Here’s What You Need To Know About Walt Disney World’s 50th Celebration Spectaculars
The Most Magical Celebration is almost here! And we can’t hold back our excitement for what’s to come!
Walt Disney World officially turns 50 on October 1st and Disney Parks just released a few of the magical offerings you can expect to find throughout the Walt Disney World Resort and Parks for their 18 month long celebration. This will truly be the biggest birthday for them yet!
The long anticipated HarmoniUS kicked off last night, Sept 29th, at EPCOT with a special live stream from Disney Parks Blog. The crowds around EPCOT were lined up all around the World Showcase just to catch a glimpse of the barges found in the center.
“Harmonious” shines a light on 15 favorite Disney songs reimagined by a culturally diverse ensemble of 240 artists from around the globe, including musicians, composers, arrangers, vocalists and more. In total, the music was performed and recorded through more than 110 sessions in nine different countries.
EPCOT guests gathering on the shores of World Showcase Lagoon are treated to a magnificent cultural symphony, dramatizing the unifying power of story and song. On this musical journey around the planet …
- “Harmonious” opens with an inspiring medley of “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana” and “Go the Distance” from “Hercules” performed by “American Idol” finalist and three-time GRAMMY® nominee Danny Gokey, along with vocalists Elisha Garrett and Ninet Tayeb.
- The Ndlovu Youth Choir from Johannesburg contributes a medley of favorites from “The Lion King,” performed in both English and Zulu.
- “Dig a Little Deeper” from “The Princess and the Frog” features vocalist Bryson Camper and legendary gospel artists Karen Clark Sheard and Kierra Sheard.
- French pop singer Damien Sargue performs “Out There” from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame.”
- Songs from Disney and Pixar’s “Coco” get a rousing pan-Latin sendup from award-winning Puerto Rican artist Luis Fonsi, responsible for several global hits including “Despacito,” and award-winning Mexican singer/songwriter Joy.
- Disney and Pixar’s “Brave” receives a Celtic kick from GRAMMY®- and Emmy®-nominated violinistMáiréad Nesbitt and platinum-selling electronic artist, violinist and multi-talented entertainer Lindsey Stirling.
- Musical selections from “Mulan,” “The Jungle Book” and “Aladdin” are highlighted by the vocal talents of Wang Liuqi, Hollie Hammel, Aditya Rao, Gaayatri Kaundinya, Jorgie Shkara and Sanaa Marahati.
“Harmonious” closes the curtain for each EPCOT day with the show’s hopeful message of the magic that happens when people join together. As it draws to a close, the inspiring ballad “Someday” (from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”) combines with the new EPCOT theme from composer Pinar Toprak to unite the people of the world in hope and promise found throughout the park every day. (Disney Parks Blog)
Just for recap, that means HarmoniUS brings together musical talent from all over the world launched in 13 different languages at various points throughout the show. There are 15 well recognized tunes from some of the most beloved animated classics all while set to an amazing accompaniment of 240 global artists. Here’s a few technical specs you may not have realized about this show as well:
- One of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney theme park
- Five floating platforms positioned like a compass on World Showcase Lagoon support primary show equipment
- Show media displayed on four double-sided LED panels standing 25 feet high and 88 feet long
- Five-story-high central water curtain captures additional projected media
- Eight 54-foot-long choreographed moving arms accent the show platforms
- Hundreds of programmable moving fountains and lights, plus lasers and pyrotechnic effects
Now that we’ve had our time to say farewell to Happily Ever After, the Magic Kingdom’s newest nighttime show, Enchantment, is set to debut on October 1st. Disney Parks Blog will also have an exclusive first look at the new spectacular show on their streaming channels. Disney Parks is keeping fairly tight lipped on this one until it’s debut, but here’s what we have about it so far:
“Joining “Harmonious” with an Oct. 1 debut is another new nighttime spectacular, “Disney Enchantment” at Magic Kingdom Park. Created to launch with “The World’s Most Magical Celebration,” this evening extravaganza takes guests on a journey filled with adventure, wonder and empowerment. Inspiring everyone to believe in magic, “Disney Enchantment” features stunning fireworks, powerful music, enhanced lighting and, for the first time, immersive projection effects that extend from Cinderella Castle down Main Street, U.S.A. The show’s stirring soundtrack is anchored by an emotional original song, “You Are the Magic,” written and performed by multiple GRAMMY® winner Philip Lawrence, whose musical career began as a Disney cast member performing in Walt Disney World shows.”– Disney Parks Blog
There is also rumor that there will be more fireworks throughout this show from what we had previously seen in Happily Ever After and we’re so excited for it’s debut performance!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is ready to ring in the celebration with their new daytime entertainment! “Kitetails” will be set to perform several times throughout the day over the Discover River Theater starting October 1st. You can catch some of your favorite characters high in the sky including Simba, Zazu, Baloo, and King Louie. Leave some room for dancing because this show is set to a wonderful soundtrack of iconic songs that are sure to get you on your feet!
The Beacons of Magic will make their nighttime debut starting October 1st as well! Each of the 4 iconic monuments of each park will magically transform at night to usher in the magic within you! Be sure to keep watch over them as they shimmer and shine in the night. Here’s where you can catch them all:
- Cinderella Castle illuminates Magic Kingdom Park with a dazzling radiance and pixie-dust sparkle.
- At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, a warm light emanates from the Tree of Life as fireflies gather to usher in the magic of nature.
- The Hollywood Tower Hotel at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is awash in a brilliance evoking the golden age of imagination and adventure.
- And at EPCOT, new lights shine across the reflective panels of Spaceship Earth, connecting to one another like stars in a nighttime sky and creating a mesmerizing symbol of optimism. The iconic structure’s permanent new lighting will continue beyond “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” as a defining feature of the park. – Disney Parks Blog