“Luminous the Symphony of Us,” a new nighttime spectacular at Epcot, made its splashy debut Tuesday night. The fireworks production features original songs and new Disney arrangements, throwback elements, a sparkling finale and a death sequence.

And the show goes on without use of projections, a technology that has become a staple at Walt Disney World in recent years.

“We purposely didn’t put visuals in this, and that’s because we wanted you, the audience, to basically look into it,” said Steven Davison, executive creative director with Disney Live Entertainment, during a panel discussion for members of the media before the “Luminous” debut.

“It’s the whole thing we used to do with fireworks,” he said. “We didn’t have projections. We just basically did a story in the sky.”

What you will (and won’t) see

It’s a new show, yet there are familiar sights from Epcot Shows Past, including white streaks that arc from the shores and toward the center of World Showcase Lagoon and bright, straight-up pyrotechnic sequences.

Much of the action emanates from a set of central barges that produce a light show that coordinates with the musical numbers and lifts attention skyward at times. There are prancing fountains down there, too, a repurposed sight that Epcot fans saw during “Harmonious,” the show Disney produced for its 50th anniversary and ended in March.

Not retained from “Harmonious” were the big black barges and giant ring (with water curtain) that were a source of discontent for some Disney followers. The machinery needed to produce the new show is lower-profile, allowing a clearer in-the-round view of the lagoon’s pavilions.

Now hear this

The show is bookended by original songs, including “Heartbeat Symphony,” performed by Shelea. (It was written by A.J. Sealy and Scott Hoying of Pentatonix fame).

Disney songs are incorporated, sometimes as a medley, sometimes in multiple languages, a classic Epcot move.

Once you hear  “I See the Light” (sung by Katherine McPhee Foster), we’re about to cross into finale territory.

“I think the most special thing about our show is that we wanted to bring the songs to you in a totally different way. And we wanted to put new songs in,” said Stef Fink, music producer.

The feels

The creators talked about the “tell your own story” concept of the show, but some universal themes are presented. There’s a lighthearted, upbeat stretch about friendship using songs from “Toy Story” and “Aladdin” that sounds like it could break into a Tiana-style production.

And things get dark, literally and emotionally, during a quiet bit about “loss.” It’s not Bambi’s mother, but it could qualify as a gut punch when a single string of fireworks travels into the great unknown. Cue “When She Loved Me” from “Toy Story” and “Recuerdame” from “Coco.”

One could see this part as a substitute for villain segments seen in many Disney shows. (But, death is, you know, pretty much undefeated.)

Finally, the finale

You learn to cope, we’re told, so things will get brighter in time for the finale. It’s a flashy ending, of course, with angular, colorful lighting at center stage with a powerful three-dimensional vibe. Plus, there’s a relatively low, bright red pyro trick that viewers are likely to heart and go “awww.”

The lighting on Spaceship Earth gets into the act with choreographed sequences, including one that turns the iconic structure into a rotating globe, a move reminiscent of the climax of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” an Epcot show that was retired in 2019.

“The big ending of the show, which I think is a great one. is really about never giving up and always just sing out, so others can hear it, which is a great piece for us because together we illuminate the world,” Davison said.

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