It’s finally happening! The barges are coming down, and those Disney fans who loathed the very sight of them sitting in World Showcase Lagoon can now revel in the sight of their demise.
Aerial photographs shared on Twitter by @bioreconstruct show the demolishing process underway “backstage.” The half-oval projectors have been stripped and separated from the core of the firework-launching (and rarely-seen fountain-pouring) structure.
Check it out:
Aerial look at demolition of the first Harmonious barge removed from Showcase Lagoon. pic.twitter.com/ixKprukh1n
— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) April 14, 2023
So far, though, only one of the fireworks-launching platforms has been removed from its permanent place in the center of World Showcase, but it appears that each will be removed and taken apart one at a time. The photographer also posted a picture of the remaining Harmonious barges still in their place, with one of the four adjacent structures clearly missing.
Aerial look at former Harmonious in Showcase Lagoon. One barge has been removed to backstage marina area.
1 Small platform rising above pilings. Platform provided power and show control to the removed barge.
2 Distribution of power and control to the show. pic.twitter.com/XDP7LG0H9b— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) April 14, 2023
Related: Fans Celebrate As Disney Announces Removal Of ‘Harmonious’ Eyesores
Now that The Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary Celebrations have ended, so too has EPCOT’s latest nighttime spectacular. Officially replacing the legendary show, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, and the short filler run of EPCOT Forever, Harmonious was promised at a pre-pandemic D23 event to be even more fantastical than its predecessors featuring new floating platforms so large that they would have to stay in place as new elements of the Theme Park.
Reconciling for the daytime exposure, Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products promised would-be Guests daytime theatrics, too, transforming the barges into massive fountains for everyone around the national pavilions to see. Unfortunately, that promised fountain show was seldom seen for the entire 18-month celebration.
Guests also had several complaints about Harmonious itself. Unlike IllumiNations, it was almost entirely filled with Disney Movie characters, making it much similar to the Magic Kingdom fireworks. And due to the projection setup, the benefit of being able to enjoy the fireworks show equally well anywhere around the lagoon was eliminated. For all of these reasons and more, Disney fans rejoice at the news of these barges’ demise.
NEW: Here's a first look at the all-new EPCOT nighttime spectacular coming later this year.
"The show will feature an original composition and evocative selections from the Disney songbook – all woven together to remind us that we are more alike than different." pic.twitter.com/YqqpRj6lSd
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) March 15, 2023
Walt Disney Imagineering will remove the Harmonious barges and revive EPCOT Forever as they prepare to launch a brand new fireworks display later this year, the name of which still has not been released.
We at Disney Fanatic will continue to update our readers on this story as more developments come to light.
