News Reflections of Earth confirmed to be replaced by Harmonious

Crazydisneyfanluke

Crazydisneyfanluke

Well-Known Member
PorterRedkey said:
I am very critical of this show, but I went in expecting to like it.

I am rooting for Disney! I want them to recapture the spirit of Disney, but with each new addition (Toy Story Land, GE, Spiderman Mania, Avenger's "campus", The CREATIONS Shop,) I grow more and more disheartened. The kite show is an embarrassment. I am not some troll that hates all new things Disney. (love RSR, HEA and Pandora) I still have high hopes for Enchantment, but after last night I am reining in my expectations.

Disney used to be the best at what they do. That just isn't the case anymore. Quality used to win out. It was that high quality that kept me coming back. Now, it is the lowest "acceptable" quality. A lot of surface level quality, good for social media, but soulless like HarmonioUS.

"How much can we cut and get away with it?", seems to be the mantra. Leave eyesores in the lagoon permanently rather that go with the original plan of widening the canal and a new marina. Disney think "It's fine, we gave up on sight-lines long ago". Does anyone think there would be any thought of blending ToT with Morocco with today's management? Of course not.

I used to go to the WDW multiple time per year even while living in Indiana. I was so much fun I couldn't wait to get back. I haven't been to WDW since 2017. Sure I have been to Disneyland and DLPR, but not my old home park. Having worked at EPCOT Center in 1992, it breaks my heart what it has become.

I still love some of the attraction, but the overall experience is so diminished. I can image spending 3/4 weeks per year on vacation at WDW anymore.

I am planning on going to Tokyo when this pandemic thing calms down. Hopefully, I can get my love of Disney parks back there. A Disney property, with a management company that still believe quality wins out. TDR you're my only hope.
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10000%

This isn't the pandemic. This has been happening since the early 2000s.

RIP Spectromagic
 
C

Cliff

Well-Known Member
I was there last night. If I could sum up the entire show with one word? It would be:..."Hollow".

It never touched me in any kind of emotional way. It was just a normal Disney medley randomly stitched together with pretty colors and fireworks. It didn't even transition to the different Disney songs very well.

I didn't feel like it "told" me anything. I felt absolutely nothing and that is strange for me to say about ANY Disney Nighttime Spectacular.

There was nothing meaningful in it that I could see. It literally felt empty.

It didn't feel "Epcot" in any way at all. It didn't "feel" like ANYthing at all really.

It wouldn't really properly fit in ANY Disney park.

How weird.....
 
Coaster Lover

Coaster Lover

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
Watched it again from a single camera angle... feels a little less disjointed... and visually, it's an AMAZING show (seriously, a feast for the eyes)... but still... a single theme/song to tie it all together... maybe with some well placed narration to drive the message better... would have done wonders to improve this... (here's the one I watched for reference)

 
D

djsamuel

New Member
MisterPenguin said:
Much better video than the Park's live stream. The Park's live stream had me doubting if there were any fireworks since they piped just the music and no ambient sounds (except crowds cheering at the end of each section), and the close up of the barges cut out all the fireworks.

After seeing these two videos my impressions:

Fireworks were OK to good. Not very spectacular or special, but not bad.

There was a lot of mushy, overlapping, overkill in both the music and the barges and lighting.

First: the light show: Really good at times, and also really bad at times. The bad times were when there were too many colors used all at once. Not pretty at all. Like a kindergartener's hand painting in which they used all the colors and it was a muddy mess. The good times were when the lighting effects were understated, mostly monochrome, and gently moving (as what happened with the softer, slower music).

Also, for every nighttime show everywhere: Please stop using lasers to create more than 2D static images. They can't draw moving objects or animation without a strobe effect which is freaking awful. Just. Stop. It.

Second: the music: Can't even say it was *really* good at times. There were some good spots. But then, it became too over-orchestrated. Too much of a diva riffing on top of an orchestral mess. The mash-up of How Far I'll go and Go the Distance started out OK, but then became the visual equivalent of an ink blot. I did like they recorded the music with new singers and not just lifted from the soundtracks... except they *didn't* rerecord "Out There" with the wicked fast vibrato. Worst is that the singers of the Hunchback music in other languages imitated that insane vibrato. You don't sing every syllable with a strong vibrato. Just. Stop. It.

