IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is almost 14 years old

[WDW95]

The show is the best nighttime show Disney has produced in my opinion. The score is perfect and I would hate to see it go. I do agree though that the middle is alittle stale and the globe is outdated.

 

[retroeric]

Nobody goes to Illuminations anymore, it's too crowded.

Ah a Yogi Berrism!

 

[FigmentJedi]

Don't get me wrong, it's a great show with a beautiful and heart warming soundtrack. But it's just gone a little stale in my opinion. How amazing would it be if they were to upgrade it to something World of Color style, while also uniting the countries like they did back in the 90s? That, to me, is what IllumiNations SHOULD be about. Giving each of the countries their little 30 seconds to shine. They could still use the earth globe, although maybe update it if possible. It has missing pixels which drives me nuts, and the video is low res (if I'm allowed to say that about a one-of-a-kind piece of technology!). Epcot in 2015 could certainly have something better.

I'd like to see the same thing as far as a technological upgrade, but maybe throw in Tapestry of Nations elements as far as story goes.

 

[PhotoDave219]

Drunks at Epcot are a Pet Peeve of mine. Next time, give me a call. I'll stroller them out to the far end of the parking lot.

Or just turn and say, "Hey, Dave! Shut the (HECK) up!" He'll behave. He knows the power of the stroller. @PhotoDave219 (Kidding. I'm sure Dave is not obnoxious when he drinks. I think. I hope. I have the stroller, just in case.)

Clearly I was not texting you while drunk and exhausted last night....

 

[copcarguyp71]

Given a choice between the two I would scrap/re-do Fantasmic and keep Illuminations over it. We finally did Fantasmic on our last trip for the first time and maybe it was the overwhelming build up that it gets but DW and I agree that it was just meh...some of the effects are very good like when Mickey conjures fire but most seemed like Disney could have done better. The worst was the projected video onto the water fans. I felt like my eyes just could not focus on the images and it just seemed like the storyline was a little hard to follow. Just one pixie dusters take on things though...I am sure there are many who feel opposite.

 

[tonganprince]

I love Illuminations, but Fantasmic is the best night time show out there.

I think Iluminations can be tweaked to make it even better. Add more fireworks!

 

[Dragonrider1227]

Well, considering this year was the first year I saw it, it was practically new to me

 

[HMF]

Would you like to see this replaced? Or do you still enjoy it the way it is? I would've asked this about Fantasmic (nearly 15 years old) but that one still seems really popular and beloved. But with IllumiNations I get the feeling people are ready for something different. Thoughts?

The show has a timeless message and only needs a few minor modifications. I don't trust Disney with replacing it. They already tore out most of the heart of Spaceship Earth, If they get rid of Reflections of Earth the park will become even more of an incoherent mess than it already is. New is not always the same as better.

 

[HMF]

How amazing would it be if they were to upgrade it to something World of Color style, while also uniting the countries like they did back in the 90s? That, to me, is what IllumiNations SHOULD be about. Giving each of the countries their little 30 seconds to shine..

I feel that the message of the show is about how the whole world is interconnected and giving each country it's 30 seconds really does not support that concept. Reflections of Earth has a much more universal and timeless message than the original IllumiNations which was basically just fireworks and each country having a segment with Classical Music from that country which is not as strong or important a concept as the message of International brotherhood and the power of the human spirit which Reflections of Earth depicts.

 

[Tom]

The emotion generated by these shows comes from the soundtracks, more than anything. The visuals add a second level of emotion, and awe, but the musical scores drive the goose bumps and tight throats. I can listen to Illuminations in my car, which I often do, and get almost the same feeling I do when seeing it, but the visual effects add that awesome level of entertainment to the emotional high.

With this said, I feel that the current Illuminations score can withstand the test of time, but the visuals need some love. I'm not sure what they could do, but the technology used is certainly dated. World of Color is incredible, and components of that show could do amazing things for Illuminations, but I fear the lagoon isn't conducive to installing the fountain system they'd need, which goes in a shallow, concrete pond.