One Year Later: Reviewing Luminous The Symphony of Us at EPCOT
- Bobby Spina
- Dec 30, 2024
- 14 min read
Updated: Jan 30
Luminous: The Symphony of Us is the (relatively) new nighttime spectacular that premiers nightly on EPCOT's World Showcase Lagoon. With the show now officially surpassing one year of operational time at the park, I wanted to write a lengthy analysis of the show from my point of view, and see how the show is still holding up one year later.
In this review article, we'll be discussing the brief history of Luminous and breaking down different segments of the show chronologically to review it as thoughtfully as possible.
History
Wrap your head around this: At the time of writing this, in the past 6 years, EPCOT has hosted 4 different nighttime spectaculars, including Luminous. So, where and when did Luminous even come from?
You can't have Luminous without the park's previous nighttime spectaculars. This includes IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, EPCOT Forever, and Harmonious. We're primarily going to be focusing on IllumiNations and Harmonious.
Back in 2019, the EPCOT overhaul was officially announced, and work on this multiyear transformation of the park began that Fall. During this time, EPCOT lost IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth on September 30th, 2019 after exactly 20 years of delighting guests. The show was a thrilling spectacle of fountains, pyro, and fire as three distinct acts told the story of the Earth and the meaning humanity shares together, complete with a gorgeous musical score. IllumiNations still remains to this day the longest running nighttime spectacular in Disney Park history. And it was nothing short of "spectacular."
The next day, on October 1st, 2019, the temporary show EPCOT Forever debuted. The interim show played to classic EPCOT melodies with colorful kites and fireworks that made for a fun and nostalgic show every diehard EPCOT fan loved, myself included. For just a temporary nighttime spectacular, EPCOT Forever was pretty solid, which quite honestly worried me for what was to follow. Disney was setting the bar pretty high, so could the park's new and permanent show hit the same marks as the previous two?
Fast forward 2 years later and Harmonious debuted for Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration on September 29th, 2021. If you've been keeping up with the channel for a while, you probably already know how much I loathed Harmonious (or "Bargemonious" as I like to call it). Technically speaking, the show was extremely innovative and I appreciate Disney for trying to do something new, but the infrastructure caused so much visual blight on EPCOT's beautiful World Showcase Lagoon. What made matters worse is that the end result in the evening did not make the daytime blight worth it either, as the 20-minute show attempted to shoehorn in multiple Disney Intellectual Properties with minimal pyro that told no cohesive story and had nothing to do with EPCOT. As such, Disney cut the plug with Harmonious a year and half later on April 2nd, 2023. Not even Disney was satisfied with it.
The fact that Harmonious was actually intended to be the long-term replacement to IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is a laughable statement, especially considering how much money Disney wasted on this multimillion dollar investment. If anybody gets this reference, Harmonious was, in short, EPCOT's "mistake on the lake."
The end of Harmonious caused the very brief revival of EPCOT Forever for a few months, but more importantly, paved the way for Disney to start fresh and create another new nighttime spectacular for the park. And on December 5th, 2023, Luminous: The Symphony of Us was born.
Just taking a look at the name of the show, Luminous sounds like the combination of IllumiNations and Harmonious, which is probably not by accident. In short, Luminous basically is a combination of the two former shows, with distinct elements from each carrying over in some capacity (more on that later).
In terms of the premise of the show, Luminous tells the story of life and the shared human experience through water, pyro, lights, and music. The soundtrack includes two original compositions and others from "the Disney songbook." I've had the opportunity to see Luminous quite a few times ever since its debut over a year ago, and I now feel like I have a good grip on the show in terms of where it compares to the park's legacy of providing unique and spellbinding nighttime entertainment.
With all that being said, let's officially begin the review!
Luminous: The Symphony of Us
Welcome/Global Gathering
The show begins with our narrator, Mother Nature, welcoming everyone to the "Great Gathering" along the World Showcase Lagoon. Not long after, the iconic perimeter shore launches burst from the base of each country one-by-one, starting with Canada and ending with Mexico. Each shore launch cues a speaker from each country to welcome us in their native language. When the shore launches complete a full circle one-by-one, all 12 of them launch inward together in time. If you listen closely, you can even hear Walt Disney himself say "welcome" during this very moment, which is a wonderful touch.
