News Reflections of Earth confirmed to be replaced by Harmonious

[Vinnie Mac]

I don’t mind this sarcastically at all but I find it odd people aren’t picking up on the theme of the show. Music is international and connects us all. That’s simplifying it I suppose but I feel it’s just as clear as ROE was in its story. I can’t think of anyone outside of maybe one friend who actually knew what each segment of ROE represented story wise.

I get it when people say they can’t see the story and j think the lack of flow can add to this feeling but I also feel like it’s fairly obvious. Once again, not snarky at all!

I don't really get it either. Sure, there's not a direct "story" (I made up my own story for the show lol) per se but there is a message and that message is fairly easy to pick up on.

 

[bcoachable]

Wouldn’t it have helped tell the story of “Music around the world (dancing and singing per Penguin)” if they would have lit up the country they were trying to represent as the song played?

Idk… I just miss old Epcot- I’m going to back out of this conversation slowly….

 

[aladdin2007]

Wouldn’t it have helped tell the story of “Music around the world (dancing and singing per Penguin)” if they would have lit up the country they were trying to represent as the song played?

Idk… I just miss old Epcot- I’m going to back out of this conversation slowly….

agree your not alone

 

[Vinnie Mac]

Wouldn’t it have helped tell the story of “Music around the world (dancing and singing per Penguin)” if they would have lit up the country they were trying to represent as the song played?

Idk… I just miss old Epcot- I’m going to back out of this conversation slowly….

I don't think this is one of the necessary improvement for the shows. The whole point is that you're focused on the action in the lagoon. Anytime the pavilions are involved outside of a holiday tag, it's to compliment the fireworks or the music, not the other way around.

 

[Vinnie Mac]

Apparently guest surveys are suggesting this show is not resonating with guests as expected. The most frequent comment is unhappiness around the movies included in the show and the musical choices have not been well received. No 'Encanto', but expect musical changes and maybe a Pixar movie addition.

What Pixar movie?

 

[bcoachable]

I don't think this is one of the necessary improvement for the shows. The whole point is that you're focused on the action in the lagoon. Anytime the pavilions are involved outside of a holiday tag, it's to compliment the fireworks or the music, not the other way around.

Main Street projections during the Enchantment show would like a word with you sir

 

[Vinnie Mac]

Main Street projections during the Enchantment show would like a word with you sir

Even then, those just compliment the action going on at and behind the castle. The show could survive without them.

 

[bcoachable]

Even then, those just compliment the action going on at and behind the castle. The show could survive without them.

Your making my point! The harmonious show needs them to help tell the story- but we all know - neither your thoughts or mine matter. WDW listens to us just about the same way those ducks around the water next to the Mexico pavilion will be paying attention to Jarnormous tonight.

 

[Incomudro]

There was a time, and we don't even have to go back to the original Epcot for it - when a pitch for something like Harmonious would be immediately rejected.
Pitch: "We can make a show involving huge video screens with projections and fountains!"
Response: "Sounds great!" "How do we do that?" "Does the apparatus to pull this off float in and out from the backstage area like the globe does?"
Pitch: "No." "We can't do that." "The barges will be permanently moored in the lake."
Response: "Absolutely not!" "It doesn't matter ho impressive that show might look, we are not cluttering up the lake and blocking the views all around it all day long just for a 30 minute long nightly show."
"Come up with something else."

 

[Texas84]

Finally saw this last week. It was OK, I still hate the mess during the day but it looks good at night. Thought it was technically impressive, the IP parts were just OK, but thought the ending was awesome. Love the original music.

 

[WDWJoeG]

There was a time, and we don't even have to go back to the original Epcot for it - when a pitch for something like Harmonious would be immediately rejected.
Pitch: "We can make a show involving huge video screens with projections and fountains!"
Response: "Sounds great!" "How do we do that?" "Does the apparatus to pull this off float in and out from the backstage area like the globe does?"
Pitch: "No." "We can't do that." "The barges will be permanently moored in the lake."
Response: "Absolutely not!" "It doesn't matter ho impressive that show might look, we are not cluttering up the lake and blocking the views all around it all day long just for a 30 minute long nightly show."
"Come up with something else."

Yup. Because they just don't care. Period.

The beautiful, masterful design of the World Showcase allowing cross-lagoon views of the various identifiable, iconic country buildings is one of the most unique and incredible designs in amusement park history.

Naaaaah, just park them there all day. Who cares what those "theme nerds" say.

Hey why you're at it, you know that perfectly balanced, symmetrical Future World CommuniCore thing, got an idea....

It is to weep.

 

[James Alucobond]

I was under the impression that they at least cared enough to plan for things to be done right but then made absolutely horrid decisions throughout the process as cuts were made (e.g. replacing the 360° centerpiece with something two-dimensional instead of just globally scaling back on systems/complexity, cutting the expanded backstage storage area, thinking they could somehow cloak steel behemoths with water, etc.). The result is equally bad and reflects just as poorly on them, but it seems like the main problem is that they have tremendous cost management issues and have their priorities out of whack. Detail and respect for the visual integrity of the park are always axed before spectacle.

