Harmonious Epcot Fireworks Review
Harmonious is the new nighttime spectacular at Epcot for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary, and the long-term replacement for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. This fireworks review shares photos of the show, plus how it compares to its predecessor, other blockbuster nighttime spectaculars, and whether Harmonious is worth its blockbuster budget and daytime visual blight.
Before we get started, some basics about Harmonious. Walt Disney World has routinely touted it as “one of the largest nighttime spectaculars in Disney theme park history.” To our knowledge, there’s no commonly accepted method of measurement for nighttime spectaculars, but World of Color at Disney California Adventure is probably the largest.
World of Color is also the most logical comparison for Harmonious. Both feature a variety of show effects, including choreographed fountains, colorful lights, and lasers. The difference is that Harmonious dials it up a notch, adding more moving parts–literally. There are custom-built LED panels, fireworks, and other dynamic visuals on World Showcase Lagoon.
This Harmonious review will attempt to answer several questions: does this all work? Is Harmonious a worthy replacement to IllumiNations? Do the ‘extras’ help Epcot’s nighttime spectacular surpass World of Color? Does the quality of Harmonious justify the daytime blight of its huge barges?
Let’s start by taking a look at Harmonious in isolation, discussing whether it works and sharing photos from the new nighttime spectacular…
Although presented in a different form, Harmonious is very similar to a montage nighttime spectacular you’d see in one of the castle parks. Which is to say that it features visuals and songs from a variety of movies, and loosely ties them together with a through-line. In this case, that commonality is “culture.”
I’m not sure culture, on its own, is a particularly strong unifying element for this nighttime spectacular. For a production intending to evoke a sense of global unity, the choppiness is a problem.
Harmonious comes across as a series of disconnected scenes; transitions are few and far between, with a lot of fading in and out instead. This actually makes sense given the substance and tone of each, which would otherwise be discordant if actually weaved together into one seamless production.
This might seem hyperbolic, but there are credible reports that Harmonious was rearranged weeks before its debut. Given its presentation, that probably could’ve been accomplished relatively easily by dragging and dropping scenes on a computer. On the plus side, this should allow for segments to be swapped out in the future.
Harmonious is at its best when judging and viewing each scene on its own. Individually, I love several segments, including those from Moana, Lion King, and Mulan. The latter two feel more adult, with a certain elegance that is appreciated for something on World Showcase Lagoon.
Then there’s Coco. It’s high energy and vibrant–a total showstopper. This brings the lagoon alive in a way that, for me, comes pretty close to IllumiNations. For families, it’ll likely be even more impressive and enjoyable. Coco moves nicely to Princess and the Frog, which is also mostly strong. The same can’t be said for “Someday,” which is probably not how I would’ve culminated a show meant to uplift and inspire.
Stylistically, Harmonious is also a mixed bag. Presenting songs in different global languages was a clever idea both to distinguish this nighttime spectacular from one in Magic Kingdom and for Harmonious to fit Epcot’s World Showcase. If anything, I would’ve liked to see this taken further, but I can understand there might be trepidations about that.
It also would’ve been nice if Harmonious were presented as a cohesive production. It doesn’t need to tell a story, per se, but it shouldn’t feel so disjointed. Disney created the lovely Epcot Anthem–perhaps reinterpretations or musical cues from that could be used to transition between scenes?
As a whole, the visuals of Harmonious are pretty. The fountains, lasers, lights, and other effects are eye-catching and engaging. If you have a direct view of the Stargate, you’ll likely leave impressed.
The use of screens leaves something to be desired. Multiple sequences feature rudimentary animation, and this becomes a problem when the music slows down and those screens could be better leveraged to sustain the show. I will say that Harmonious plays much better in person than it does on video. There’s a lot to see and take in that simply cannot be conveyed via YouTube.
With that said, is Harmonious a worthy replacement to IllumiNations?
