Walt Disney World is preparing for the return of fireworks at their theme parks on July 1, 2021. Ahead of the highly-anticipated return, Disney tested Epcot Forever overnight at Epcot. The test revealed the modified version of the show that includes more fireworks and no kites.
The great folks over at WDWMagic were able to film the test in its entirety. Note new fireworks replacing the kites during the Soarin’ segment and after the Tapestry of Nations segment.
While the kites were a unique element of Epcot Forever, they were extremely unreliable. Sometimes they wouldn’t light up and other times they wouldn’t shoot off fireworks. It created a confusing experience for guests (we heard some ask what they were supposed to be seeing) that was unpredictable one night to the next.
This version of Epcot Forever contains a significant boost in pyrotechnics. Besides using fireworks to replace the kite segments, Disney appears to have boosted the number of fireworks shells as a whole. We’re a big fan of what we’re seeing.
Epcot’s new nighttime spectacular, Harmonious, has also been extensively tested in recent weeks. It appears almost ready to go, but Disney has not announced a debut date at this time. Guests should look for Harmonious to begin sometime ahead of Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary on October 1, 2021.