 

[HauntedPirate]

Show is dead. #ThanksBob

 

[GladToBeHear]

I'm sure this question has come up before. But was a World of Color-type water show ever proposed to replace ROE? I saw WOC several years ago on a DL trip and thought it was fantastic in person. Seems like that would've been a perfect fit for this park. Seriously, blocking the view of the countries across the lake is a HUGE oversight. Unacceptable if I was on the team that planned this redo. Not to mention the other issues with the viewing limitations of the flat centerpiece, the off-center placement of the platforms, etc.

 

[GladToBeHear]

I was under the impression that they at least cared enough to plan for things to be done right but then made absolutely horrid decisions throughout the process as cuts were made (e.g. replacing the 360° centerpiece with something two-dimensional instead of just globally scaling back on systems/complexity, cutting the expanded backstage storage area, thinking they could somehow cloak steel behemoths with water, etc.). The result is equally bad and reflects just as poorly on them, but it seems like the main problem is that they have tremendous cost management issues and have their priorities out of whack. Detail and respect for the visual integrity of the park are always axed before spectacle.

Lots of strange decisions as of late and (relatively) poor planning/design execution that I'm not used to seeing around the parks.

 

[Vinnie Mac]

Your making my point! The harmonious show needs them to help tell the story- but we all know - neither your thoughts or mine matter. WDW listens to us just about the same way those ducks around the water next to the Mexico pavilion will be paying attention to Jarnormous tonight.

I don't think the show needs them to tell the story. Wishes and HEA did fine without MSUSA projections and Illuminations would have done well without the pavilion lights. The pavilion lights just liven up the show atmosphere and I'd say it does that fine in HarmonioUS (or Jarnormous as you so eloquently call it lol)

 

[Vinnie Mac]

I'm sure this question has come up before. But was a World of Color-type water show ever proposed to replace ROE? I saw WOC several years ago on a DL trip and thought it was fantastic in person. Seems like that would've been a perfect fit for this park. Seriously, blocking the view of the countries across the lake is a HUGE oversight. Unacceptable if I was on the team that planned this redo. Not to mention the other issues with the viewing limitations of the flat centerpiece, the off-center placement of the platforms, etc.

I love WOC but outside of DCA, I prefer actual show hardware/set pieces over fountains.

 

[nickys]

I'm sure this question has come up before. But was a World of Color-type water show ever proposed to replace ROE? I saw WOC several years ago on a DL trip and thought it was fantastic in person. Seems like that would've been a perfect fit for this park. Seriously, blocking the view of the countries across the lake is a HUGE oversight. Unacceptable if I was on the team that planned this redo. Not to mention the other issues with the viewing limitations of the flat centerpiece, the off-center placement of the platforms, etc.

I’m sure it was said a long time ago now that originally the plan was to have moved the barges and stargate out each night. When” others” realised how long the bridge would be up for, the decision was taken to leave them out in the lagoon.

The barge placement has been covered in the last couple of pages.

 

[Sir_Cliff]

I personally was NOT bothered by the inclusion of animated film music, but I did find it forced and peculiar. The show didn’t make sense; the theme of the show was legitimately unclear. A good high school English teacher would categorize this problem in an essay as having a poor thesis statement and not having a supporting argument (perhaps even a “run-on-sentence version of a nighttime Disney show”).

This is one of the things that puzzles me about the show. If they had to go the IP route, the initial proposal connecting music to the languages, cultures, and countries that inspired the films seemed like it could have made for a reasonably appropriate World Showcase show. That really doesn't seem to come across, though, with no clear narrative thread connecting the pieces of music nor even really that much of a connection to the world beyond the films, except, perhaps, in the use of different languages.

One glaring misstep to me is to have had this upbeat Coco segment ending with The World es mi Familia which could at least leave viewers with a sense of music connecting people and a sense of global harmony... then going into a long PatF segment based around the self-discovery message of Dig a Little Deeper. The appropriateness of The World es mi Familia for a WS show almost reads as a happy coincidence in a show that otherwise had very little thought given to the selection of music or pacing.

 

[GladToBeHear]

I’m sure it was said a long time ago now that originally the plan was to have moved the barges and stargate out each night. When” others” realised how long the bridge would be up for, the decision was taken to leave them out in the lagoon.

The barge placement has been covered in the last couple of pages.

I was aware of the original intention to move the barges in/out like ROE. And again -- it's shocking to me that this wasn't fully worked out during project planning. And I'm aware of the reason for the placement. I just would've altered the utilities and/or the barges to compensate. It seems like an important detail to me.

Which brings me back to my original question about if something like WOC was considered since the fountains/equipment would all be hidden during the day.