The fate of Maleficent has been officially settled for Disneyland’s soon-to-return Fantasmic! show, and many changes have now been confirmed by Disney.
While watching fireworks blast from Sleeping Beauty Castle and project light all over Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park, it is hard to miss Fantasmic!, the nighttime spectacular that has been lighting up the Rivers of America for decades.
Fantasmic! is a nighttime spectacular show presented at Disneyland Park, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Tokyo DisneySea. The show combines fireworks, water effects, pyrotechnics, music, and live performers to create a stunning visual and auditory experience.
The storyline of Fantasmic! varies slightly between the different Disney parks where it is performed, but the overall theme remains consistent. The show takes the audience into the imagination of Mickey Mouse as he conjures up a dream world filled with classic Disney characters and villains. Mickey’s imagination leads him through a series of fantastic scenes featuring beloved Disney characters, such as Aladdin, Ariel, Peter Pan, and more, as well as iconic Disney villains like Maleficent and Ursula. The show culminates in a grand battle between Mickey and the villains, ultimately ending with the triumph of good over evil.
Fantasmic! debuted at Disneyland Park in California on May 13, 1992, and quickly became one of the park’s most popular nighttime attractions.
The show’s popularity is evident through its continued presence at multiple Disney parks for decades. It consistently draws large crowds of spectators who gather to witness the spectacular combination of music, lights, and special effects that Fantasmic! offers.
All of the magic came to an end one night in April after the Maleficent animatronic caught fire.
“During the final showing of ‘Fantasmic’ at Disneyland Park on Saturday evening, the dragon caught fire,” Disney officials told CNN in an email back in 2023. “Anaheim Fire & Rescue quickly responded, and the fire was extinguished.”
They added that all cast members and guests had been evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island and that attractions near the island had been cleared of guests due to smoke and wind. “The cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time,” the statement went on.
No one was injured by the fire. However, the lighting and stage of the show did sustain damage.
Below, you can watch our coverage of the fire, as it burned one of the show’s most impressive animatronics to the ground.
During this hiatus, the Rivers of America have welcomed flotillas of performers grazing through the water, but the long wait for Fantasmic! to return has been at the forefront of many guests’ minds.
Recently, we learned that the show would be back as of May 24, 2024, right before Memorial Day.
When we learned of the news, we also found out that the Pirates of the Caribbean section of the show would be cut, and a Peter Pan section would return in its place. The Peter Pan scene took place aboard the Sailing Ship Columbia and was a staple of the show from its debut in 1992 up until 2016.
When the show returned in 2017, the Peter Pan scene was replaced with a similar scene instead featuring characters from Pirates of the Caribbean.
Disney expert Drew (@DrewDisneyDude) took to X to share more news on the returning show:
NEWS: Disney Parks has shared new details on “Fantasmic!” returning to Disneyland Park on May 24.
“The popular production will introduce a new climactic battle sequence between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent, brought to life with updated special effects, plus the return of the thrilling shipboard confrontation between Peter Pan and Captain Hook from “Peter Pan.””
https://twitter.com/DrewDisneyDude/status/1786064162344333432
The news of more special effects coming to the show only means that Disney has decided to enhance the Maleficent battle with Mickey Mouse. The new special effects may also be a way to eliminate fire while still adding a flair of danger. Sadly, it seems that the fate of the dragon has been set, and that she will not return.
Comments on the X post show that guests were expecting this cut, “I kinda figured they’d just swap the dragon for Maleficent.”
When the incident occurred, Disney also cut the fire from World of Color — ONE, even though the show utilizes no animatronics or stage and is solely on water.
Maleficent has been a burning problem for The Walt Disney Company for years now, as Walt Disney World Resort had its parade float burn during the middle of a Festival of Fantasy run at Magic Kingdom, the Fantasmic! version of the Disney World dragon has faced technical issues, but never caught on fire like Disneyland’s.
It will be exciting to see the show return to Disneyland Park with some changes, especially after Disney’s Hollywood Studios enhanced their version of the show with new Frozen, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Moana sequences.
Do you think it is a mistake to bring Fantasmic! back at Disneyland without the dragon scene?
This post Disney Removes Original Villain from Theme Park After Disastrous Incident appeared first on Inside the Magic.
