Something could be brewing around World Showcase Lagoon, and if the latest rumblings lead anywhere, EPCOT could be preparing for a major change to its nighttime entertainment.Luminous: The Symphony of Us has served as EPCOT’s nighttime spectacular since 2023, following a period of major change for the park’s evening lineup. However, talk has begun circulating that Disney may be considering another shift.This one would look backward rather than forward.Credit: DisneyRumors suggest Disney could eventually retire Luminous and bring back IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth, the legendary EPCOT spectacular that entertained guests for two decades.Disney has not announced this change, and there is no guarantee it will happen. Still, with D23 approaching in August, the timing has given EPCOT fans another reason to pay close attention.EPCOT Hasn’t Had a Permanent Nighttime Show for Very LongEPCOT’s nighttime entertainment has gone through several major changes since the end of the 2010s.For 20 years, IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth was one of the defining experiences of an EPCOT visit. The spectacular debuted in 1999 and remained at the park until 2019.Rather than relying on fireworks alone, IllumiNations combined several different effects across World Showcase Lagoon. Guests watched fireworks, lasers, water effects, and other elements come together around the show’s enormous rotating globe.That globe became one of the most recognizable parts of the entire production.IllumiNations ultimately ended its historic run in 2019, closing a chapter that had lasted through multiple generations of EPCOT vacations.Harmonious and EPCOT Forever then arrived as interim nighttime spectaculars.The park eventually moved into another era of nighttime entertainment before Disney introduced Luminous The Symphony of Us in 2023.Now, less than three years later, there are rumblings that Disney could already be considering what comes next.Rumors Point Toward the Return of IllumiNationsAccording to the rumors currently circulating, Disney may be considering retiring Luminous and bringing IllumiNations back to World Showcase Lagoon.For longtime EPCOT fans, that would represent a significant reversal.Disney didn’t simply replace IllumiNations with an updated version of the same spectacular when it ended in 2019. The company moved on from the show and spent the following years trying different approaches to nighttime entertainment at the park.Bringing IllumiNations back would therefore signal something much bigger than another routine entertainment update.It would mean Disney had decided that one of EPCOT’s most famous experiences still had a place in the park years after its retirement.Crowd for Luminous on a Friday night. can we please get a better show? pic.twitter.com/X65jfz9uI3— RockNstardust (@CoasterK24) July 25, 2026Exactly what a returning IllumiNations would look like remains unclear.The rumors don’t confirm whether Disney would attempt to recreate IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth as guests remember it, introduce a modernized version, or use the IllumiNations name and concepts as the foundation for something new.For now, the important part of the rumor is much simpler: Disney is reportedly considering moving away from Luminous, with IllumiNations potentially waiting in the wings.D23 Could Give Disney the Perfect StageThe timing makes the speculation particularly interesting.Disney will hold D23 from August 14 through August 16, 2026, putting one of the company’s biggest fan events only weeks away.Major Disney gatherings naturally create plenty of speculation about future theme park announcements, and EPCOT’s nighttime entertainment could become one of the topics fans watch closely.If Disney has decided to move forward with an IllumiNations revival, D23 would provide a major stage to announce it.That doesn’t mean an announcement is guaranteed.Disney hasn’t confirmed that Luminous is ending. The company also hasn’t announced that IllumiNations is returning. Until Disney makes something official, both possibilities remain firmly in rumor territory.Still, the approaching event gives the current rumblings a potential timeline.Fans won’t have to wait particularly long to see whether Disney reveals anything about EPCOT’s nighttime future during the event.Credit: DisneyA Legendary EPCOT Show Could Get Another ChanceFew EPCOT nighttime spectaculars carry the history associated with IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.Its 20-year run stretched from 1999 through 2019, making it part of countless vacations and an evening tradition for longtime EPCOT visitors.The World Showcase Lagoon setting also helped make the production distinctive.Rather than placing the entire focus on the sky, IllumiNations used the lagoon itself as part of the show. Fireworks, lasers, water effects, and the rotating globe created a production that surrounded World Showcase with visual elements.That history explains why even the possibility of its return is likely to attract attention.Disney has increasingly shown a willingness to revisit familiar experiences and ideas across its theme parks. An IllumiNations comeback would take that concept particularly far by resurrecting a nighttime spectacular that disappeared seven years ago.However, nostalgia alone doesn’t guarantee Disney will make the move.Josh D’Amaro Could Ultimately Decide EPCOT’s DirectionAnother important piece of this situation is Disney’s leadership.Josh D’Amaro is now Disney’s CEO, putting him in a position to influence the company’s larger direction as decisions about its theme parks move forward.Even if Disney has legitimately discussed or considered bringing IllumiNations back, internal consideration doesn’t automatically lead to an announcement.Theme park projects can evolve, change direction, or disappear before Disney ever publicly reveals them.That’s an important distinction with the current IllumiNations rumors.There appears to be enough chatter surrounding the possibility to make it worth watching, but that doesn’t mean D’Amaro and Disney leadership have made a final decision.Until an announcement comes directly from Disney, Luminous remains EPCOT’s nighttime spectacular.Related: REPORT: Disney’s New CEO Plans To Bring Back “Classic” Elements To Theme ParksEPCOT Fans Have a Big August AheadThe next few weeks could provide a much clearer picture of where Disney wants to take EPCOT after dark.Luminous has only been entertaining guests since 2023, which would make its retirement relatively quick compared to the extraordinary 20-year lifespan of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.That contrast alone would make a potential change notable.But bringing IllumiNations back would turn the situation into something much larger.Disney would effectively revive one of EPCOT’s most famous nighttime traditions seven years after its original run ended, potentially giving a new generation of visitors the chance to experience a version of the spectacular.For the moment, however, expectations need to remain measured.Disney has not confirmed that Luminous is closing, nor has the company officially announced the return of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. The current information remains a rumor, even if there is reason to believe Disney has at least considered the possibility.With D23 scheduled for August 14-16, 2026, fans may not have to wait long to find out whether those discussions turn into something more.Until then, Luminous continues to light up World Showcase Lagoon.But if the latest rumblings prove accurate, EPCOT could soon reach back into its past for the nighttime spectacular that many guests never forgot.The post RUMOR: Disney World To Retire Luminous, Legendary EPCOT Show Set for Return appeared first on Inside the Magic.