- Sep 18, 2015
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Rivers of Light General Discussion and Photos
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Hopefully the reviews show improvement. I think they are trying to get which parts of the show jive best with the audience. We may see these previews continue for a while.
- Feb 15, 2012
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On Thursdays episode Jim Hill and Len talked about Rivers of Light and heard a story that reaches concsensus and merges what Brian and I heard with what's happening now.
Bob saw RoL and determined it still was not to a quality level. At this point a plan was set into place: RoL would debut this summer with Avatar and its ROI be spent over three years. A new show will immediately be put into production to debut for WDW's 50th anniversary.
So it current sounds like a version of the original Rivers of Light will play this summer for an I dertermined amount of time. A new show will debut for WDW's 50th.
Bob saw RoL and determined it still was not to a quality level. At this point a plan was set into place: RoL would debut this summer with Avatar and its ROI be spent over three years. A new show will immediately be put into production to debut for WDW's 50th anniversary.
So it current sounds like a version of the original Rivers of Light will play this summer for an I dertermined amount of time. A new show will debut for WDW's 50th.
Rivers of Light is a great show, and it's got great elements that gave me chills. The use of the barges feels organic and beautiful, creating dazzling effects that mix well with the core themes of the story. It's my second favorite theme park show. But it's still missing something. Overall rating, 7.8.
The good definitely begins with the sound and use of speakers. There is a really cool stereo effect that utilizes speakers across the lake as well as around you. Creating depth with the barges really helped the production, especially with the small fountain screens that come out of the lotus barges. They're like the globes in World of Color. There were four levels of visual depth: The trees/Tree of Life in the background, the rear water screen, the water screens on the barges/projections on the shaman canoe sails, and the animal barges.
The show begins with the lotus flowers entering inconspicuously and spinning lightly across the water, while across the lake by the trees, there are cute animal projections and firefly laser effects on the trees. We are introduced to the two shamans: Light and Water, as they walk through the audience. There is a small introduction while the shaman's assistants play their respective instruments. The two sides (i.e. Water [Dinoland], and Light [Asia]) have unique elements that are prevalent throughout the show.
There is an amazingly sweeping and massive score that left me breathless and with goosebumps, and it seems like the best element that drives the narrative. The barges are impressive, the way they dance and glide throughout. Within the lotuses, the fountain effects are timed beautifully and in perfect sync. The main narrative paints how various animals interact with the water and light of the world. While the animals are represented uniquely, such as with a nice sense of movement in the cheetah scene, their animations do look a bit cheap. I would have easily preferred a hand-drawn animation.
The aspect of the show that falls a bit short is, ironically, in its lack of story. We never hear the shamans speak, just one narrator who begins the story, but then falls quiet. And while language is not necessary to convey a story, in this case, characters are. I wish the animal barges had individual personalities, and I wish there were more people with show-bearing elements that conveyed more story.
Tonight's show did have a solid ending, however, with a cool fire effect emanating from the main lotus flower barge, but there were no flying lanterns, and little participation with the shamans/musician assistants. It felt like the show needed a Disney fanfare end, despite as much as I despise some of Disney's played-out finales. Though the music really delivers, the visuals do not complement as well as they should. I feel like once the ending is proper, and the story is given more depth, we will have a great new contender for one of WDW's best shows.
Conceptually/music-wise, I give it a 9. Story-wise, a 6.5. As a production, an 8. And overall, a 7.8, with the chance of growing to an 8.5 when the show finally premiers.
The show begins with the lotus flowers entering inconspicuously and spinning lightly across the water, while across the lake by the trees, there are cute animal projections and firefly laser effects on the trees. We are introduced to the two shamans: Light and Water, as they walk through the audience. There is a small introduction while the shaman's assistants play their respective instruments. The two sides (i.e. Water [Dinoland], and Light [Asia]) have unique elements that are prevalent throughout the show.
