IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
Encyclopedia
IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth is an award-winning night time show performed nightly at Epcot
at the Walt Disney World Resort
near Orlando, Florida
. The show utilizes fireworks, pyrotechnics, laser lights, fountains, and fire to create a visual production on the park's World Showcase Lagoon. It premiered on October 1, 1999 as IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth as part of the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration
; it was so successful that after the celebration ended the 2000 was dropped from the name and the show was continued. The show is currently sponsored by Siemens
and has received several awards throughout the years including the 2009 Best Outdoor Night Production Show by Gold Ticket Awards.
1999 - 2004 Music Loop
2004–Present Music Loop
The speakers around the lagoon have been recently upgraded and use a proprietary audio technology developed by Bose
, originally for military purposes. The speakers can be controlled individually, and project audio, meaning that, like a video projector
, the speaker only sends audio in one direction, isolating it from other audio from surrounding speakers. Audio from the speakers travels well, without losing much volume, and the sound waves do not reflect as much as standard speakers. Walt Disney Creative Entertainment uses this to enhance the pre-show experience, making the music begin in a few small areas and eventually build to cover the entire promenade. Each country uses the same base loop track mentioned above, with accents from that country's musical style added in. Each "speaker" is actually a cluster of several of these high-tech speakers, each controlled as a separate track. Disney has also applied this technology in their parades, isolating the different musical tracks played in the different park sections as the parade progresses. The same speakers are used to play music for the actual show, as well as area music throughout the day. During the show, however, the isolating function of the speakers is turned off.
, who says: "Good evening, on behalf of Walt Disney World, the place where dreams come true, we welcome all of you to Epcot and World Showcase. We've gathered here tonight, around the fire, as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us; to share the light and to share a story. An amazing story, as old as time itself but still being written. And though each of us has our own individual stories to tell, a true adventure emerges when we bring them all together as one. We hope you enjoy our story tonight; Reflections of Earth." Immediately following the introductory message there is the sound of a flame being gently blown out and lighting is immediately dimmed throughout the lagoon as well as lighting on Spaceship Earth
.
parade sound track. As the music plays, the continents are laser-projected onto Spaceship Earth
, making it appear as a spinning globe. On days with "Extra Magic Hours," resulting in the park remaining open after the conclusion of the show, the laser projection on Spaceship Earth is not used in order to indicate to guests that the park remains open and instead the Spaceship Earth globe is re-lit with normal lighting immediately after the show. (This however varies and the laser projection noted above may be used on Extra Magic Hours evenings).
The centerpiece of the show is the Earth Globe, a 350,000 pound globe
housed on a barge. The world's first spherical video display system, the globe is wrapped in 15,600 LED clusters, each consisting of 12 light-emitting diode
s. The Earth Globe starts its journey from the edge of the World Showcase Lagoon, a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) man-made lake in Epcot, before anchoring itself in the middle of the lagoon
. The Globe is 28 feet (8.5 m) in diameter and sits on top of a 10-foot pedestal. It contains 258 FlashWorks mini strobe light
s (43 per petal) and is controlled by 6 computer processors. This is the only barge in the show with a driver onboard. The Earth Globe is considered to be the most complicated piece of show action equipment ever made by Disney.
During the first two minutes of the show, the Earth globe's LED screens are off. It is brown in color, but invisible in the thick black of the night. The Earth Globe's LED screens turn on in part two of the show, showing imagery of the natural world and iconic man-made structures. Slightly fewer than 300 pictures appear on the Globe's spherical video screen during the show. Century III, an Orlando area film company, edited the video portion of the show. The pictures came from the stock libraries of Image Bank, National Geographic and Archive Films, some custom-shot live footage, and a single 3-D graphic animation shot. Jerold Kaplan of Walt Disney Imagineering designed and engineered the Earth Globe and supporting barge. At the end of the show, the Earth Globe blossoms like a flower
, revealing a flame torch that rises high above the lagoon. When the show ends, the fires on 19 of the torches keep burning, but the Earth Globe's torch is put out.
The LED video display is run by a Pentium II server running Microsoft Windows 95/8 using a Serial ATA
drive. There are two servers constantly running the same programs at the same time for fail-safe support. If one goes down, they can instantly switch to the other server which presumably will still be running. The video control software, written by Brian Seekford (now CEO of Seekford Solutions, Inc.) for Hitech Electronic Displays of Clearwater, Florida
, communicates with on-board PLC
s using two interfaces. The serial interface is used to receive the 4 character command codes separated by spaces to signify the end of each command. The NIDAQ (National Instrument Data Acquisition) card is used to provide status back to the PLCs. There are 8 optically isolated status channels. One channel is used to provide a heartbeat signal to tell the PLC that the software is on and functioning. The software was called QuickCon Multimedia Presenter. It was originally so named because it used the Quicktime
engine, but was modified to use the Windows Media Player engine. The file formats are uncompressed AVI
s passed through a masking filter to put the pixels in the spots for the countries.
