Homestar Runner Wiki Forum

Oh boy, here we go. When I go into explaining this, I hum, I use hand guestures, the whole shebang. Maybe I should upload a video topic.
So, I shall explain.
You see, every night at 9:00PM at Epcot at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Flordia, Epcot has a fireworks show on the world showcase lagoon.
Around 6, the "Cast Members" bring out some barges loaded with fireworks and other effects. "Other Effects?" you might ask? Yes, that's right. Not only are there fireworks, but there are lasers, fountains, and fire. That's right, fire! Now you might say; "Yeah, there always is fire where there is fireworks." But no, I'm talking a whopping 150,000 pound barge that spits the red stuff. The Inferno Barge. Here is a picture of it during the nightly "Fire Barge Burnoff".

Let me go off on a tangent here, by explaining the fire barge and the burnoff. In fact, let me take it directly from my website.
" The Inferno Barge weighs a whopping 150,000 pounds! There are 37 places where the fire can be shot out of. 300 gallons of propane are used for the barge. And every night after the park is closed, (or not depending on when the park is closed) they release the leftover propane, resulting in a big fireball. Of course, if the park is open, they make an announcement first."
And here is a picture of it.

Now how about I explian the 4 "Modified Maxi Barges". These are the fountain barges, however they also have firework launchers on them. Each faces a quarter of the lagoon.

They pump out 4,000 gallons of water per minute during the show.
Instead of expliaining, why not show a picture?

And now you're wondering; "What is that thing giving off the blue glow?"
Well, I'll tell you.
IT'S THE EARTH BARGE.
"The Earth Barge CX360?"
Yes, the Earth Barge!

It weighs 350,000 POUNDS. It starts in front of American Adventure, and during the show it moves to the middle of the lagoon. It also spins too! And did I mention it opens like a flower? Yes, that's right, during the finalie of the show, it opens and a torch, symbolising the 20th century, rises from the middle of the globe. It lights, and then the thousand points of light begins. Yes, let's talk about the Thousand Points Of Light.
First, the picture.

This is the finalie. They shoot off 1,000 fireworks AT ONCE. FUN!

*takes a drink of water*
Ahem!
What to discuss next?
Oh yes, the special endings!
You see, Epcot is special. After the whole show is done, (Thousand Points Of Light, as you recall, is the finalie.) there might be a special ending.
Only on 4th Of July, New Years Eve and the Holiday Season.
I'll give you a hint about their endings. EARTH-SHATTERING.
The ground shakes, your ear-drums pop. So many peonies are exploding at once that you won't belive the huge smoke cloud that comes afterwards.
Oh deary me. Let's just talk about the NYE version.
Because it is the World Showcase Lagoon, the diffrent countries, oh man, I'm not even going to type any more. Please people, go to my Wiki, Crazed Pyrotechnicians
I hope this isn't considered advertising. But if it is, please PM me before you delete this topic so I can post it again and explain it without the link. Thanks.
And thanks for reading![/url]

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I've decided because I am nice, I am going to post the ENTIRE page from my website here for all you. I will have a diffrent post per show, so it's not one long post.

Today's discussion is '''Illuminations: Reflections Of Earth''' the nightly show at '''Epcot''' in '''Walt Disney World'''. Held on the '''World Showcase Lagoon''' every night at 9:00PM, '''Illuminations''' lights up the night sky with fireworks, fire, lasers and fountians. The show is divided into 3 parts:
* Chaos
* Order
* Meaning
Also, there are extra endings that are added for the following holidays:
* Fourth Of July
* Holiday Season
* New Years Eve
These endings add more fireworks and music to the end of the "Thousand Points Of Light".

== The Sections ==
=== Chaos ===
The show starts off with ''Jim Cummings'' (voice of Tigger, and many other Disney characters) welcoming us to the show with a quick narration.

"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."

After he's done, he "blows out" all the torches and lights around the lagoon. Then, a drumbeat starts. It gets faster and faster and once it hits the peak, a comet streaks across the lagoon, and explodes, symbolising the big bang.

Please note, all of these pictures in the following sections except the Fire Barge Explosion are taken in the most recent video. Which means, the big bang and the fire barge aren't working correctly or just not working at all. We hope you understand the inconvience.



Low-level bursts come in and light up the lagoon.



Bursts of white shoot off then the fire barge turns on.









