It was announced at the beginning of September that the new nighttime spectacular at EPCOT named, “Luminous The Symphony of Us” will debut on December 5. It is set to feature fireworks, fountains, lasers, lighting effects and music.
Disney has just released a video revealing a taster of the stunning music which will be used as part of this highly anticipated new show. So far, fans seem to be amazed by what has been shared in this behind the scenes look at the recording of the music for “Luminous The Symphony of Us”. The video also includes snippets of “Heartbeat Symphony.”
As already outlined, the new nighttime spectacular at EPCOT which also feature songs from the popular Disney films; Tangled, Enchanted, Frozen, Coco, Tarzan, Coco, Toy Story and Aladdin.
At the end of September, we had been tracking the progress on the World Showcase Lagoon with the construction of new barges and a hexagonal platform. According to a new aerial photo posted to Twitter by Bioreconstruct, we can begin to see how these barges will likely appear on the lagoon for the new “Luminous The Symphony of Us”.
Seems like the new blue barges for Luminous will be tied to the recently added hexagon platform in Showcase Lagoon.
1,2 barge end tied against pilings like these
3 barge tied at side against piling like this
4 platform for cast member transfer to hexagon pic.twitter.com/8ZtfuH1UGT
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 25, 2023
We already know that these 6 barges will be movable so when they are not being used for “Luminous The Symphony of Us” they will be removed, leaving the World Showcase Lagoon free from the eyesore which hindered Harmonious.
Four barges had been constructed at the end of August as can be seen in the photo below.
Aerial look at 4 recently built movable barges. Each has a pair of outboard motors, at the ends of the U.
These are being developed for a new fireworks show in EPCOT.
As seen the EPCOT backstage marina. pic.twitter.com/YVDcGM9l2O
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) August 26, 2023
24 floating square platforms were also constructed, these are speculated to be used in a row at the center of 6 movable show barges. The key point to note is that these 6 barges will not be permanent and can be brought out daily.
Aerial look at the staging area for a collection of floating square platforms. There were 24 staged here earlier.It seems like 4 of these squares will be in a row at center of 6 movable show barges of the EPCOT fireworks show in development. pic.twitter.com/e2snA4F3Wd
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) August 26, 2023
The photo below gives more context and the key point to reiterate here is that these 6 barges will not be permanent and can be brought out daily.
In this aerial photo of 4 recently built show barges:
1 Barge #5 being built
2 A floating square, seen being built earlier
3,4,5,6 Additional floating squares24 squares seen earlier. Likely 4 per barge, 6 barges. pic.twitter.com/36DPWrFttd
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) August 26, 2023
It will certainly be exciting to hear further details about the upcoming new nighttime spectacular at EPCOT and to get confirmation regarding exactly where these new movable barges will be positioned and how they will be used. We will continue to update with more details when they are released.
The news of a new nighttime show to replace Harmonious was officially confirmed at D23 Expo’s Parks panel in September 2022 where it was also revealed that this new show is expected to debut in 2023 and will be part of the park-wide celebrations for Disney’s 100 Years of Wonder. Few other details were revealed about what this new nighttime show will entail, though as well as debuting as part of the 100th anniversary of the Disney brand, the show’s expected release will see it also serve as a celebration of EPCOT’s 40th anniversary.
Image: Disney A new photo and some further details were released regarding what we can expect from this new spectacular back in March. From the image embedded below in a tweet by reporter, Scott Gustin, we can see lights, fountains and fireworks and it is currently described as follows:
“The show will feature an original composition and evocative selections from the Disney songbook – all woven together to remind us that we are more alike than different.”
NEW: Here’s a first look at the all-new EPCOT nighttime spectacular coming later this year.”The show will feature an original composition and evocative selections from the Disney songbook – all woven together to remind us that we are more alike than different.” pic.twitter.com/YqqpRj6lSd
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 15, 2023
We are yet to hear if drones will be included. There has been speculation surrounding this after Disneyland Paris used over 500 drones in their new Avengers: Power The Night nighttime show which debuted on January 28 at Walt Disney Studios Park and ran through May 8 as part of the finale to Disneyland Paris’ 30th celebrations.
Image: DisneyHarmonious’ place among Walt Disney World’s ever-evolving entertainment line-up has been a notable topic of conversation amongst parks fans, with some feeling that the new show is not a worthy replacement for its predecessor, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, which had been enchanting guests at EPCOT since 1999. However, Harmonious was, unfortunately, met with some apprehension and criticism before it even debuted, as its presence meant that World Showcase Lagoon was subsequently filled with a number of somewhat imposing barges that remain on full view even during the day-time.
This overall lacklustre feeling towards Harmonious has meant that parks fans are likely to be equal parts excited and cautious over the upcoming new nighttime spectacular coming to EPCOT later this year. It is not known whether Disney’s plans for Harmonious always meant that it would only run until 2023, or whether the disappointing response from guests has spurred on this swift change.
Harmonious had its last show on April 2. EPCOT Forever returned on April 3, to fill in the gap until the new nighttime spectacular debuts later this year. EPCOT Forever originally debuted on October 1, 2019 to bridge the gap between the closure of Reflections of Earth and opening of Harmonious on September 29, 2021.
Image: DisneyWere you sad to see Harmonious go? Are you excited by the announcement of “Luminous The Symphony of Us”? What would you like to see from the new nighttime spectacular coming to EPCOT later this year? Let us know your thoughts by leaving us a comment below or on our Facebook page.
