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.