Luminaria: misake or misunderstood?

[AP2CM]

Disney's Luminaria was a fireworks/laser show on Paradise bay that was shown only during DCA's first holiday season. It was cancelled in Jan. of 2002 and never returned. Who out there actually saw the show, and what did you think of it? I honestly always enjoyed it and never really came to grips with why the public hated it so much. Many said it was the amount of sulfer in the air, while others said that the big "TVs" on the water bothered them...but if you go to WDW and watch illuminations, you encounter many of the same pitfalls (i.e. the sulfer); and strangely enough, no one seems to mind! So with that, I put it to you: was Luminaria a tragic mistake on Disney's part, or was it a fantastic show that was sadly misunderstood? I eagerly await the debate.

[swagdaddy]

From what I have heard it was canned because of the levels of smoke that lingered in the bay after the show.

Has anyone else heard this?

[Malibu Minion]

I have never seen the show, but I heard it on my DLR Holiday Magic 2001 cd.

[bjvb15]

There was supposed to be more fireworks but the fire marshal made disney tone it down. And the toned down version wasn't good enough for them or many of the APs

There was a lot of smoke left over after the show. I was over at the Anaheim Convention Center one night and the top event coordinater asked if DCA was on fire.

[GeneralShang]

All I remember was being suffocated by sulfur and smoke. haha. The fireworks were beautiful though -- and the song was quite touching.

"Let it shine bright, sparkle like the sun!"

[Cuzco-topia]

I didn't find it too interesting myself. Pretty slow, and a little hard to view the "tv's" from the water.

[Whatever]

Not enough fireworks, and the ones that were there created so much smoke that drifted over the audience that it was not comfortable to watch either.

mistake.

I did like the effect of the candels in the water and the tons of mini spotlightrs on Screamin and the Sunwheel though... THey could have left those as general Christmas decorations IMO.

[Dustysage]

I loved the concept of LuminAria. Although, It had a dead spot in the middle of the show where they projected pictures drawn by kids during the day. That I didn't like so much, but the beginning and end of the show were very interesting, as was the music. As mentioned by others here, the big problem was all the smoke. All depended which way the wind was blowing and where you were seated. We had ash hit our group one night.

This show also had a most effective climax. All these unique spinning fireworks would take off from the lagoon and spin their way up into the sky. Then you would look down and see that the whole lagoon was covered in what looked like floating candles. The new age exit music would play in a loop until you left the area. It was a neat show that suffered from some unfortunate flaws.

The lagoon is just too small for a major pyro show. Perhaps fountains, lasers, and audio/visual elements would be a better choice for this location. Perhaps a little pyro could be used to punch things up (like in Fantasmic).

[Whatever]

The lagoon is just too small for a major pyro show. Perhaps fountains, lasers, and audio/visual elements would be a better choice for this location. Perhaps a little pyro could be used to punch things up (like in Fantasmic).

I agree - a more Fantasmic like approach would probably have been better

[E-ticket]

I saw Luminaria once while it was playing, and while I am probably one of the biggest proponents of DCA on these boards, I honestly didn't like the show. It seemed like it was done on too small a scale to really be called a Disney production (which, I suppose, is what everyone's usual gripe is about DCA in general!). Everything was right in one centralized location there in the middle of the water, and the whole projecting of pictures drawn by guests was an idea that probably sounded good on paper, but didn't work out quite so well in reality. Now, I'm no art snob, but being subjected to those fugly drawings was torture. Plus, they went by so fast, you couldn't even take the time to actually look at the ones that were halfway decent. As for the pyrotechnic display, the fireworks were minimal at best, nothing like the holiday version of Believe.

In my opinion, it would have been more fun to sit in the ticket area between the parks and watch Believe from a distance without music than to actually sit close to Luminaria

[Cuzco-topia]

Hahaha...you're too funny, E-ticket! ...Those poor kids and their fugly drawings!

[Jspider]

I loved the concept of LuminAria. Although, It had a dead spot in the middle of the show where they projected pictures drawn by kids during the day. That I didn't like so much, but the beginning and end of the show were very interesting, as was the music. As mentioned by others here, the big problem was all the smoke. All depended which way the wind was blowing and where you were seated. We had ash hit our group one night.

This show also had a most effective climax. All these unique spinning fireworks would take off from the lagoon and spin their way up into the sky. Then you would look down and see that the whole lagoon was covered in what looked like floating candles. The new age exit music would play in a loop until you left the area. It was a neat show that suffered from some unfortunate flaws.

The lagoon is just too small for a major pyro show. Perhaps fountains, lasers, and audio/visual elements would be a better choice for this location. Perhaps a little pyro could be used to punch things up (like in Fantasmic).

you mean something like this
http://www.micechat.com/showthread.php?t=798

[Dustysage]

you mean something like this
http://www.micechat.com/showthread.php?t=798

I love it!

[merlinjones]

Luminaria sucked... smoke, ugly islands, tacky screens, more smoke - - what was good about it?

[Skippy]

The size of the Epcot lagoon that Illuminations takes places in makes Paradise Bay look like a dixie cup in comparison. The smoke is MUCH more disappated by the time it ever reaches people, and that's assuming weather conditions keep the smoke at ground level long enough in the first place.

[xfkirsten]

I kinda liked it, and I ablsolutely loved the music. Although I agree, the smoke was awful.

With the new launchers, would that have any affect on a show like this? If they were to put a new pyro show on the lagoon with the new technology, would it help cut back on the smoke?

[innerSpaceman]

I love how during the press event, with Eisner and Pressler and Cynthia there with hoards of reporters, the screens didn't work at all and there was 2 full minutes of total dead in the middle of the show. Then the entire press corp. was covered with smoke and ash for the grand finale. Huzzah!

[MasterGracey]

I love how during the press event, with Eisner and Pressler and Cynthia there with hoards of reporters, the screens didn't work at all and there was 2 full minutes of total dead in the middle of the show. Then the entire press corp. was covered with smoke and ash for the grand finale. Huzzah!

I'm assuming watching the Suits' reactions to that must have been a bit more fun than the handful of attractions at DCA put together!

[stinkerbell]

I was there December 2001 on a solo trip with my (then) six year old. All I remember of Luminaria was smoke and her fugly picture of a Christmas tree on the big screen. She was extremely proud. And even though I'm a mom, I thought some of those pics were awful....but it's not like they had a lot to choose from....the place was dead when she made hers. I thought the music and the concept was cool though. Just poorly executed.

[AP2CM]

The size of the Epcot lagoon that Illuminations takes places in makes Paradise Bay look like a dixie cup in comparison. The smoke is MUCH more disappated by the time it ever reaches people, and that's assuming weather conditions keep the smoke at ground level long enough in the first place.

I don't know Skippy...I just got back from WDW about 6 weeks ago and their fireworks put off quite a bit of smoke. In fact, I observed several groups (mine included) move from our mexican viewing area when the wind shifted that way. I just think the So. Cal. market is waaay to descriminating. In fact, if you watch fantasmic on a stagnant evening, the smoke has a tendency to drift into the hub area and choke everyone over there too! For some reason, no one seems to mind though.