IllumiNations:

Introduction

Original Show

Holiday IllumiNations

IllumiNations 25A

IllumiNations 25B

IllumiNations ('98)

IllumiNations (2000): Reflections of Earth

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May 19, 1997 to January 31, 1998

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In addition to the change in the music for the 25 B show, 20 minutes of new pre-show background music was added to get guests waiting for the show in a festive mood. After the first song, the first announcement is made:

Male Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen, as we prepare for this evening's show, our World Showcase ambassadors are joining you on the promenade as we begin tonight's sensational worldwide celebration of Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary. So feel free to clap, sing, or even dance as our party begins. Also, please join the entire Epcot family as we welcome our IllumiNations 25 special Guests of Honor who are Remembering the Magic with us tonight. Thank you.

The family name of the "special Guests of Honor" is displayed on the ball in the center of the lagoon during this announcement. Throughout the pre-show music, several announcements are made to inform guests how much longer they will have to wait before he show begins.

Male Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen, in 15 minutes Epcot and GE will celebrate IllumiNations 25. At GE, we bring good things to life. The show can be experienced all around the World Showcase Lagoon. Because of lower light levels around the lagoon, please watch your step and take small children by the hand during the show. Get ready, because tonight's celebration, IllumiNations 25, will begin in 15 minutes. Thank you.

Male Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen, in just 10 minutes the Epcot family and GE will celebrate Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary with IllumiNations 25. At GE, we bring good things to life. There are still lots of great places to watch the show all around the lagoon. Because of fireworks and lower light levels during the show, for your safety, we ask that you remain on the promenade side of all railings. During the show, please watch your step and take small children by the hand. Find a good spot because IllumiNations 25 will begin in just 10 minutes. Thank you.

Male Announcer: Ladies and Gentlemen, in just 5 minutes the Epcot family and GE will celebrate Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary with IllumiNations 25. At GE, we bring good things to life. There are still lots of great places to watch the show all around the lagoon. Because of fireworks and lower light levels during the show, for your safety, we ask that you remain on the promenade side of all railings. During the show, please watch your step and take small children by the hand. Find a good spot because IllumiNations 25 will begin in just 5 minutes. Thank you.

Shortly after this announcement, the music fades out and guests wait eagerly for the show to begin. Things are fairly quiet around the lagoon with the exception of people talking and a boat zipping by doing last minute checks. Then the pavilion lights are turned off, the lights along the walkways fade, and the show begins.

Male Announcer: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to IllumiNations 25 - a celebration of the magic that you, our 25th Anniversary Guests of Honor, have brought to Walt Disney World for 25 magical years. Join us now as the countries of World Showcase welcome all of you to our worldwide family.

"Remember the Magic" - World Showcase Salute
(Based on the WDW 25th Anniversary song "Remember the Magic" [1996])

Lyricist:	Cheryl Berman
Composer:	Ira Antelis
Arranger & Orchestrator:	Gregory Smith

Chorus: Remember the Magic!

To open the show, cast members from the World Showcase pavilions welcome guests from their countries/regions. Special Thanks to the World Showcase cast members for helping me with the translations and Joerg Schmidt for the German translation. During this section, the image of "25" jumps around the sphere in the center of the lagoon.

Canada - Male: From my country, please welcome our Guests of Honor from Canada.

Italy - Female: And from Europe, diamo il benvenuto a membri de la nostra famiglia Italiana. ("We welcome the members of our Italian family.")

France - Female: From the land of my birth, veuillez accueillir nos familles francaises. ("Please welcome our French family.")

Germany - Female: And from my homeland, begruessen wir unsere familienmitglieder aus Deutschland recht herzlich. ("We sincerely welcome our family members from Germany.")

United Kingdom - Male (Paul): From the British Isles, please also welcome our family from the United Kingdom. (Paul was a bartender at the Rose and Crown Pub at this pavilion.)

Norway - Male: And from my home in Scandanavia, huer vennlig a ønske vare Norske gjester vellkomen! ("Be kind and welcome our Norwegian guests.")

Morocco - Female: And from Africa, . ("We want to welcome the guests of honor from Morocco." [Read Arabic from right to left.])

China - Female: From the land of the Orient, . ("Welcome to the Chinese from all over the world.")

Japan - Male: From the land of the Rising Sun, Nippon no minasama yókoso okoshi kudasaimashita. ("Welcome Japanese tourists/guests." The same thing written with Japanese characters is this: .)

Mexico - Male: And from my wonderful land, acompañeme en darles la bienvenida a nuestra familia de Mexico. ("Join with me in welcoming our family from Mexico.")

USA - Female: And to all of our family members who have traveled here from around the United States, Welcome.

Male Announcer: Now it's time to all come together for a sparkling celebration of Walt Disney World's 25th Anniversary - IllumiNations 25.

The first song played is IllumiNations Fanfare. The rest of the selections are listed in alphabetical order. All of the selections were arranged by John Debney and orchestrated by Brad Dechter. Fireworks burst and the mist screens come on so that "25" can be projected by the lasers.

