New Fireworks Replacing IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot
Walt Disney World just announced that IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth will be retired at the end of Summer 2019, to be replaced by a new fireworks show at Epcot as part of the park’s multi-year transformation. Per the Disney Parks Blog, Walt Disney World will be “celebrating this classic show, so you still have plenty of time to experience it again and again, as excitement builds for what’s next” during the coming year.
Another thing from the announcement that I thought was interesting is the statement that Disney has “big plans for our multi-year transformation of Epcot, with new experiences that will ‘Wow!’ guests while keeping true to the original vision of the park. And the all-new nighttime fireworks spectacular coming to Epcot’s World Showcase Lagoon will be part of the park’s exciting evolution.” (Emphasis added.) Disney has said this before, but it’s good to hear this being repeated…hopefully it’s not just hollow marketing-speak.
Walt Disney World’s announcement provided zero details about the new nighttime spectacular, other than it’ll debut “debut immediately following the conclusion of ‘IllumiNations’.” Other than that, we don’t know what it will be called or what it’ll entail. For all we know, it could be a three-hour show called “A Salute to All Nations, but Mostly America” featuring dolls from it’s a small world firing off canons. Basically, this announcement was just a heads-up so people can plan their goodbyes for IllumiNations. We do have some additional info about the new show, albeit in rumor form…
A couple of months ago, we reported on a rumor that a show tentatively dubbed IllumiNations: Windows on the World would be the ultimate replacement for Reflections of Earth, with an interim show debuting in the near future prior to then. (That post contains a lot of pertinent/valid info, so if you’re new to this news/rumor, you might want to read that first.)
As of the time of that rumor, land was being cleared behind the Japan pavilion, which was widely speculated as being a staging area for drones that would be used in the new show. It was our belief then that the retirement of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth would be announced at the end of that week (in June), with the interim show debuting by this holiday season, and the permanent show coming in Late 2019.
This was based upon reports of physical work already being done around World Showcase Lagoon and in other areas of Live Entertainment, which created the impression that this project had been fast-tracked and part of the goal was to give Epcot a shot in the arm.
In that scenario, Epcot would get three ‘surges’ of guests: longtime fans of IllumiNations would come to bid the show adieu (I used it right this time!), again to see the interim show, and finally to see the new show. It’s no secret that Epcot attendance has been lagging during the park’s “Diet Epcot” months, and this would give it a needed boost.
Now, it appears that there won’t be an interim show, with IllumiNations being retired at the end of the slow for Epcot summer season. This is interesting in that it means Epcot could be without any nighttime spectacular for several months. (UPDATE: Missed the line from the press release that the new show will “debut immediately following the conclusion of “IllumiNations’.”)
Previously, we had heard that Epcot will not transition directly from IllumiNations to the new nighttime spectacular, as infrastructure work will need to be done between the two shows. Hence the plan of having a scaled-back, interim show between the two. It’s unclear whether that’s still the case and an interim show is planned, or if changes have occurred to the scope of the new show and no transition period will be necessary.
We don’t have any other new rumors to report on the replacement for IllumiNations. The only things we’ve heard since posting the original rumor in June is that work continues on the new show, it probably will not be called IllumiNations: Windows on the World, and that “it should’ve been announced by now.” As such, we’re not sure to what degree Walt Disney World’s plans have–or have not–changed for the future of fireworks shows at Epcot.
Ultimately, this is bittersweet news. I’ve known this was coming for a while, have thought about it a lot, and have made even more of an effort than normal to watch IllumiNations as much as possible the last few months. Yet, when I read the news–and even as I type this–I was still taken aback, caught off-guard, and a bit speechless. My apologies for not really having any biting commentary to add here; this is a significant change for me, and I’m still not quite sure how to take it. A lot will depend upon execution, and even though I know IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth has had a great run and is overdue for a replacement, I can’t help but be a little sad today. I’m sure we’ll have 18 more updates on IllumiNations between now and Summer 2019, so hopefully I can come up with something more insightful between now and then.
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Your Thoughts
What do you think about the idea of IllumiNations being replaced? Are you sad, cautiously optimistic, or feeling some other sort of strong emotion? Hoping that this new nighttime spectacular retains the original spirit and message of EPCOT Center? Other thoughts? 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!
Ok for Illuminations to go. It had a great run. My biggest concern is that Disney seems to be cutting back guest amenities and fear the next fireworks display will be disappointing by comparison . Hope not.
I was bored with it. The new show is okay but kind of boring. I miss the big propane fireballs though.
I, personally, am happy to see Illuminations: Reflections of Earth being replaced. IMO it never measured up to the original Illuminations, with its inspiring music and deliberate highlighting of each country around the showcase (The William Tell Overture – thrilling!). We’ve hardly bothered to stay and watch the current Illuminations anymore, unless we have guests who want to see it. So I’m anxiously awaiting the new show, and hoping that Disney removes the “boring middle” from its new fireworks spectacular.
Yes we agree. Very tired of having the theory of evolution crammed down our throats!
What ‘theory’ are you talking about? And how does that relate to a fireworks show?
Yeah me too! Except I’d still stay to watch it.
Like Morpheus said, “Everything that has a beginning, has an end”.
