We might still be getting use to Epcot Forever* playing nightly instead of Illuminations at Epcot, but there is another fireworks show on the horizon, and under construction in a backstage area at Epcot.
HarmonioUS, the long-term replacement for Illuminations, will debut in 2020 and is billed as the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park. It will celebrate how the music of Disney inspires people the world over, carrying you away harmoniously on a stream of familiar Disney tunes reinterpreted by a diverse group of artists from around the globe. HarmonioUS will feature massive floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, lasers and more. Here’s a look at the latest concept art to be released for the show.
With some of the introductory info out of the way, let’s take a look at a backstage plot where work is ongoing to construct the barges that will play a critical role in HarmonioUS.
As you might be able to tell from the photo below, this plot of land sits between the Germany and China pavilions, right behind the African Outpost. It has generally been just a grassy area, sometimes used for storage in years past, but it’s quite active now.
A closer look shows the massive barges that are being constructed with the assistance of the on-site crane. The workers inside and around the barge on the left provide a great scale for just how huge these really are.
As we were flying by, this element was being readied to be lifted into place.
Elsewhere backstage, we can see the jet skis (bottom middle) that are used during Epcot Forever, as well as other watercraft.
While we hope to learn more about HarmonioUS, including a start date, here’s a 4K video of the opening night of Epcot Forever.
*not actually forever, to be replaced in 2020 by HarmonioUS