Disney Releases Update, Video and Photos of Harmonious At EPCOT

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Work is continuing on Harmonious, one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney park. Zach Riddley, Walt Disney World Site Portfolio Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering, shares an update.

EPCOT has always been a special place where the world comes together to celebrate human achievement. Nothing has embodied this spirit more over the years than the park’s lineup of original nighttime spectaculars.

Although we have not yet determined when our next spectacular will debut, our Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Live Entertainment teams are hard at work building on that legacy with “Harmonious.” Early in our plans for the transformation of EPCOT, we recognized the power and potential this new show has to tell a story of global connection and celebration. This grand, original spectacular is a tribute to the power of story and song that unite us, leveraging music and visuals from across Disney and artists around the world.

“Harmonious” is a global effort, truly embracing the magic of possibility. In recent weeks, Disney Live Entertainment technical designers across the country have been programming various elements of the show, from media and fountains to lighting and pyrotechnics, working in a completely virtual environment. Our music producers at Walt Disney Imagineering have been remotely directing recording sessions with an incredibly diverse array of musical artists, performing in studios around the world.

Once complete, “Harmonious” will be one of the largest nighttime spectaculars we’ve ever produced. We’re busy setting the stage of this innovative toolkit, preparing each of the show’s five floating platforms to take its place on World Showcase Lagoon. Positioned like a compass, these platforms house the primary show equipment for “Harmonious,” and on the recently-placed center platform stands an iconic six-story-tall central ring structure, supporting a high-density water curtain, moving lights, fountains and more.

While the show is still in the early stages of development with more finishing details to come, I’m excited to share some recent progress.

“Harmonious” Nighttime Show at EPCOT Will Debut By Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary

Posted on by Mathew Corn Epcot

Though an opening date for Harmonious—EPCOT’s new nighttime spectacular—has not been announced, it seems that Disney is planning for it to be open in time for the 2021 Taste of EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. Disney is now selling corporate packages that include a private reception and viewing of Harmonious in October 2021.

The Harmonious show barges have been coming out one-by-one to World Showplace Lagoon over the last two months. The centerpiece barge still sits backstage and has had four arms added to its structure recently. Testing of the barges has been taking place and last night, fireworks were tested. With construction and testing coming along, an opening even earlier than October seems possible.

Update On HarmonioUs Set To Debut Later This Year

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Epcot’s current nighttime spectacular, Epcot Forever, may have “Forever” in the name but it is only a temporary experience. “Harmonious” is on the way in later this year! Disney has announced this will be the largest nighttime spectacular to ever come to a Disney Park. As we wait impatiently with high anticipation, check out this update on Harmonious from DisneyParksBlog:

Recently, Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Live Entertainment team members had an opportunity to update some of our leaders on the historic, multi-year transformation taking place at EPCOT. It was a wonderful day spent with Bob Iger, chairman and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, and Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products. And the entire presentation concluded with a crescendo performance from a group of live singers to help bring the powerful stories of “Harmonious” to life! 

Set to debut later this year, “Harmonious” is one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney Park. The show is a beautifully crafted dreamscape of Disney music and images, reimagined by diverse cultural musicians and artists from around the world. It’s a transformative experience, where we can discover how Disney music has the power to inspire and unite us all with the magic of possibility. 

Be sure to follow @WaltDisneyImagineering on Instagram for a look at this project and the other exciting Disney stories, characters and worlds being brought to life around the globe! 

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Get Ready For HarmonioUs @ Epcot

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

With IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth gone, “Epcot Forever” has been trying to fill the nighttime spectacular void in Epcot. Even though “Forever” is in the name, Epcot Forever is only a temporary show. Disney has been hard at work with the permanent Epcot nighttime spectacular, “Harmonious”. Check out the details and video below from DisneyParksBlog:

Epcot is in the midst of an historic, multi-year transformation that is bringing a wide variety of exciting new attractions and experiences to the park. Among these is “Harmonious,” set to debut later this year, which will be one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney Park. Our Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Parks Live Entertainment teams recently passed a major milestone in the development of the show, with the delivery of several floating platforms that will provide a base for the technology used to create “Harmonious.”  

“Harmonious” will bring to World Showcase Lagoon an innovative toolkit of massive floating set pieces that house a variety of show effects, including custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, colorful lights, lasers, pyrotechnics and more.  

The show is a beautifully crafted nighttime dreamscape of Disney music and images, reimagined by diverse cultural musicians and artists from around the world. It’s a transformative experience, where we can discover how Disney music has the power to inspire and unite us all. You can catch an early glimpse of concepts for the show now by visiting Walt Disney Imagineering Presents the Epcot Experience, located in the Odyssey Events Pavilion. 

Over the coming months, with development and infrastructure work for “Harmonious” ramping up both behind the scenes and in the center of the lagoon, we’re pleased to present the limited-time spectacular “Epcot Forever.”  

“Epcot Forever” has been described as a “love letter” to the park. The show tells the story of Epcot, beginning with the first spark of inspiration and the opening day anthem, “We’ve Just Begun to Dream,” and continuing through chapters dedicated to the thematic pillars of innovation, exploration, imagination and celebration. It concludes with an all-new verse of the classic song, “One Little Spark,” leading into a spectacular grand finale promising “A Whole New World” of magical possibilities to come.  

“Epcot Forever” is now showing nightly in World Showcase, and we’ll have more to share on “Harmonious” in the months ahead.

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Epcot Forever Brings in The New Year @ Epcot

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Epcot

Happy New Year! Earlier in 2019, we got to see “EPCOT Forever” debut after the final showing of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. It’s a divisive show amongst fans, but it’s all we’ve got until the debut of “HarmonioUs” in Spring 2020, and for the new year, it is debuting its first and last New Year’s Eve countdown!

You can check out the full video of the “EPCOT Forever” New Year’s Eve countdown below!