Cranes Prepare to Remove Harmonious Barges From World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT

Cranes have arrived backstage at EPCOT ready to remove the Harmonious barges from World Showcase Lagoon.

We could see the red cranes behind the trees that line World Showcase.

There are two red cranes attached to each other.

This area, behind Refreshment Outpost, is where the barges were constructed before moved into the lagoon.

Harmonious barges are no longer pictured on the EPCOT map in the My Disney Experience app and online at the Walt Disney World website.

The barges will be removed from World Showcase Lagoon after Harmonious has its final performance on April 2, 2023. Though “The World’s Most Magical Celebration” officially ended in March, Harmonious and Disney Enchantment will continue to be performed through the weekend.

Harmonious & EPCOT Forever

With the end of Harmonious, EPCOT Forever will return. EPCOT Forever initially debuted in October 2019 with the end of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.

The nighttime show honored the park’s 37-year musical heritage, with a spectacular display of fireworks, music, lighting, lasers, and special effects set to revamped versions of iconic songs from classic EPCOT attractions such as “Journey Into Imagination,” “Spaceship Earth,” “Soarin’,” “Tapestry of Nations,” and “Universe of Energy.” The show was designed to pay tribute to the past, present, and future of EPCOT.

Initially, EPCOT Forever was planned to run until “Harmonious” was set to debut. However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the theme parks were closed, and several upcoming projects, including Harmonious, were delayed as a result.

When EPCOT reopened in the summer of 2020, the barges for “Harmonious” started appearing in the lagoon. In May 2021, EPCOT Forever would return as Harmonious was not ready to perform until later that year. This was when fireworks at large returned to the Walt Disney World Resort post-pandemic closures.

Both shows were not without their problems.

In one section of EPCOT Forever, acrobatic kites, pulled by jet skis zipping around the lagoon, twisted and turned in the sky. However, there were numerous issues with the kites and the jet skis both malfunctioning.

Harmonious faced additional challenges. Many people found the show to be uninspiring. However, the most significant concern that Disney enthusiasts had were the enormous barges that were placed in the lagoon. These structures might have been more easily accepted if they were removed prior to the start of the show, similar to how IllumiNations was done. Unfortunately, these massive barges were permanently placed in the lagoon.

These barges were widely considered unsightly and impeded the stunning vistas of the lagoon on either side. In addition, they were plagued by a variety of problems, ranging from malfunctioning equipment to outright fires.

This past September, at the D23 Expo, Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro announced that Harmonious, would be replaced by a new show celebrating The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary.

In October of 2022, we reported that it was rumored that Disney will incorporate the use of drones in their new nighttime show at EPCOT, following the great success of Disney D-Light at Disneyland Paris for its 30th anniversary.

Watch a video of the Harmonious nighttime spectacular as viewed from Spice Road Table below.