Wishes or Illuminations?

[sarabi]

Choosing between these two I'd say Wishes. Although I prefer Fantasy in The Sky to Wishes. As for Illuminations, It's OK. I just don't follow the whole "story" and can't really make out the images on the globe in World Showcase Lagoon.

Fantasmic is the Number One show.

I can help you with that. The story is the creation of Earth. The begining where all the fireworks are going off like crazy is Chaos leading up to the big bang. The earth then floats out. The images on the earth appear to be that on human accomplishments. there's cave paintings, and agriculture and then machinery and stuff like that on there. When it unfolds and the torch lifts, it's Earth taking its place in the universe.

At least I think this is what I've been told. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think I have the basic story correct, but maybe not the particulars.

 

[WDW Monorail]

RoE. Any tag to this show will only enhance it.

I can help you with that. The story is the creation of Earth. The begining where all the fireworks are going off like crazy is Chaos leading up to the big bang. The earth then floats out. The images on the earth appear to be that on human accomplishments. there's cave paintings, and agriculture and then machinery and stuff like that on there. When it unfolds and the torch lifts, it's Earth taking its place in the universe.

At least I think this is what I've been told. Correct me if I'm wrong. I think I have the basic story correct, but maybe not the particulars.

A full description is available Here.

 

[PhilharMagician]

ROE gets my vote and as WDW Monorail said, add the holiday or any tag and it goes to another level.

 

[brkgnews]

I love them both... but Illuminations is my fave fave fave.

 

[KaliSplash]

Thanks guys! I knew it was something along those lines. But I forever seem to be far away from the globe. I had seen the show several times before I realized it WAS the earth. And no, I'm not blind, though I do have trouble seeing things at a distance

 

[SpectroMan]

Wishes is an amazing show with its music, lighting, and fireworks, and at the first few times I had seen it, it did give me the chills. But, the show can get a little old.

Reflections of Earth, on the other hand, still has that spark. The music is one of the finest scores out there. The story is one that everyone can relate to, and the idea of peace and coming together is probably the most important message that Disney places in its parks.

RoE's show elements, its many many elements, all seem perfectly together to create the best show on property, and when that globe opens, you just have to be astounded that people used their imaginations and created this show.

 

[One Lil Spark]

I love them both... but Illuminations is my fave fave fave.

This is true! He called me from RoE a few days ago and he really loves it!

 

[Epcotbob]

Illuminations - Reflections of Earth!!

That show is absolutely spectacular!! A stroke of genius!!

Wishes is OK...but I've seen it a few times and am tired of it. Not to mention the hassle getting out of MK afterwords.....much easier to exit Epcot after the show.

 

[mickey's mamu]

Hello everyone,
As you can see I'm new here (after just observing for a couple of years) but I have to put in my two cents worth on this. I vote for Wishes hand down because it holds my undivided attention for the entire time and I always end up with tears streaming down my face. I guess I'm in the "love the magic" category. I'm no kid though, I'm fifty something and usually go to WDW with only my DH. I do love ROE, though, and I do love its story. Fantasmic is my least favorite and we don't always see it every time.

 

[cymbaldiva]

I guess out of the 2 I'd go with Wishes, but I really loved Fantasy in the Sky - I miss it.

 

[hpyhnt 1000]

Reflections of Earth - One masterpiece of a show!

Wishes is a nice show, but for me, its just your average fireworks show, meaning its really just fireworks timed to music. If it weren't for the fact that it takes place in the shadow of Cinderella Castle, it would actually be, dare I say, pretty dull. :shrug:

Reflections of Earth is so much more. Not only does it have fireworks, but also fountains, lasers, colored lights, fire, and of course, the Earth Globe. The way that these effects come together is brilliant. Plus, the original score that was composed by Gavin Greenaway puts Wishes' to shame.

Then there is the story. I will admit I really did not "get" the whole theme of the show until I read the show notes on this site. (I reccomend everyone give them a look. You'll appreciate the show so much more after reading through them.) After learning about the symbolic meaning of the fireworks, images, and music, and how they represent the history of ourselves and the planet, this show quickly ascended to the top of my list. Wishes and Fantasmic both have stroylines, but Reflections of Earth's is so powerful, and unlike Wishes and Fantasmic, it is about something from reality, not make believe or fantasy.

When you look at the total package, Reflections of Earth is by far my favorite nighttime show of any theme park, and is probably one of the best nighttime fireworks shows ever created. :sohappy:

 

[DisneyEverest]

Illuminations!!! with out a doubt.

 

[Pumbas Nakasak]

Illuminations, getting a little tired, lost the edge after all these years. Wishes, mince from the start and always seems disjointed.

My vote is for the old tired lady of Illuminations

 

[Red devil]

Wishes is by far the best followed by Illuminations and then Fantasmic. They are all very good shows and we see all of them whenever we go, but for me none of them can compare to Wishes. There is just something about fireworks with the castle as the backdrop, its amazing!

 

[Disneykidder]

Tough call. I love the music from both, lazers from Illum but if I MUST choose, i'd go with Wishes. It makes me cry, it's in front of the castle, music is sweet, Tink is there and I love Jiminy's voice. It is magical, where Illum is just cool. Does that sound weird to say?

However, they are BOTH a must see for us!

 

[gjohnson66]

Illuminations R.O.E. hands down! It balances everything...a beautiful music score, the best laser and pyrotechnic effects anywhere, and amazing fireworks...all timed perfectly!

Wishes has it's own shining moments during the show, but it doesn't hold a candle to R.O.E.

 

[doop]

Illuminations is amazing. The music, the fireworks, pyrotechnics, lasers... it doesn't get much better.

But don't get me wrong, Wishes is great too..

 

[DizneyPryncess]

I prefer Wishes, just because it's a castle and fireworks...and to me, it's true Disney & true magic!

I am not a big IllumiNations fan, because you really have to work to get a good spot for it. If not, you can't see the globe on the water which is half the show.

With Wishes, you can be just about anywhere, and look up - and there are the fireworks! I also love the music that goes along to it.

 

[amykissangel]

I could watch Reflections of Earth every night and not get tired of it. Wishes is fine, but it just doesn't compare to Reflections for me. And Fantasmic! at Disney World is a show I bother with only once every 7 years or so. If I'm going to watch Fantasmic!, I'm going to watch it at Disneyland...where it isn't 90% mist screens. Like Reflections, I could watch Disneyland's Fantasmic! all the time. And while I'm comparing Disneyland to Disney World, Remember...Dreams Come True is a much better fireworks show that Wishes. It's basically Wishes on massive steroids.

Truly disappointed at Disneyland last week - only Dreams Come True Fireworks on Fri, Sat and Sunday???? Seriously???? Majorly, majorly bummed were my parents. Why on earth do they do this?

Sigh. Anyways, Fantasmic is of course my favorite, but Wishes wins out in a fight between it and Illuminations. I think it's the music and the view of the Castle ;~)

 

[Kuhio]

I much prefer any of the incarnations of IllumiNations over Wishes. I thought Wishes was kind of generic. (HalloWishes, on the other hand... I thought was amazing.) For similar reasons, I found the first half of Remember to be generic and forgettable -- although I thought the "E-tickets" segment of Remember was fantastic.

It might just be that I'm suffering a bit from fireworks fatigue, with too many past fireworks shows at both WDW and DL centering on believing/imagining/wishing/remembering, etc., along with a number of familiar songs from the animated movies focusing on those themes. That might be why fireworks shows centered on the park attractions or music from those attractions, or on non-Disney music or Disney music that's not from the "classic" animated movies, appeal more to me right now.