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| - I honestly can't believe the good reviews here.
Illumination was...disappointing to say the least. I went on a Wednesday night and waited about 45 minutes to an hour in line, which I didn't think was too bad given the popularity of the event. However, all that buildup fell very, very flat.
I have numerous complaints about Illumination. The first is that they tell you to turn your headlights off when going through the show, but don't actually enforce this rule. So you have multiple cars with their headlights on, detracting from the light show. It's not a huge deal, but it does take away from the experience.
My second complaint is that the music is AWFUL. There are several songs that I have never even heard before plus a dubstep remix of "Little Drummer Boy" and that dreadful "Do You Want to Build a Snowman" song from Frozen. I was expecting a lot better in this department.
My third and final complaint is that the light show is surprisingly barren. Yes, it is the longest light show in the state, but in order to achieve this title, the lights are stretched very, very thin. The decorations are none too impressive, either. They're very basic, kind of what you'd expect to see in someone's front yard. Also, they're not really that Christmas-y either. There's no Santa! However, there is a giant display of peace signs and a sign that says "Coexist." I'm all for religious/spiritual diversity, but I definitely rolled my eyes at that. Also, the lights are BARELY synchronized to the music, so that "Symphony of Light" part is a huge exaggeration.
TLDR: Save your money, drive through your local neighborhood. You'll likely see a lot more lights and skilled handywork than you will at Illumination.
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