IllumiNations Reflections of Earth One Year Later: A Desperately Needed Message of Unity

One year ago today, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth performed its final show at Epcot. The show that had been designed to celebrate the new millennium lasted twenty years and ended as one of the most popular Disney nighttime spectaculars of all time.

So one year later we are paying tribute to this show, and why it still remains one of the most relevant pieces of social commentary ever created by the Disney Parks.

IllumiNations Reflections of Earth was filled with the uniting themes that surrounded the new Millenium. Themes that perfectly fit Epcot's World Showcase.

It was about civilization emerging amid the chaos and finding meaning in it all through peace and cooperation, not through violence. These were timeless themes that are as relevant today as they were then, and have only become more relevant in the time since IllumiNations left Epcot.

In the past year, a global crisis has separated us, isolated us, and made us all more divided than ever.

So much was canceled, from concerts to the ultimate symbol of global cooperation in the Olympics. It can be easy to retreat into that isolation.

But we should continue to listen to the lessons of IllumiNations, that every sunset leads to morning, with the promise of opportunity leading us on into a brighter tomorrow, together.

IllumiNations may no longer be in a Disney Park, but its message lives on in those who experienced it over its twenty years of life at Epcot and has never been more relevant and urgent than it is right now at this moment.

In this uncertain time, take a moment to appreciate the brilliant social messaging Disney spread for twenty years in IllumiNations Reflections of Earth, and take heed of its call to action to move forward together, not apart.

We don't know if Disney will ever make something like IllumiNations again, but its longevity and continued popularity prove there is a place in the Disney Parks for something like this, and hopefully, it is not the last show like this.

Let us come together to share the light and share a story, in appreciation of one of the most ambitious shows in Disney history.