Epcot's New Luminous Is A More Than Worthy Replacement for Harmonious

 It's not Reflections of Earth, the great nighttime show of Epcot Past. But it's something pretty substantial and clearly in line with the new focus of the park. Epcot's shimmering Luminous - The Symphony of Us is ions better than its predecessor Harmonious. That's not saying much as that show was lacking in many areas.

The theme is executed well. The whole idea of life's journey- starting with a mother's soothing words- and how much we need each other is something our world needs right now. We're so busy hating on those who disagree with us instead of loving them even if we disagree. Perhaps this can be a show to last a decade or more.

Imagineering hit a solid triple when it came to choosing music. Toy Story is unfortunately mined again, but beyond that, it's a rather diverse and clever set of songs. In addition to the new show song, Luminous gives us a taste of Coco, a bit of Frozen, and two very well used songs in So Close (from Enchanted) and I See the Light (from Tangled). Not a Bruno or a Let It Go in sight. Thank God!

The narration is as close to flawless as it gets. Rarely does it go overboard even when the inevitable "We all experience loss" segment comes on. This may be due to the skills of the narrator (sounds like Michelle Yeoh to me) as much as the show writers. A great balance that gives the experience some much needed depth.

Pyrotechnics are spot on with a variety of colors and patterns you'd expect from a First Class creative unit. The water fountains are understated. The lighting of the countries of World Showcase only add to the impact of it all. (Do I torches light? I do not see them in action.)

Will Luminous and the new center of World Celebration make you book a trip to Walt Disney World? Not on its own- but maybe a few more expansions and improvements to the park could change my mind. Anyone else up for a new Journey into Imagination? That'll do the trick!

Watch the great opening night video from Blog Mickey below.

 

The Hatbox Ghost Appears in the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion

Just in time for Christmas but sadly missing Halloween, the quite infamous Hatbox Ghost makes his East Coast debut at the Haunted Mansion in Liberty Square. Imagineering announced his addition as sometime later in the year, and they finally delivered today. Where is he? The Hatbox Ghost materializes just after the endless hallway. In Disneyland's mansion in New Orleans Square, "Hattie" as he's sometimes known as, shows up just outside the attic before guests descend into the graveyard. 

As with every new addition and change, you can be sure the lines in the Magic Kingdom will be long for awhile! Just imagine the numbers a fully reimagined Journey into Imagination with Figment would bring!

Thanks to the great Blog Mickey for the image!

 

Sizing Up Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser

Looking at the offerings for the new Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser provides an interesting contrast to the offerings found at nearby Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge at Disney's Hollywood Studios. No one can deny that Rise of the Resistance is an epic, iconic, adventure, even if Millenium Falcon: Smugglers Run is slightly better than average. Mike at Blog Mickey does an excellent job explaining how experiences that were cut from the park made it to the hotel. So, how will the paying public respond? Let's put it to the test.

Would my Star Wars loving son bite the bullet and pay the big bucks for a two day cruise like role playing, escape room type experience. Here's how he summed it up after hearing about the offerings and the price tag: "What? About $1500 for two nights! No! But if this was a Harry Potter themed hotel and experience in Hogwarts (done as well as Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley at Universal), sign me up!"

Paging Universal Creative...

(Art copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

Original Brazil Model for EPCOT Center's World Showcase

The original model for Brazil's World Showcase pavilion at Epcot shows a slice of what is a take on Copacabana's famous boardwalk in Rio de Janeiro. If I'm not mistaken, that's also a statue of Christ of the Andes (also known as Christ the Redeemer) in the upper left hand corner. Older concept art, seen below, shows this would have been part of the original proposal to add this South American country to the lineup of the park.

Certainly a classic steakhouse is part of the plan. That part we know as its been leaked by those terrific insiders on the WDWMagic site. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, as of this time it seems as if no attraction is planned. Bummer. Does a small soccer field count? Perhaps this holdover from the above old concept art will make the cut. There's more renderings to be found if you research the net. 

Blog Mickey's mock up of the location of the new pavilion.

Blog Mickey shows us on a map where the pavilion will go: smack between Italy and Germany. Definitely bringing a new profile to World Showcase as guests look across the lagoon. It's about time, isn't it? That half of the park has been fairly stagnant for too long.

Given the direction the park is taking, maybe The Three Caballeros will move to Brazil if Coco comes to Mexico. Stranger things have happened!

(Art and model copyright The Walt Disney Company.)

More Marvel for DCA, Prime Pandora, Promising Pirates

Now that Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: Breakout is a bonafide hit, its a safe bet that the already leaked plans for a Marvel themed expansion happen sooner than later. California Adventure will finally begin expansion in earnest after a long wait from the opening of the 2.0 remake which brought us Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. It's about time. 

The photo above is making rounds on the web, photographer unknown. Found text to the Tower - I mean power plant fortress- is a small piece of eye candy promising future Avengers attractions. Anyone who has read the articles and blogs and discussion boards knows Disney cannot use Marvel's key characters in Florida. California wins again, showing another reason why the Disneyland Resort will be the place for theme park fans to vacation for decades to come. I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it all and the placement of these particular film properties in Disney parks there, but I have no doubt, it will be successful. With Star Wars Land at Disneyland, Marvel in California Adventure and a resort expansion coming, the suits will find the original Kingdom to be a long term money-maker, never again to be left to rot as under the days of Paul Pressler. 

Across the States over at Animal Kingdom, Pandora's another breakout smash. The Imagineers, the suits, and Joe Rohde are enjoying a very successful opening and positive word of mouth on a project many thought to be out of place, me included. From what I can see, there's not many animals in this kingdom, but the lush flora and fauna do seem to bring a beautiful fantasy element to a gorgeous park. As the quality of attractions in the park seems to go up and up, it's time for Expedition:Everest to see a repaired yeti and time to finally say goodbye to Chester and Hester. Neither can happen too soon.

The above nighttime photo is from Blog Mickey. It's an absolute stunning photo as is but even more spectacular when you click on it to see it full size. The photo report is one of the best on the web. 

Bit the bullet and saw Pirates 5 last night. In IMAX, not worth the extra expense. Promising beginning with some old school Jack Sparrow swagger (humor and action) and an eerily effective villain. The storyline remains fairly clear, but I had to wonder when the writers will run out of legends and myths of the sea to exploit. Seeing it, I was reminded a bit of Indy 4. With much promise came a healthy dose of weak closure to it all as the emphasis shifted away from the beloved Captain to other characters. Whether or not attendance and financial returns mandate another chapter in the series, fans need something better than this to close out the saga. I hope it happens. As with many, the original remains the best.

There's much more to say on the Disney front, especially after D23.  In the meantime, enjoy your Memorial Day and thank God for the brave men and women who gave their lives to keep us free.