In the summer of 2008, the show ran a shortened, modified version in order for the Earth Globe to be refurbished. The refurbishment was to install a new LED video system, improving the clarity of the video. The content of the video was not changed.
is a liquid-propane
system that sends balls of fire soaring 40 to 60 feet (18.3 m) into the air and on to the surface of the lagoon from 37 nozzles. 400 gallons of propane are used every night for the show.
The Inferno Barge also houses an air-launch fireworks
system. On September 19, 2005, the Inferno Barge was pulled from the show due to the explosion of a firework still inside its mortar tube earlier in the day. The structure took heavy damage; fortunately, no one was injured. The Inferno Barge returned to service on February 1, 2006 without the air launch system on the barge, although the cause of the accident was the firework shell itself and not the air launch system. The shells previously fired from this barge were moved and fired from the center slip. In February 2009 the inferno barge was pulled from the show and underwent a scheduled rehab. It returned on March 10, 2009.
Walt Disney Entertainment created a new way of launching fireworks by using a compressed air system, instead of black powder, which pollutes more and causes the trail of an igniting firework shell to be seen. The compressed air technology allows for explosions to be timed perfectly with the music and for the desired height of the shell to be reached. Not all the shells use the ALF (Air Launch Fireworks) technology. A timing chip is inserted into the shell and can be programmed to ignite and explode with precision. Eric Tucker, an award-winning pyrotechnics designer, was brought on board to design new fireworks effects. Eric and show director Don Dorsey traveled to China
, the birthplace of fireworks, to meet with fireworks manufacturers to create these new dazzling effects. 1,105 firework shells are ignited during each show and are launched from 750 mortar tubes and 56 firing modules at 34 locations around the lagoon.
Full color Laser
systems are used in the show, emanating from the American Adventure, Canada and Mexico pavilions. The projectors can launch laser light into the air as beams, as well as scan patterns and images. There are alse bounce mirrors scattered around the park on various islands and rooftops, to further encapsulate the park in laser light.
The FAA requires the user of any outdoor laser system to obtain advance permission and to contact local airports prior to use. Consequently, Orlando International Airport
is notified by "Mexico Control" every night fifteen minutes before the show begins so that air traffic can be advised accordingly. Some pilots passing over the resort have used this call to announce to their passengers that they may get a glimpse of IllumiNations out of their window, however it is rare.
The fixtures have dousers to control brightness, and are equipped with a color scroller with 14 different colors, including the four colors selected specifically for the show: Lavender, Mint, Pumpkin, and Lagoon.
These lights can be programmed to highlight pavilions, illuminate the smoke from fireworks above the lagoon, or just make interesting patterns in the sky as they cross each other and move.
There is also an effect that creates a "skirt" of water around the bottom.
A lighting system on-board allows the water to be displayed in different colors.
Each barge pumps approximately 4,000 gallons of water per minute. These barges carry pyrotechnics as well.
. A twentieth torch is lit at the end of the show when the Earth Globe blossoms like a flower. Each torch reaches 27 feet (8.2 m) above the lagoon's surface.
then says, "During this glorious time of year there is one message that rings out around the world in every language. Peace on earth. Good will to men is a wish to hold in our hearts throughout each passing year. A gift of immeasurable value. A treasure being handed down with care, from generation to generation. And so our holiday wish is that everyone, everywhere share in the spirit of the season. Peace on earth, good will to men." The song continues with an uninterrupted firework display, ending with a loud explosion of fireworks. This tag launches just as many pyrotechnic devices as IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth does.
was heard,, the American pavilion lights up as fireworks shoot up from the back of the American pavilion. Just before the end of the tag, hundreds of fireworks shoot up in the lagoon as the show ends. Just as the crowds exit, God Bless the USA
is played, the American pavilion is outlined, and the Earth Barge displays the US flag. The laser projection in the US pavilion (projecting to Spaceship Earth) displays "Happy Birthday America: Celebrating (number) Years of Freedom". More than 2000 shells are launched from 32 barges for the latest version of this tag.
Every December 31, a special New Year's Eve countdown show occurs normally beginning at 11:40 PM. The show begins with the original show production and is then immediately followed by a special countdown show. Highlights of New Years celebrated in individual countries begins the show; the Asian pavilions (Japan
and China
) go first, followed by those in Europe (Italy
, Norway
, France
, Germany
), after that, the countries of those in the GMT time zone (Morocco
and the United Kingdom
). During the presentation, fireworks shoot from the back of each pavilion accompanied with custom celebration music from each country. The official countdown begins at 10 seconds before midnight with the North American nations (United States
, Canada
, Mexico
). The count down is initiated with a dong (which originates from the American pavilion) and leads to the massive celebratory firework display at 12:00 midnight including a 360 degree launch of fireworks around the World Showcase lagoon. The song Auld Lang Syne
plays as spectators cheer and watch the massive firework display. This tag uses double the amount of fireworks that are launched in IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. A male announcer concludes the show wishing guests a happy New Year and reminds guests of extended park hours for the New Year's Eve celebration.
