Disneyland’s longest-running nighttime show, “Fantasmic!” returns Friday evening after a 2023 fire that destroyed part of the production and shut it down for a year.
The fiery and explosive 25-minute show is set on the Rivers of America, where Micky Mouse dreams he is the sorcerer’s apprentice and conducts scenes from ‘Fantasia’.
The fire of April 22, 2023 engulfing the giant, animatronic Maleficent dragon in the middle of the show, prompted Disney to suspend the use of fire effects on select shows in parks around the world. The dragon has been eliminated from production.
Disneyland representatives said the show’s return will come with new special effects and a “reimagined battle scene between Wizard Mickey and Maleficent.”
The original “Fantastic!” The show opened in Frontierland in 1992 and featured fireworks, Disney characters, live actors, water effects, pyrotechnics, lasers, music, audio-animatronics, searchlights, decorated boat floats and fog screen projections.
The show entered Mickey Mouse’s imagination as he fought several Disney villains, including Maleficent in her dragon form, who stood approximately 45 feet tall.
Disneyland representatives said the revamped show maintains the original premise but without the dragon, and “brings back the iconic ‘Peter Pan’ scene and introduces The Lost Boys as they team up with Peter Pan and Wendy to battle Captain Hook on a pirate ship sailing in.” view of the Rivers of America. They perform a stunning series of spectacular duels and falls during this swashbuckling series.”
