Crews are beginning to dismantle the Harmonious barges in World Showcase Lagoon at EPCOT now that the show has ended and EPCOT Forever has returned.
The four “taco” barges and one large ring barge are still in the lagoon, but construction vehicles were on their own barges as work removing the barges begins.
We saw cranes move into EPCOT backstage a few days ago to prepare for barge removal.
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.
They have already been removed from the EPCOT map in the My Disney Experience app and online at the Walt Disney World website.
Until the barges are fully removed, EPCOT Forever is being performed around them.
How did you feel about the Harmonious barges? Let us know in the comments below.
Harmonious Nighttime Spectacular
The 50th Anniversary celebration has come to a close across Walt Disney World, and the nighttime spectaculars introduced as part of “The Most Magical Celebration on Earth” have now been performed for the final time. On April 2, guests visiting EPCOT were able to watch the last performance of the “Harmonious” nighttime spectacular before it was replaced by the limited return of “EPCOT Forever”.
“Harmonious” debuted on October 1, 2021, using five barges within the waters of the World Showcase Lagoon to deliver an all-new 20-minute nighttime fireworks spectacular. Harmonious featured a soundtrack of 15 songs in 13 languages from 240 artists around the world.
EPCOT Forever
EPCOT Forever initially debuted in October 2019 with the end of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.
The nighttime show honors the park’s 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.
Disney100 Celebration
Eventually, a 100 Years of Wonder nighttime spectacular will debut at EPCOT, replacing EPCOT Forever. In October of 2022, we reported that it was rumored that Disney will incorporate the use of drones in their new nighttime show. It is scheduled to premiere late this year, but an exact timeframe has not been announced.
In addition to the new nighttime spectacular, guests will be able to meet Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in their platinum attire, see a platinum sculpture of the one who started it all, and watch Spaceship Earth illuminate the evenings with a new Spectacle of Light show. Journey of Water, CommuniCore Hall, World Celebration Garden, and Dreamers Point are all scheduled to open in late 2023 at EPCOT.
Walt Disney World recently announced monthly themes for Disney100.
The 100 Years of Wonder celebration is in full swing at Disneyland Resort, where guests can enjoy “Wondrous Journeys” at Disneyland and “World of Color – ONE” at Disney California Adventure. The platinum Mickey sculpture at EPCOT will presumably be the same as the one at Disneyland, which had to be fixed because the Walt Disney quote on the base was incorrect. Disneyland also has a platinum Minnie statue.
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