is the composer for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Greenaway's colleague Hans Zimmer
, composer of The Lion King
, asked Greenaway to take on the project because he was busy with other projects. Zimmer collaborated with Greenaway in the beginning of the process. The score from "Reflections of Earth" was used for ABC 2000 Today
, ABC Television's
25 hour-long program that followed the beginning of 2000 around the globe on December 31, 1999/January 1, 2000. ABC also used a modified version for their program ABC 2002 on December 31, 2001/January 1, 2002. Finally, ABC News
used a version of the theme for their televised election coverage throughout 2000 and 2004. Most of the score (excluding the Chaos section and the start of We Go On) was used in a laser light show at the 2005 National Scout Jamboree
at Fort A.P. Hill
. The Chaos section was used in the October 4, 2008 fireworks celebration of the 250th anniversary of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
. ABC also used the music during coverage of the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. Parts of the score are also used in the video "Welcome: Portraits of America", displayed in the Customs and Border Protection checkpoints in most US airports.
"We Go On"
"Promise"
View pictures of the show taken by creator Don Dorsey at his website: Don Dorsey Productions
(the voice of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger
, Darkwing Duck as well as other characters) provides the narration at the beginning of Reflections of Earth:
The original narration substituted the first two sentences with "Good evening and welcome" but was changed for the Year of a Million Dreams.
Mary Thompson Hunt was the female voice who did the pre-show announcements stating that the show will be starting shortly.
Epcot
Epcot is a theme park in the Walt Disney World Resort, located near Orlando, Florida. The park is dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, namely international culture and technological innovation. The second park built at the resort, it opened on October 1, 1982 and was initially named...
at the Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Resort , is the world's most-visited entertaimental resort. Located in Lake Buena Vista, Florida ; approximately southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States, the resort covers an area of and includes four theme parks, two water parks, 23 on-site themed resort hotels Walt...
near Orlando, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
. The show utilizes fireworks, pyrotechnics, laser lights, fountains, and fire to create a visual production on the park's World Showcase Lagoon. It premiered on October 1, 1999 as IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth as part of the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration
Millennium Celebration
The Millennium Celebration was a celebration at the Walt Disney World Resort of the changing of the millennium. The celebration ran from October 1, 1999 to January 1, 2001. The celebration was primarily based at Epcot, with its emphasis on human potential and the possibilities of the future...
; it was so successful that after the celebration ended the 2000 was dropped from the name and the show was continued. The show is currently sponsored by Siemens
Siemens
Siemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
and has received several awards throughout the years including the 2009 Best Outdoor Night Production Show by Gold Ticket Awards.
Pre-show music
Before the show begins, a 30-minute music loop is played around the lagoon. The first loop played from the show's premiere through 2004, while the 2nd one has been running from 2004 to the present.1999 - 2004 Music Loop
- They Were Dancing Barefoot-Yehuda Poliker
- Superwasp/Along The Coast Of Norway/Neckbuster -Seelyhoo
- Native Funk-Burning Sky
- Flute Battle-Cusco
- The Concertina Set-Bùrach
- Imeland-Groupa
- Montezuma-Cusco
- 30-års Jiggen (Thirty-Year Jig)-Väsen
- Inca Dance-Cusco
- Appalachian Morning-John Williams & The Boston Pops
2004–Present Music Loop
- Jalan Kopo-Sabah Habas Mustapha
- Our Life-Uttara-Karu
- Busindre Reel-Hevia
- Gaviotes-Hevia
- Tula-Cusco
- Falling through a Cloud-Uttara-Karu
- Bear-Hedningarna
- Red Skies-Omar Faruk Tetbilek
- Texas-Wimme
The speakers around the lagoon have been recently upgraded and use a proprietary audio technology developed by Bose
Bose
Bose may refer to:* Amar Gopal Bose, the chairman and founder of Bose Corporation* Baise City, or Bose, a prefecture-level city in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China* Bose Corporation, an audio company* Bose , a lunar crater...
, originally for military purposes. The speakers can be controlled individually, and project audio, meaning that, like a video projector
Video projector
A video projector is an image projector that receives a video signal and projects the corresponding image on a projection screen using a lens system. All video projectors use a very bright light to project the image, and most modern ones can correct any curves, blurriness, and other...
