8 Cool Facts About Fantasmic! At Walt Disney World

After years of success at Disneyland, Hollywood Studios premiered Fantasmic! in 1998 in a new amphitheater built just for the show called the Hollywood Hills theater. It has been a guest favorite since it opened and features everyone’s favorite mouse! Fantasmic! has everything that makes for an awesome show; characters, animation, lasers, water, fire, fireworks and an epic battle of good vs. evil. The just under 30 minute show allows you to enter the dreams of Mickey Mouse where villains try to turn his dreams into nightmares. Here are some fun behind the scene facts about this awesome show!

1. About 8,000-10,000 people can fit in Fantasmic!

There are 6,900 seats and about 3,000 people can stand and watch, making sliding all the way over a high priority for cast members. It’s really important to get to the show early or make a FastPass reservation. 19 years after its opening day, Fantasmic! remains one of the most popular shows on property! The amphitheater opens 90 minutes prior to the show and usually, if there is a second show offered, it has less attendance, so if you plan on staying late, the second show might be a great, less crowded option. People start gathering about 2 hours before the posted start time to get in line.

2. The show takes place on an island that is surrounded by a moat.

The moat has an unbelievable 1.9 million gallons of water in it! A man made mountain stands almost 58 ft above the water, making it larger than Splash Mountain, which is only 52 ½ ft. tall.

3. Maleficent, in dragon form, is the final villain Mickey battles.

She is an impressive 50 ft tall! When she spits fire into the moat, a steamy type effect is made from her mouth that is actually made by misting coffee creamer. Some nights, technical errors prevent her from appearing, so the actress Maleficent comes back out with an alternate script.

4. If you are a fan of Disney villains, you are in for a real treat.

This is the largest gathering of villains, other than the special Villains Unleashed special ticket event sometimes held in the summer at Hollywood Studios. In Fantasmic!, Mickey battles the Evil Queen from Snow White, Ursula, Cruella DeVille, Scar, Jafar, Maleficent, Hades, Monstro, Chernabog, Ratcliff and Judge Frollo. That’s 11 villains all in the same show!

5. To display the animation on 3 screens of water, 800 gallons of water are sprayed per minute.

That’s 2,400 gallons of water total per minute! They spray up to 50 feet and provide a screen length of 100 feet. The entire Earful tower can be filled by that water in just 6 performances of Fantasmic!

6. Want to know the best way to see this show?

Want reserved seating and only need to be at the amphitheater 30 minutes ahead of time? It’s a delicious solution! Reserve a Fantasmic! Dining Package. You can choose from The Hollywood Brown Derby (signature), Hollywood and Vine ( buffet) and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. Along with your reservation is your guaranteed Fantasmic! seats. These reservations go quickly, so try to make the reservation early, you can do it 180 days out! Plus, don’t forget about the Fantasmic! Dessert & VIP Viewing Experience. Guests check-in to receive a delicious snack box of sweet and salty items prior to show time. Guests will then be guided to a special reserved viewing area. Two great options for catching the show!

7. In order to make the magic happen, it takes 46 actors.

Some actor are playing multiple roles, with 25 stage crew techies, multiple stage managers and at least 6 on the costume crew with almost 80 costumes. It is a huge undertaking!

8. In the finale, Mickey appears on Steam Boat Willie.

It is over 80 feet long and has 26 characters dancing and singing onboard. The show ends with fireworks and fanfare!