News Reflections of Earth confirmed to be replaced by Harmonious

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Surfin' Tuna

Well-Known Member
I'm still torn on whether to go or not, but I'm sure I'll go and cry like a baby. Look for the grown man crying at the slow death of all things we love about Epcot
 
Crazydisneyfanluke

Crazydisneyfanluke

Well-Known Member
realBobChapek said:
I just remembered that I took a video when I saw this in 2018, so I checked the time stamp. My video was taken at 4:36 PM Eastern, but as you said the times vary. So lingering in the area between 4 and 5 PM would probably be a safe bet to see this one last time. Thanks!
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There are a few shady areas both side of the bridge to sit and wait with a nice drink.

I do not remember which way the bridge opens up. Anyone know?
 
danlb_2000

danlb_2000

Premium Member
Crazydisneyfanluke said:
There are a few shady areas both side of the bridge to sit and wait with a nice drink.

I do not remember which way the bridge opens up. Anyone know?
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It's hinged on the China side.

414297
 
hpyhnt 1000

hpyhnt 1000

Well-Known Member
trainplane3 said:
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Can we take a minute to acknowledge what an amazing piece of show equipment the earth globe is? The technical aspects of the thing are incredible. A 28 foot tall spherical sculpture of the earth that...
  • floats on its own barge.
  • can be maneuvered under its own power by a technician into the center of the lagoon in the dark using an infrared guidance system.
  • can rotate on a central axis.
  • is covered in tens of thousands of LEDs to create a spherical, full color LED screen.
  • is also covered with dozens of strobe lights, spotlights, and other lighting hardware.
  • can open itself into 6 individual pieces (still rotating and displaying video!) all while a central torch rises into the air.
  • contains its own fire and pyrotechnic effects that are shot out of that central torch.
  • is operated by multiple computers (running mid 90s software remember) that can execute all of the above systems in perfect sync with the music and other show effects.
  • contains its own on-board power supply to run everything above.
  • does everything I've listed while being completely exposed to the elements and has done so every night for 20 years (minus the time it was out for refurbishment in 2008).
Then there's the artistry of the whole thing. It's a representation of the earth where the countries and continents are illuminated to display images of nature and humanity - literally reflections of the earth on the earth. And then those same images get reflected on the surface of the lagoon. All in a show that's called IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Plus, there's the symbolism of the globe opening like a flower (a universal sign of beauty and life) while a towering torch rises from its center (symbolizing the passage of the 20th century in terms of the show's story, but can also be considered representative of humanity, courage, adventure, the light that leads us forward, etc.). There's so many layers it's just -chef's kiss-.

Granted, the earth globe wasn't perfect. It's arguably too small given the size of World Showcase; its LED screens weren't the sharpest, even after the 2008 upgrades; reliability of all its show effects has always been a challenge. I'd be curious what its final form would look like if it was being designed today.

But those shortcomings don't diminish what an amazing and ambitious piece of show equipment it is. It's sad to think it will likely be torn apart for scrap beginning October 1. Hopefully it gets a better end than that.
 

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