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Wait...People dislike Rivers of Light?!
- Thread starter MrConbon
- Start date
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
The show is neat, give it a chance! 
At best, a show that both tries to connect you with nature and presents it as otherworldy, mysterious, a spiritual realm. Slightly akin to Illuminations, where the spectator too is cast as participant in an ancient, pagan nighttime ritual.
At worst, well Rivers is like much of DAK, a noble effort that slightly fails to truly connect. An effort you appreciate with your mind more than your heart.
For me, the music lets the show down. I understand what the composer is going for - mystery, majesty and lyricism, I think, in that order. But it doesn't resonate with me, unlike Illuminations, of which any two notes immediately reduce me to sobbing fool.
At best, a show that both tries to connect you with nature and presents it as otherworldy, mysterious, a spiritual realm. Slightly akin to Illuminations, where the spectator too is cast as participant in an ancient, pagan nighttime ritual.
At worst, well Rivers is like much of DAK, a noble effort that slightly fails to truly connect. An effort you appreciate with your mind more than your heart.
For me, the music lets the show down. I understand what the composer is going for - mystery, majesty and lyricism, I think, in that order. But it doesn't resonate with me, unlike Illuminations, of which any two notes immediately reduce me to sobbing fool.
Figment_Of_Imagination
Member
To be completely honest, my Fiance and I saw the show for the first time back in October and we loved it. It's not overly Disney-fied, but it was a definite win for us. The set up takes quite a bit and it has a slow start. We are going to be seeing it again when we come back a little later this year.
DisneyMann
Active Member
Pretty obnoxious response. The OP sees it differently than you do....end of story...move on. Insulting them is ridiculous.
Like someone else said, everyone has their own opinions.
James J
Well-Known Member
- In the Parks
- No
Yes, that was just for the summer of 2016 I believe.
NelsonRD
Well-Known Member
Are you ok? It was not an obnoxious or insulting response. I just claimed if you have particularly low expectations of something you can be pleasantly surprised, opposed living up to a higher expectation.
StarshipDisney
Well-Known Member
Have not seen it in person yet but there is a TV special here about it that I can watch on demand at any time. Watched it several times now. Looks interesting on TV.
We are currently planning to see it twice during our next trip (once per Tusker House Dining Show and then once per FP on separate days). Guess I'll wait and see if we end up changing the FP to something else.
We are currently planning to see it twice during our next trip (once per Tusker House Dining Show and then once per FP on separate days). Guess I'll wait and see if we end up changing the FP to something else.
Tom Morrow
Well-Known Member
What kills me is that if they had just slapped together another World of Color But With Lots of Disney Animal Characters, the same people who hate Rivers of Light would have said one of two things:
1. "Wow, great job Disney!"
or more likely, 2. "Jeez, another "IP greatest hits list" night show. Couldn't you have done something more original??"
It does have its issues but I'll take it, as is, over another one of those any day.
1. "Wow, great job Disney!"
or more likely, 2. "Jeez, another "IP greatest hits list" night show. Couldn't you have done something more original??"
It does have its issues but I'll take it, as is, over another one of those any day.
For us, it was interesting but where it failed was the score didn't match the visuals. It is hard to explain, they just didn't do each other justice. On there own, they are good to great, together, they just don't do it.
Illuminations, at least during Christmas, the music and visuals are amazing together. We watched Illuminations without the Christmas extra and it wasn't the same for us. Though the music and visual work extremely well for both versions.
My wife and I have the same feeling for Holiday Wishes at the Magic Kingdom. The whole show works for us.
We were just looking over our photos for the River of Lights from September this morning. We both love many of the photos and commented on how amazing the show looked. But both felt it fell short to sit through another showing. We may change our minds when we go again later this year, or maybe wait a few years before we see it again.
Of course, I don't practically feel The Festival of the Lion King is that great. Even though the Lion King is my favorite animation of all time. I think Finding Nemo the Musical is the best stage show at WDW.
Illuminations, at least during Christmas, the music and visuals are amazing together. We watched Illuminations without the Christmas extra and it wasn't the same for us. Though the music and visual work extremely well for both versions.
My wife and I have the same feeling for Holiday Wishes at the Magic Kingdom. The whole show works for us.
We were just looking over our photos for the River of Lights from September this morning. We both love many of the photos and commented on how amazing the show looked. But both felt it fell short to sit through another showing. We may change our minds when we go again later this year, or maybe wait a few years before we see it again.
Of course, I don't practically feel The Festival of the Lion King is that great. Even though the Lion King is my favorite animation of all time. I think Finding Nemo the Musical is the best stage show at WDW.
For me, the music is one of the plus points.
Technically, the main water screens need addressing. You can’t have such varying show quality, from near perfect to totally unwatchable, and for something as important as telling the actual story, dependent on the wind on the night.
An actual finale would be another welcome addition.
Technically, the main water screens need addressing. You can’t have such varying show quality, from near perfect to totally unwatchable, and for something as important as telling the actual story, dependent on the wind on the night.
An actual finale would be another welcome addition.
The Empress Lilly
Well-Known Member
Oh, that I've noticed. I blamed it on the wind. I actualy saw Rivers around hurricane Irma, and again on windy December nights. I thought I was just having bad luck.
Perhaps that's why Rivers has felt of such varying quality. At times I have really liked it and really disliked it, to the point where I thought my spot must've been miserably bad or something.
Sound quality too has ranged from fine to almost non-existing.
For everyone who says that Rivers of Light doesn’t have a story I urge you to read the summary on Wikipedia or simply read this part of the opening narration. The show conveys it story in a very avant garde manner and isn’t something that is instantly understood by the audience.
“We most graciously welcome you to a timeless celebration of water and light with roots as far reaching as time itself. Here, where the forces of nature meet in harmony, the spirits of the animals are free to dance together in the night sky creating Rivers of Light.”
“We most graciously welcome you to a timeless celebration of water and light with roots as far reaching as time itself. Here, where the forces of nature meet in harmony, the spirits of the animals are free to dance together in the night sky creating Rivers of Light.”
ford91exploder
Resident Curmudgeon
Which has been the problem in the Iger era 'Good' does not seem to exist as a concept for them
...which is the same as the detailed story of RoE that most guests don’t get either.
I’m trying my hardest to think what RoE is. Mind giving me a refresher?
Reflections of Earth?
Oh. I always call it just Illuminations so I forgot it had the RoE name as well.
Technically it’s IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth, but that’s so last century....