Originally Posted By dizneed Do any of you know how many different Illuminations shows there have been at EPCOT? I seem to remember three all together, Illuminations presented by GE (pre 1996), Illuminations marking 25th anniversary celebrations, and finally Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. Was that it or were there more? Thanks
Originally Posted By hopemax There was also a Holiday Illuminations, and two versions of Illuminations 25...A and B.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN ..And before that, It was "Laserphonic Fantasy" and "A New World Fantasy" shows as well. Looks for some changes coming to Illuminations next year... I am hoping for new water fountains and effects similar to those seen at TDS. The show as it is now, it's too mid-80s looking and in technology.
Originally Posted By tonyanton Does anyone remember when Illuminations used projections onto several pavilions to make them look like something else (I remember the France pavilion becoming the Moulin Rouge, and Germany a Toy Shoppe). It may have been the first show to use the "Illuminations" name, I'm not sure.
Originally Posted By danyoung >^^ New globe too (hopefully).< Do you actually mean a new piece of hardware, or just new video that projects on the globe? >Does anyone remember when Illuminations used projections onto several pavilions to make them look like something else (I remember the France pavilion becoming the Moulin Rouge, and Germany a Toy Shoppe).< They didn't do this with projections, but with lights. I believe that was the first IllumiNations show, the one that highlighted each pavilion while playing a clip of music associated with that country. I loved it when the American pavilion lit up all blue and that clarinet sang out with the first part of Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue. Many times I overheard comments from people who were confused by this music. I guess they thought Stars & Stripes Forever would be more appropriate. But how do you get more American than Gershwin? Then at the end of the show the chaser track was a medley of GE's theme (We Bring Good Things To Life) and Small World. Magical! The current IllumiNations show is still my all time favorite, but by just a hair. That early show was terrific!
Originally Posted By leemac <<Do you actually mean a new piece of hardware, or just new video that projects on the globe? >> New hardware. The hope is that the original plans can now be resurrected as the technology now exists for the globe that they wanted (size and brightness etc.). Fingers crossed it happens as the original plans were spectacular.
Originally Posted By tonyanton Thanks dan for the clarification. I wasn't sure how the images were created.
Originally Posted By danyoung > The hope is that the original plans can now be resurrected as the technology now exists for the globe that they wanted (size and brightness etc.). < I'd love to see this, but I'm not sure how much they can increase the size and still fit the canal and the drawbridge. Maybe it's going to be collapseable in some way?
Originally Posted By TDLFAN >>Does anyone remember when Illuminations used projections onto several pavilions to make them look like something else (I remember the France pavilion becoming the Moulin Rouge, and Germany a Toy Shoppe). It may have been the first show to use the "Illuminations" name, I'm not sure.<< Yes, that was the original version of the show. Added light screens were also hydrolically lifted and used to enhance the projections around the pavillion as well. I miss that aspect of the original illuminations show.
Originally Posted By dizneed <<I believe that was the first IllumiNations show, the one that highlighted each pavilion while playing a clip of music associated with that country. I loved it when the American pavilion lit up all blue and that clarinet sang out with the first part of Gershwin's Rhapsody In Blue.>> Ohhhh that was my favorite Illuminations show! The music score, lazer show in my mind was the best. The current Illuminations show though beautiful, for me, dosen't compare.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros When I was there in '96 (I have no idea which version of the show was running), the globe was just a solid sphere, with lasers drawing the continents on it. IMO, that was much more impressive than the video screens that they have now. Also, they had the rotating globe projected onto SSE on the way out, which went away because of the stars from the wand (or so I have been lead to believe), and that really needs to come back. With modern technology, that could really be amazing, and a great way to end the day.
Originally Posted By tonyanton Ferret...depending on when in '96, that could have been "Illuminations 25" for the WDW Silver Anniversary.
Originally Posted By TDLFAN The globe Afros talks about was part of the original Illuminations show as well if I recall well, and it featured fiber optics, strobe lights and even misty smoke emanating from it as well.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Looks for some changes coming to Illuminations next year... The show as it is now, it's too mid-80s looking and in technology. >>> Thank you. That's the impression I've always had of it, although the first time I saw it was around 99. It certainly seemed to me to fit with a great deal else at WDW, which seemed stuck in the (early) 80's. And, not having grown up with it, I didn't even get the benefit of it seeming nostalgic.
Originally Posted By Skylardad The music and the inferno barge are my favorite elements from the current show of Illuminations. My favorite aspect from the earlier versions of Illuminations were the effects of showcasing each country around World Showcase. I thought it was a great way to give each country an added awareness. I hope the new show has the energy of the current show's beginning and ending. Like most movies made today, it lags in the middle but its bookend performances make it very worthwhile. I still think a show that focuses on Epcot's history is do-able. Especially with the use of the park's original music scores and songs. They could put the golbe (and the powerful jet spray fountains from Fantasmic!) to good use with images of the former attractions. For me that is a pipe dream, but it would be cool to get a glimpse of the old attractions again and to hear the old music echo through the park one more time.
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> New hardware. The hope is that the original plans can now be resurrected as the technology now exists for the globe that they wanted (size and brightness etc.). << What does this mean? Can you give more details on what the original design was supposed to be like?
Originally Posted By ssWEDguy >> Also, they had the rotating globe projected onto SSE on the way out, which went away because of the stars from the wand (or so I have been lead to believe), and that really needs to come back. << The laser projection onto SSE after the Illuminations finale continues to this day. (Not every single night) Moving projections still occur. The rotating globe effect with all the continents is still done occasionally. The physical stars on SSE that accompany the wand are most entirely on the frontside of SSE, and have no bearing on the backside when it comes to the laser projection.