I’m a biased reviewer and cannot give a fair answer to that. I absolutely loved IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. I saw it more times than I can count—probably more than all other Disney nighttime spectaculars combined. It was an elegant and sophisticated fireworks show totally unlike anything at Walt Disney World. IllumiNations was rife with symbolism, nuance, and abstract ideas–you know, things small children and drunk adults visit theme parks to see!
As much as I’m still an IllumiNations superfan who would’ve preferred to see it modernized, I can recognize that Reflections of Earth had a good, long run. I’m also cognizant of its (perceived) faults. IllumiNations’ middle was too slow and boring, there was nothing “Disney” about it, and the visuals were hard to see.
The argument could be made that, of these three main criticisms, Harmonious only addresses one. In a weird way, Harmonious actually is a spiritual successor to IllumiNations!
Like its predecessor, Harmonious arguably has a pacing problem.
There are a couple of stretches that are “slower.” Both in terms of the musical choices and the visuals on the barges, I could see these dragging on too long for some guests. I don’t have that issue with Harmonious, but I also didn’t have that problem with IllumiNations.
Harmonious also, inexplicably, has a visuals problem. For all of the complaints about their appearance during the day, the Harmonious barges somehow look small during the nighttime spectacular. Perhaps I’m too accustomed to World of Color, which fills the entire lagoon, but Harmonious does not awe or overwhelm the senses. Even up close, it looks distant.
Another related issue is that Harmonious does not offer true 360º viewing. The front of the house (old FastPass area) offers a fantastic perspective, and not even Japan or Italy compare with that. You can see the pyro and fountains from pretty much anywhere in World Showcase, but not the full dynamic of the screens.
To answer the next question, Harmonious is no World of Color.
For all of its additional “stuff” and technical capabilities, Harmonious just doesn’t wow in the same way as World of Color. To be sure, that DCA nighttime spectacular is not without its own faults, but those breathtaking fountains, mist screens, and other effects help overcome most criticism. In fairness, fireworks help carry Harmonious–and World of Color’s normal versions have none of those. So perhaps this will be a closer call for others, but we think World of Color coalesces into a complete show better than Harmonious.
Next, does Harmonious justify the daytime blight of its huge barges?
No. There aren’t any visuals in Harmonious that are suited only to this unique presentation. Rather than coming across as purpose-built infrastructure for the nighttime spectacular, it feels like Harmonious is working around the constraints of its quirky platform.
While there are moments when the water tacos and Stargate are used together in harmony to produce beautiful and cohesive imagery, they’re few and far between. And again, those visuals are also only visible from a couple of specific angles–everywhere else is only getting the partial effect.
A lot of Harmonious is visually stunning, but I’m skeptical this couldn’t have been accomplished with a more traditional and straightforward presentation. If anything, the infrastructure takes me out of the show more than it immerses me in it. When everything is moving, the barges remind me of Kang and Kodos from the Simpsons (I’m not even kidding) or some sort of device aliens would devise to distract and abduct foolish Earthlings.
To me, the style of the Harmonious barges comes across as a solution in search of a problem, or a contrivance. An instance of the tail wagging the dog, with technology (or whatever you want to call those barges) unnecessarily dictating the show presentation. There’s simply no good explanation for why the barges look the way they do–it’s unintuitive.
Perhaps this is bias as an IllumiNations fan, but it boggles my mind that Walt Disney World heard the complaints about that globe being too small and decided this was the answer. Instead of the more straightforward solution: building a larger globe. More fountains and mist screens could’ve been added, with the show still changing completely.
Going in a totally different direction, Walt Disney World could’ve used Universal Orlando’s Cinematic Celebration as a template, but with 360º viewing. Disney fans will likely scoff at that suggestion, but it’s a technically impressive lagoon show that uses an array of visuals to great effect.
Universal’s approach is simpler and more straightforward, but it works. I give Walt Disney World credit for the ambition with Harmonious, but it feels overly elaborate and excessive for its own sake, without enhancing the production. (And so many moving parts means tech fails are inevitable.)
