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For 20 years, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth<\/a> has been entertaining Guests <\/span>each night<\/span> at Epcot, <\/span>just before the park closes<\/span>.\u00a0<\/span>IllumiNations is a one-of-a-kind show that f<\/span>eatures fireworks, lasers, and fire. Projections illuminate a<\/span>\u00a0giant globe\u00a0<\/span>that serves as the centerpiece,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>as it<\/span> travels across the World Showcase Lagoon. An original soundtrack, that celebrates humanity, plays as the lagoon comes to life with light. It is truly a sight to see, but soon, IllumiNations will be gone.<\/span><\/p>\n When the closing of IllumiNations was announced, I was immediately sad. This show has been my favorite fireworks show at Walt Disney World for long time<\/span>. Al<\/span>t<\/span>hough the announcement hit me h<\/span>ard, I sighed and quietly said, \u201cIt\u2019s time.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Twenty years is an amazing run for a show, and as Epcot begins to undergo a tremendous transformation, it seems only fitting that the park w<\/span>ould<\/span> debut new entertainment. So, o<\/span>n September 30<\/span>th<\/span>, IllumiNations will bow out and make room for a new nighttime spectacular.<\/span>\u00a0The following day, an entirely new production, Epcot Forever<\/a>, will take center stage. (Or perhaps I should say, center lake?)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Ironically, Epcot Forever<\/span>\u00a0will not last forever and\u00a0<\/span>will only run until 2020. In the summer of 2020,\u00a0<\/span>yet another evening show,\u00a0<\/span>HarmonioUS<\/span><\/a>,<\/span>\u00a0will make its debut and is expected to have a much longer run. Whether it will hang around for 20 years remains to be seen, but I believe the show will stay for quite some time.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With so much to look forward to, why is it so hard for me to say goodbye to a show I have seen too many times to count?\u00a0<\/span>There will still be an amazing fireworks display, and the soundtrack of Epcot Forever will feature classic Epcot songs. That\u2019s right up my alley! Why am I so sad to let IllumiNations go with an exciting new show coming so soon? <\/span>I\u2019ve been asking myself this question for months.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I think the end of the IllumiNations era is hard for me because it symb<\/span>olizes the start of a major overhaul of the park that I grew up with. <\/span>Although we have already seen some ride closures and construction has already begun, things are going to ramp up tremendously in the coming months. When\u00a0<\/span>all is said and done, Epcot<\/a> will have a whole new identity. It’s a lot to take in!<\/span><\/p>\n Leaving what we<\/span>\u00a0know behind is never easy, n<\/span>o matter how bright the future is on the horizon.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>I<\/span>\u00a0believe i<\/span>t\u2019s\u00a0<\/span>so\u00a0<\/span>difficult\u00a0<\/span>for me\u00a0<\/span>to say goodbye because s<\/span>o many of my Epcot days have ended with a viewing of IllumiNations. My mom and I always stay to watch after our yearly Candlelight Processional show. I\u2019ve stood on the bridge in Italy and watched <\/span>the sky light up with fireworks\u00a0<\/span>with my husband<\/span>\u00a0by my side many times<\/span>. I sat on the ground\u00a0<\/span>last year after the Wine and Dine races\u00a0<\/span>and waited through a rain delay with my best friend<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0hoping t<\/span>he show would go on<\/span>. (FYI, IKEA ponchos are NOT fully waterproof!)<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n So, here lies the answer to my question. It\u2019s not the show that I am having a hard time letting go of, it\u2019s the memories.<\/span> Not just 20 years <\/span>of IllumiNations memories, but<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>also a lifetime of memories of Epcot as we know it.\u00a0<\/span>As the end of IllumiNations approaches, I have<\/span>\u00a0to\u00a0remind myself that I get to keep the memories. Still, I want the show to stay.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But all good things must come to an end, and so, We Go On.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I will be there on September 30<\/span>th<\/span> to bid IllumiNations farewell and plan to stay <\/span>the next night<\/span>\u00a0to watch as Epcot Forever ushers in the massive transformation of Epcot. I am nervous, excited, anxious, and in all h<\/span>onesty, a little sad, but I also think I am ready.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Come what may, my favorite park will always be Epcot. Forever.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Are you ready to say goodbye? Are you looking forward to new nightly shows and a whole new Epcot? Share your thoughts with us in the comments <\/em>or\u00a0on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Twitter<\/a>!<\/em><\/p>\n Did you like this article? Make sure to share it with your friends! Check below for easy ways to share!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Want to visit the Walt Disney World Resort? Contact\u00a0The Magic for Less Travel<\/a>\u00a0for more information and a free, no-obligation quote.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Illuminations\"](\"https:\/\/www.themouseforless.com\/blog_world\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/09\/Illuminations-white-lights-225x400.jpg\")
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