, the speaker only sends audio in one direction, isolating it from other audio from surrounding speakers. Audio from the speakers travels well, without losing much volume, and the sound waves do not reflect as much as standard speakers. Walt Disney Creative Entertainment uses this to enhance the pre-show experience, making the music begin in a few small areas and eventually build to cover the entire promenade. Each country uses the same base loop track mentioned above, with accents from that country's musical style added in. Each "speaker" is actually a cluster of several of these high-tech speakers, each controlled as a separate track. Disney has also applied this technology in their parades, isolating the different musical tracks played in the different park sections as the parade progresses. The same speakers are used to play music for the actual show, as well as area music throughout the day. During the show, however, the isolating function of the speakers is turned off.
Introduction
Torches are lit around the lagoon. The beginning of the show is narrated by Jim CummingsJim Cummings
James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
, who says: "Good evening, on behalf of Walt Disney World, the place where dreams come true, we welcome all of you to Epcot and World Showcase. We've gathered here tonight, around the fire, as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us; to share the light and to share a story. An amazing story, as old as time itself but still being written. And though each of us has our own individual stories to tell, a true adventure emerges when we bring them all together as one. We hope you enjoy our story tonight; Reflections of Earth." Immediately following the introductory message there is the sound of a flame being gently blown out and lighting is immediately dimmed throughout the lagoon as well as lighting on Spaceship Earth
Spaceship Earth (Disney)
Spaceship Earth is the iconic and symbolic structure of Epcot, a theme park that is part of the Walt Disney World Resort. One of the most recognizable structures at the Walt Disney World Resort, it is not only the centerpiece and main focal point of Epcot, but also the name of the attraction housed...
.
Act I: Chaos
Chaos represents the creation of the planet Earth from a cosmic event. The show begins with explosive fireworks from the center lagoon and hot flames from the Inferno Barge.Act II: Life, Adventure
The spouting flames from the Flame Barge are reduced to a low sputter, and The Earth Globe appears and moves towards the center of the lagoon accompanied with water effects emanating from the fountain barges. As the Earth cools, it changes from hot white to red to blue. Images appear on the Globe of countries, famous landmarks, objects, and people. The exterior buildings of the countries around the lagoon are illuminated followed by laser lights, spot lights, and more fireworks in the center lagoon. The scene includes high-launch fireworks.Act III: Celebration and Show Finale
As the song "We Go On" is played, the torches around the lagoon are re-lit and the Earth Globe opens revealing a final unity torch with emanating fireworks followed by a launch of 1,000 white fireworks brightly illuminating the lagoon. The scene concludes with a final launch of fireworks and a set of bright white flashes that end with a loud crackle. The finale crackle emanating from the final launch set of fireworks can often be heard within several miles outside of the park.Post Show
The performance concludes with the post-show announcement: "Thank you for joining us for this celebration of life. All of us at Epcot have enjoyed hosting you at World Showcase Lagoon, and we hope you have enjoyed Reflections of Earth, presented by Sylvania, a Siemens Company. Thank you." The song "Promise" plays directly after this, which is then followed by the Tapestry of NationsTapestry of Nations
The Tapestry of Nations was a parade at the Epcot theme park in Walt Disney World, Florida, USA, that ran around the World Showcase Lagoon from 1999 to 2001, after which it was rethemed as Tapestry of Dreams. The parade had a unity and world peace theme and featured a variety of large puppets and...
parade sound track. As the music plays, the continents are laser-projected onto Spaceship Earth
Spaceship Earth (Disney)
Spaceship Earth is the iconic and symbolic structure of Epcot, a theme park that is part of the Walt Disney World Resort. One of the most recognizable structures at the Walt Disney World Resort, it is not only the centerpiece and main focal point of Epcot, but also the name of the attraction housed...
, making it appear as a spinning globe. On days with "Extra Magic Hours," resulting in the park remaining open after the conclusion of the show, the laser projection on Spaceship Earth is not used in order to indicate to guests that the park remains open and instead the Spaceship Earth globe is re-lit with normal lighting immediately after the show. (This however varies and the laser projection noted above may be used on Extra Magic Hours evenings).
The Earth Globe
Globe
A globe is a three-dimensional scale model of Earth or other spheroid celestial body such as a planet, star, or moon...
housed on a barge. The world's first spherical video display system, the globe is wrapped in 15,600 LED clusters, each consisting of 12 light-emitting diode
Light-emitting diode
A light-emitting diode is a semiconductor light source. LEDs are used as indicator lamps in many devices and are increasingly used for other lighting...
s. The Earth Globe starts its journey from the edge of the World Showcase Lagoon, a 40 acres (161,874.4 m²) man-made lake in Epcot, before anchoring itself in the middle of the lagoon
Lagoon
A lagoon is a body of shallow sea water or brackish water separated from the sea by some form of barrier. The EU's habitat directive defines lagoons as "expanses of shallow coastal salt water, of varying salinity or water volume, wholly or partially separated from the sea by sand banks or shingle,...
