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Tom Corless··20 Comments·1 min read

BREAKING: Happily Ever After and EPCOT Forever Will Both Be Permanently Retired Before Walt Disney World’s 50th

Just announced by Disney, this summer is your last chance to come out and catch the current fireworks shows “before they sparkle into Disney history”.

“EPCOT Forever” will conclude its planned limited-time run on September 28, and you have until September 29 to take in the spectacle of “Happily Ever After” at Magic Kingdom Park.

Harmonious and Disney Enchantment will replace the aforementioned shows, and both debut on October 1st, 2021 at the start of “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” to mark the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World.

Happily Ever After debuted on May 12, 2017, just over 4 years ago. To say it is beloved is an understatement, so we expect many fans to voice displeasure over this. However, it is worth noting, that unlike an attraction closing, retired nighttime shows have been known to return after prolonged periods of absence.

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Tom Corless
Tom has been regularly visiting the Walt Disney World® Resort from the time he was 4 months old. While he made countless visits in that time, he did not become a truly active member in the Disney fan community until the summer of 2007, when he decided to launch the WDW News Today website. Tom has since become an Orlando-local and is a published author on Walt Disney World. Contact Tom at [email protected]

20 Comments

  1. That’s a bit disappointing. My wife and I had the opportunity to go this past June, me for the first time, and neither of these shows were up and running again yet. So I’ll never get a chance to see Happily Ever After live.

    1. Sorry to hear you didn’t get to see a nighttime spectacular! Hopefully next time.

  2. What a terrible decision. I have no words…I’m heartbroken I won’t get to see it again. It seems like it’s just bad decision after bad decision lately.

  3. That last sentence couldn’t be more true. How many times has the Main Street Electrical Parade been retired and brought back to various parks? Fantasy in the Sky still shows, last year aside, on New Years Eve. There’s always a chance.

    That said, I do hope people will give the new shows a chance, both look promising.

    I think they know the importance of getting them right for the 50th and this announcement is a sign that they’re confident in them. I take it as a good thing that they are, IMO.

  4. Happily ever after lasted 4 years. How long was Wishes? Im not sure you can use the term beloved to describe happily ever after. Enjoyed loved, all good things it was a good show. Excellent use of technology. But it wasn’t wishes.

    2. I agree. Wishes to me was better. Don’t care if I’m in the minority or not. Lol.

  5. My heart is still broken for Wishes, so I’m not sad about Happily Ever After. I am really looking forward to seeing Disney Enchantment!

  8. WHAT?! Happily Ever After and EPCOT Forever will be retired forever?! that’s so uncool! :I

  9. Loved Happily Ever After, loved Wishes. Change is hard. I hate to see it go, but I remember the reaction when Wishes was replaced. Maybe we will love the new show.

  10. Huh, that’s surprising. As you say, it’s hardly unprecedented for a nighttime show to return, so I wonder if the thinking here is to give themselves more flexibility to see how Disney Enchantment performs. If it’s a big hit, it can stick around indefinitely, since it won’t be introduced as a temporary show. And if it doesn’t perform well, they can bring back Happily Ever After “due to guest demand” or what have you after the 50th celebration is over.

  11. Counter-point: Happily Ever After sucks. While it’s nothing short of a technical marvel, it isn’t moving in any way. It’s a boring, sterile amalgamation of unrelated IP. Wishes had a clear and consistent narrative. Each song, each movement moved the show forward. It’s as though Disney said, “It doesn’t matter, just throw some projections on the castle and throw in a bunch of songs people are familiar with.”

    I am sad for those who love the show. It sucks to have something you love go away.

  12. Does this mean no night time fireworks/spectaculars at the Magic Kingdom or Epcot on September 30th?

  13. I loved Wishes, and because it was just a combination of the Music and Fireworks you could enjoy it anywhere in the park, as well as outside the park at the Magic Kingdom Resorts. Happily Ever After was more focused on the Castle Projections, so you had to be right in front of the Castle to enjoy it, I didn’t think the music or fireworks were as good as Wishes, and it really wasn’t much of a show from the MK Resorts… The new Enchantment show with extra fireworks launch sites and projections down Main Street seem like this could be their best show ever, and the projection mapping on both Main Street and the Castle could potentially be part of a new Night Time Parade as well as the new Halloween and Christmas Parties

  15. i never got to see it…. i’m so sad i’ve always wanted to go and this is heartbreaking. i will never get to see what it was like. i cried when i saw this…

  16. Wow, September 29 is my birthday and this happened… I didn’t get the chance to go there once

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