:shrug:

Discuss. Flame away :lookaroun

I'm with ya, I have seen it probably 3-4 times and now I'm like ......Ok, done.

 

[PeoplemoverTTA]

You haven't seen anything until you see the Christmas version of Reflections of Earth.

I agree with this wholeheartedly. I've only seen the current version of Illuminations maybe twice...it's not a must-do for my family, although I have been trying to get it on the "list."

In 2004, I pretty much made my family see Holiday Illuminations because I wanted to see and do everything that was themed for the holidays. We grabbed a nice bench early and two of us would go into shops or get coffee while the others waited on the bench. It was totally worth it.

I was bawling my eyes out during the holiday tag...first, Walter Cronkite conjured up memories of my first trip to WDW when I was 5 and rode SSE for the first time, then "Let There Be Peace on Earth" just totally made me lose it. Of all the places to be and hear a song like that, Epcot, and World Showcase, with representatives from all over the world together, epitomizes what that song is about (cheesy, yes, but I was incredibly moved).

Talking about it now, I feel that Illuminations has been under-appreciated by my family and I think I'm really going to push for us to see it next time.

 

[DisneyJoe]

The first 2 times I saw it, both from a bad viewpoint, I didn't "get it".

Then I saw it from 2 other great vantage points and its now one of my favorite events, we almost never miss it.

 

[Spike-in-Berlin]

You are not...

NO you are not. Illuminations was AWESOME in the early nineties but when they changed it, especially dropped all the classic music, it lost most of its spirit. The new music is BOOOOOOOOORING. The fireworks are less impressive too. To me Illuminations is definitely not a "must-see" as it was in 1991.

 

[Richie248]

I find Illuminations ROE to be an amazing show, and it is by far my favorite fireworks/nighttime show. I think one of the main reasons why I love it so much, is the setting of World Showcase, to me that is a really magical place at night. Take that, a great score and amazing pyro and effects, and you have perfection (well for me at least).

 

[cblodg]

...who's not all that impressed with it?

I dunno, granted - the last time I saw it was in 2004 but it's just 'meh' for me. Fantasmic, Wishes, & Spectro are WAYYYY better IMHO. I'm going to be checking it out again in December because I'm going with a Disney-Virgin but...:shrug:

Discuss. Flame away :lookaroun

No flaming. I LOVE IllumiNations! It is my favorite fireworks show at WDW. We had our last vacation to the World all planned out as to which parks we would do on which days and ADRs and such. Well Wednesday was the day that we were to go to Epcot.

I woke up that morning and my back was just soooooo stiff from trying to pull out the couch at OKW for a couple of nights. I couldn't believe that I threw my back out on vacation, at WDW no less. So my parents and family friends went to Epcot for the day while I was laid up in the hotel room. Around 9ish they all came back. I asked why they were missing IllumiNations, and they said that they couldn't go see it knowing that it was my favorite fireworks show there without me.

So the next day we did DHS (all that we wanted to do) and then went back to Epcot (to do some of the rides) and saw IllumiNations.

 

[donniedisney]

I am not a fan of illuminations.

It's having to sit through a boring class.....:zipit: