What to expect from EPCOT’s new ‘Harmonious’ Nighttime Spectacular

BAY LAKE, Fla. – Just hours after learning Disney World’s plan to give fans a live look at both new nighttime spectaculars before the official debut on Oct.1, News 6 just learned new details of some of the musical magic to expect from “Disney Enchantment” at the Magic Kingdom and “Harmonious” at EPOCT.

In this article, we’re focusing on “Harmonious.” The permanent replacement for the beloved “Illuminations: Reflections of Earth” is going in a different direction for a park that had no Disney characters when it opened in 1982. The 20-minute long “Harmonious” will feature 15 Disney songs reimagined by 240 artists from around the globe, including musicians, composers, arrangers, vocalists from the nations that inspired Disney classics.

Here’s what to expect when the new show takes center stage every evening; a show some fans nicknamed “Humongous” due to the five enormous show barges that are so large they will be permanently moored in World Showcase Lagoon.

Disney said “Harmonious” takes EPCOT guests on a thrilling journey with music choreographed with moving fountains and lights, lasers, fireworks and other pyrotechnics in what the mouse calls a global cultural symphony.

• “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” will end each EPCOT evening with the inspiring ballad “Someday” (from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”) combined with the new EPCOT theme from composer Pinar Toprak.

‘Harmonious’ Fast Facts

NUMBER OF SONGS: 15

LANGUAGES REPRESENTED: 13

MUSICAL ENSEMBLE: 240 artists from around the world

PRODUCTION SCALE: More than 110 separate recording sessions in nine different countries

SHOW DURATION: 20 minutes, performances nightly (weather permitting)

TECHNICAL SPECS:

• 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
• A 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

• Stay tuned to News 6 & ClickOrlando.com to bring you live streams of Harmonious and Enchantment next week and coverage of all of Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary events. A well-placed source tells me Sorcerer Mickey and his team have actually managed to keep a trick or two up their sleeves -- at least one surprise that has yet to leak online. We will keep you posted!

To all who come to this happy corner of ClickOrlando.com, welcome! Walt Disney World is counting down to its 50th Anniversary, and so are we. With 50 days until 50 years, we are taking a daily look back at the past, how Disney’s opening shaped Central Florida’s present and a peek at what’s in store for the future.

We’re also looking to hear your memories of Walt Disney World: What do you love? What do you miss? What are some of your magical moments? You can share them with us by sending us an email and we’ll post them all for everyone to enjoy. Some might even be featured during our News 6 TV coverage of Walt Disney World’s 50th.

Here’s to dreaming, and here’s to another half-century of The Most Magical Place on Earth!