• IllumiNations Fanfare
  • [1997]
    • John Debney

ACT I

1. Russian Dance - "Trepak"
   • from The Nutcracker Ballet [1892]
     • Peter Ilyich Tchaichovsky
2. Die Meistersinger Overture
   • from Die Meistersinger von N¨rnberg [1862-67]
     • Richard Wagner
3. Laideronette, Empress of the Pagodas
   • from "Ma Mère l'Oye" (Mother Goose Suite) [1910]
     • Maurice Ravel
4. Barber of Seville Overture
   • from Il Barbiere de Siviglia (The Barber of Seville) [1816]
     • Gioacchino Rossini
5. Overture to Suite No. 2
   • from Daphnis et Chloé Ballet [1912]
     • Maurice Ravel
6. Seventeen Come Sunday
   • March from English Folk Song Suite [1924]
     • Ralph Vaughan Williams
7. El Salón México
   • [1936]
     • Aaron Copland
8. Hoedown
   • from Rodeo Ballet [1942]
     • Aaron Copland

Colorful fountains, lasers, and flashing lights on the pavilions and barges are used extensively throughout Act I. The outlines of the world's continents rotate on the center ball. Projected by lasers on the mist screens are constantly changing geometric shapes and designs. Then the lasers project a slowly moving line that flows from side to side. When the brass instruments are featured, a laser trumpet is projected. Next, a bright star jumps around with a waving, curvy line following. More wavy lines, all connected forming a sphere, follow and, along with fireworks, end Act I.

ACT II

1. Pini di Villa Borghese
   • from The Pines of Rome Symphonic Poem [1919]
     • Ottorino Respighi
2. The Aquarium
   • from Le Carnival des Animax (The Carnival of the Animals Suite) [1907]
     • Camille Saint-Saens
3. Hornpipe
   • from Water Music Suite [1717]
     • George Frederick Handel
4. A Night on Bald Mountain
   • [1886]
     • Modest Mussorgsky
5. Jupiter, the Bringer of Jollity
   • from The Planets Suite [1914-16]
     • Gustav Holst
6. El Sombrero de Tres Picos
   • from The Three-Cornered Hat Ballet [1917]
     • Manuel de Falla

Act II features laser projected images of the Future World themes. The first shows a child (Life) spinning through the stars. The child picks up a light bulb (Innoventions). "E=mc²" appears. Out of the lightbulb (Imagination) comes a spinning object and an electron. The fountain spurts blue colored water up half way and the screen is filled with fish (Seas). The child's face appears in the lower left hand corner and watches a shark, whale, octopus, and dolphin swim around. Colored flowers appear next and the child smells them (Land). Comets are followed by dinosaurs (Energy). A car, which has the word "TEST" as in Test Track written on it, is formed next (Motion). The sound of a car engine zooming by is heard. A space satellite (Communication) spins around with a view of earth rotating in the lower right corner. Zooming in closer to earth, birds fly us in to central Florida where a satellite dish receives information. Finally, the child is seen one last time as it spins around and moves off into the distance. (The laser projections used here are the same as those used in Act II of IllumiNations 25 A, the original 25th Anniversary show, even though the music is different.)

ACT III

1. Ode To Joy
   • Symphony No. 9 in D minor (Choral), Fourth Movement [1824]
     • Ludwig von Beethoven

Act III begins with a bang and bright fireworks. The lasers, blinking lights, and dancing fountains combine with bright white fireworks filling the sky to create a spectacular finale.

Male Announcer: The EPCOT family and G.E. hope all of you from around the world have enjoyed IllumiNations 25. G.E. - we bring good things to life. Thank you and good night.

Total Running Time: 14 minutes

The Exit Music, which includes pieces of "A Worldwide Celebration," begins and repeats at least 4 times as guests are leaving the park. A giant laser-produced "25" is projected on Spaceship Earth.

For EPCOT's 15th Anniversary on October 1, 1997, a more spectacular finale wowed audiences with more fireworks than usual. The show was not longer, it just featured more fireworks. At the end of the show, a laser produced "15" was projected on the water screens in front of the ball in the center of the lagoon. Before the show, for the "In 15/10 minutes ..." announcements, the announcer said "The EPCOT family and GE will celebrate EPCOT's 15 Years of Discovery with IllumiNations 25" instead of celebrating "WDW's 25th Anniversary" as it usually said. You can listen to a wav of the ten minute announcement here.

The show's soundtrack is available on the updated "Official Album of Disneyland & Walt Disney World" and the new "Official Album of Walt Disney World" which are available at the parks and from CDnow. Just click here to order the "Official Album of Disneyland & WDW" from CDnow. Or if you'd like to search for other music, just click here.

IllumiNations Fact Sheet | Original IllumiNations ('88) | Holiday IllumiNations
IllumiNations 25 A | IllumiNations 25 B | IllumiNations ('98-99)
IllumiNations (2000): Reflections of Earth

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