Presented nightly at 9pm (may vary seasonally)

"Good evening and welcome. We've gathered here tonight around the fire as people of all lands have gathered for thousands and thousands of years before us ... to share the light ... and to share a story. An amazing story as old as time itself, but still being written. And though each of us has our own individual stories to tell, a true adventure emerges when we bring them all together as one. I hope you enjoy our story tonight: Reflections of Earth."

Twenty-seven-foot-tall torches arrayed around the lagoon are lit, and a mystical, musical wind quiets the audience. A sage, grandfatherly voice invites all to gather around for a storytelling in honour of this time of transition: the story of our home, planet earth, and the link between past and future. As if blowing out a candle, the sound of a breath extinguishes the torches, leaving the audience in darkness. A heavy drumbeat begins, accelerating faster & faster, culminating in a thunderous roar.

Act I, "Chaos", captures the tumultuous fiery early history of the planet earth. A shooting star explodes over the center of the lagoon; dancing fire and fountains shoot up like jets of lava; balls and plumes of fire erupt into the air, then veer off in all directions, while lasers produce eerie effects overhead

Act II introduces symbolic "Order". The earth globe, a 28-foot high LED video system wrapped around a sphere, floats to the center of the lagoon amid the sounds and cries of animals and birds. Lush green vegetation appears and slowly evolves on the massive video screen. Hundreds of images inspired by the history of the earth swirl to life: animals, primitive man, exploration, natural beauty, architectural wonders, and famous faces from history are among the sequences that pass over the surface of the earth globe. Using more than 180,000 Light Emitting Diodes, the electronic pictures depict primal seas and forest and the development of famous cultural landmarks including the Himalayas, the Sphynx, the Easter Island statues and Mount Rushmore. Diverse visages of famous people from around the world such as Martin Luther King, Dr. Jonas Salk, Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, Muhammad Ali and the Dalai Lama are captured on the Earth Globe sphere during the presentation. The pace of the images accelerates in tandem with the tempo of the music and fireworks, as tailed comets leap into the air, showering the globe with "pixie dust". The final image is of an astronaut, who sees the earth in it's true context: as one place, home to all people.

"Meaning" is the theme of the celebratory Act III, which brings the story of our planet up to the present day. Uplifting music, lasers, lights, animated fountains, and a barrage of fireworks contribute to this intense finale. As a single voice swells to a chorus, the earth globe blossoms, opening from the top like the petals of a flower. In the center of the unfolding earth, a flaming torch rises slowly, heralding the dawn of the new millennium. The music crescendos to a majestic finish and the water and sky are filled with fireworks unlike any seen before. Then, after a moment's breath, a final acceleration of the drumbeat is heard beneath a huge barrage of fireworks.

Facts
- Some 2,800 shells are used for each show -- more than twice the number ever used in previous nighttime productions at Epcot.
- Sixty-seven computers in 40 locations, hundreds of special lighting fixtures, four fountain barges pumping 5,000 gallons of water per minute, a 150,000-pound inferno barge with 37 nozzles to shoot propane flames skyward, and a full color spectrum of lasers in custom Disney shades are required to produce the brilliant 13-minute show.
- The new lasers feature four custom Disney colors (lagoon blue, mint green, pumpkin orange, and lavender)
- The accompanying musical score, composed by Gavin Greenaway & supervised by Hans Zimmer, was recorded by a 71-piece philharmonic orchestra and a 30-voice chorus.
- The globe in the centre is 28ft in diameter, and weighs 350 tons.
- The globe has a spherical 15,000 LED video screen.
- Earth Globe, the world’s first spherical video display system, is three stories tall and wrapped in more than 180,000 Light-Emitting Diodes. The gigantic sphere rotates on a 350-ton floating island that houses six computer processors, 258 strobe lights and an infrared guidance system.
- In the grand finale, the Earth Globe opens up like a lotus flower as a giant fire torch emerges from the center and rises 40 feet into the air. Nineteen additional torches encircle the lagoon making a wall of flames that, when combined with the radiant explosion of fireworks, creates resplendent images across the lagoon.
- There are 19 torches around the lagoon, which represent the 19 centuries that have passed. The 20th torch, representing the 20th century, rises from the globe at the end.

