I was getting to the point in development where I was starting to lose the childhood fantasy that Disney magic was real, and instead had to make the conscious decision to suspend my disbelief. It was during these two trips that I really fell in love with Walt Disney World. In fact, we visited Walt Disney World the week between Christmas and New Years of 2001 when we arrived at MCO, the airport was empty, as were the Disney parks as a result of the recent September 11th attacks in New York City and Washington DC. I was in seventh and eighth grade during those trips and have vivid memories of seeing IllumiNations, EpcotвЂ™s Tapestry of Nations/Dreams parade(s), standing beneath the вЂњtwelve story sorcererвЂ™s hatвЂќ that stood in front of the Chinese Theater at MGM, and watching the вЂњZip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah DayвЂќ commercials on our resort television (I still have a special place in my heart for the Fastpass character from these commercials, which was used to educate guests on the new ride reservation system that had rolled out in late 1999). My family traveled to Walt Disney World during both the Millennium Celebration and the 100 Years of Magic. At this time, the 2000 was dropped from the Epcot fireworks show, which continued being the parkвЂ™s firework show for the next two decades, complete with the inferno barge and the globe screen. In 2001, the Millennium Celebration gave way to the 100 Years of Magic celebration, which honored the 100th birthday of Walt Disney, celebrated primarily at the then-Disney-MGM Studios park. During this celebration, which was headquartered at Epcot, Disney pushed the message of global unity as the Earth entered a new century and millennium (it was during this time that the infamous Mickey wand, accompanied by the year 2000, was added to the top of Spaceship Earth).

IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, which was originally known as IllumiNations 2000: Reflections of Earth, premiered on Octoas a part of Walt Disney WorldвЂ™s Millennium Celebration.

I am someone who doesnвЂ™t like change IвЂ™d had a difficult enough time when we recently sold the couches from our living room, which weвЂ™d had since we got married eight years ago.ДЄfter a second thought, it finally came to me enough for me to explain it to my wife: As I was plugging my phone in for the night after the show had concluded, Andrea asked me why IвЂ™d gotten upset about a вЂњfireworks show.вЂќ IвЂ™d been asking myself the same question.

Disney world illuminations