IllumiNations — Former Show · History & Timeline

Former Show · the memorial record

⚰ Permanently closed · Sep 21, 1999operated 11 years · 1988–1999

Also known as IllumiNations 25, IllumiNations '98.

↩ On the former site of Laserphonic FantasyReplaced by IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth →

This show is gone, but its history stays documented — the full lifetime log is below.

Show history

the lifetime record

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1999

◆ Latest milestone

ChangedOct 1, 1999#

An entirely new show, IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth, took over the lagoon with a soft opening on September 22, 1999 and an official premiere on October 1, 1999 for the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration.

IllumiNations→IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth

Reference lists catalogue Reflections of Earth as its own attraction, built around a 28-foot rotating Earth Globe on a barge, running October 1, 1999 to September 30, 2019; it is kept here as a separate record rather than a version of this show.

Tracked byTheme Park Patch Notes
RefurbishmentSep 21, 1999#

IllumiNations played its final performance over World Showcase Lagoon on September 21, 1999, ending an eleven-and-a-half-year run across four versions.

Two sources give the same closing date, and the IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth article corroborates it by recording its successor soft-opening the following night, September 22, 1999.

Tracked byTheme Park Patch Notes
1998

ChangedFeb 1, 1998#

The 25th anniversary announcement was cut from the soundtrack on February 1, 1998, and the resulting version ran to the end of the show's life, catalogued by reference lists as IllumiNations '98.

IllumiNations 25 (B)→IllumiNations '98 (same soundtrack, anniversary announcement removed)
Tracked byTheme Park Patch Notes
1997

ChangedMay 19, 1997#

A second version of IllumiNations 25 took over on May 19, 1997, returning to classical music and running about 13 minutes while still marking the 25th anniversary.

version A (contemporary, 12:00)→version B (classical, 13:00)
Tracked byTheme Park Patch Notes
1996

ChangedSep 21, 1996#

The show was restaged as IllumiNations 25 for Walt Disney World's 25th anniversary, running about 12 minutes on a new soundtrack produced by Steve Skorija that set contemporary compositions alongside classical pieces.

14:00 Don Dorsey score→12:00 Steve Skorija score, retitled IllumiNations 25

Sources differ on the original version's last night: the List of Epcot attractions gives September 20, 1996 and the IllumiNations article gives September 21, 1996; both agree IllumiNations 25 (A) began September 21, 1996.

Tracked byTheme Park Patch Notes
1994

Area Update1994#

A seasonal edition, Holiday IllumiNations, began playing on World Showcase Lagoon with holiday music and narration by Walter Cronkite, and ran each season through 1998.

Tracked byTheme Park Patch Notes
1988

NewJan 30, 1988#

IllumiNations debuted over EPCOT Center's World Showcase Lagoon as the park's nightly closing spectacular, sponsored by General Electric and taking over from Laserphonic Fantasy.

Laserphonic Fantasy→IllumiNations

It reused most of the A New World Fantasy and Laserphonic Fantasy arrangements, rescored for full orchestra instead of synthesizers; Laserphonic Fantasy had closed six days earlier.

Tracked byTheme Park Patch Notes

Questions & answers

When did IllumiNations open?

Per the documented record, IllumiNations at EPCOT opened on Jan 30, 1988.

When did IllumiNations last close for refurbishment?

The most recent closure/refurbishment documented for IllumiNations is dated Sep 21, 1999: IllumiNations played its final performance over World Showcase Lagoon on September 21, 1999, ending an eleven-and-a-half-year run across four versions.

What changed recently on IllumiNations?

The latest documented change (documented Oct 1, 1999): An entirely new show, IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth, took over the lagoon with a soft opening on September 22, 1999 and an official premiere on October 1, 1999 for the Walt Disney World Millennium Celebration.

How many changes are on record for IllumiNations?

7 documented changes, dating back to 1988 — the fan-kept show changelog nobody else keeps.

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