Japanese Taiko drums from Matsuriza as part of the beginning "call."
And later, Compass of Your Heart in Japanese and English
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EPCOT Reflections of Earth confirmed to be replaced by Harmonious
- Thread starter wdwmagic
- Start date
And later, Compass of Your Heart in Japanese and English
NeedMoreMickey
Well-Known Member
Got to see the new show Wednesday night. Enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I as going to after watching it on my compute. Was never really a fan of Illumninations because most of that show was on the spinning globe and I refused to wait an hour or more just for a spot up agains the fence so I could see it. I was back pretty far and didn’t have any problems seeing the Stargate or the tacos. One thing that bothered me there was a problem with the taco on the right looks like when your TV is going up and there are blocks of solid white in the picture. It would be solid white then go black, wad driving me crazy.
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TimeTrip
Well-Known Member
Finally got to see this on Friday night. With regards to RoE, I wasn't a fan of it when I was younger, but came to appreciate it later on. There is something about a score that is "consistent" and designed around fireworks that really work for me. Harmonious struck me as a concert where the fireworks and visuals had to be designed around the music. That being said, they *really* made it work and I had a wide grin on my face a few times in the back half. What they are able to do with all the moving pieces, screens, lasers, and spotlights on their high energy songs is *really* impressive.
Complaints wise:
Complaints wise:
- The pacing is all off. the PATF segment was the highlight of the "high energy" kinetics, but was overly loud and went on for a little bit too long.
- The beginning of the show was unclear. Especially when comparing to the opening drums of RoE.
- Lasers were inconsistent, and focused too heavily on drawing images. I mean it was cool to see the buildings for Aladdin segment, and the others, but with screens in place, what's the point. I really enjoy fan effects, and straight laser maneuvers over drawing in this case.
- The end of the show was way too short. I appreciated the dramatic cut to darkness, but the climactic ending didn't have enough buildup and it just ended too quickly. This leads to the issue where people aren't sure that the show is over, especially with the "post-show" display going on.
- Finally, its really just a "concert". Its song, applause, song, applause, song, applause, etc. There doesn't really feel like a "journey"
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Vinnie Mac
Well-Known Member
To be fair, anybody unfamiliar with ROE might think the slow segment of "We Go On" was the post-show until the music picked up.
It's just a consequence of Disney's finale before a finale style.
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This show grows on you the more you see it. I was in the MK and saw Enchantment (a good but not amazing show) and rode HM before being ushered out as it was Boo Bash. The enterance plaza was a mess, but the resort monorail wasn’t too bad. Soon I found myself about to board a monorail at 9:00 when it occurred to me, wait Harmonious shoots off at 9:45, and I realize I could make it. So instead I stayed on at the Contemporary, went to the TTC and lucked into a train in the station. I arrived at WS just after 9:30. It’s better then Enchantment, and the crowd was really digging it. Virtual Critics hold your opinion before you see it live a few times. This show is very good.
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Brenthodge
Well-Known Member
Have to agree, and I’ve still not even seen in person. Ive rewatched a few more times and, while I still think there are a lot of missed opportunities and poor transitions, it’s not as “hot mess” as I originally thought. I don’t live it, but I can see why it’s getting positive feedback…sadly.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
I decided to watch a second time to see if my opinion changed. It mostly didn't. There's a few moments I enjoy, and it stung less so I was able to accept it a little more, but all the issues I described in depth still hold true. To reiterate:
- Bad pacing.
- Overly long.
- Three minutes into the 20 minute show you've seen everything it's going to do.
- Way too much time spent watching the screens and fountains with little to no pyro. These segments feel like the barges are backdrops to a concert except there's no one performing the concert.
- The start and stop concert nature of the show has no flow or buildup of energy.
- For most of the show, the extreme energy of the music in no way matches the slowly morphing barges. It's like having someone scream at you to be excited as you stare at a screensaver.
- Audio mixing is terrible, flat, overlayered, and way too bombastic.
- PATF segment is the highest energy segment but is bombastic for long enough to be annoying.
- Ignoring the fact that none of it really fits with Epcot and the associations are entirely because they take place in that country and little else, several segments that do not fit at all even under those qualifications, like The Jungle Book.
- Images on the tacos are so cheap and also look like backdrops to non-existent performances, but for much of the show they are the main focus.
- The condescending handwave of "sung in different languages = culture and unity!!!"
This show is an absolute mess, and it's mind boggling that both times I watched it, I heard a few people proclaim that it's "SoOoOo much better than IllumiNations." I fully acknowledge that the globe segment of ROE was "boring" but my god did it make up for it afterward, whereas this show is a slog the entire 20 minutes through. I know this sounds conceited and pretentious, but if this is your opinion, I can't help but assume that you have absolutely no grasp of the art of good visual entertainment and are just excited to see "stuff happen" and pretty colors.
- Bad pacing.
- Overly long.
- Three minutes into the 20 minute show you've seen everything it's going to do.