Mother Nature then comes back to set up the story of the show:
"Everyone on this Earth is part of the great Symphony of Us. Each of us a unique instrument playing harmony to one another. And even though we are all playing different parts, it's our unified heartbeat that connects us, reminding us that we are more alike than we are different. A rhapsody of rhythms that unites us and connects us through commonalities of the heart. Come, find your place in the great Symphony of Us."
The show starts off extremely strong, and is very reminiscent of IllumiNations. After the first "welcome" act is finished, Luminous transitions into its first original song.
Heartbeat Symphony
The song "Heartbeat Symphony" is simply gorgeous. It's a great opener to the show and really sets the stage for bigger and even more emotional moments to come. One of my favorite parts about the song is that it's catchy without trying to be, if that makes any sense.
On a related note to "Heartbeat Symphony", you'll be hearing plenty of versions of the EPCOT Anthem intricately woven throughout the show. The EPCOT Anthem was composed by Pinar Toprak back in 2019 and can be heard dozens of times throughout the show if you listen closely. I'm a sucker for original EPCOT music, especially some of the park's older melodies, and Luminous is nothing short of delivery in that regard. It's these original tunes that help shape the identity of EPCOT more so than any other Disney Park in the world, and the compositions found throughout Luminous definitely pay respect to that identity.
The fireworks don't do anything crazy in this particular segment, but the pyro swells perfectly with the score of the show, and not just in the beginning.
Movement 1: Birth
After Heartbeat Symphony, Luminous officially moves on to the story of life, starting with birth. It is also at this point in the show where Disney Intellectual Properties are reintroduced, with a bilingual rendition of "You'll be in my Heart" from Tarzan.
Here's the thing though. Unlike Harmonious, the IP's are used very methodically throughout Luminous. You can tell that their sole purpose is to simply help tell the story, and weren't picked just because they're popular songs. When Intellectual Properties are used in a thoughtful manner, that's when I'm okay with them. Harmonious was all IP and no story, but in Luminous, they're used as a musical tool to help progress the story forward. A big improvement, to say the least.
But back to Luminous. Mother Nature introduces us to the beginning of our story:
"When we are born, we come into this world a raw noise. Cradled in tenderness, we tune ourselves to the world around us."
We hear the faint sound of a baby crying, cuing the start of "You'll be in my Heart." This segment of the show takes on a very blue color scheme, with fireworks and fountains growing together and complimenting one another. I noticed the fireworks and fountains seem to have a consistent "call and response" delicacy to them. When the fireworks burst, the fountains respond with fluid movement, and when the fountains change colors, so do the fireworks overhead. It's a nice chemistry.
Movement 2: Family
For the show's second movement, the pyro really starts to become more active and unique. Additionally, this is also where Pinar Toprak's EPCOT Anthem is played the most heavily. All of this combined with "Proud Coraźon" from Coco really helps define the family theme in this movement.
Mother Nature also returns as she explains this stage in our life where we move on from being infants to toddlers. It is at this stage where we recognize our family's love and try to reciprocate it back during the innocence of our childhood.
"We begin to understand what our instrument can do. We find our voice and add it to the ensemble of our ancestors, our family, nuestra familia."
Another consistency factor I liked throughout the show is the constant musical metaphors that are used. For example, referring to family as an "ensemble," the world as a "symphony," and our voice as our "instrument." It's a nice touch that is constantly referenced whenever Mother Nature speaks at the beginning of each new movement. Perhaps I'm biased, considering I was in band during all of middle school and high school, but it's a very thoughtful detail.
Movement 3: Friendship
The third movement of Luminous is arguably the most fun and energetic point in the show. Makes sense, considering this segment is all about childhood friendship and the playfulness of the imagination. Mother Nature introduces the movement by saying:
"We begin to recognize the music in others, trading notes and improvising. Music becomes play."
As far as the music goes, this movement features two songs instead of just one. In fact, many of the remaining movements going forward feature more than just one song. As for this segment, the songs "You've Got a Friend in Me" from Toy Story and "Friend Like Me" from Aladdin are both used. This is where I begin to role my eyes a little bit.
