I tried to like Harmonius, I really did

[WilsonFlyer]

Loved Wishes, was not a fan of HEA at all. I don’t have high hopes for Enchantment.
Loved Illuminations. I also don’t have high hopes for Harmonious.
Maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Save yourself while you still can.

 

[Dis Dragon]

I know it'll never come back, but they should have updated illuminations. It had a message that tied the whole meaning of Epcot together and it was clear about it. The globe was aging, they could have made a bigger better globe or even added extra elements to it. We've tried to watch Harmonious twice now and both times just really haven't cared and started leaving before it was over. I remember loitering around after illuminations ended, the music was still going and you had this uplifted feeling of elation. (at least we did)

We now just use that time to find a lower crowded line.

 

[ILOVEPOOH1]

I loved Illuminations and teared up each time I watched it. I did not especially "love" Harmonious, but I think it could have potential.
1. Get rid of those monstrosities in the lagoon during the day
2. If they want to utilize IP, then it needs to be a bit more thoughtful. There are so many amazing Disney films that showcase cultures and legends from around the world. Perhaps "reel in" the song choices a bit. For example, play a song from Coco and have the showcase darkened and the Mexico pavilion light up. Frozen song- light up Norway. Mary Poppins- England...etc etc. Obviously Morocco would not light up (out of respect for their culture), but songs from Aladdin should be played. After ensuring each country within WS is represented in song, as a finale they could play a melody of other songs from films representing cultures and countries not in WS (with projections). Thus highlighting the "storyline" that we are one in this world and should be living Harmoniously celebrating diversity in culture across our world.
3. Queue teary eyes.

Not that I am an Imagineer, but that would be my suggestion

 

[PetePanMan]

We were pleasantly surprised…much better than expected

 

[Dizziman]

I don't really care about fireworks shows but the barges in the middle of the World Showcase lagoon are horrendous. They ruin the sightlines of the park and make me even less interested in seeing Harmonious.

I actually liked Harmonious more than I thought I would. I thought it was great. Not perfect but it was a welcome change from Illuminations, which was good had been there for so long.

However, during the day, I hated the stargate and the barges even more than I had imagined. I mean, come on! During some spots on the WS lagoon you can't even see 2 or 3 countries in a row because an unsightly barge is blocking your line-of-sight. Nothing says Disney has lost its way with the WS than "let's kill the incredible view that guests loved and was one thing that cost us nothing to upkeep."

Also, the irony is not lost that Harmonious is about bringing the countries together, and yet Harmonious's infrastructure makes actually seeing the countries difficult to impossible.

Even though I don't like it as much, I would rather Illuminations be back if that meant the barges were gone. Or they could do something like WOC in DL where the equipment was mostly hidden during the day.

I am just baffled by the thought-process that went into putting in those barges and stargate.

 

[EddieMI]

The problem with Harmonious is you have to be close enough to make the screens make sense and far enough away to see the whole show. I think they banked too much on the screens and the water effects to carry the show, But they do not have the presence in that large lagoon. Hoping they figure that out and beef up the outer fireworks.

Enchantment has the same problem. If you are far back enough to see the projections on Main St. you miss the fireworks to the left and right of the castle. If you are close enough to catch all the castle fireworks, you miss the projections.

They need to design these firework shows in a full park not an empty one.

 

[eva]

Arrived at the Swan last night at 8pm and wanted to take advantage of the extended hours, so we walked over to EPCOT.

Sat down in UK for some fish ‘n chips and had very nice seating just in time for Harmonius. We’d seen it streaming before, as well as once a few months ago in person. I wasn’t a fan before but thought I’d give it another chance.

Nope. Compared to Illuminations it’s such a disappointment.

1. The IP does not fit EPCOT. It’s grossly out of place.

2. The music is loud (garish even) and is inconsistent with the charming elegance of World Showcase.

3. There is no discernible message. It’s a bunch of clips of animated songs that in the aggregate say “We’re a bunch of clips of animated songs.”

4. For 27 minutes of after-darkness program, it hardly seems worth destroying the sight line around the lagoon all day every day with floating “Stargate” and “Giant Taco” barges.

5. To the producers’ credit, it’s technically excellent. The fireworks are outstanding (and drew applause), and the barges do cool stuff. It’s just a shame it’s _this_ stuff.

Oh I so long for the elegance and eye-watering message of Illuminations.

100% Agree!

 

[PatMcDuck]

I was sick of Illuminations and never bothered to watch it anymore, except one year when I was there on July 4th, to see the extra tag on the end. I was another one who didn't like the big globe part of Illuminations. LOL.

I loved Harmonious. I was blown away. (We were able to watch in the wheelchair area so perfect sightlines.) I loved it. To me, it fit well into the world showcase. The songs seemed to reflect various countries, many of which are represented in the World Showcase. I really enjoyed the new recordings of the songs too, to hear so many voices singing them out in harmony. I was aware many did not like it, so my expectations were not high. That was just my anaysis, this was a month ago, the only time I have seen it. Looking forward to another viewing.

