Epcot Forever Bids A Final Farewell
It’s the end of an Epcot era! Tonight marked the final showing of the Epcot Forever nighttime spectacular at Epcot and MickeyBlog was there to share it with you!
Final Night
The live stream started as Greg strolled around the World Showcase to claim a great viewing location near the Italy pavilion. On the way he caught a fun peek at Happily Ever After fireworks in the distant sky over Magic Kingdom!
The heartfelt energy of the crowd was palpable as the show kicked off with the quintessential Epcot song, “One Little Spark”, and the first firework shot into a crystal clear night sky. 
Lots of emotions as we hear the whole soundtrack…”Tomorrow’s Child”, “Makin’ Memories”, “Golden Dream”, “Soarin'”…the gang’s all here!
As the show neared the end, the sky grew still and we heard Walt’s voice,
Epcot is, and always will be, in a state of becoming…”
This couldn’t be more true as Epcot moves forward to a new future, one that celebrates the World we live in now, and the one we can have in the future, together.
Show Timeline
Epcot Forever premiered on October 1, 2019 as an interim replacement for the long-running Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.The show ran for only five months before all of Walt Disney World closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic on March 15, 2020. Although the parks reopened five months later, fireworks finally returned to the skies on July 1, 2021, meaning Epcot Forever flew over the World Showcase Lagoon for a total of only eight and a half months during its two-year life span.
Image Credit: Disney
It may have been an interim attraction, but it became a favorite of Disney history buffs. Epcot Forever celebrated the legacy of the park with its modern special effects set to classic, nostalgic soundtracks. Music and sound effects from Epcot staples like Journey Into Imagination and Spaceship Earth joined those from defunct attractions like Universe of Energy and Kitchen Kabaret. The music accompanied fireworks, lasers, kites and special effects to transport Guests back to the optimistic, futuristic Epcot of yesteryear.
Image Credit: Disney
Epcot Forever Backstory
According to an Epcot Imagineer, that’s exactly what Epcot Forever was intended to do. It was an artistic representation of what Epcot used to be as well as what it would become – the park’s Past, Present and Future. Beginning with “One Little Spark”, the signature song that came to represent Walt’s innovative Epcot of the 80s, and ending with “A Whole New World”, a prophetic and literal titling of the newly redesigned park, arranged as five neighboring Worlds that come together to form a NEW unified Community of Tomorrow.
(David Roark, photographer)
The Future
The new Epcot nighttime spectacular, Harmonious, premiers over the World Showcase Lagoon at 9:00 pm on Wednesday, September 29 as part of this week’s 50th Anniversary festivities. While we are sad to say goodbye to Epcot Forever, we can’t wait to experience this creative, brand new reimagining of iconic Disney music. Epcot Forever celebrated the creativity and imagination of the past, but Harmonious will be an ode to the new global community that Epcot represents moving forward and in the spirit of Walt Disney,
We must keep our aim constantly focused on the future”.
Image Credit: Disney
And so we bid you adieu, Epcot Forever, you’ll always have a special place in our hearts. And now, here’s to the global, Harmonious future of Epcot!
If you missed it live, you can catch the whole MickeyBlog stream below!
Ready to Join The World’s Most Magical Celebration?
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