I haven’t been on Forums much because I struggle to use it correctly. I am interested in everyone’s thoughts on the debut of Luminous. I watched the TP livestream done by Chrissy. I posted some thoughts on chat but my basic feelings were that the visuals were terrific, the music was just ok, the narration was somber, the pacing slow and the overall feeling was heavy and not inspirational. The storyline was not a celebration. So odd to hear a Disney show boil life down to birth, growth, finding a partner, grief and realization that you aren’t truly alone. I would really like to know what others thought.
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There is some discussion about it over in @LTinNC82 's TR…starting here…
https://forum.touringplans.com/t/another-one-lts-back-back-again/97013/232
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I absolutely loved it! Definitely one for the heartstrings. I thought the original song was great too. I cannot wait to see it again honestly.
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I saw it tonight. Watched in front of L’Chaim between Morocco and France.
I thought the production was beautiful, the song choice was 
and the narration was weak and made it drag. I’m so glad that it is once again a show that can be seen from anywhere. The golf ball added a little extra fun, so if you can line it up to see it in the background, do…but don’t sweat it off you can’t!
Also, with the number of times she said Symphony of us…I do no know why they didn’t call it Symphonious…it’s right there.
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I watched five min and I already don’t like it as much as Harmonius which I adored. I’ll save my real review till I see the full thing in person.
And yes the talking is too much. And agree about the redundancy of the word symphony
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Agree with the statements above that the visuals were nice but I didn’t care for most of the song arrangements. I think I’m in the minority but I absolutely loved the music in Harmonius and don’t think this show was anywhere as close. I also agree that the theming seemed weird.
For me, my mom is my partner in crime at Disney as I’ve not been so lucky as to find my “one.” So the whole section about loss and playing “When she loved me” was actually incredibly depressing for both her and I to think of a time when I won’t have her with me. It actually out a bit of a damper on a really nice day for us. Definitely a one and done show for us.
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I never got to see Harmonious in person, but did get to see it when Disney televised it. We really loved the music. It was perfect for the setting of Epcot and World Showcase.
It doesn’t excuse the terrible barges, though. Good riddance there.
I will be excited to see this one though. It is interesting to hear the different perspectives. And after the controversy surrounding Disney wanting to replace most (all?) Of the original music intended for Luminous last minute, I am amazed it wasn’t delayed yet again.
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I hadn’t heard about that. Interesting.
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My guess? Merch.The name you suggested would get too many jokes that it sounded like something that needed treatment with antibiotics. They want to be able to move the merch.
@StitchGirl84 I am so touched by your post. I know Disney has made strides in recognizing that there are many kinds of families, love and ways to find joy in the world. I’m sorry that the show hit a sour note for you. If the show is really one-and-done for you, I highly recommend grabbing the skyliner a couple of minutes after the show is supposed to start. You can watch the fireworks from the gondolas – it was really fun and not at all crowded.
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OMG yes! I just did this, quite by accident, on Monday night.
The only thing you should be sure to do is ask for a plain gondola. I was in a wrapped one and it obscured the view a little bit. But it was still wicked awesome and I will do this again in the future!
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Oh interesting. Well the song they went with is awesome.
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I watched the show on YouTube last night and enjoyed it. I won’t give final judgment until I see it in person because of course there’s so much that you miss by not feeling the full impact live.
Some thoughts:
- I really loved Harmonious. One of the best shows I’ve ever seen at Disney. It really hit the emotional notes so well. I didn’t mind that you couldn’t see the StarGate projections because you could still see projections on the arms.
- Luminous needs some projections. Even just a hint of the storyline you’re listening to would help. Without any images of Disney characters, it lacks a bit of heart that other shows give. Maybe they could do spray screens around the bay or just project some subtle imagery on the barges or even the World Showcase buildings.
- The music for Luminous was great. I really enjoyed the lights, fountains, fireworks, etc. A solid show.
Basically the big dilemma for Epcot is how do you make a show you can see from all around the lagoon that still packs a punch?
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Agree, While the barges were ugly in the daytime they really stepped up the show for me from IllumiNations. Also, I loved the music. So this feels like going backwards technologically 
IllumiNations was a one and done for me staking out a position or spending money on dining seating. Harmonious was not. It was a must do. Now I’d gladly watch the IllumiNations fireworks but doing the full show was not necessary to me at all.
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What I’m hoping is they have developed a show that is once and for all going to stick around for a while
I’m kind of sick of all the changes
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This is exactly what I imagined!
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I think it would be kinda cool if every now and again they had superheroes crash the show and call it “Marvel-US”
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Maybe they should have Star Wars characters crash it and call it “Luminous Beings are We.” 
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This was my first reaction too when reading about it (where to watch…) and seeing just a bit of it on youtube. I’m intentionally avoiding more videos as for once I’d like to experience a new show in person 
I’m not particularly interested in trying to secure a spot an hour early… Does the IG side (France to UK) completely fill up?
I saw an amazing photo taken from the second floor in Japan with Spaceship Earth in the background, but I imagine it’ll be a crowded spot too.
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In my experience there is always a spot to walk up and watch last minute no matter where you are for a show like Luminous that doesn’t require specific sightlines, as long as you aren’t behind a building or a tree (although the very busiest days like Christmas week there are no guarantees). That said it seems like France, Future World, and Mexico are often the most crowded areas since they are closest to the exits.
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