(RUMOR) Rivers Of Light to end in 2020 replaced with new show featuring Disney characters

[FigmentJedi]

Oh, now it makes sense! If those dang lotuses just made their entrance earlier, it would totally change the entire experience!

Later. The progression was "Mini-Lanterns arriving before showtime>Shamans>Animals>Lotuses".

The purpose of the 100 mini-lanterns was to provide additional color and kinetics for the show and help carry the "Animal Spirit Parade" segment as the Lotuses were meant to come in as each of the Animal Spirits left their barges. The projections for the scene transition still show the animal spirits "trading places" with a lotus as each one appears. But because those mini-lanterns kept straining the computer guidance systems that run the show, they had to be dropped and the Lotuses had to pick up the slack and the show lost three minutes of runtime as a result of the switch affecting the pacing of said "Animal Spirit Parade" segment and needing to get the Shamans out on the water faster after cutting their procession through the theater.

 

[FigmentJedi]

Well, that I can see.

Fantasmic! has a huge buzz-kill in the middle in the form of "And now... colonialists for no reason whatsoever!"

Not to mention the endless filler sequences like the "Characters dancing in bubbles" montage or the overstuffed lineup of villains that gives us stuff like Frollo working with witches and actual demons or Cruella deVil suddenly wanting Mickey Mouse's soul instead of a puppy coat.

 

[kpilcher]

I know that this probably isn't the thing some people want to hear, but as the show has made tweaks and become more reliable, its GSATs have been going up, and funnily enough, above most of the shows at Studios.

I've seen it twice now and quite enjoyed it. It's different from all other Night Spectaculars (including its thoughtful step-cousin ROE) but that's part of why I like it. ROL fits THIS park. Hopefully they can add back in a bunch of the little lanterns and it might do even better with GSATS. I think some of the lost kinetics probably hurts the show.

 

[No Name]

Slight tangent, but I think Happily Ever After is a huge improvement over Wishes. While I'm one of the biggest critics of random-character-sequence shows, at least there was an iota of thought put into the arrangement of scenes here, unlike any other castle show I've seen. And the beginning and end are so well put together. And the message is stronger. There's a reason it's so highly rated. Why would they even be thinking about a replacement already? Spend the money on a night parade.

I'd be more annoyed to see that go than Rivers of Light, and I love Rivers of Light in its own regard.

 

[JoeCamel]

But ROE is a linear narrative: It's the story of the Earth itself, from its formation to the arrival of humanity and some message about how we should try and get along on this globe we all share.

Rivers of Light's a mystic journey through the natural world and the cosmos guided by shamans calling on a band of nature spirits in the form of the animals and lotuses.The gradual introduction of those elements in the first half got pushed aside slightly because of the technical issues that lead to the show's restructuring requiring the lotuses to take part from the start, but there's still a structure one can definitely follow if they pay attention. And like the rest of Animal Kingdom, there's things in there you won't notice upon your first viewing that you'll pick up on in subsequent viewings.

Maybe if they hand out some mystic sticks an hour before the show I could flow with it but sans that I think it is the wrong show for the wrong audience. The showmen of old always said "know your audience".

 

[Clamman73]

Still haven't seen it in person, but I'll sometimes listen to the soundtrack on the way to work or back home, and just by listening to the track, you hear how they can take some time off of it. The introduction part, the transitions and the build up to when the fire tower part starts can somehow be condensed so everything is on a continuous pace.

Looking at videos of it, there needs to be a faster element to what's out there on the water...some sort of flame throwing shamans on seadoos cruising around...or something like that.

 

[culturenthrills]

Rivers of Light should not (and most likely will not) be replaced until the other three parks have their nighttime shows cycled out with a real replacement (looking at you Happily Ever After). We could expect a (real) replacement next at RoE, then MK again. The sad thing is that DHS needs a fresh cycle more than any other park, but that seems least likely at the moment.

All DHS needs us their Fantasmic finally updated to something close to the quality of the show at Disneyland.

