Epcot’s newest nighttime spectacular, Epcot Forever, made a nostalgia-filled debut last night, just one night after the end of Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. Though this is a limited engagement, opening night brought in droves of Epcot enthusiasts… including myself!
Disney defines Epcot Forever as a celebration of the past, present and future of Epcot through dazzling fireworks and special effects. Opening with a spark of imagination that grows into a fantastic set of dazzling fireworks, stunning laser effects and choreographed kites – all set to favorite Epcot tunes.
Epcot Forever Video
Disney Parks streamed the new show last night. You can view the whole thing below. The show starts at 10:38 into the stream (there’s a lot of talk about the making of Epcot Forever and some concept art for what’s coming to Epcot before the fireworks start that may also be of interest to you):
And see the show it replaced and our farewell to Illuminations: Reflections of Earth:
Epcot Forever Review
Epcot Forever is rich in nostalgia. The show’s music is a vault of Epcot history. Whether you attended the park in the 80’s, 90’s or early 2000’s, you’re sure to recognize some of the tunes. Besides songs from the Epcot Entrance area, Tapestry of Nations parade, and Soarin’ Over California, they covered most of the Future World pavilions with songs such as It’s Fun to Be Free, Makin’ Memories, Magic Journeys, Tomorrow’s Child, One Little Spark, “Veggie, Veggie, Fruit, Fruit” and Living with the Land.
Though, there is one pavilion that isn’t represented… my childhood favorite: the Seas. I was hoping for some pavilion background music or audio from Seabase Alpha to make a cameo appearance. Any idea why this would be the only pavilion excluded? Or did I miss something?
Golden Dream from the American Adventure also has its moment in the limelight, accompanied by illuminated kites pulled by jet skis around the lagoon! This was a nice nod to the kites flown in Epcot’s 1991 Surprise in the Skies!
A few IllumiNations remnants can also be found. The 19 torches surrounding the lagoon are re-lit during Epcot Forever, as well as the World Showcase pavilions illuminating a few times throughout the show.
Varying from water-level effects to high in the sky; the fireworks are plentiful, colorful and unique.
Towards the beginning and end of the presentation, Walt Disney himself was featured – speaking about the Florida Project and his idea for an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. It was a successful tug at the heartstrings. Even though Uncle Walt’s original idea for EPCOT wasn’t fully realized, it was truly heartwarming for him to be included in this nostalgic show.
Epcot Forever concludes with a rendition of A Whole New World. The lead-in has a vocal which says “From one little spark,” and then “A whole new world.” It’s intended to be a bridge from the past and present of Epcot to its future. And, while the past was filled with original music and characters, the future of Epcot announced at the D23 Expo is very much about Disney’s storytelling and characters. Sadly, I understand this is the “future” of Epcot, but it didn’t flow well with the rest of the nostalgic tunes found in this show for me. Hopefully not an omen for the future of Epcot itself.
Epcot Forever Merchandise
As with anything new at Disney Parks, an Epcot Forever merchandise collection was also released. For you little purple dragon lovers, the collection is quite Figment-heavy, except for one of the tee-shirt options. I’m crossing my fingers for an Epcot Forever soundtrack release…
Epcot Forever Final Thoughts
Compared to how dramatic IllumiNations was (besides the slow-moving globe), Epcot Forever is missing something. I can’t quite put my finger on it. Perhaps it’s that the show is quite short at about 11 minutes. I feel like Disney is somehow conditioning us to appreciate how big and exciting HarmoniUS is said to be by underplaying Epcot Forever a bit. It’s a palate cleanser between epic shows.
I reluctantly look ahead to the future, already dreading the last night of Epcot Forever as we gear up for 2020’s Disney music & character “enriched” replacement. As a Disney fan, I’m likely to enjoy the new show, but as an Epcot purist, I’m saddened that the early vision of the park has been abandoned.
Being a transitional show, I’m mostly happy with Epcot Forever. From the opening song (One Little Spark) and Walt Disney in his own words, to the “meyla weyla” of Tapestry of Nations, the audio and visuals made my little Epcot-lovin’ heart full to bursting.
Overall, I believe Epcot Forever is a must-do for Epcot fans. Let’s hold on to the last bits of retro Epcot goodness while we can. In a way, I feel like Epcot Forever is a memorial to what we loved most about old Epcot so we might grieve and move forward with a new Epcot that Disney hopes we will also embrace.
As they say in the show, “we’ve just begun to dream”…
Disney World Tickets & Travel
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There are a lot of great things coming up . . . Halloween, Christmas, the opening of Rise of the Resistance, Food & Wine Festival, and more. Lock in the savings now!
MiceChat WDW Invasion . . . Come Join Us:
Join me and Dusty and a whole lot of other MiceChatters for a trip to Disney World this October. We’ll eat our way through the Food & Wine Festival and do all the Halloween things!
Mickey’s Halloween Party – October 17, 2019
Join us for the Magic Kingdom’s Halloween Party. The MiceChat group will meet up early and then head off together for parades, fireworks, and some trick-or-treating. Click the link to our Facebook event page (HERE) and let us know if you’ll be joining us.
MiceChat Sip and Nibble – October 18, 2019
If you haven’t done a Sip and Nibble with us, it’s time you do. We’ve found the best way to visit Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival. We take turns buying bites and drinks from each of the festival kiosks and share with the group. It’s a great way to try everything without breaking the bank. It’s also a fantastic day of friendship and fun. Let us know if you’ll be joining us on our Food and Wine Festival Event Page (HERE)
Halloween Horror Nights Meetup – October 19, 2019
Are you up for more of a Halloween challenge? We absolutely love Universal’s Halloween Horror Nights. There’s safety in numbers, so help muffle Dusty’s screams and join us for a meetup at one of the country’s top haunts. More information (HERE)
You Rate Epcot Forever