The story of Rivers of Light

Image: DisneyInterpretive dance isn’t what you’d expect from Disney storytelling, but that’s what you’ll get at Rivers of Light. Imagineers made the unusual decision to silence their own narrators in the show. Yes, you’ll have a pair of spiritual guides on your journey, just not in the way that you’d expect.

Hosts Aditya and Aseema stand nobly and share their tale with onlookers. They do not, however, speak.  Instead, they use interpretative dance and musical accompaniment to pass down the stories of their people.

Shadow puppets are a part of the show, too, and the way that they’re created is interesting. Disney uses mists of water as the backdrop. Then, the digital technology in place projects images onto these streams. Universal Resort Orlando has used a similar technique for several years, projecting movie images for 100 Years of Movie Memories, their nighttime show. It’s a first for Walt Disney World, though.

Image: DisneyThe story of Rivers of Light is one that Aditya and Aseema, immortal beings who transcend time and space, share with their disciples, Ambu and Ketu. The idea is that these concepts are passed down through generations. Aditya, the “embodiment of fire and light”, shares stories that brighten the darkness. Aseema, the “human embodiment of water”, provides the canvas for these tales.

Four of the floats in the flotilla serve a special purpose. They are the Animal Spirit Guides during the show. You’ll want to pay attention to them and their interactions to appreciate the beauty of the story. Some people criticize Rivers of Light for being methodical and hard to follow. The ones who generally feel this way are the folks who don’t pay attention at key moments, zoning out to focus on the shiny lanterns and other visuals instead. It’s easy to do, but it degrades your enjoyment of the exhibition.

The details of Rivers of Light

Image: DisneyIf you have watched Rivers of Light but haven’t completely understood it, here’s what you’ve missed. The four Spirit Guide floats look like animals. They are the Elephant, Owl, Tiger, and Turtle. They’re each gigantic in size, ranging from 15 to 30 feet tall! These floats are technological wonders, with internal LED lighting and specialized movements that represent the height of Disney Imagineering. You can see the pride of the people who worked on the ride in this video.

The floats are similar to the hosts. Each one embodies an element. The elephant represents Earth, the owl sky, the tiger fire, and the turtle water. These four floats bring the gift of life to the nearby shores. When they leave their lanterns, they soar into the sky and breathe life into the lotuses. Once they’re fully formed, the lotuses perform a rhythmic ballet, conducting a musical water dance.

When the dance ends, Rivers of Light becomes a kind of celebration of Disneynature films. The lotuses travel through the various realms of the Animal Spirits. Simultaneously, the projections are scenes from Disney’s African Cats and Disney’s Bears. The underlying premise is the nature of family in the animal community, one that mirrors humanity.

Image: Disney

Imagineers bring this idea into being in the fifth act of Rivers of Light. The aurora borealis is suddenly visible over the lagoon. Animals understand the strangeness of this celestial event and bum-rush the titular Rivers of Light. The hosts gape in awe as the animals take their rightful place across the constellations in the night sky.

Finally, the Lotus Tower parts far enough that guests can peer into a river of fire contained within it. The show’s theme song, We Are One, plays as fireflies dance into the lights, signaling the end of the performance.

Outside of the floats and lanterns, Disney employs other details to drive the story of Rivers of Light, too. The costumes of Aditya and Aseema are from different times and regions since the duo exists outside of time and space. Their acolytes wear similar garb, but it’s more deferential in nature since they’re disciples learning the stories.

Image: DisneyEven the amphitheater and the seating area at Discovery River Lagoon feature special touches. Prayer flags and bells, the kind that you’d expect to see in a village in Nepal, ward off evil spirits. There’s also a pole and a parasol on display. Their presence is for protection but for wisdom, too. Like with Expedition Everest, Imagineers traveled the world seeking out artifacts that match the everywhere-but-nowhere theme of Rivers of Light.

Rivers of Light is a sublime, utterly gorgeous show that demonstrates everything that theme park tourists love about Disney. And its story is so nuanced that you should take the time to research it fully. You’ve likely been too captivated by the mesmerizing glow of the show pieces to understand how rich and detailed Rivers of Light is.