There is an amazingly sweeping and massive score that left me breathless and with goosebumps, and it seems like the best element that drives the narrative. The barges are impressive, the way they dance and glide throughout. Within the lotuses, the fountain effects are timed beautifully and in perfect sync. The main narrative paints how various animals interact with the water and light of the world. While the animals are represented uniquely, such as with a nice sense of movement in the cheetah scene, their animations do look a bit cheap. I would have easily preferred a hand-drawn animation.
The aspect of the show that falls a bit short is, ironically, in its lack of story. We never hear the shamans speak, just one narrator who begins the story, but then falls quiet. And while language is not necessary to convey a story, in this case, characters are. I wish the animal barges had individual personalities, and I wish there were more people with show-bearing elements that conveyed more story.
Tonight's show did have a solid ending, however, with a cool fire effect emanating from the main lotus flower barge, but there were no flying lanterns, and little participation with the shamans/musician assistants. It felt like the show needed a Disney fanfare end, despite as much as I despise some of Disney's played-out finales. Though the music really delivers, the visuals do not complement as well as they should. I feel like once the ending is proper, and the story is given more depth, we will have a great new contender for one of WDW's best shows.
Conceptually/music-wise, I give it a 9. Story-wise, a 6.5. As a production, an 8. And overall, a 7.8, with the chance of growing to an 8.5 when the show finally premiers.
I've noticed something when it comes to Jim Hill (and this isn't pointing fingers at anyone specifically, more the whole online theme park community).
When it comes to news like this (the show being replaced, yada yada), people take it as if it's true and don't really question it. When it comes to rumors of attractions he talks about, he's looked at as a laughing stock.
My point being, what he's saying may jive with that you and Brian have heard, but if you're going to use him as a second hand source now, we can't just laugh at things he says later and immediately call it a dead rumor because it came from his mouth, which seems to happen a lot.
Was there fire/laser effects at the end of the show? I heard that those were added (they weren't present during the last CM previews).
- Sep 18, 2015
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Seeing as it's December 6th, this shouldn't really come as much of a surprise.
I mean at this point, hearing what we've heard of the show, i'd rather they get it right than rush open an unsatisfying show.
So you essentially finger pointed.
We have heard things and we are seeing things. What Jim said puts these two things together in logical sense.
When I was a guest on Parkscope with Jim, I questioned some of the things he said but also agreed with others. When Jim has a crazy attraction rumor that no one else has heard about or seems implausible we do question it.
You're right, I pointed the finger at the whole theme park community because everyone is talking about what he said about RoL, but then laugh at what he says about pretty much everything else.
My point is, you or anyone else can't use him as a second hand source if you are going to run away from him with the next thing he says. A source is someone you trust.
agreed
same on magic not just here
we he post positive about Disney he gets ripped if he post negatives he is considered an inside guy
he just said Avatar was opening in late 2017
- Feb 15, 2012
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Jim put together some pieces. All the info I heard is not from him so he's not my source. I want to find out what's happening in the parks and the bigger meta narrative of the industry.
But whatever.
Today, Len Testa wrote an article on the Touring Plans blog essentially confirming your post & info.
I spoke to one of my DAK insiders and was told RoL will probably open on December 23rd in the state it's in, run through the Christmas/New Year hell week just to give some capacity in the park, then close again for further adjustments and tinkering trying to make it a decent show and reopen with Avatar as the "final product". Got confirmation the Disney SPrings drones were originally slated for RoL but were cut along with a bunch of other stuff. The final cast preview show the other night was the show they're planning to run over Christmas.
Operations schedules for the 23/24th have dropped - any news on scheduled shows?
I could very much see Disney leveraging this to get people to AK and out of the other parks.
I could very much see Disney leveraging this to get people to AK and out of the other parks.
The only park they are going to effectively get people out of is DHS, which at the moment needs all the people it can get.
Epcot is known as a night park for touring World Showcase and MK is MK so things won't be changing much there. Like I said about Pandora, I don't see this doing much but taking people away from DHS.