I'll defend HEA's narrative arc. I'll do the same for Harmonious if I ever find one. <burn!>

I thought that they might make an effort to pay tribute to each of the World Showcase pavilions. And they came close with representations for Mexico, China, America, Morocco, France, and UK. Oh and the African Outpost got a huge shout out with a tribute to the country of Africa!

Greece and India also got represented! Two new national pavilions confirmed!!

But poor Norway, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Canada were left out in the cold. All the Axis Powers!!!

I know that Frozen is often seen as overplayed, but... c'mon. Into the Unknown would have been perfect. And it's already recorded in like two dozen languages. If you're going to please the crowds with IP... there's some low hanging fruit that's also really good.
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Agree with this 100%. What the heck did Disney do with their livestream? Watching the WDWMagic video is like watching a different show. There were actually quite a bit more fireworks than appeared in the Disney livestream and the second video had a much better perspective that showed the true size of the entire show. Still don't like the music but I do feel better about the show in general. Plannng on getting over there Thursday to see it and now actually looking forward to it.
 
HauntedPirate

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
Disney Analyst said:
This footage is actually pretty good, really immerses you in the show, shows off the lasers well. It is truly a stunning show.



Are there some things I would adjust or do to make it better? Absolutely.

Is it the utter failure many on here are trying to make it out to be? Absolutely not.
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We found the one person who liked it! 😉
CaptainAmerica said:
Pay attention sweetheart. I'm not making an artistic defense of the show. I'm saying "people like Iron Man more than they like Citizen Kane."
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That’s the biggest thing - Today, by and large, people are stupid. At least moreso than 20 years ago. Disney designs for the lowest common denominator now, which they believe to be basically the stupid, unwashed masses who gobble up whatever movie and merchandise they pump out and gleefully ask for more of the same while handing over their wallet and credit cards. But if they raised their own bar a bit, they may be surprised to find that even more people would like things.

Was this a Steve Davison design? Forgive me for not looking back in this thread, I’m running in 4 hours of sleep.

If people think the show is good and this forum is just an echo chamber… how do you explain the thousands on Twitter and other social media platforms who are calling Harm a 💩 show?
 
Cmdr_Crimson

Cmdr_Crimson

Well-Known Member
HauntedPirate said:
That’s the biggest thing - Today, by and large, people are stupid. At least moreso than 20 years ago. Disney designs for the lowest common denominator now, which they believe to be basically the stupid, unwashed masses who gobble up whatever movie and merchandise they pump out and gleefully ask for more of the same while handing over their wallet and credit cards. But if they raised their own bar a bit, they may be surprised to find that even more people would like things.

Was this a Steve Davison design? Forgive me for not looking back in this thread, I’m running in 4 hours of sleep.

If people think the show is good and this forum is just an echo chamber… how do you explain the thousands on Twitter and other social media platforms who are calling Harm a 💩 show?
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This is known as the "Jingle Keys" effect....Just jingle them and people will praise it's amazement and wonder...
DSk6Xr.gif
 
heapster411

heapster411

Well-Known Member
Watched it last night on the Disney Park blog. RoE set the bar for what this HAD to beat, IMHO it didn't even come close. I was waiting for something to Grab me, but was let down. After the finale, I was just standing there going " That's it?". RoE shown us what they could do, what they could upgrade and dazzle us with, and THIS is the finale product? This is what they are going to hang the Epcot experience for the 50 Year Celebration on? Words escape me.
 
T

tallica

Well-Known Member
Coaster Lover said:
Watched it again from a single camera angle... feels a little less disjointed... and visually, it's an AMAZING show (seriously, a feast for the eyes)... but still... a single theme/song to tie it all together... maybe with some well placed narration to drive the message better... would have done wonders to improve this... (here's the one I watched for reference)

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For me , the floats and fireworks were very repetitive and boring.
 
Amused to Death

Amused to Death

Well-Known Member
Sir_Cliff said:
…what is impressive about a giant screen that's been sitting out in plain sight all day playing video clips?

For the most part, viewers are also going to be far away from them and most probably won't even have a clear view.
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I‘d rather they put QR codes around the fence and had kiddies watch clips on their phones. No problems with view for those who‘ve got to see a monkey’s face in order to know they’re listening to a tune from Jungle Book.

Sir_Cliff said:
I would have been more impressed if they had of come up with something that more successfully used the space of the lagoon. This is all rather contained in the middle. At least on video, the fountains also don't look particularly amazing.
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A Bellagio style fountain show that fills the entire lagoon is what I’d rather see. And when the show isn’t running, no unsightly hardware to have to look at.
 

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