Review: EPCOT’s new nighttime show Harmonious is slightly off-key

The new Harmonious nighttime show at EPCOT wants us all to “find each other in song.” Instead, it has united many Disney fans in a call to bring back Illuminations.

Having watched the show live a few times from various points around the World Showcase, I can honestly say I like the show. I like it a lot. But I wish I could love it.

The music is phenomenal. The pyrotechnics, projections and fireworks are all beautiful. But the pieces don’t add up to a greater whole. And the way the show is designed around the circular structure everyone is calling the “Stargate” means the show’s impact is blunted if you don’t have a really good view. 

The message of Harmonious is similar to that of its long-time predecessor Illuminations: We are “a single unified tribe.” Harmonious is intended to get the message across in song. But this is where the biggest issue with the show arises.

Illuminations was was divided into three movements titled “Chaos (The Earth is Born),” “Order (The Triumph of Life)” and “Meaning (Hope for the Future).”

While this show is also supposed to be in three acts as well – “Gathering,” where everyone is gathered around the World Showcase Lagoon, “Celebration,” a trip around the world and “Unite” how the world can unite. These themes don’t come through.

Unless you are told about the the themes, there does not to appear any specific structure to “Harmonious”—no unifying thread weaving all those beautiful parts together. Each individual piece of music with accompanying pyrotechnics, projections, fireworks, water fountains and lasers is stunning. But how they connect to “finding each other in song” is missing.

There are 15 Disney songs used for the show. And while many naysayers have pointed to “another example of Disney not being original and just using its own intellectual property,” my feeling is yes, use what you own. They are great songs which we all know. However, craft a story around those songs; after all, you are storytellers.

Perhaps that idea is that each song represents a culture from around the World Showcase? The show opens with a medley of “How Far I’ll Go” from “Moana” and “Go the Distance” from “Hercules” performed by “American Idol” finalist Danny Gokey, along with vocalists Elisha Garrett and Ninet Tayeb.

It then also includes: 

• A medley from the “The Lion King” performed in both English and Zulu by the Ndlovu Youth Choir from Johannesburg.
• “Dig a Little Deeper” from “The Princess and the Frog,” featuring vocalist Bryson Camper and gospel artists Karen Clark Sheard and Kierra Sheard.
• “Out There” from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” performed by French pop singer Damien Sargue
• Songs from Disney and Pixar’s “Coco” get a pan-Latin sendup from award-winning Puerto Rican artist Luis Fonsi.
• Disney and Pixar’s “Brave” receives a Celtic kick from violinist Máiréad Nesbitt and platinum-selling electronic artist, violinist and Lindsey Stirling.
• There are also musical selections from “Mulan,” “The Jungle Book” and “Aladdin.”

But that doesn’t give us a story, especially when the show segues from “Arabian Nights” from “Aladdin” to “I Wanna Be Like You” from “The Jungle Book.” Don’t get me wrong, this is a mix you can dance to, but it’s not telling a story. It’s more like the creators looked at Disney’s movies and picked all the ones that represent countries around the world showcase (plus some food booths). 

The show culminates with a hopeful message in the inspiring ballad “Someday” (from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”). This is where the song, the narration and the fireworks should give you goosebumps and bring a tear to your eye. It brings hope for the future. If only the story built to this point along the way.

The other problem

And then there’s the Stargate. Disney has spent a lot of money building this enormous circular frame surrounded by four huge “tacos.” Unlike Illuminations, which had a globe as its centerpiece providing 360 degree views of what was on the screen, the Stargate can only be seen directly from a few locations at the entrance to the World Showcase and near the Italy pavilion. 

One of these two locations is typically reserved for dessert parties, though those have yet to return (so far). The other is often reserved by VIP groups or party rentals. Even if you can get into one of these spaces, even having just three or four people in front of you is enough to obstruct the barges and obscure the experience. 

If you don’t get a good view of the Stargate, your focus will be on the other four barges with screens filled with animations. The technology behind these barges is amazing. The arms swing around and shoot out water, laser and fireworks. 

The show is okay if you are watching it from the side. It’s like being on the far left or far right in Soarin’—you see the Eiffel Tower and experience the show, but it’s annoying that it’s curved. 

These barges are an eyesore during the day. They haven’t been used as fountains as they were first described, so they just sit there, obscuring the view of the World Showcase. While they are a marvel to watch at night, I’m not sure the show is worth the daytime view.