Ultimately, Harmonious is perhaps the biggest move towards the company’s aim of making Epcot “more Disney” and appealing to today’s guests. While there are certainly old school EPCOT Center fans who will continue to lament every little change (we’ve done our own fair share of that–see Why Fans Can’t Let EPCOT Center Go), this is clearly the direction Walt Disney World is taking the park. For our part, we’re done holding out hope of a return to EPCOT Center–a park that has been dead for two decades. It’s a fool’s errand and an exercise in futility.
For us, the core issue is whether Harmonious accomplishes anything beyond the “more Disney” mandate. To be sure, it’s a visually impressive, mesmerizing, and mostly fun nighttime spectacular. There are several scenes that are an absolute blast, and others offer quiet contemplation that are befitting of Epcot. Those are almost enough to carry Harmonious and overcome its faults.
The trouble is that Harmonious doesn’t actually address the core complaints regular guests had with IllumiNations. Once you look beyond the pyro and other effects–features that would’ve been part of any new nighttime spectacular–Harmonious is not really accomplishing much that’s unique or impressive. That’s a problem for a show that is so elaborate and heavy-handed with its presentation.
There are aspects of Harmonious that we really enjoy, but it’s very odd to see it stumble in some of the exact same ways as IllumiNations. Like its predecessor, Harmonious feels destined to alienate some guests and partially satisfy others. It’s hard to envision this being a homerun or beloved nighttime spectacular for many guests, but it also shouldn’t be a complete flop for many guests. It succeeds more than Magic Kingdom’s new fireworks show (and fails less), but given what Disney invested in Harmonious and its higher stakes, that’s not exactly a ringing endorsement.
Finally, we’ll round out this review with some practical info. First, Harmonious is one centerpiece of the World’s Most Magical Celebration, but not the only new offering–or even the only new nighttime spectacular. As always, consult our Guide to Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary for everything you need to know about the festivities.
With regard to Harmonious, our Best Epcot Fireworks Viewing Spots are largely unchanged. While we (obviously) have yet to view Harmonious from all of those locations, our preliminary recommendations are spots 1, 2, 4, and 5. Speaking of which, when it comes to the New Harmonious Dining Packages at Epcot, we’d recommend Rose & Crown over Spice Road Table. The former has a better viewing angle and a seating area that isn’t as deep.
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YOUR THOUGHTS
Are you excited to see Harmonious in person at Epcot? If you’ve watched video, what’s your first impression of Epcot’s huge new nighttime spectacular? Does Harmonious “work” for you, or is it a misfire? Is Harmonious a worthy replacement to IllumiNations? Do the ‘extras’ help Epcot’s nighttime spectacular surpass World of Color? Does the quality of Harmonious justify the daytime blight of its huge barges? Do you agree or disagree with our review? Any questions we can help you answer? Hearing your feedback–even when you disagree with us–is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
I am biased toward illuminations. The music and its message draws you in, the fireworks blend perfectly with the music, this is truly touching your heart to believe in the world as a showcase! Joined together as one.
I have only seen harmonious on you tube and it’s might be better in person but it looks like just one big firework show set to some Disney show tunes. I love my Disney movie music but this is not the place to “ show case it”.
I think they missed the mark, looks like a jumbled mess to me.
Harmonious is anything but! Disjointed, no arc, no emotional connection, just snippets of songs with weird waving arms and funky visuals. I hated it. Bring back Illuminations and modernize it, you’ll never find anything better than that score!
It’s always great to read your perspective. It all comes across as a “critical admirer” — someone who loves and appreciates Disney but isn’t shy about being honest when they miss the mark.
