Luminous The Symphony of Us – EPCOT Fireworks Show

EPCOT has a new nighttime spectacular and we are so excited! Luminous: The Symphony of Us debuted at EPCOT on December 5, 2023. This is the same date that World Celebration Gardens opened! World Celebrations is the part of EPCOT where you can visit Dreamers Point and see the “Walt The Dreamer” statue.

Luminous replaces Epcot Forever and Harmonious. Harmonious ran at EPCOT for 18 months in celebration of Disney World’s 50th anniversary.

Luminous: The Symphony Of Us- 5 Things To Know

Luminous brings a whole new world to EPCOT – here is everything you need to know about this 17 minute show that runs every night.

1. You can view Luminous from any spot on the World Showcase

Luminous takes place in the World Showcase Lagoon every night. If you can view the lagoon, you can view the show! We are so happy that you don’t have to fight for the perfect spot to view this show.

2. There are no projections for Luminous

Luminous is strictly water, lasers, music, and fireworks! There are no projections for this show. Personally, we love this. It gives people the opportunity to view the show from anywhere in the World Showcase and allows our imagination to run wild.

The show begins with each country welcoming guests to the show, while fireworks blast from each area.

3. The music in Luminous will move you

Disney is a pro at story telling, and Luminous is no exception. The music and visuals of this show will take you through the highs and lows of life. People are regularly moved to tears as they view this heart warming show.

The music is the driving force of this show. Walt Disney imagineers wanted the viewers of Luminous to experience the whole journey of life through the music – birth, growing up, friends, family, and even loss. Walt Disney World News describes the music this way:

• Stirring, multilingual arrangements of “You’ll Be in My Heart” and “Proud Corazón”  
• Classic songs like “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” and “Friend Like Me” 
• A sweeping arrangement of “So Close,” from Disney’s “Enchanted” 
• Heartfelt renditions of “When She Loved Me,” “Remember Me” and “Into the Unknown” 
• A crescendo of music featuring “I See the Light” from “Tangled,” which launches into the finale. 

Additionally, two new songs were written for this show: “Heartbeat Symphony” and “Beating of our Hearts.” 

4. The barges are still used

There are pros and cons to the barges for Luminous. Let’s start with the pros.

Unlike Harmonious, where the barges were left out all day long, the barges for Luminous are gone for most of the day. The barges are used for spouting water and do add a great visual element to the show. While previous shows had 8 barges, Luminous has 12. This gives a bigger, more exciting feel to the show.

The negative critiques of the barges is mainly that they are used at all. Many people wish they weren’t necessary. Additionally, some are disappointed that there are no projections on the barges. The idea is that if Disney needs to use these boats for the show, they might as well incorporate them more strategically.

Overall we view Luminous as a big upgrade from Harmonious in this aspect.

5. Spaceship Earth is part of the show

One great part of Luminous is the incorporation of Spaceship Earth – the big EPCOT ball. The ball lights up, goes dark, and even turns into a rotating globe! We love that this iconic symbol of the park is part of the beauty of this new, emotional show.

The nightly fireworks at Walt Disney World make for a perfect, magical ending to your day at the park. While we adore fireworks over the castle, there is something extra magical about watching the show at EPCOT. The water makes for a special element that adds to the senses.

Additionally, the crowds don’t feel as big and there isn’t a mad rush to get out of the park that immediately takes away from the magic you just experienced.

Have you seen Luminous at EPCOT? If so, what do you think?