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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I remember seeing or reading something about a little known viewing spot near I think it was Rose and Crown…but I don’t remember for sure. Anyone have any thoughts about that area?
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This thread had a bunch of discussion about that. If it was good for Harmonious, it should work for Luminous too, and then some.
Also here’s an article.
Here’s the spot they mention by Rose & Crown:
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Ah! Thanks. Perfect.
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Awh that picture makes me miss the barges and the show they provided even if you didn’t see into the stargate. They just should have made them move in and out, problem solved.
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That was the original intention, but they basically failed at making that work, so they decided to make them semi-permanent.
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Watched it on YouTube in VR (so I could pretend I was there). The fireworks seemed underwhelming, but I’ve been told that you really have to be there to appreciate them.
Nearly everyone is in agreement that the song choices aren’t that great. The big one I don’t understand is the choice of “When She Loved Me” in the middle of the show. Talk about a depressing choice! All I could think about was Jessie being left in a box alongside the road!
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Not saying it is right or not, but given the subtitle of the show is “The Symphony of Us”, it makes me think the song choices are meant to cover the gamut of humanity/emotion? So that song would fit in there for that reason?
Just a guess.
I haven’t watched anything more than a few small clips that vloggers reviewed, but it seems that the fireworks portion is a hit, but the song choices leave something to be desired? I’ll get to see it in March myself.
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I mean, they talk about everyone you know dying right in the middle of the show. They’re really not going for happily ever after.
In person, they definitely aren’t. Especially the cannons.
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I saw it twice, at opening night and last night.
Opening night was a mad house! People were pouring into Epcot and lining up at the railings hours before hand. Around 40 minutes before, we decided we needed to find somewhere to stand to watch. The railings were like 8-10 deep. We wouldn’t be able to see above peoples’ heads! We ended up at the railing on this other side of the walkway near Mexico. While we had neighbors, nobody stood directly in front of us. A couple of Floridian dudes next to us went to hunt for a better spot but came back to stand next to us, saying we had the best available spot! We could see the fireworks just fine. They were gorgeous!
. We could see glimpses of the water shooting up in different colors here and there. I wondered what I missed. @LTinNC82 said not much.
Last night, I had time to burn! I found a table behind the fish and chip place around 7:45. It was so nice to sit but it was so cold because of the wind! I had a front row seat! Time flew by since I chatted with snowbirds who THOUGHT they knew how to conquer Disney and a couple who were frustrated they couldn’t do much in less than a day! Apparently, they showed up without researching anything!
I agree with @LTinNC82 , it is not necessary to see the water show.
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We intended to go on Sunday night, but it rained and then we did not feel like going out again. Due to being a rope dropper, I tend to skip the evening shows.
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I thought this photo from bioreconstruct on Twitter was fascinating because you can see where people are clustered - and where they are not.
https://x.com/bioreconstruct/status/1736010630904123501?s=46&t=o5hb2IhktPeuVj4nnnvyVA
One thing I can’t figure out — it seems like there is hardly anyone in Germany. Is there an obstruction there? Is it blocked off for paid guests? (It’s in the lower left of this photo. I found it easiest to count two countries from America, which has the big stage on the left side of the lagoon.)
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