The song choices are fine. Again, they get the job done by helping tell the story and fitting the theme of the movement. But they are a bit... simplistic. I'm not saying there are better songs that could've been used (because I genuinely don't know what else could've worked), but they are redundant and popular Disney songs nonetheless. I'll say that the movement has grown on me after watching the show a few times, especially considering two slow movements follow after. Regardless, the fireworks and fountains are very colorful and lively during this segment and provide for some memorable moments. Noteworthy color combinations include lots of oranges, yellows, and greens.
Movement 4: Love
As we continue to go through life, sometimes we meet someone who becomes more than just a friend. This is where the romance movement comes in. The segment starts with a very brief yet tranquil rendition of "Can you Feel the Love Tonight" from The Lion King, before Mother Nature makes her return as narrator.
"Sometimes we find another, and our melodies blend, and suddenly, with the hum of our heartstrings, our world becomes a duet."
After the short narration, the second and main song of the movement swells. Unlike the previous movement, the song that plays here is a rather unique, but fitting choice.
The romance movement is set to the song "So Close" from the 2007 Disney film Enchanted. Not only is this a highly underrated film, but it features an equally underrated soundtrack. "So Close" just so happens to be one of those songs, and it fits perfectly.
As for pyro, it's much more tame throughout this slower movement. The fountains play a more prominent role here, as expected, and the color combination is very similar to that of the first movement, with more purple undertones rather than just blue.
Movement 5: Loss
And now, we enter the fifth movement. This is where the emotional chords will hit the highest for many viewers of the show, and leaving others in shock. I'll have Mother Nature explain before I do.
"Inevitably in life, the accompaniment drops out, and we experience great loss. We find that the melodies we cherish are gone, and for a moment, we are playing alone."
Now, the topic of "loss" can be interpreted in two different ways. Perhaps the simple loss of a relationship or a friendship as we grow older. But if not that, then... death.
It's important to note that death itself is not explicitly mentioned in this movement of the show, but the exact definition of "loss" isn't either. This was most likely a meaningful and artistic choice that was made deliberately for a few reasons. Not only does it avoid actually mentioning death, but it also leaves this movement up for audience interpretation, making for a more personal experience. Either way, I'll be interpreting "loss" here as death, and that's how I'll analyze it moving forward, despite it being a heavy subject for a Disney nighttime spectacular. But I suppose if we are talking about the story of life, then death is inevitable, whether we like it or not. Anyways, moving on.
The movement is set to a solemn duet between a man and a woman. The male singer sings "When She Loved Me" from Toy Story 2, while a female vocalist sings "Remember Me" from Coco. The songs fit the movement almost too perfectly, especially considering that both singers seem to mirror the loss and mourning of the other. It's a powerful segment of the show that is well done, but I'll say it again. 90 seconds of two slow songs mourning over death and loss can feel like an eternity, especially when little to no fireworks are at play. (The photo above represents some of the only fireworks during this segment.) Again, movement 5 is well done, but it may catch you a little off guard if you aren't expecting this kind of theme to be represented during a Disney nighttime show. Either way, it will certainly make the audience feel something, with some more so than others.
Movement 6: Out of the Darkness
The 6th and final movement of the show before transitioning into the finale doesn't actually have a proper name to it. For the sake of following the story and the artistic intentions made, I'm calling this movement "Out of the Darkness." For me, this movement is all about finding your way through the rest of life, overcoming challenges, and reassuring yourself that everything will be okay, especially after following a movement about the quiet loneliness of loss. Here's how Mother Nature introduces the movement:
"But we are never truly alone. Sing out so others can hear you. The music we make echos back at us, in chorus, in concert, in symphony! Together our voices can illuminate the world, if we only listen closely for the sounds of each other."
The two songs in this movement also directly reflect the themes I take from this segment, with that being "Into the Unknown" from Frozen 2 and "I See the Light" from Tangled. The pyrotechnics during this segment are also very impressive, especially when we see the return of the shore launches from the very beginning of the show. While the movement before used minimal pyro with lots of red in the fountains, this movement is a very stark, yet much-needed contrast. Plenty of pyro is used (which might have some mistake it for the finale) and the primary color is a bright white.
