First look at the new Luminous mini-barges deployed in World Showcase lagoon

Oct 05, 2023 in "Luminous the Symphony of Us"

Gallery / 8 Photos
Luminous barges deployed in show configuration

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Posted: Thursday October 5, 2023 11:13am ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

Crews working on EPCOT's new nighttime spectacular Luminous have begun testing the new mini-barges in World Showcase lagoon.

These new show platforms are unique in that they are brought out into the lagoon daily, docked inside each of the six large barges. Once the large bargees are anchored, the four mini-barges are pulled out of each large barge by boat and docked into position on the recently installed pilings in the lagoon.

Four mini-barges stored inside one of six main barges

Mini-barge being pulled by boat from the main barge

Mini-barge being pulled by boat

At least 24 of these mini-barges will be deployed around World Showcase lagoon, allowing show designers to position effects in a wide area across the water and quite close to guests watching from the promenade. Luminous will have more than 30 floating platforms to deliver fireworks, lighting, and fountains.

Close-up of mini-barge

Another barge being pulled out of the main barge

Close-up of the mini-barge showing lighting and fountain

Today's testing also shows where these mini-barges will be docked. We can see from the photo below that the mini-barges radiate out from the large barge.

Three of the mini-barges are arranged in a straight line radiating out from the back of the large barge. They are tethered together with a rope to hold them in position and an umbilical cord, presumably supplying power and data signals from the main barge.

Wide view of the fully deployed mini-barges

The fourth mini-barge is positioned off to the side, in a position that will be between two of the large barges.

The same pattern will then be repeated for the remaining main barges and their group of 4 mini-barges.

Wide view of the fully deployed mini-barges

When viewed from overhead, the barge arrangement is like spokes of a wheel emerging from a central point.

Luminous the Symphony of Us logo

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WDWTrojan22 hours ago

SageOfTime1 day ago

Is there a video of this? I've heard about it happening from quite a few on here, but never seen it for myself.

SoFloMagic1 day ago

But I feel like it missed even on that. They gave up on the languages bit after like one song. Then they just played a greatest hits of happily ever after, then jumped into Tiana and lion king. Then I guess they wanted to add a bit of tension, so they ended it with such a crappy finale that eveyone always looked around trying to figure out if that was really it.

SoFloMagic1 day ago

It's as close as you're going to get to an IP Illuminations

Vinnie Mac1 day ago

There is another element of the show I really appreciate. I absolutely love the way the show uses the park to help tell the story. I mean it literally does this from the get go with the "welcome" introductions. It's awesome and it feels like something straight out of the Illuminations era of shows. Also love the way they play the tapestry of nation's soundtrack with little fun facts being shared on days that the barges are pulled from backstage. Just really makes the show feel like an integral part of the park rather than a separate addition

Chef idea Mickey`=1 day ago

They went with the continents route, although they did skip on by Australia even they had an old IP Rescuer's Down Under.

SoFloMagic2 days ago

It also screamed of the age it was made - it forced diversity in an attempt to show how welcoming Disney is. But rather than using... the theme park it's in which happened to be built to show diversity and togetherness across cultures... They used the lion king to represent an entire continent. It was a hardware failure and a content failure. Just a nightmare. Thank God we have a show now that remembers what park it is in and has more reasonable hardware.

Bocabear6 days ago

Some shows just don't work... That was one of them... It felt like a movie clip show...it didn't feel right for the park. The pacing was terrible... a collection of random Disney IP songs with a big finale moment with each song so that after three of them it was just repetitive...It did not feel like a story...which is what a show usually has...some sort of an arching through-line to make it feel like it is going some where...building...a journey.... That show had none of that. I noticed people around me, after the third pointless song and "finale moment" started fidgeting and looking around...away from the show... Looking disinterested... I noticed of course because it had lost my attention too. It was new technology...all new hardware....unfortunately the show gave away all the wow moments early in the game...so that then, it just became repetitious.. I saw another show that was just like this at Shanghai Disneyland a few years ago... Too many cartoon clips, ponderous poorly paced show that just seemed to go on and on... I was thinking it was the new trend... then Luminous replaced Harmonious... and it was a lot better. Same problem plagued Rivers Of Light... Too many clips, too much forced IP... when it could have been something original and beautiful...

MisterPenguin6 days ago

In the lead-up to Harmonious, various Imagineers and PR people gave differing account about what Harmonious was all about: It's about joy in music. (The PatF song was overworked and overwrought leading to the opposite of joy.) It's about international unity with Disney songs in different languages. (The Aladdin song representing Near East culture was... problematic.) It's about dance uniting all people. (Only one song was danceable.)

osian6 days ago

Harmonious was a Disney movie clip show with no relevance to EPCOT. They tried to make it relevant by forcing natives of countries around the world to sing western Disney songs. This completely missed the target. That doesn't say celebrating other cultures to me at all, it's more how to abuse them and introduce western pop culture to them. Regardless of the oft-quoted reasons for scrapping Harmonious (sightlines, reduced restaurant takings) I'm sure there was a certain amount of irrelevancy backlash that has been heard and Disney is not going to admit that publicly. I present Journey of Water as evidence...the IP is nowhere near as in-your-face as previous efforts. The IP-based refurb of SSE has been scrapped, together with the IP Play pavilion, and a Mary Poppins focus for the UK pavilion. (Although I will probably be proved wrong when the next annoucement is IP-heavy). Luminous is a more fitting show for EPCOT, it celebrates humanity. That is the core of what EPCOT is, for both World Showcase and what was originally Future World. It's quite telling that you mention the only EPCOT relevance are the beginning and ending songs, i.e. those that are original and not coming from Disney IP. Whichever angle you take, trying to make Disney movie IP fit into EPCOT is like pushing a square peg into a round hole.

Touchdown6 days ago

What exactly was the message/story of Harmonious? There is no overlapping narration to elevate it above a clip show. The only successful modern show that lacks a plot or a clear thematic thread is vanilla World of Color which gets away with it because the tv show was a Disney variety show and even then it has its theme song as a beginning and closing number to tie it all in. Harmonious didn’t have that.

Jedi146 days ago

Some complaints for Harmonious honestly confuse me. How is it an advertisement for Disney IP when all current nighttime shows around the world have IP. Harmonious seemed to fit more for Epcot and World Showcase than what Luminous currently does with the exception of the beginning and ending songs.

Bocabear6 days ago

Harmonius had to be the worst Disney show I had ever seen....and with all of that gigantic advanced tech...it was like they forgot to write a show... I am glad the giant rigs are gone, but feel like all of that technology could probably have created an amazing and engaging show... but what they programmed was a poorly paced 30 minute advertisement for Disney IP... I am surprised they didn't move the entire system over to DAK but then write a proper show for it...

flyerjab6 days ago

I really like this show. I want to stay to see it like I used to with Illuminations. Harmonius was like a huge Disney movie advertisement. It rang hollow. Luminous has emotion. I really feel something when I watch it. And the launch tower used in the later part of the show is really something to behold.