Tips
The best place to view the show is on the promenade in front of Italy, or from the bridge between the United Kingdom and France.
Another good spot is the second floor balcony of the Mitsukoshi Department Store in Japan.
UK, Canada, Mexico, and Showcase Plaza (at the entrance to World Showcase) are the most crowded.
To get the most from the show, a view of the centre of the lagoon & a view of the sky is essential.
Grab your spot at least an hour before for a good view
When choosing your spot to watch IllumiNations, take into account where you will be exiting, as once the show finishes, thousands of people all head for the exit at once. If you're leaving via the main entrance, it would be wise to watch from World Showcase Plaza. If you are leaving via the International Gateway, view from the UK or Canada. Alternatively, stay in the park once the show has finished & until the crowds have disappeared, the shops in Future World will still be open.

Lyrics
We Go On
Promise

Reviews

"At certain points in the presentation, pyro is set off from the edges of the lagoon. If you're lucky (or happen to know where these places are) fireworks may shoot out from right under your feet. (Don't be scared. If you stay on the promenade side of the railings the fireworks are kept at a safe distance.) My favorite place to watch IllumiNations is from America. There's a little cart that sells funnel cakes. If you walk straight out from it toward the lagoon there should be a couple small trees. One of the fireworks is shot from directly between the trees. I love to pretend that the fireworks have come right from me." (8/03) Pirate Jeff

"What can is say! we watched this fantastic display firworks, lights and music 3 times! its best show in orlando and should not be missed! i cant wait to go back and watch it again.. again... again.... and again! Get a good viewing spot early! we found a good spot about an hour before hand. i left my wife with the kids and went of and got dinner! we sat eating dinner, and chatting about the days events! the hour seemed like 15 minits of waiting! an hour is a long time for kids to be waiting we found this to be a very good way of passing the time! no tears!!! :) The best use of Fire, Water, Fireworks, Lasers, Lights and Music i have ever seen!!!" (6/03) andy

"I went to WDW for my vacation and returned last week. Of all the shows and parades at WDW, I found IllumiNations to be of top notch quality, both visiually and musically. One really has to watch it more than once to be able to appreciate the magnitude of such a spectacle. The previous reviews to the show in this website have already recommended the better viewing spots, so I shall not dwell on them. What I would like to add is that whilst on the Backstage Magic Tour which I took, we were told that each night, US$40,000 is spent on the fireworks for this show. Of course, would could question the wisdom of such lavish spending in the light of the needs of humanity in the lesser provided-for nations, but Disney is afterall a money-making enterprise. And they have raised the level of art and entertainment to a standard which few can match. It really depends on where one stands to see if it is justification that is needed, or a pat on Disney's back to say "well done - that was money well spent". What I want to say is that while I was there, I could appreciate all the effort, time, artistry, talent and of course, money that went and continually goes into producing such a show that celebrates man and his constant reaching out for something more, something higher. I believe that Walt Disney embodied such a dream, and the result is seen is something like IllumiNations. Go watch it and be part of the dream. And if you will, shed a tear or two to realise just how much man (and woman) is called to a higher existence." (10/02) LF

"Myself and my family visited disney earlier this year from the UK. We only heard about the Illuminations show once we arrived in the disney resort hotel(All Star Movies) and decided to check it out. Are we glad we did, without doubt, the whole experience of the show is what i expected disney to be all about. Fanastical fireworks, lasers, lights and the musical score is awesome, bringing the whole show together. It left us all with the hairs on the back of our necks tingling, a tear or two in our eyes(especially the adults) and all of us wanting more. We decided to go to Epcot just for the show. So we had a lazy afternoon in the resort hotel and arrived about one and half hours before start time. We found ourselves a good vantage spot on a bridge just before Mexico. This was especially good for the kids, two boys aged 10 and 8, they had unobstructed viewing and we got out to the transport system fairly quickly. We then brought the Millennium Celebration CD and play it quite often, especially when we need a bit of cheering up, because the memories it brings back are magical, truly an experience of a lifetime. Hopefully one day when we have saved our pennies again we will return, but who knows it could be a totally different show.
Tips: Arrive early. Bridges are good viewing spots especially for kids. Take sweets and a good book to keep the kids entertained. Just enjoy the whole experience." (12/01) ade thorne

"My favorite attraction of all parks is Illuminations. It truly was the part of my trip. I had originally planned on not watching. I was in Epcot, i believe Innoventions when my friend came and asked if i was going to go see it. I had mixed reactions. I had heard that is was a wonderful show, but it was only the third day of our eight day trip. I was thinking i could just catch it later. So i fiddled around in Innoventions unti about 8:45pm. I caught up with my friend and went to see it. We stood at the entrance of the world showcase and watched it from the character landing site. I was so glad I went and see that show. It was magnifient. The lights, images on the globe, the water, the corrinated music and fireworks were awesome. Disney put together a wonderful display of magic in that one show. It was truly my favorite attraction at Walt Disney World!!!" steve ball