. The Globe is 28 feet (8.5 m) in diameter and sits on top of a 10-foot pedestal. It contains 258 FlashWorks mini strobe light
Strobe light
A strobe light or stroboscopic lamp, commonly called a strobe, is a device used to produce regular flashes of light. It is one of a number of devices that can be used as a stroboscope...
s (43 per petal) and is controlled by 6 computer processors. This is the only barge in the show with a driver onboard. The Earth Globe is considered to be the most complicated piece of show action equipment ever made by Disney.
During the first two minutes of the show, the Earth globe's LED screens are off. It is brown in color, but invisible in the thick black of the night. The Earth Globe's LED screens turn on in part two of the show, showing imagery of the natural world and iconic man-made structures. Slightly fewer than 300 pictures appear on the Globe's spherical video screen during the show. Century III, an Orlando area film company, edited the video portion of the show. The pictures came from the stock libraries of Image Bank, National Geographic and Archive Films, some custom-shot live footage, and a single 3-D graphic animation shot. Jerold Kaplan of Walt Disney Imagineering designed and engineered the Earth Globe and supporting barge. At the end of the show, the Earth Globe blossoms like a flower
Flower
A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants . The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, usually by providing a mechanism for the union of sperm with eggs...
, revealing a flame torch that rises high above the lagoon. When the show ends, the fires on 19 of the torches keep burning, but the Earth Globe's torch is put out.
The LED video display is run by a Pentium II server running Microsoft Windows 95/8 using a Serial ATA
Serial ATA
Serial ATA is a computer bus interface for connecting host bus adapters to mass storage devices such as hard disk drives and optical drives...
drive. There are two servers constantly running the same programs at the same time for fail-safe support. If one goes down, they can instantly switch to the other server which presumably will still be running. The video control software, written by Brian Seekford (now CEO of Seekford Solutions, Inc.) for Hitech Electronic Displays of Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater, Florida
Clearwater is a city located in Pinellas County, Florida, US, nearly due west of Tampa and northwest of St. Petersburg. In the west of Clearwater lies the Gulf of Mexico and in the east lies Tampa Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 108,787. It is the county seat of...
, communicates with on-board PLC
Programmable logic controller
A programmable logic controller or programmable controller is a digital computer used for automation of electromechanical processes, such as control of machinery on factory assembly lines, amusement rides, or light fixtures. PLCs are used in many industries and machines...
s using two interfaces. The serial interface is used to receive the 4 character command codes separated by spaces to signify the end of each command. The NIDAQ (National Instrument Data Acquisition) card is used to provide status back to the PLCs. There are 8 optically isolated status channels. One channel is used to provide a heartbeat signal to tell the PLC that the software is on and functioning. The software was called QuickCon Multimedia Presenter. It was originally so named because it used the Quicktime
QuickTime
QuickTime is an extensible proprietary multimedia framework developed by Apple Inc., capable of handling various formats of digital video, picture, sound, panoramic images, and interactivity. The classic version of QuickTime is available for Windows XP and later, as well as Mac OS X Leopard and...
engine, but was modified to use the Windows Media Player engine. The file formats are uncompressed AVI
Audio Video Interleave
Audio Video Interleave , known by its acronym AVI, is a multimedia container format introduced by Microsoft in November 1992 as part of its Video for Windows technology. AVI files can contain both audio and video data in a file container that allows synchronous audio-with-video playback...
s passed through a masking filter to put the pixels in the spots for the countries.
In the summer of 2008, the show ran a shortened, modified version in order for the Earth Globe to be refurbished. The refurbishment was to install a new LED video system, improving the clarity of the video. The content of the video was not changed.
The Inferno Barge
The Inferno BargeBarge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
is a liquid-propane
Propane
Propane is a three-carbon alkane with the molecular formula , normally a gas, but compressible to a transportable liquid. A by-product of natural gas processing and petroleum refining, it is commonly used as a fuel for engines, oxy-gas torches, barbecues, portable stoves, and residential central...
system that sends balls of fire soaring 40 to 60 feet (18.3 m) into the air and on to the surface of the lagoon from 37 nozzles. 400 gallons of propane are used every night for the show.
The Inferno Barge also houses an air-launch fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
system. On September 19, 2005, the Inferno Barge was pulled from the show due to the explosion of a firework still inside its mortar tube earlier in the day. The structure took heavy damage; fortunately, no one was injured. The Inferno Barge returned to service on February 1, 2006 without the air launch system on the barge, although the cause of the accident was the firework shell itself and not the air launch system. The shells previously fired from this barge were moved and fired from the center slip. In February 2009 the inferno barge was pulled from the show and underwent a scheduled rehab. It returned on March 10, 2009.
Fireworks
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, the birthplace of fireworks, to meet with fireworks manufacturers to create these new dazzling effects. 1,105 firework shells are ignited during each show and are launched from 750 mortar tubes and 56 firing modules at 34 locations around the lagoon.