Agree with you Tom. Illuminations was something we always looked forward to every trip. Also thanks for all your insight and tips on Disney World.
I understand most of the abbreviations, but…what’s “IP?”
IP is Intellectual Property, as in wrongly introducing Frozen to the Norway pavilion at Epcot. We don’t want Epcot inundated with fantasy or comic book characters against its original intent.
Agree with your thoughts. Thanks for the explanation of “IP.”
It will be great to have something new
Sad to see IllumiNations end, since its replacement will be done cheaply and likely not be as good. Unfortunate that I have low expectations.
Sad but hopeful
This one stings. I’m generally a fan of updating but, other than being one of the great outdoor shows in any Disney park, the Illuminations message of hope is spot on and the musical score is just great. Like others, I’m afraid we’ll get another Fantasmic-style infomercial (look, we can project cartoons on screens of water!). We get it, it’s not that interesting.
Haha, the original castle projections sucked! But the new ones are very nice.
The Star Wars fireworks show is pretty awesome too.
Starwars is lame compared to what it was .
Well said Tony. I agree 🙁
Tom – Random question for this particular blog post, but I saw you were recently in Disneyland Paris. I’ll be heading there soon! Do you plan on updating your DLP posts? Thanks! Really enjoy reading your posts 🙂
We are going to Paris in February & I would love any updates as well!
I expected an announcement any day since earlier this year, and I’m glad they didn’t pull a great movie ride (even Maelstrom was a short lead up before close, I didn’t get to ride that a last time) so I will get to see it at least one more time this fall-we actually planned the trip expecting that they’d cancel it this winter.
That said, I’m very sad. I cry whenever I watch Illuminations because of the MESSAGE behind it. I think it’s a message that seems to be sorely lacking in the world today. While there probably are some new effects or changes that could be made with newer technology, the music for the show is amazing, and it just fits in world showcase. I hate the endless IP being added into everything, but I would have been ok with a bit of light character incorporation if we could have kept that soundtrack and general theme around a bit longer.
Thanks for the update, Tom.
OT: Do you know why they don’t have the Sammy Duvall water sports and parasailing on Bay Lake anymore? Will they bring it back with another company? Doing something else? We never got to do those things but were going to do it all this March. However, when I called Friday to book it (parasailing, tubing, waterskiing, and wake boarding), I was informed it’s completely gone. I then got on Sammy Duvall website, and on their main page it states that after 20 years they are no longer with WDW as of August 31, 2018. Bummed that we missed out on that, so just wondering if you have any info about it.
Thanks for your outstanding blog and FB page. It’s is always extremely helpful!
Well I love all things pyro, Illuminations included. But it has become a bit stale. Once you’ve seen the WWIII Holiday version, the regular one is kind of a letdown. So I’m ready for a change as long as it’s more!
I love ROE and will be sad when it ends. I am glad I own the soundtrack. I hope the new show will have the same spirit as ROE. I will be disappointed if it becomes about intellectual properties. I will be even angrier if its all about Frozen/Marvel/Pixar/Star Wars.
I really need a three-hour show called “A Salute to All Nations, but Mostly America” featuring dolls from it’s a small world firing off canons in my life now.
I love illuminations , and I am optimistic about the change, hopefully upgrade.
I loved wishes to, but honestly, outside of the castle it was just an awesome firework show that could be replicated anywhere else.
Illuminations however, felt like a unique show built for Epcot and nowhere else. It’s as if the whole park participates in the show. I hope they can recapture that with the new show. I think they will.
I love RoE. I’ve been watching it for 17 years throughout many phases of my life, and I’m still not tired of it. I completely understand people wanting something new, and I appreciate Disney’s advance warning on this one. Thanks to all of the rumors, I made sure to see it twice this past June, just in case Disney pulled a great movie ride on us. It’s nice to know I’ll be able to see it one last time next June, and I’ll force my kids to stay awake so they can experience it once with me as well. Thanks for the update!
Illuminations is my favorite WDW fireworks show, so I’ll be sad to see it go. But I’m cautiously optimistic: many of the things that have made Illuminations my favorite have as much to do with the setting as with the show itself, and are likely to carry over: the location over the lake making all viewing locations mostly equivalent, and creating opportunity for a higher variety of pyro than skybursts, the use of the World Showcase buildings creatively as backdrops, etc. The Magic Kingdom is mostly (not entirely, but mostly) limited to colors or projections on the castle, plus aerial pyro. Epcot’s setting allows more variety.
It’s possible that the designers will misuse or neglect that opportunity, but it seems like that would be the least likely mistake to make. So: cautious optimism that the replacement show may move smoothly into my “new favorite” position.
Ha ha, I pretty much just said what you said, but worse.
In other words I agree.
I had the exact same thought. I love that Illuminations is the one show I don’t have to scout out a seat or stand in line or buy a dessert party or dinner for. I really, really hope that’s not going to change.
“My apologies for not really having any biting commentary to add here; this is a significant change for me” Sometimes sincere reactions are better than “biting commentary” anyways! thanks for all you do.
The Parks Blog post read to me as if they would be replacing Illuminations immediately at the end of next summer.
Don’t know how I missed that–thanks.