I remember back around 2005 when SeaWorld invested incredible time, effort, and tens of millions of dollars into the new Shamu Stadium presentation. Those moving / rotating screens not only took constant effort to maintain, but also forced creative’s hand when scripting the shows. Hard stops in the lighting, video, and audio were necessary in order to provide the operators work-arounds when things didn’t go according to plan. And things never went according to plan. Florida weather wreaked havoc on the mechanics and the moving screens often went offline. Installation of massive video panels above and around water caused pixels and eventually whole panels to go black. Maintenance was constant, and always in front of guests.
It seems that Harmonious is several generations ahead, but I still wonder why designers think they can install video and mechanic-heavy show elements that sit out in the Florida environment 24/7. Harmonious has already had to run in B-mode due to failed video. Trust me — it will be a continuous problem unless the show barges can somehow be protected from the elements at all times except showtime. It’s hubris to think otherwise.
Maintenance aside, so much thought needs to be put into the technical element of a production like this that the other creative elements take a back seat. It’s hard to build a show with the continuity and emotional arc we all expect when technology is the driver. The show designers have to incorporate hard stops after each scene so the operators can troubleshoot when the mechanics don’t work, or the video is down, or any number of potential issues. There has to be a way for “the show to go on” under different circumstances. It’s not a question of hitting play and letting it run from start to finish….there needs to be multiple stopping points and that leads to clunky transitions. There is also the pressure of having a brand new shiny thing and trying too hard to show it off, when maybe less is more.
In the end, the technology is just not worth it for me. Illuminations succeeded because of the celebration of amazing music from around the world. When each pavilion had it’s turn, then were brought together in celebration of world culture, it was magical. Technically, Illuminations wasn’t much more than a medley of popular classical music, fireworks, and some holiday lights on each pavilion. Reflections of Earth followed and knocked it out of the park, adding an incredible original score and the central globe. Although the globe was advanced technology at the time, the entire nighttime experience was never about the technology. The preshow, narration, lagoon-level fireworks, and post-show all combined for an experience that was moving and left everyone with a warm feeling at the end of their day that we are all one. It just made you feel good.
I think Disney knows how to create a lasting show that checks all the boxes, but they’ll have to find a way forward despite the very large taco-shaped elephants in the room. The concept of Harmonious has potential. Disney music is familiar to many communities around the world. There is something in music, and Disney music in particular, that we can all relate to. But to fit the lofty themes of Epcot, the presentation and musical arrangement of Harmonious has to be more than a loose medley of pop songs. There have to be new arrangements. Double-down on non-English languages, or at minimum showcase performers and musical styles from around the world. Elevate Disney pop music to show how it makes us feel, or how it is the soundtrack to our lives, or how it binds us together. Above all, add a narrative!! All the great nighttime shows have them (Reflections of Earth, Fantasmic, SpectroMagic, Wishes, etc, etc, etc.). Fingers crossed. Harmonious has the potential. I hope they keep pushing and perfect the show. It’s not terrible. We’ve just seen better.
I watched Harmonious on the Disney Park Blogs. I didn’t care for the show. The visuals were nice, but I did not like the soundtrack or the clips of Disney animated films. I didn’t feel any emotional connection to this show as the previous EPCOT night shows. I will take EPCOT Forever, or the three previous Illuminations shows over Harmonious. I enjoy World of Color more than Harmonious, although I like the prior EPCOT night shows over World of Color. The problem with the recent day and night shows at WDW and Disneyland is the shows focus too much on the current IP, which I have little to no emotional connection with, like the classic IP, theme park IP, or original non-IP based shows.
I googled “harmonious barges with fountains” and was stunned by how different the concept art for the daytime barge fountains and the reality was. In the concept art, the barges formed gorgeous shimmering water plumes. In reality, it’s an ugly metal skeleton with some misty water spray in front of it. I wonder if Disney got caught up in its computer animation renderings and didn’t appreciate how UGLY these structures would be in real life. Because no show justifies what they did to the beautiful lagoon, and certainly not this disjointed mediocre one.