Lasers
Laser
A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...
systems are used in the show, emanating from the American Adventure, Canada and Mexico pavilions. The projectors can launch laser light into the air as beams, as well as scan patterns and images. There are alse bounce mirrors scattered around the park on various islands and rooftops, to further encapsulate the park in laser light.
The FAA requires the user of any outdoor laser system to obtain advance permission and to contact local airports prior to use. Consequently, Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport
Orlando International Airport is a major international airport located southeast of the central business district of Orlando. It is the second busiest airport in Florida, after Miami International Airport...
is notified by "Mexico Control" every night fifteen minutes before the show begins so that air traffic can be advised accordingly. Some pilots passing over the resort have used this call to announce to their passengers that they may get a glimpse of IllumiNations out of their window, however it is rare.
Moving lights
A ring of eight programmable moving searchlights called Syncrolites are used.The fixtures have dousers to control brightness, and are equipped with a color scroller with 14 different colors, including the four colors selected specifically for the show: Lavender, Mint, Pumpkin, and Lagoon.
These lights can be programmed to highlight pavilions, illuminate the smoke from fireworks above the lagoon, or just make interesting patterns in the sky as they cross each other and move.
Fountain barges
There are four fountain barges (a.k.a. "Maxi Barges") that have 26 water nozzles per barge (17 vertical fountains, and 9 "Fleur" fountains) which are fanned out.There is also an effect that creates a "skirt" of water around the bottom.
A lighting system on-board allows the water to be displayed in different colors.
Each barge pumps approximately 4,000 gallons of water per minute. These barges carry pyrotechnics as well.
Torches
Nineteen torches are spaced surrounding the World Showcase Lagoon, representing the nineteen centuries that have passed in the Common EraCommon Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
. A twentieth torch is lit at the end of the show when the Earth Globe blossoms like a flower. Each torch reaches 27 feet (8.2 m) above the lagoon's surface.
Control booth
The control booth for the show is located above the USA Pavilion. It houses emergency stop controls, and communication controls to each barge using wired ethernet, and headset communication to the Earth barge driver. The show is controlled from the boat pontoon nearest the shop. All barges are wired together with multi-core cables, and nothing is left to chance like using wireless as stated above.Holiday Finale
During the holiday season, after the regular finale there is a special Holiday finale tag originally from Holiday IllumiNations following the regular production. Immediately after the regular finale a female announcer announces; "And now, at this special time, as we embrace a promise of a new year, we would like to offer one final message." The song "Let There Be Peace On Earth" is played as the Earth Barge closes. Afterward, there were messages of "Peace on Earth, good will to men" in several languages. When a language is spoken, the pavilion lights up. When the American pavilion lights up, Walter CronkiteWalter Cronkite
Walter Leland Cronkite, Jr. was an American broadcast journalist, best known as anchorman for the CBS Evening News for 19 years . During the heyday of CBS News in the 1960s and 1970s, he was often cited as "the most trusted man in America" after being so named in an opinion poll...
then says, "During this glorious time of year there is one message that rings out around the world in every language. Peace on earth. Good will to men is a wish to hold in our hearts throughout each passing year. A gift of immeasurable value. A treasure being handed down with care, from generation to generation. And so our holiday wish is that everyone, everywhere share in the spirit of the season. Peace on earth, good will to men." The song continues with an uninterrupted firework display, ending with a loud explosion of fireworks. This tag launches just as many pyrotechnic devices as IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth does.
Fourth of July
The show is shown around 10:00 PM and after the show, the song Yankee Doodle plays and fireworks shoot up from the roof and back of the American Adventure Pavilion. More fireworks in the lagoon are synchronized as if fireworks were marching along with the drumbeat. Then Stars and Stripes Forever plays. The Earth Barge displays images of American independence during a flute solo. Then a barrage of fireworks during the finale, which creates a smokescreen and as the music ends, the smoke has been cleared out. And the show ends. The style was altered in 2006 as selected songs were played for the 230th & 231st year of US independence. At the end, the song The Battle Hymn of the RepublicThe Battle Hymn of the Republic
"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" is a hymn by American writer Julia Ward Howe using the music from the song "John Brown's Body". Howe's more famous lyrics were written in November 1861 and first published in The Atlantic Monthly in February 1862. It became popular during the American Civil War...
was heard,, the American pavilion lights up as fireworks shoot up from the back of the American pavilion. Just before the end of the tag, hundreds of fireworks shoot up in the lagoon as the show ends. Just as the crowds exit, God Bless the USA
God Bless the USA
"God Bless the USA" is an American patriotic song written and recorded by country musician Lee Greenwood. The first Greenwood album it appears on is 1984's You've Got a Good Love Comin'. It reached No...
is played, the American pavilion is outlined, and the Earth Barge displays the US flag. The laser projection in the US pavilion (projecting to Spaceship Earth) displays "Happy Birthday America: Celebrating (number) Years of Freedom". More than 2000 shells are launched from 32 barges for the latest version of this tag.
