Good evening. And welcome! We’re gathered here tonight, around the fire — as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us — to share the light, and to share a story. An amazing story as old as time itself, but still being written. And though each of us has our own individual stories to tell, a true adventure emerges when we bring them all together as one. We hope you enjoy our story tonight: Reflections of Earth. (Blows out the lights.)
And so, for the past 20 years, every evening at Epcot has ended like this, with Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.
But that will all be changing starting next Tuesday, October 1, as Disney begins the next chapter of Epcot nighttime spectaculars, with the debut of a brand new, limited time show featuring fireworks, music, lighting, lasers and choreographed special effects kites. This new show – “Epcot Forever” – will take us through the past, present and future of Epcot, featuring a stirring collection of songs that paint a colorful picture of the park, with a look towards the future and all the magical possibilities still to come. This will however, be temporary, as Epcot is scheduled to have it’s next long-term nighttime show ready at some point in 2020 – and it’s sure to be even more technologically amazing and spectacular and magical.
It all sounds wonderful, and as any good Disney fan, I look forward to these new shows, as they will undoubtedly be incredible. They always are. Still, there’s a bit of sadness for me too, as I say good bye to what is for my family, our absolute favorite nighttime show at Walt Disney World. More than just “fireworks” Illuminations has come to be a multiple “most do” for us on every trip, as we not only enjoy the show, but we sort of take a walk down memory lane each time it plays as well.
Twenty years is a long time for one show to play at Walt Disney World, and in those past two decades, we’ve had a lot of trips, each with their own circumstances and memories. We’ve watched it in the cold and wind, we’ve watched it in the humidity of a summer evening, we’ve watched it in the rain, and we’ve watched it on perfect evenings too. We’ve enjoyed it with family and friends, and we’ve made new friends while waiting for it to start – including several New Years Eves when we made new BFFs with folks from all over the world. Nothing like waiting for fireworks to bond folks together.
And as I replay all of these Illuminations memories in my mind, I’m reminded that we have experienced this show with such a variety of experiences and emotions over the years, as life has brought it’s inevitable changes. But of course, that is what Illuminations is all about – telling a story. My family has it’s story and so does everyone who gathers to watch it. And those stories – with their joy and their sadness, their triumphs and tribulations – are still wonderful.
So farewell Illuminations. You will be missed, and you will always remembered.
But……..We Go On.
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