- Way too much time spent watching the screens and fountains with little to no pyro. These segments feel like the barges are backdrops to a concert except there's no one performing the concert.
- The start and stop concert nature of the show has no flow or buildup of energy.
- For most of the show, the extreme energy of the music in no way matches the slowly morphing barges. It's like having someone scream at you to be excited as you stare at a screensaver.
- Audio mixing is terrible, flat, overlayered, and way too bombastic.
- PATF segment is the highest energy segment but is bombastic for long enough to be annoying.
- Ignoring the fact that none of it really fits with Epcot and the associations are entirely because they take place in that country and little else, several segments that do not fit at all even under those qualifications, like The Jungle Book.
- Images on the tacos are so cheap and also look like backdrops to non-existent performances, but for much of the show they are the main focus.
- The condescending handwave of "sung in different languages = culture and unity!!!"
This show is an absolute mess, and it's mind boggling that both times I watched it, I heard a few people proclaim that it's "SoOoOo much better than IllumiNations." I fully acknowledge that the globe segment of ROE was "boring" but my god did it make up for it afterward, whereas this show is a slog the entire 20 minutes through. I know this sounds conceited and pretentious, but if this is your opinion, I can't help but assume that you have absolutely no grasp of the art of good visual entertainment and are just excited to see "stuff happen" and pretty colors.
Brenthodge
Well-Known Member
Imagine if those barges with the silly screen saver images were pushed even closer to the edge of the lagoon and brought the images during the "boring" globe part came to life in HD detail closer to the audience. Now imagine if the globe were surrounded by arching arms that until "We go on" had been flat. As the globe began to open, they slowly began to arch as well bringing the light closer and closer - higher and higher - to the edges of the lagoon, and to humanity in general. WOW that's a ton of money to spend on moving arms that are used for maybe 5-7 minutes of a show. WOW THAT'S how important that moment was that they were willing to spend all that effort just to make it amazing. Sadly those days at Disney are (I believe) over and now its just throw it out there - all at once to blow the roof off the place. Pacing and storytelling have been replaced with "Look what we can do"-ism
trainplane3
Well-Known Member
TTA94
Well-Known Member
Meh, lol. Oh course Disney would officially release something that isn’t highly popular. To bad they didn’t include EF in the release.
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
Christmas is saved.
danv3
Well-Known Member
Who would want this? The soundtrack is one of the worst parts of Harm!
Have they released You Are the Magic yet? At least that's a new tune.
trainplane3
Well-Known Member
$5 says they forgot EF existed and the music's been dumped into the void.
At least they remembered to release some kind of music from the parks. Not a high bar but hey...it's something? Would rather have the anthem from the entrance show released.
Friday also. You can listen to a 45 second preview at the link in the tweets.
$5 says they forgot EF existed and the music's been dumped into the void.
At least they remembered to release some kind of music from the parks. Not a high bar but hey...it's something? Would rather have the anthem from the entrance show released.
Friday also. You can listen to a 45 second preview at the link in the tweets.
Any chance this solves the UMG Problems with Streaming Harm./Enchantment?
Jeremy Geertsema
Well-Known Member
If you listen to the preview samples on that Disney Music Licensing site, they seem different from the show.
The India one is the most noticeable - but with only like a minute available right now who know what else is different on all the tracks. Makes you wonder what the earlier inceptions of the show included.
UPDATED: the Africa preview track is also different from what is included in the actual show.
The India one is the most noticeable - but with only like a minute available right now who know what else is different on all the tracks. Makes you wonder what the earlier inceptions of the show included.
UPDATED: the Africa preview track is also different from what is included in the actual show.
TTA94
Well-Known Member
Maybe we are getting version one of the show before changes were made?
When they released the Rivers of Light soundtrack it was not identical to the actual show version.
rioriz
Well-Known Member
Saw again this week, and I guess I finally have to admit something I've been ashamed of.
Never was a fan or RoE! Nope, borderline bored and always went on TT. Cathartic...
Harmonious hands down keeps my attention more and is a better fireworks spectacular >>> Enchantment
Yup I'm banned...
Never was a fan or RoE! Nope, borderline bored and always went on TT. Cathartic...
Harmonious hands down keeps my attention more and is a better fireworks spectacular >>> Enchantment
Yup I'm banned...
wtyy21
Well-Known Member
Why Harmonious soundtrack is written as English despite sung in multiple languages?
GhostHost1000
Premium Member
The more I see this show, the more I keeping thinking how those barges should have all been sitting in AK for a nice water, light, and screen effect night show.
in epcot, no barges. Build a small middle island (that fits the look of the lagoon) if you need a place for fireworks and/or fire to launch and create a fireworks and light show.
in epcot, no barges. Build a small middle island (that fits the look of the lagoon) if you need a place for fireworks and/or fire to launch and create a fireworks and light show.
ToTBellHop
Well-Known Member
I agree. I’d see it any night over Enchantment. I enjoyed it more than any Epcot show in a decade. I thought RoE was wonderful. In 2000.