I think "I See the Light" was a great choice for this movement, but "Into the Unknown" feels slightly out of place. Granted, none of the actual lyrics from "Into the Unknown" are used, only the siren melody (which I think was another thoughtful, deliberate choice), so I can look past it. There's just always this strangeness to hearing a Frozen song being sung in the World Showcase Lagoon, even though this is the first time it's happening. But the whole point of the movement is to lift our spirits up and bring us hope, and that's exactly what it manages to accomplish.
Finale: Beating of Our Hearts
And now we are introduced to the second original song of the show, with "Beating of Our Hearts." While I do like "Heartbeat Symphony" just a little bit better, this piece is nothing short of wonderful. It hits the same emotions as "Heartbeat Symphony" but manages to make it more uplifting and powerful in a way that is fitting of a Disney finale.
Mother Nature also makes her final major appearance as our narrator to cap off the sixth movement and begin the finale sequence.
"How miraculous that we exist on this planet at the same time, and yet it's the human connection that unifies us."
I know I've been talking a lot about the soundtrack of the show throughout this review, but for the finale, I want to focus on something related to the infrastructure.
EPCOT's nighttime spectaculars have always been known for their innovation, and so far, Luminous hasn't really done much that I'd consider to be "new." However, that all changes with the finale.
As seen in the image above, a spellbinding effect takes place. Essentially, a pyro "tower" rises from the middle of the lagoon at the very center where each of the four main barges meet. Then, four times in a row, it launches fireworks in a rapid motion 360 degrees around it towards guests. It's really quite impressive that you have to see in person to experience. No amount of photos or videos will ever do Luminous justice, especially when it comes to this grand effect.
But that's not all. While the photos I captured don't really display the effect well, the pyro "tower" also manages to shoot heart-shaped fireworks out towards the audience. And yes, I'm sure you've seen plenty of heart-shaped fireworks during Magic Kingdom's nighttime spectaculars, but these are giant pink fireworks that are literally shot out towards the guests, in all directions. The finale of Luminous is nothing short of show-stopping, innovative, and memorable. We love to see it!
The finale of Luminous is a powerful one. Not just in fireworks usage (because there are a LOT), but in the emotions you'll feel as well. I guess that can really be said about the entire show in general, and the finale is a perfect culmination of all the emotions you'll feel throughout this 17-minute long nighttime spectacular. No doubt you'll be walking away feeling something special.
Final Thoughts
Luminous: The Symphony of Us manages to tell a distinct and compelling story that everyone will be able to follow and relate to in at least some capacity. After all, it is the story of life and shared human experiences. Being born from the lessons learned with Harmonious and taking inspiration from IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, the show acts as the "clean up" of the mess EPCOT has been over the past few years. So, how does it compare to the rest of the park's nighttime entertainment legacy?
I will say this. Luminous pleasantly surprised me when I first viewed it back in 2023, and after viewing it multiple times in the past year, it has only continued to grow on me. Not just certain parts (looking at you movement 5) but the whole show. Despite the Intellectual Property integration, I don't really have any other issues with this show. The infrastructure, the pyro, the fountains, the original songs, and the story are all fantastic.
The main question here is, does Luminous belong at EPCOT? Does this feel like an EPCOT show? Is it respectful and meaningful to the park's core values and identity? The answer is yes. The show is a perfect blend of Disney IPs and EPCOT richness, which makes for a beautifully striking and emotionally captivating spectacle. And while I don't think we're looking at a legendary 20 year-long run time like that of IllumiNations, I can certainly see Luminous entertaining guests through at least the end of the decade, and maybe even beyond. It's a memorable and somewhat timeless show that I think will only continue to be loved as time goes on. And when the time is right, years down the road, Disney can craft another new, innovative spectacular that is worthy of the EPCOT name.
Overall, I enjoy Luminous: The Symphony of Us, and I feel like this is the predecessor that was worth following IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. It's a vast improvement from Harmonious, and I think I even like it better than EPCOT Forever. Considering the new direction EPCOT as a park is now heading in, I feel confident knowing I can at least cap off my evening with a meaningful and powerful show that compliments the spirit of EPCOT in a new and innovative way. And with that, I'm satisfied.
What do you think of Luminous: The Symphony of Us at EPCOT? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Thanks for reading!
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