 

[culturenthrills]

Honestly, they can slap three five second clips of Dory, Nemo, and Simba during the We Are One montage, and kids will be flipping out. They wouldn't care less if it was a well crafted show with an elaborate story, or Simba walking across the screen. The problem there is that the main screens don't fully meet a solid 50% of the time, which is far from conducive to that type of show. Overall, one thing to remember is that RoL still has a good reaction, moreso from older, mature audiences.

After finally seeing World of Color it just makes ROL even more disappointing. They created near perfect show with fountains, projections, fire and lighting in WOC and it amazes me how much they got wrong with ROL. #1 being how crappy the images look on the water screens.

 

[Jeremy Geertsema]

I know that this probably isn't the thing some people want to hear, but as the show has made tweaks and become more reliable, its GSATs have been going up, and funnily enough, above most of the shows at Studios.

What is a GSAT, guest ratings?

 

[tirian]

But ROE is a linear narrative: It's the story of the Earth itself, from its formation to the arrival of humanity and some message about how we should try and get along on this globe we all share.

Rivers of Light's a mystic journey through the natural world and the cosmos guided by shamans calling on a band of nature spirits in the form of the animals and lotuses.The gradual introduction of those elements in the first half got pushed aside slightly because of the technical issues that lead to the show's restructuring requiring the lotuses to take part from the start, but there's still a structure one can definitely follow if they pay attention. And like the rest of Animal Kingdom, there's things in there you won't notice upon your first viewing that you'll pick up on in subsequent viewings.

I have seen ROL multiple times. It’s lousy.

 

[Notes from Neverland]

Overall, I think ROL is just OK. I really, really tried to like it. The music was outstanding. The visuals were outstanding, but the overall impact was missing. When it was over, it was just over. Nothing really stuck with you after you left, unlike the other shows.

From a visual spectacle, it's right on the money. Unfortunately, compared to the other nighttime spectaculars, it falls kind of short.

 

[TrojanUSC]

Slight tangent, but I think Happily Ever After is a huge improvement over Wishes. While I'm one of the biggest critics of random-character-sequence shows, at least there was an iota of thought put into the arrangement of scenes here, unlike any other castle show I've seen. And the beginning and end are so well put together. And the message is stronger. There's a reason it's so highly rated. Why would they even be thinking about a replacement already? Spend the money on a night parade.

I'd be more annoyed to see that go than Rivers of Light, and I love Rivers of Light in its own regard.

HEA is the highest rated nighttime show Disney has had since Fantasmic! premiered. Some fans might not like it but it is a fireworks show for this millennium and a perfect blending of technologies.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

HEA is the highest rated nighttime show Disney has had since Fantasmic! premiered. Some fans might not like it but it is a fireworks show for this millennium and a perfect blending of technologies.

Meh. There is no fireworks show anymore. Between four parks and six nighttime shows. But we do now have three 'project videos on buildings' shows.

 

[peter11435]

Meh. There is no fireworks show anymore. Between four parks and six nighttime shows. But we do now have three 'project videos on buildings' shows.

Happily Ever After has more fireworks than any other regular show that came before it.

 

[ToTBellHop]

Meh. There is no fireworks show anymore. Between four parks and six nighttime shows. But we do now have three 'project videos on buildings' shows.

That’s a bit silly.

 

[Amidala]

Well, that I can see.

Fantasmic! has a huge buzz-kill in the middle in the form of "And now... colonialists for no reason whatsoever!"

Totally agree there. I would gladly keep all of the inconsistencies in WDW's Fantasmic if Pocahontas could just be replaced with another IP. Ironically, DL's IP (Peter Pan) was a perfect fit, and was somehow replaced before Poca. "Imperialists can be heroes too" is an ethical disaster no matter how you spin it, and even with that aside...Pocahontas hasn't remained relevant to the extent that other Renaissance movies (TLK/B&TB/Aladdin/etc.) have, so it's weird to see it spotlighted over better options.

If everything has to be infused with brand new IPs, Moana would be a fantastic addition & would probably make better use of the water (imagine a recreation of Moana's boat, with the distinctive sail?) Plus Moana's big "triumphant" moment ("I Am Moana") would IMO be much more impactful than the current "Colors of the Wind" scene with Poca and John Smith.

