Reflections of China Review and Planning Info
Reflections of China opened on: May 22, 2003.
Pull up a list of all Epcot attraction planning reviews here.
Location: Reflections of China is located in the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest in the back of the China Pavilion.
The waiting area is inside the pretty blue building and then the doors leading into the theater are inside.
Extra Magic Hours: No.
Show Length: 15 minutes.
Show Schedule: Shows play continuously from the time the China Pavilion opens through about a half hour before Epcot closes. That’s typically 11am through 8:10pm. You can pull up the exact operating hours for a given day here.
There’s a timer at the front of the waiting area that counts down to the start of the next show. If it’s more than five minutes away, you might check out the Shanghai Disneyland exhibit next door. Seating is also plentiful in the waiting area.
Type: Circle-Vision 360 Film.
Similar to: Canada Far & Wide.
Requirements: Only your ability to stand during the presentation.
Scary Factor: It’s probably best if we keep our opinions about China and the future to ourselves. There is nothing scary about the experience itself, other than the fact that the theater is dark.
When to Go: At your convenience in the afternoon. Disney keeps the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvest well air-conditioned and the theater will never fill to capacity.
What to Expect: Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai hosts your virtual tour of China, at least circa 2002 or so.
Like other Circle-Vision 360 films, Disney shot the majority of the show with cameras facing in all directions.
The “wraparound” view means that you can look around the theater and see what you would see if you were really there, looking out in that direction. No video will do the quality of the film justice, but you can watch it in 360 degrees here.
Disney has already announced a replacement for Reflections of China, which should arrive in 2021 at this point.
Where to Sit:
Unlike some of the more comfortable seated theaters, like the ones you’ll find at Awesome Planet and the Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along, guests stand during Reflections. This makes it possible to look around in all directions. I like to enter a row about three-fourths of the way back from the “front.” Most of what’s interesting will be ahead of you and you can occasionally look around at the other screens.
FastPass+: No.
Total Experience Time: About 20 minutes if the countdown timer reads a minute or two until showtime. Add more minutes if the next showtime is further away.
When to Arrive: Try to time it so there’s just a minute or two until the next show starts. The seating area outside the theater is comfortable, so even if the next show is ten or more minutes away, you may prefer to simply sit and wait in the conditioned air.
Rating: 7/10.
Josh’s Take: This is difficult to rate because the film is going on 20 years old, which basically makes much of what you see and hear irrelevant to what’s happening today. Still, it’s shot beautifully and the playful narration keeps things interesting. For most guests, Reflections of China will not be a quintessential stop, but the show is going away forever in the near-term. It’s worth seeing if you have the time and don’t mind standing. Kids will likely be bored stiff, so you may want to pass if they’re feeling particularly antsy.
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