I also liked the idea of the songs in different languages, but oh the execution. The singers were so pitchy and often they mashed up songs that did not compliment one another. As a big fan of Disney music, this was a huge disappointment. If they would only re-record the soundtrack, I think they would have a MUCH better show (but still wouldn’t justify the ugly barges)
I immensely enjoy your articles, Tom!
I did not see Harmonious in person; I watched it on YouTube. I was totally distracted and put off by the “Sea Monster” arms moving around. I was anticipating something magnificent using high-tech drones like they used in the 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. What a disappointment. I’m hoping I will appreciate more when I see it in person. Hopefully those monster arms won’t give me nightmares!
Wow, Tom. I always have trouble getting decent fireworks pictures. I use a Canon Rebel. What kind of camera do you use and what setting? Your pictures are stunning and I would love if mine came out half that good.
Harmonious was way better than enchantment and I really enjoyed it. Not one mention of Walt or Roy during harmonious. However,I too am a lover of Illuminations and will miss that show. I also really can’t stand what they did with Spaceship Earth not crazy about those new lights. Sometime a little change is just enough.
Haven’t read your entire blog yet but I liked Harmonius much more than the fireworks show at MK. What’s really important though is that thanks to your blog I learned how to escape from zip ties. Which one of us can’t use that kind of knowledge?
I get why some people don’t find Harmonious to be their cup of tea, but I think the negative reactions have been wildly overdramatic. But I’m also talking about the Disney Parks fandom here, so that’s par for the course. I personally loved Harmonious but really disliked Enchantment. Harmonious isn’t perfect, but I feel it’s at least a step up from Illuminations, so and I’ll always be happy for any improvement, no matter how incremental.
That being said, I’ll still be blasting the Illuminations soundtrack because the music for that show is phenomenal, even if the visuals were underwhelming.
Didn’t like it. Don’t wish to go back and watch it again (which is what I used to do twice a week with Illuminations.)
The storyline is uninspired and disconnected. The barges are an absurdity… it’s THE UGLIEST structure I have ever seen inside a Disney Park AND I absolutely loathe the fact that Disney is destroying the personality of each of the parks. It’s turned into a “let’s push Disney movies” festival.
Also… genie, virtual lines, park reservations… it’s all pretty bad. And this is coming from a die-hard Disney friend (I have loved – and gone to – the parks ever since I was little)… I’m disappointed and tired.
I’m happy to say I loved Harmonious!
I loved it! I was severely unimpressed by Illuminations, which felt like fireworks set to music. This felt like a Disney production. I loved the message and the time given to newer shows that don’t have much in the parks.
We’re going in March and I was planning to leave Epcot before dinner, while the rest of the group stayed. But now I want to stay and see this in person!
So do you think the rose and crown dining firework experience would be worth it? I read that even they won’t have a full view of the screens.
Impressive, but unmoving was my thought. It just didn’t give me all the “feels” and I felt it was more of a Magic Kingdom show than a world showcase show. Then again Illuminations, and the music with it, was and still is my favorite nighttime spectacular.
I’m kinda glad I’m not the only one who was not impressed with Harmonious. I want Illuminations back!!!
I wanted to love it. I had such high hopes. I wanted Harmonious to be the WDW answer to World of Color. But it just wasn’t. There is no way the show is worth the daytime visual disturbance it creates World Showcase lagoon.
I always loved Illuminations. In general I have liked the Magic Kingdom Fireworks. My entire family was very disappointed with Rivers of Light. We had been hoping for fountain projections like World of Color. It would have been so nice to have a great show there since they built the large stands so everyone there could see. We love World of Color but viewing is so tricky.
When they designed the new show for Epcot instead of building large barges it would have been nice if they had concentrated on making good viewing throughout the park.
I thought at one point Disney had eluded that the barges were going to be water fountains during the day to hide their structures. Do you know if that is still the plan for the future? Or was that another Covid Cutback?
Illuminations 1 Harmonious -10 Couldn’t the they have designed the barges to either be moved out during the day at least? Saw on a 4K tv, still not impressed.