Anyway...back on topic, I don't think minor improvements to the RoL formula will drastically increase popularity. I'm not saying the show has nothing of value to offer, but a replacement within the next 5+ years would kind of stand to reason. I'm not sure why a HEA replacement would take precedence over a RoL replacement, since HEA is brand new and seems to be performing great with guests? And this coming from someone who is still mourning Wishes, and is leery about HEA. If anything, I would say replacements/updates for Fantasmic and RoE should come first, then RoL and then HEA.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Totally agree there. I would gladly keep all of the inconsistencies in WDW's Fantasmic if Pocahontas could just be replaced with another IP. Ironically, DL's IP (Peter Pan) was a perfect fit, and was somehow replaced before Poca. "Imperialists can be heroes too" is an ethical disaster no matter how you spin it, and even with that aside...Pocahontas hasn't remained relevant to the extent that other Renaissance movies (TLK/B&TB/Aladdin/etc.) have, so it's weird to see it spotlighted over better options.

If everything has to be infused with brand new IPs, Moana would be a fantastic addition & would probably make better use of the water (imagine a recreation of Moana's boat, with the distinctive sail?) Plus Moana's big "triumphant" moment ("I Am Moana") would IMO be much more impactful than the current "Colors of the Wind" scene with Poca and John Smith.

Anyway...back on topic, I don't think minor improvements to the RoL formula will drastically increase popularity. I'm not saying the show has nothing of value to offer, but a replacement within the next 5+ years would kind of stand to reason. I'm not sure why a HEA replacement would take precedence over a RoL replacement, since HEA is brand new and seems to be performing great with guests? And this coming from someone who is still mourning Wishes, and is leery about HEA. If anything, I would say replacements/updates for Fantasmic and RoE should come first, then RoL and then HEA.

Actually... in the rumor round up (jump to here) we have this...

Magic Kingdom 50th Anniversary (2021)

• there will be an eventual replacement for "Happily Ever After" (which replaced "Wishes")
  • although... there may be rumblings that since HEA was so well received, they might just update and upgrade it instead of a brand new show. [here]

And jumping to the source...

Received a suggestion today that HEA is so popular that there are discussions of a "Happily Ever After: Celebrate!" update for the 50th (of course the name could change) in lieu of a brand new show. There would be tech upgrades as in World of Color: Celebrate.

Will have to watch closely how this story comes alive.

So, yeah, they may save money on a brand new 50th Anniversary fireworks by just updating HEA. That might come in handy for the new night parade or an update to RoL.

 

[The Empress Lilly]

Happily Ever After has more fireworks than any other regular show that came before it.

That’s a bit silly.

HEA is not a fireworks show. It is a show with fireworks.

Variety is the spice of life. In the enthusiasm with which projection mapping has been embraced for nighttime shows, WDW forgot that fireworks shows have an atmosphere all of their own.

Incidentally, originality is why I appreciate both of DAK's night shows, despite their shortcomings, perhaps even dullness.

 

[peter11435]

HEA is not a fireworks show. It is a show with fireworks.

Variety is the spice of life. In the enthusiasm with which projection mapping has been embraced for nighttime shows, WDW forgot that fireworks shows have an atmosphere all of their own.

Incidentally, originality is why I appreciate both of DAK's night shows, despite their shortcomings, perhaps even dullness.

HEA is just as much a fireworks show as Wishes was. Both used fireworks set to music to tell a 'story' and both used other effects to round out the presentation. Those other effects have just been greatly modernized in the case of HEA just as they had been with Wishes after FiTS.

 

[Magic Feather]

So... Unpopular Opinion Incoming:
Even with Pocahontas gone for something else, I would rather watch Rivers of Light than FantasmicHS Edition. I had the (dis?) pleasure of watching it tonight, in what is one of the most poorly laid out Ampitheatres made, and more people walked out mid-show (up to the Dragon Head on a Stick) than I had seen walk out on RoL. Most screens were about 50/50 between the quality of the Lotus and Big RoL mist screens, and the pacing is just off. Not saying this makes RoL amazing, it still needs serious improvements, but I am a lot more sympathetic with the original placement of TRON.