Luminous is a “ story in the sky .” PHOTOS BY DANNY SHUSTER
EPCOT , ever a beacon of both innovation and nostalgia , gets back to basics with Luminous The Symphony of Us , its new nighttime spectacular that debuted Dec . 5 , 2023 . The show breaks new ground by eschewing screens and visuals prevalent in modern theme park shows , instead using music , fireworks , fountains , light , and narration to take guests on an introspective journey through the life stages and moments universal to the human experience .
Steve Davison , Creative Executive with Disney Live Entertainment , crafted a “ story in the sky ” with Luminous . A departure from the graphics-heavy spectaculars of recent years , the show harnesses the impact of traditional fireworks , accompanied by a powerful soundtrack , to spark imagination and introspection .
“ We purposely didn ’ t put visuals in this , and that ’ s because we wanted you , the audience , to basically look into it ,” said Davison , a veteran creative force in the entertainment industry responsible for shows such as Wishes : A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams , World of Color , and Disneyland Forever . “ It ’ s the whole thing we used to do with fireworks . We didn ’ t have projections . We just basically did a story in the sky .”
Indeed , before the first note or burst of pyro , one key strength of Luminous is not what you see but what you don ’ t : the behemoth barges used to support the screen-based visuals relied upon by the show ’ s predecessor , Harmonious , which debuted Oct . 1 , 2021 , for Walt Disney World ’ s 50th Anniversary Celebration . Permanently moored , Harmonious ’ barges blocked views across World Showcase Lagoon , making 360-degree viewing of the park ’ s iconic pavilions impossible .
WE JUST BASICALLY DID A STORY IN THE SKY .
In refreshing contrast , Luminous ’ low-profile barges allow for largely unobstructed views from nearly every viewing location around World Showcase Lagoon , setting the stage for the show ’ s opening sequence . During this “ Great Gathering ,” as the narrator calls it during the welcome , the illumination of World Showcase pavilions one by one accompanies a litany of spoken welcomes in the languages of each country . A one-two nostalgic hit , this segment nods not only to EPCOT ’ s beloved IllumiNations shows , which ran in various iterations from 1988 to 2019 , but to the park ’ s original dreamer , Walt Disney , whose voice you can hear speaking the final “ Welcome ” to kick off the show .
ABOVE : Steve Davison . PREVIOUS : A view of Luminous from the Italy Pavilion . PHOTOS BY DANNY SHUSTER