At the D23 Expo last July, it was announced that Epcot was going to be overhauled with new attractions, new areas, new movies, and a new-old outlook on the future. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts President Bob Chapek stated that major changes would be coming to the second park in Walt Disney World, but not all of them were revealed in detail. Well, it now appears as if a change in nighttime shows is coming soon and Illuminations’ days may be numbered.
Construction has already started on both the Guardians of the Galaxy and Ratatouille attractions at Epcot and they will open in the coming years. A large group of Disney executives was spotted at the park recently, checking things out for what could be other possible changes.
Now, it appears as if the rumors of the nighttime spectacular Illuminations: Reflections of Earth may soon be a thing of the past. As the 20-year anniversary of the fireworks and globally educating show approaches, there is speculation that it may not even make it to that point.
According to a report from WDWNT , plans for a replacement nighttime show at Epcot are being fast-tracked and recording of a new soundtrack is being done this very week.
By looking at the concept art shown to the fans at the D23 Expo, it is obvious that something big is coming to World Showcase Lagoon. The only problem is that Disney didn’t really touch much on that and never actually said if Illuminations was being upgraded, changed, or just completely replaced.
Illuminations: Reflections of Earth began during the millennium celebration at Epcot on Oct. 1, 1999. It has run virtually every single night since that date, and there is no actual end date in sight as of yet, but one may be coming.
WDWNT reports that the idea of speeding along the replacement of Illuminations is actually something that was discussed before plans for overhauling Epcot were revealed. While it is not known when the new show could be coming, having the score and vocals recorded this week could mean it is soon.
As of now, nothing has been officially announced by Walt Disney World or anyone at Disney, but the signs are all there. Still, it would not be shocking to see Disney swerve everyone and just upgrade Illuminations and leave it in place. No matter what happens with the nighttime show there, Epcot is about to experience a lot of changes and new things, and that is 100 percent confirmed to happen.