After that, lights around the lagoon start flashing.



Then, the music picks up the pace agian, strong sounding music!





Chaos ends with white peonies exploding above the lagoon.



Then the music calms as we transition into Order.

=== Order ===
The Earth barge slowly moves to the center of the lagoon. Images of humans, monuments from around the world and other stuff shows as fountians dance to the music.







After all is said and done, some white fireworks shoot off.



Then, another burst of colorful fireworks explode in the air.



Then the four custom colors '''Disney''' made just for this show are brought in, and in this order.









Then, comets circle the lagoon a few times.





The circling stops and some bursts fly out in diffrent directions.





Then, the music calms down, and sort of repeats the last music. Then, four golden peonies explode, then palms, then peonies, palms, peonies and palms one last time.













Then, the music picks up, and it's a party on the lagoon! This section is so good, I have included a video segment of it along with the pictures. (See the videos part of this page)

















Here is the link to the video. http://media.putfile.com/Illuminations-Clip-1

=== Meaning ===
Everything calms down, and we focus on the Earth Barge agian. '''"We Go On"''' a song by ''Kellie Coffey'' is sung, pictures of people carrying torches and candles are on the barge.



As the song gets sung, the torches around the lagoon light up agian, the floating torch effect '''Disney''' made just for the show light up, and the Earth Barge starts opening up. If you thought the Earth Barge was useless, you were wrong!



Once it fully opens, a torch in the center starts rising, it gets lit, symbolising the new millennium (there are 19 torches around the lagoon, each symbolising 100 years, the 20th is the one in the Earth Barge). 2 bursts of white comets shoot from the middle of the torch.





As the corus and ''Kellie Coffey'' say "We Go On...", they hold that last note, and 1,000 fireworks shoot off from the lagoon, lighting the lagoon up. Another term used for this is the "Thousand Points of Light". This part deserves a few pictures from various parts.







Then a few more fireworks shoot up, and that's the end of it.

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This is The 4th Of July Ending.
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== Extra Endings ==
These extra endings are played for certain holidays.
* 4th Of July
* Christmas Season
* New Years Eve

These endings add-on to the show after the "Thousand Points Of Light". These are described in more detail below.

=== 4th Of July Ending ===
In the most recent video I have seen of the Fourth Of July Ending, the show adds two songs. '''"Yankee Doodle"''' (without singing, of course) and '''"Stars and Stripes Forever"'''.

The extra ending starts with '''"Yankee Doodle"'''. Lasers dance across the lagoon to the starting drumbeat. Then, fireworks shoot off from behind American Adventure!



Then focus shifts back to the lagoon, where the music gets upbeat, and it looks like the fireworks are marching to the drumbeat!



Then after the song ends, we transition into '''"Stars and Stripes Forever"'''. This part gives lots of cheers, and provides lots of good pictures too! This picture is of the flute solo, where sparklers across the lagoon start sparking.



Fireworks start going crazy as the music falls into the finalie.



Then, as the music hits it's final part, '''tons''' of fireworks shoot off and explode, creating such a smokescreen and such loud noise, that you'd think a bomb was going off! This, just like the "Thousand Points of Light", deserves a few pictures!







The music ends, and the huge smoke cloud trails off.

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This is the Christmas/Holiday Season
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=== Christmas/Holiday Season Ending ===
This is the Christmas ending. This part runs from about Thanksgiving untill December 30th. It adds the song ''"Let There Be Peace On Earth"'' after the "Thousand Points of Light". This, just like the 4th Of July ending, has a great finalie, but we will get to that after we go through the show itself. The show starts with sparklers around the lagoon to start the calm music.



From now on, untill some parts I can actually document, I'll just show pictures.



After this, "Peace on Earth" and "Good Will To Men" is said in various languages. When a certian countries language is spoken, that country lights up.



Then, Walter Cronkite comes in and says a nice holiday greeting.

"During this glorious time of year there is one message that rings out around the world in every language. Peace on earth. Good will to men is a wish to hold in our hearts throughout each passing year. A gift of immeasureable value. A treasure being handed down with care, from generation to generation. And so our holiday wish is that everyone, everywhere share in the spirit of the season. Peace on earth, good will to men."

Then the song continues. And here are more un-interupted pictures.









Then, once more, just like the 4th Of July Ending, '''tons''' of fireworks shoot off, creating that smokescreen.















And that's that!

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