New Year's Eve Countdown Edition
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
and China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
) go first, followed by those in Europe (Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
), after that, the countries of those in the GMT time zone (Morocco
Morocco
Morocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
). During the presentation, fireworks shoot from the back of each pavilion accompanied with custom celebration music from each country. The official countdown begins at 10 seconds before midnight with the North American nations (United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
). The count down is initiated with a dong (which originates from the American pavilion) and leads to the massive celebratory firework display at 12:00 midnight including a 360 degree launch of fireworks around the World Showcase lagoon. The song Auld Lang Syne
Auld Lang Syne
"Auld Lang Syne" is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788 and set to the tune of a traditional folk song . It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world; its traditional use being to celebrate the start of the New Year at the stroke of midnight...
plays as spectators cheer and watch the massive firework display. This tag uses double the amount of fireworks that are launched in IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. A male announcer concludes the show wishing guests a happy New Year and reminds guests of extended park hours for the New Year's Eve celebration.
Epcot's 25th Anniversary Special Edition
On October 1, 2007, a four-minute long, one-day only tag commemorating Epcot's 25th Silver Anniversary followed IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. The tag used the "World War III Barges" and was said have to tripled the amount of fireworks launched. At the end of the regular show a male voice-over was heard saying, "And now in honor of Epcot's 25th Anniversary we celebrate our history and look to the future. We've just begun to dream." Once the music began, select segments of classic Epcot music were played including We've Just Begun to Dream, Tapestry of Nations and Tapestry of Dreams. After the show, the retro music loop played throughout the park that day began to play, beginning with New Horizons. Due to the extra amount of fireworks used for the special tag, it took much longer than normal to move the firework barges off of the lagoon which resulted in a Burn-Off after midnight.Soundtrack
Gavin GreenawayGavin Greenaway
Gavin Greenaway is a music composer and conductor. He is the son of Roger Greenaway.Educated at Strode's College and Trinity College of Music. He started working with his father before leaving school...
is the composer for IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. Greenaway's colleague Hans Zimmer
Hans Zimmer
Hans Florian Zimmer is a German film composer and music producer. He has composed music for over 100 films, including critically acclaimed film scores for The Lion King , Crimson Tide , The Thin Red Line , Gladiator , The Dark Knight and Inception .Zimmer spent the early part of his career in the...
, composer of The Lion King
The Lion King
The Lion King is a 1994 American animated film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is the 32nd feature in the Walt Disney Animated Classics series...
, asked Greenaway to take on the project because he was busy with other projects. Zimmer collaborated with Greenaway in the beginning of the process. The score from "Reflections of Earth" was used for ABC 2000 Today
ABC 2000 Today
ABC 2000 Today was ABC News's coverage of the turn of the millennium from December 31, 1999 into January 1, 2000. Part of the 2000 Today programming in the United States, Peter Jennings anchored the 23 hours and 10 minutes of broadcast in Times Square Studios in Manhattan, New York...
, ABC Television's
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
25 hour-long program that followed the beginning of 2000 around the globe on December 31, 1999/January 1, 2000. ABC also used a modified version for their program ABC 2002 on December 31, 2001/January 1, 2002. Finally, ABC News
ABC News
ABC News is the news gathering and broadcasting division of American broadcast television network ABC, a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company...
used a version of the theme for their televised election coverage throughout 2000 and 2004. Most of the score (excluding the Chaos section and the start of We Go On) was used in a laser light show at the 2005 National Scout Jamboree
2005 National Scout Jamboree
The 2005 National Scout Jamboree was the 16th national Scout jamboree of the Boy Scouts of America and was held from July 25, 2005 through August 3, 2005 at Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia...
at Fort A.P. Hill
Fort A.P. Hill
Fort A.P. Hill, Virginia, is an active duty installation of the United States Army, located near the town of Bowling Green, Virginia.Named for Confederate Lieutenant General Ambrose Powell Hill, Fort A.P...
. The Chaos section was used in the October 4, 2008 fireworks celebration of the 250th anniversary of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
. ABC also used the music during coverage of the Presidential Inauguration of Barack Obama on January 20, 2009. Parts of the score are also used in the video "Welcome: Portraits of America", displayed in the Customs and Border Protection checkpoints in most US airports.
Production
"Reflections of Earth" (Working title: "Earth 2000")- Executive music producer: Steve Skorija
- Music score composed, produced, and conducted by Gavin GreenawayGavin GreenawayGavin Greenaway is a music composer and conductor. He is the son of Roger Greenaway.Educated at Strode's College and Trinity College of Music. He started working with his father before leaving school...
- Show and music director: Don DorseyDon DorseyDon Dorsey is an American audio production consultant, and a designer and director of fireworks and nighttime spectacular shows From 1975 to 1992 he served as the main audio recording and post-production engineer for the Entertainment Division of Disneyland Park, manning console knobs and faders...