I also don't like seeing the machinery during the day. I thought the plan was to block most of it with fountains in the daytime.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

Harmonious is beautiful if you get the right spot. Not a big fan of the new recordings for the songs. I was tired of the globe though, so nice to have something new working there. They could pretty easily program it to do something else, maybe to Illuminations music. I know people hate the stargate and tacos having to be there during the day.

 

[Dis Dragon]

I also don't like seeing the machinery during the day. I thought the plan was to block most of it with fountains in the daytime.

They turned them on and realized they couldn't block a 3-4 story hunk of black taco with water fountains, I saw it during the testing. It looked ridiculous.

 

[Jrb1979]

From the videos I've seen I hate it. Mainly cause I don't like any IP based. Epcot was my favorite park growing up cause it was different and not loaded with IP everywhere.

 

[gharter]

Technically it is very good, just has no heart and lacks the emotion that other shows have had.
The main problem is there are really only 2 good areas to be able to see everything that projects onto the Stargate.
Viewing from the side you completely miss the main projections there. You can still what is on the smaller screens.

 

[Dis Dragon]

I don't get the dinner parties and boat cruise, they setup in the same area they used to, with no view of the stargate... if you're paying a premium for that you should be secure in a spot front and center. I hate that Epcot has turned into a spot camp 1-2 hours ahead of time now.

I liked that Illuminations was different in that you could see what was happening from anywhere in WS and you could snab a good spot 20 minutes before.

 

[MakiraMarlena]

That's the only spot the boats can stop, they can't hang in the lagoon because of the pyro. I wouldn't pay extra to watch from Rose & Crown though, unless I had seen it before

 

[stings]

I seldom write a disparaging post as I recognize that each person has their subjective opinion of what is “good“. In the case of Harmonious I must agree with the OP. Illuminations was inspiring, uplifting, as well as being exceptionally entertaining. Harmonious is, unfortunately, none of those things, with the possible exception of it being mildly entertaining. I too was hoping to like the show but I thought it was a very poor replacement for its predecessor. To say nothing about the monstrosities in the lake. Sad.

 

[CaptainAmerica]

To the producers’ credit, it’s technically excellent. The fireworks are outstanding (and drew applause), and the barges do cool stuff. It’s just a shame it’s _this_ stuff.

Yeah, I personally don't mind the hardware in the lagoon, I never thought it was as beautiful as some people thought in the first place. I would have loved to see a revamped Illuminations, but using all of the new toys and technology.

 

[Riss]

I just saw both Enchantment and Harmonious in person for the first time this past week and I have to say that I really loved Harmonious and underwhelmed by Enchantment.

For Enchantment, I think it’s because I was a big fan of Happily Ever After and was so sad when they decided to get rid of it. I think hearing the characters sing their own songs during the show added to the nostalgia of it and I liked the projections. I saw that show once in person and wish I had been able to see it again before they took it away. Admittedly, the second time I watched Enchantment, I did like the fireworks better. That may have been because there was a slight wind blowing and making the fireworks seem huge. But overall, maybe it was a lack of actual singing and simply just the existence of an instrumental soundtrack that didn’t win me over in the end.

On the other hand, for Harmonious, I loved the soundtrack and the incorporation of other languages into the songs. I thought that it was able to showcase the “harmony” of the world and that music is able to transcend the boundaries, giving us something we can all enjoy and understand without realizing it. I definitely liked them better than Enchantment, as did the rest of my family. Earlier during our trip my brother even met multiple families who would rave about Harmonious, highly recommending them to him. I would have definitely wanted to see it again if we had more time.

I know everyone has their own opinions about the shows, but this is just what I thought about them both after this past week.

 

[igrsod]

My 9 year old refuses to watch Enchantment in person. She told us she is boycotting it because she is so mad they took away HEA. We watched a stream of Enchantment once and now we ride Dumbo during it to see some fireworks, but she refuses to go in front of the castle for it

I am in full agreement with your 9 year old. I have boycotted Enchantment all 4 times I've been to MK since it started. I don't mind new things. I was sad when Wishes left, but fully embraced HEA because it was a good show with feeling. This new show has no soul, just projections and odd song choices.

 

[Shellyred8]

I liked Harmonius, but I agree with others that it just lacks the good story line/soul that previous WDW shows have had. After seeing Enchantment and Harmonius, I've come to the conclusion that WDW has lost the art of storytelling when it comes to these things. Which is incredibly sad because they were so good at it in the past!

 

[MyTwoPrincesses]

I caught Harmonious in December and I actually enjoyed it more than I thought I would. I certainly liked it more than Epcot Forever, although it is annoying that you can't simply take in the whole show from anywhere around the lagoon. Agree that the barges are ugly but the show itself is enjoyable and I plan to see it again this summer.