EPCOT Reflections of Earth confirmed to be replaced by Harmonious

[danlb_2000]

Corless said May and his track record is flawless. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch CBJ before it turns into a Toy Story show.

… and don't forget to hit The Land and The Seas before they get torn down!

 

[dreday3]

Corless said May and his track record is flawless. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go watch CBJ before it turns into a Toy Story show.

I thought I read May on this board. Apologies.

 

[jrhwdw]

I thought I read May on this board. Apologies.

Only Corless said May.

Only 3 weeks left of ROE!!! I can't believe it!!!

 

[dreday3]

Only Corless said May.

Only 3 weeks left of ROE!!! I can't believe it!!!

Yes, I don't know what Corless is, sorry.

Not May, got it.

 

[SoFloMagic]

Yes, I don't know what Corless is, sorry.

Not May, got it.

He's the guy who runs the banned site. He's not well-liked around here.

 

[mhochman]

No dates are confirmed yet.

@marni1971 is there a chance Epcot Forever could be extended through next summer? It seems odd they wouldn't want to utilize the marketing power for two summers in a row.

 

[trainplane3]

As @marni1971 hinted at in another thread...we got a barge!


That's one chunky mother-

@wdwmagic @The Mom, can we get the title tweaked to be "2020" instead of "2019"? Since Epcot Forever is 2019 and this is 2020...

 

[brickbuilder711]

Bet the hardware is funded by all the extra dollars gained from the “farewell tour” hehe

But great progress!

 

[Rteetz]

\

 

[Surfin' Tuna]

A while back, I was able to see the IllumiNations barges come out (near the China pavilion), but I don't remember what time this took place.

Times vary, but usually between 4 and 5. My guess is that quite a few people will start lining up in that area around 3-3:30 to catch a last glimpse.

 

[brickbuilder711]

Last Saturday the barges didn't run until 5:45. That could be a norm for the 10pm shows.

 

[Surfin' Tuna]

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]

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!

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]

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?

It's hinged on the China side.

 

[trainplane3]

I highly recommend this spot for those of you trying to watch the barges come out. There's a bench right there so when you see the pyro crew come out then you know to grab a spot at the wall.

You can get some pretty good pictures:

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

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.

 

[TTA94]

Does anyone know the expected size and amount of the Harmonius barges compared to the RoE barges?

 

[wdwmagic]

On this note, are we getting entirely new barges for this show or are they repurposing RoE?

I believe it’s all new

 

[matt9112]

Uh oh-ROE is being replaced by something that, by the sounds of it, has a healthy dose of IP. Some people's heads are going to explode...

Hopefully its better than the ROL. There track record lately isnt great.

 

[Surfin' Tuna]

Rumor is they are all new. Why wouldn't they be? Don't spend any money for far too long, then spend lots of money even if you could save some and use it for other projects - it's the Disney way.