Nighttime Spectacles: Rank 'Em

How do they rank?

  • Fantasmic!, IllumiNations, Wishes

    Votes: 11 8.0%
  • Fantasmic!, Wishes, IllumiNations

    Votes: 16 11.7%
  • IllumiNations, Fantasmic!, Wishes

    Votes: 14 10.2%
  • IllumiNations, Wishes, Fantasmic!

    Votes: 52 38.0%
  • Wishes, Fantasmic!, IllumiNations

    Votes: 18 13.1%
  • Wishes, IllumiNations, Fantasmic!

    Votes: 26 19.0%

  • Total voters
    137

spectro0294

New Member
I have a love for all things MK, especially the nighttime entertainment. Wishes is my favorite but ROE is right behind it and Fantasmic right behind it. It's actually very close.
 

Pongo

New Member
Illuminations, Fantasmic!, Wishes

I love Illuminations as if it were my own child. It's an amazing show with an amazing soundtrack. Perfect.

I've never seen Fantasmic!, but I know I would like it better than Wishes.

Wishes just doesn't do it for me. I have to agree with OP, it's just fireworks to a soundtrack. And very little fireworks at that.
 

BwanaBob

Well-Known Member
Illuminations, Remember, Wishes, FitS, Fantasmic.

(I grade on the different use of elements, unique soundtracks timed correctly,
and the variety of visuals.)

...sorry. Fantasmic just doesn't do it for me either. :(
 

alanindy

New Member
Ok, Im' going to cheat a bit and say "Remember, Dreams Come True" at Disneyland. It beats ALL of the shows at WDW. Otherwise, Illuminations, Wishes, and then a distant third for WDW's Fantasmic, as the Disneyland version is much more enjoyable. If you can get any chance to see the 50th Anniv. fireworks show at Disneyland, do it!! It alone is almost worth the trip to Disneyland. No, I'm not a Disneyland snob.... heh heh, just that they have finally gotten the best Disney fireworks show so far and it's 17 min of exhuberance, magic, fun, amazement, and memories. I saw Wishes and Remember, about 4 months apart and Wishes cant hold a candle (roman candle maybe?) to the Disneyland show. (and I DO like Wishes!)
 

CThaddeus

New Member
I'm pretty much with you, alanindy. Here's my list, with Disneyland included:
1. Remember Dreams Come True
2. Reflections of Earth
3. Disneyland's Fantasmic!
4. Wishes
5. Sorcery in the Sky
6. Luminaria
7. Disney World's Fantasmic! (if you're going to duplicate it, you should either duplicate it or PLUS it...not make it cheaper)


Also, shouldn't the nighttime parades be in here as well? Or is it just shows involving fireworks?
 

SpenceMan01

Well-Known Member
Fantasmic!, Wishes, and then [Spence dawns his flameproof pants] RoE (it doesn't deserve the title of Illuminations).

Illuminations will be, forever in my eyes, the pre-millenium Epcot show. All the countries get a piece of the spotlight in the beginning, then all are lit and then are united for the rest of the show. We used to end every (EVERY, EVERY, EVERY) Disney day at Epcot watching Illuminations. We got there in 2000, and to our horror, this shortened, abstracted and completely different version of "Iluminations" has replaced our beloved show. Well, my parents still haven't gotten over it and hate RoE. I have started coming around to it by way of the music (it's starting to latch onto me).

I saw Fantasmic and Wishes for the first time on my last trip and I was blown out of the water, especially Fantasmic. It's an awesome show that embodies the "Disney message" (good triumphs over evil). The scale of the show and the quality of the effects are awesome, and I just can never get the music out of my head!

Wishes always brings a tear to my eye (especially the little girl singing..."starlight starbright, first star I see tonight..." So touching.
 

mousermerf

Account Suspended
I've never liked Fantasmic.

Luckey me - I've also gotten to see it get worse with age.

I went into Fantasmic with no expectations except for the fact that my friend loved it. I was really dissapointed and those bubble and villian morph sequences are just yuck - boring.

From there, i've seen it with next to zero dancers, the snake not moving, the fireworks not going off, the flames not working, the water screens blowing onto the entire audience, the show having to restart toward the begining, the barges running into each others, the torches burning out, the performers climbing the mountain slipping, ariel having a sheet tossed over her head, and once only like 10 characters on steamboat willy at the end.

To the person who said Fantasmic has crowd control - have you ever been in the standing room only? It's worse than anything I've ever experience and i've worked crowd control on NYE at other parks.

Bleh. It's the show that keeps on giving... me reasons never to see it again.

So, Illuminations: ROE, Wishes, Craptastic ;)
 

ZapperZ

Well-Known Member
I do not like Fantasmic either. I don't hate it, but it's not something I look forward to seeing, unlike Illuminations and Wishes. Illuminations has THE best music to accompany a fireworks/light show. That's the only reason why I rank it ahead of Wishes.

I would rank it is Illuminations, Wishes, SpectroMagic, and Fantasmic. (I would consider SpectroMagic as a night time spectacle).

Zz.
 

jaredliu

Active Member
CThaddeus said:
I'm pretty much with you, alanindy. Here's my list, with Disneyland included:
1. Remember Dreams Come True
2. Reflections of Earth
3. Disneyland's Fantasmic!
4. Wishes
5. Sorcery in the Sky
6. Luminaria
7. Disney World's Fantasmic! (if you're going to duplicate it, you should either duplicate it or PLUS it...not make it cheaper)
Coundn't aggree with you more. While MGM's Fantasmic is just horribly bad, DL's version is amazingly good.
 

Nemo14

Well-Known Member
speck76 said:
It was always Illuminations for me (in its various forms) until Wishes came to be.....but in the last few months, Illuminations is back at number 1, while Wishes is a close second.....Fantasmic is a distant 3rd (Sorcery in the Sky would be in front of Fantasmic)
I loved Sorcery in the Sky too!
 

CAPTAIN HOOK

Well-Known Member
Illuminations is easily the best night show at WDW - I've not seen Wishes yet so can't honestly say whether it should be second or Fantasmic
 

PintoColvig

Active Member
Wishes, Illuminations, Fantasmic

Wishes first because it takes me back to my first trip to MK when I first saw fireworks over the castle. Also, because I happened to be at MK in Oct. '03 when the first showing of Wishes happened. :king:

Illuminations second because it is just a danged good show. Very impressive and quite inspiring. :dazzle:

Fantasmic last. The reason is probably because the first time I saw it I was at the very top of the amphitheater. Being so far removed from the images and action made the show just so-so for me. I don't think I've ever recovered from the disappointment. :cool:

This poll is missing my favorite night-time spectacle SpectroMagic, which sums up much of the Disney magic for me.
 

MouseMadness

Well-Known Member
PintoColvig said:
Wishes, Illuminations, Fantasmic

Wishes first because it takes me back to my first trip to MK when I first saw fireworks over the castle. Also, because I happened to be at MK in Oct. '03 when the first showing of Wishes happened. :king:

Illuminations second because it is just a danged good show. Very impressive and quite inspiring. :dazzle:

Fantasmic last. The reason is probably because the first time I saw it I was at the very top of the amphitheater. Being so far removed from the images and action made the show just so-so for me. I don't think I've ever recovered from the disappointment. :cool:

This poll is missing my favorite night-time spectacle SpectroMagic, which sums up much of the Disney magic for me.

Dude! I totally saw you!! :eek: :lol: Maybe not, but we were there too. :)

My favorites are the same order as yours, too.
Wishes, Illuminations, Fantasmic

Doh! Should probably remember to go vote. :eek:
 

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