- Recorded and mixed by Alan Meyerson
- Music supervisor: Dan Savant
- Music preparation: Express Music Services
- Music editor: Michael Atwell
- Music contractor: Isobel Griffiths Ltd
- Music recorded: at Abbey Road StudiosAbbey Road StudiosAbbey Road Studios is a recording studio located at 3 Abbey Road, St John's Wood, City of Westminster, London, England. It was established in November 1931 by the Gramophone Company, a predecessor of British music company EMI, its present owner...
by members of the London Session Orchestra, possibly including some players from the London Symphony OrchestraLondon Symphony OrchestraThe London Symphony Orchestra is a major orchestra of the United Kingdom, as well as one of the best-known orchestras in the world. Since 1982, the LSO has been based in London's Barbican Centre.-History:...
and the Royal Philharmonic OrchestraRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraThe Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is a British orchestra based in London. It tours widely, and is sometimes referred to as "Britain's national orchestra"... - Music mixed at Media Ventures
- Music coordination by Savant Productions
- Video project manager for Century III and editor for the Earth Globe visuals: Oliver Peters
"We Go On"
- Lyrics: Don DorseyDon DorseyDon Dorsey is an American audio production consultant, and a designer and director of fireworks and nighttime spectacular shows From 1975 to 1992 he served as the main audio recording and post-production engineer for the Entertainment Division of Disneyland Park, manning console knobs and faders...
- Vocal solo: Kellie CoffeyKellie CoffeyKellie Coffey is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 2002 with the release of her single "When You Lie Next to Me", a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
- All other credits refer to Reflections of Earth above.
"Promise"
- Executive music producer: Steve Skorija
- Music score composed, produced, and conducted by Gavin GreenawayGavin GreenawayGavin Greenaway is a music composer and conductor. He is the son of Roger Greenaway.Educated at Strode's College and Trinity College of Music. He started working with his father before leaving school...
- Lyrics: Don DorseyDon DorseyDon Dorsey is an American audio production consultant, and a designer and director of fireworks and nighttime spectacular shows From 1975 to 1992 he served as the main audio recording and post-production engineer for the Entertainment Division of Disneyland Park, manning console knobs and faders...
- Recorded and mixed by Alan Meyerson
- Music supervisor: Dan Savant
- Vocal solo: Kellie CoffeyKellie CoffeyKellie Coffey is an American country music artist. She made her debut in 2002 with the release of her single "When You Lie Next to Me", a Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts...
View pictures of the show taken by creator Don Dorsey at his website: Don Dorsey Productions
Releases
The complete show soundtrack can be found on these releases:- Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration (1999)
- There was also a shortened version of the show soundtrack on a promotional CD when you bought Energizer batteries in 2000.
- Re-released in 2001 as Illuminations: Reflections of Earth / Tapestry of Dreams (2001), containing one less track than the 1999 release.
Narration
Jim CummingsJim Cummings
James Jonah "Jim" Cummings is an American voice actor who has appeared in almost 100 roles. He has appeared in classic animated movies such as Aladdin and The Lion King, as well as taking on roles in more current films, such as Bee Movie, Princess and the Frog, and Winnie the Pooh.-Personal...
(the voice of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger
Tigger
Tigger is a fictional tiger-like character originally introduced in A. A. Milne's book The House at Pooh Corner. Like other Pooh characters, Tigger is based on one of Christopher Robin Milne's stuffed animals...
, Darkwing Duck as well as other characters) provides the narration at the beginning of Reflections of Earth:
Good evening. On behalf of Walt Disney World, the place where dreams come true, we welcome all of you to Epcot and World Showcase. We've gathered here tonight around the fire as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us... to share the light... and to share a story. An amazing story as old as time itself, but still being written. And though each of us has our own individual stories to tell, a true adventure emerges when we bring them all together as one. We hope you enjoy our story tonight: Reflections of Earth.
The original narration substituted the first two sentences with "Good evening and welcome" but was changed for the Year of a Million Dreams.
Mary Thompson Hunt was the female voice who did the pre-show announcements stating that the show will be starting shortly.
Show facts
- Previous show: IllumiNations (98)IllumiNationsIllumiNations was a series of nightly fireworks shows at Epcot before IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth was created in 1999 for the Millennium Celebration. Little is known about Carnival de Lumiere.-Carnival de Lumiere:...
- Sponsors:
- SylvaniaOsram SylvaniaOsram Sylvania Inc. is the North American operation of lighting manufacturer Osram GmbH, which is owned by Siemens AG. It was established in January 1993, with the acquisition of GTE’s Sylvania lighting division by Osram GmbH....
(2005–Present) - SiemensSiemensSiemens may refer toSiemens, a German family name carried by generations of telecommunications industrialists, including:* Werner von Siemens , inventor, founder of Siemens AG...
(2005–Present) - General ElectricGeneral ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
(1999–2003)
- Sylvania