Menu

Disney Axes ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Peter Pan’, Sparking Fan Backlash Over Controversial Decision

Disney Parks Attraction
Credit: Aubrey Odom on Unsplash

The reviews are in, and they aren’t amazing. There is no doubt that Disney Parks fans are protective of their favorite attractions. For many, advocating for the existence of iconic parts of Disney Park history is a way of preserving Walt Disney’s legacy.

While Disney often does an amazing job preserving and honoring pieces of park history, there are some attraction elements that the resort has no problem letting go. While many guests might be able to turn a blind eye to these removals, other Disney fans can’t help but express their dissatisfaction.

This Memorial Day weekend, crowds flocked to Frontierland at Disneyland Resort to experience the reopening of an iconic Disney show, Fantasmic! However, as the show began, more than a few fans instantly felt let down due to the removal of some major show elements.

Related: Disneyland Fantasmic! Dragon Tribute Sparks Debate

Disneyland incident - A wide shot of the front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park in California.

Credit: Disney

Fantasmic! Returns, but Not Entirely

Disneyland’s beloved nighttime spectacular, Fantasmic!, has recently faced criticism after making significant changes to its newly reopened production. The iconic show, known for its dazzling special effects and beloved characters, is receiving backlash from fans and park-goers alike due to the removal of certain elements that had been cherished for years.

The decision to ax these elements stirred up a wave of disappointment among fans who had eagerly anticipated the return of this magical experience. Although the show just opened last night, it is already being described as “a massive flop from Disney.”

According to one source, the show has cut more elements than fans initially thought. While audiences were prepared to not see the Fanatsmic! dragon, they were not prepared to miss out on some other characters.

Mickey Mouse dances on stage at nighttime

Credit: Disney

‘Peter Pan’ and ‘Aladdin’ Elements Removed

There were many major changes made to this revised show, one of them being the removal of Aladdin and Jasmine’s magic carpet flight. Another notable miss was the Tick Tock Crock from Peter Pan becoming a screened moment, instead of an in-water moment. The full report reads:

“Pros

Firstly having mickey appear like the original version is just great. As well the Peter Pan scene was nice. Always love when they bring back stuff like that. As well the fireworks has been improved drastically 🎆.

Cons

Honestly I have a lot to say about the cons but just to make it simple. The cons and pros are mixed. I just feel like when the Aladdin and Jasmine on the Magic Carpet was so nice but then they removed it (I get it if it got major damage from the fire but at the same time you had over a year of the show being closed and still you did nothing. And on the same topic Aladdin and jasmine are just simply dancing. Honestly another thing about the show I dislike was that the Mark Twain just feels empty, it seemed like they trimmed the characters out. It’s not as lively anymore.

Mixed

I am really mixed on how I feel about this one but here I go. Tick tock crocodile is not following the ship. Now they resorted to having him on screens which just feels werid.

Dragon replacement Scene

Now for this one I will be very mixed on. On one hand it’s very cool to still have maleficent still there but on the other hand it just kind of feels out of place. On the other, having the fire across the stage is just very nice I feel like it should stay. But I am scared about one thing, If the scene is permanent

Semi Permanent or Permanent

I feel like its nice to have this scene there temporarily but on the contrary if its permanent I feel like it should not be there. The dragon is a integral part of the story (Even through all the incarnation (Tokyo, California, and Florida)) They all had a dragon and now California the superior version (in most cases) It just feels out of place in the grand scheme of things.

Conclusion

I feel like I will get some hate for this but I feel like Hollywood Studios Fantasmic is superior. I am not saying Disneyland Does not have its charm like in the daytime you can run on the stage and play around the area and it’s not about the dragon not being here. It’s just very sad that we win stuff and we lose stuff and this time we lost a lot.”

Pros and cons of the updated Fantasmic at Disneyland
byu/NicoWorldFun inDisneyland

It seems clear that fans are not fully satisfied with the new revised version of Fantasmic! While this report may be disappointing, Disney has been known to alter and change its shows based on fans’ reactions.

Hopefully, fans can begin to see some of the missed attraction elements return to Disneyland Park’s Fantasmic! show soon enough. What do you think about the revised show? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments down below!

This post Disney Axes ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Peter Pan’, Sparking Fan Backlash Over Controversial Decision appeared first on Inside the Magic.

About Eva Miller

Eva was born and raised in the beautiful state of Oregon but has since relocated and lives in New York City. Since she was young, Eva has loved to perform in musicals, especially Disney ones! Through performing, Disney’s music became the soundtrack of her childhood. Today, Eva loves to write about all the exciting happenings for the Walt Disney Company. In her free time, Eva loves to travel, spend time in nature, and go to Broadway shows. Her favorite Disney movie is 'Lilo and Stitch,' and her favorite Park is Disney's Animal Kingdom.