IllumiNATION FireShow...WOW

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Here together, friends forever. Some things were just meant to be and that's you and me. ~Winnie the Pooh

(That's for you Al - if you're reading my blog honey!

Epcot IllumiNATIONS that I have been raving about was, drum roll please...with all the superlatives I can muster: amazing, fantastical, incredible, super-duper, astounding, knock-your-socks off, thrill of a lifetime show. We were lucky to get into a lakeside restaurant to eat at, let alone have an amazing view of the light show because we did not book a reservation in advance.

Once we ordered our dinner, we were escorted outside to the pub’s VIP area to view the show. How lucky is that? I was looking for our lucky horseshoe but decided against it given where you might find it?!

During Holidays Around the World at Epcot, they have an amazing dazzling display that reflects the spirit of the season in a big Disney way. And did we ever get it. Full throttle ahead.

At exactly 9:30 the torches lit up in a wave around the lake. It grabbed our attention, a sssshhhh went over the large crowd. The show begins with a collision suggesting the Big Bang - as a dark & cold world until an asteroid lands in the lagoon and sparks earth & creates a chaos of fires that shoots in all directions. Fireworks helps bring earth alive along with the sounds of birds twittering. Fireworks and colorful lasers, along with thousands of lights and torches around the lagoon light up to help with the Earth's diversity. (and the imagineers use compressed air for extra launch of the fireworks.)

Just when you think all the fireworks and light display is over, it goes somewhat quiet, and then holy macaroni, a 3 story high globe floats out into the middle of the lagoon that sits on a 10 foot pedestal which weighs 350 tons. It begins to rotate as a special video presentation is shown to tell the Earth's incredible tale. The sphere then blossoms like a flower, exposing a ball of fire and leads to the shows finale. WOWSIE. Right about then I thought I could actually faint from it all. Sensory overload but in a good way. That's when I felt tears to be honest. You are experiencing something very few people get to experience, something that is SO moving that you really do pinch yourself to make sure you're not in a dream ready to wake. It is also very moving if you've lost someone special who will never have the chance to experience it. It makes you appreciate the moment, in my opinion, even more so.

I tell you, right then I thought I'd faint with excitement which was crossed with the feeling like we'd hit the jackpot for making our little Disney dream happen, at such a great deal, with great accommodations, and great friends and then to experience this one-of-a-kind fire display was just about enough to put someone right over the edge.

The musical finale features the song "Let There Be Peace on Earth" as well as the voice of Walter Cronkite who offers a special message about peace and good will.

And Jim Cummings the voice of Winnie the Pooh, Tigger & other Disney characters narrates this nighttime spectacular. Al & I love Winnie the Pooh; the most prolific words are from Winnie. I tell you, it's worth a trip here in December to see the extra touches that goes into it all.

Fun Facts -

1,105 firework shells are fired during each show.There are 19 torches located around the World Showcase Lagoon. The inferno barge weighs 150,000 pounds with 37 nozzles that shoot propane flames upward.

The sphere weights 350,000 pounds and is the world's first "spherical" video display system. The inferno barge in the lake is a liquid propane mechanism that launches balls of fire 60 feet into the air.

Over 26,000 feet of lights outline the World's Showcase. Holy Mickey Mouse.

Well that's all I got for you now.

Sorry for you to get 2 blogs in a row but hey, when the blogger can or needs to blog the show must go on.

Off to Downtown Disney...

PS we took a day off and we have done some shopping (Holy gosh the version of the Dollar Store is called Dollar Tree & we hit the jackpot shopping there!)

PSS we are eating at this amazing restaurant called the Capital Grille, sitting on a patio. The lunch special of the day is King Crab & I have never tasted anything like this in my life. THE best crab I've ever had. And Al had the filet mignon that was melt in your mouth good. They are offering glasses of Champagne today for $8 a glass. Do I hear a WHAT? Yes real Champagne...This really is all a fairy tale and I have my own Prince Charming right next to me. Sigh...

Fairy Godmother and her church mice!

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