'IllumiNations' Scenes & Score Used to Promote ABC News 24-Hour July 4th Event

Late last week, ABC News released a promo for its upcoming Disney Celebrates America July 4th event. In it, we heard a familiar score: IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, which ran from 1999 to 2019.

In the promotional spot, we could hear and see the now bygone IllumiNations show as the voiceover explained that the 24-hour live event will celebrate all 50 states for the nation's 250th birthday. It makes sense that ABC would use this iconic show to promote the live broadcast since Gavin Greenaway's incredible score was also used to celebrate the new millennium.

In the ABC promotional spot, we could hear and see the now bygone IllumiNations show as the voiceover explained that the 24-hour live event will celebrate all 50 states for the nation’s 250th birthday. It makes sense that ABC would use this iconic show to promote the live broadcast since Gavin Greenaway’s incredible score was also used to celebrate the new millennium. As a note, ABC is also owned by the Walt Disney Company.

The music was highlighted in ABC 2000 Today, which was a 25-hour-long program that began on December 31, 1999, and ended with the new millennium on January 1, 2000. It was also used in several other seminal American moments, such as President Barack Obama’s inauguration coverage.

This upcoming live event is described by Disney as:

The celebration will culminate on the July 4th weekend with a 24-hour, multi-platform broadcast, Disney Celebrates America, highlighting America’s 250th anniversary events nationwide across Disney’s linear networks and streaming platforms, including Disney+, Hulu, ABC, Disney Channel, ESPN, Freeform, FX, and National Geographic, ending with a special evening fireworks broadcast from Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort. David Muir, anchor and managing editor of “World News Tonight with David Muir,” will lead the daylong coverage and be joined by ABC News anchors and correspondents, iconic ESPN commentators, and National Geographic Explorers reporting from across the country for this one-in-a-lifetime presentation featuring top entertainers, athletes, explorers, and historians – all coming together to spotlight the wonder, achievements, and dreams that define the American spirit.

Watch the spot for yourself below: