FIRE Breaks Out During Popular Disney Show

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Fantasmic! is a classic nighttime show at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland. With showings nightly this beloved show is a staple for many Disney Park visitors. The show follows the iconic Mickey Mouse on a  journey into his dreams where he meets familiar friends and fearsome foes. 

The show opened at Disneyland in 1992 was developed after Walt Disney Creative Entertainment was asked to create a nighttime spectacular involving water and fireworks to reinvigorate the space in front of the Rivers of America. Fantasmic! was then duplicated and brought to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando in 1998. 

The show features an epic battle against a massive dragon. Mickey must battle the forces of darkness to make it through his dream journey. Saturday night, Mickey’s nightmare became everyone’s nightmare at Disneyland when the dragon fire. 

One video captured a PA announcement telling visitors that the performance could not continue due to “unforeseen circumstances.” The theater was then evacuated. There were no injuries reported. Deadline reports, “Disneyland theme park representatives confirmed that “during the final showing of Fantasmic at Disneyland park on Saturday evening, the dragon caught fire. Anaheim Fire & Rescue quickly responded and the fire was extinguished.”

It is unknown at this time what caused the fire. Disneyland has stated that “All cast members were safely evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island. Due to smoke and wind, attractions near the island were safely evacuated of any guests, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.” 

Festival of Fantasy Parade

This isn’t the first time a dragon has caught fire at a Disney Park. Several years ago the Maleficent dragon caught fire at Magic Kingdom’s Festival of Fantasy Parade. The float was out-of-commission for more than a year as repairs were made. It is not clear at this time if Fantasmic! will reopen soon with a modified show excluding the dragon or if the show will he dark until repairs are made and the investigation is concluded. 

Disney CANCELS Performance of Nighttime Spectacular

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

Guests of Walt Disney World Resort had an interesting day yesterday. The massive crowds, ride breakdowns, and smoke-filled air combined were enough to take some of the magic away from Guests. Those visiting Hollywood Studios were met with a particularly disappointing day, especially when it reached nighttime at the Disney Park.

After a long day of wandering through the Parks, many fans look forward to relaxing and watching a nighttime spectacular at the end of their day. This is especially true when the rest of your Park day has been met with long lines and frustrating ride breakdowns. Each Park’s unique evening show is a huge draw to spend the whole day at a certain Park, and for many it is the highlight of their day.

Last night, the crowds at Hollywood Studios gathered on Sunset Boulevard to watch the 8:00 pm showing of Fantasmic!. Some fans of the show wait for an hour or more the secure the best seating for the performance. Certain fans even pay big bucks for the Fantasmic Dining Package to ensure they can see the show from a prime viewing area. When people are paying money and missing out on valuable Park time to secure a good viewing point, they typically expect to see the nighttime show…right?

Fantasmic

Unfortunaly, last night that assumption was wrong for this Disney theme Park. Just 30 minutes before the showtime, Guests of Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park revived a push notification in their Disney app. The notification read:

“Important Entertainment Update We would like to apologize that the 8:00 PM presentation of ‘Fantasmic!’ has been cancelled. We apologize for the inconvenience.”

Fans were frustrated with the how last minute the cancellation was, and they were disturbed that Walt Disney World did not offer any explanation. Guests took to Twitter to air out their grievences. One user Tweeted:

Another Twitter user shared their thoughts, agreeing that the Fantasmic! cancellation was just one of the disappointing things to happen in the Parks this week.

It is clear that Walt Disney World Resort had a rough weekend and underperformed in the eyes of many Guests. Even the most loyal Disney fans felt let down by the events of this weekend. We all hope that Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park and the rest of Walt Disney World Resort can get back on their feet and regain control in the four theme parks.

Disney Cancels Fantasmic! Performances Through Early February

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

There are a lot of shows that are synonymous with Disney, one of them being the nighttime spectacular Fantasmic!. At Walt Disney World Resort, Fantasmic! takes place in the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and, at Disneyland Resort, the show takes place along the Rivers of America in Frontierland at Disneyland Park. Since the show first premiered at both Disneyland and Disney World, it has undergone several changes — with new versions of the show premiering at both Resorts last year.

In a surprising turn, Guests visiting Disneyland will find themselves unable to watch the classic show, starting immediately. According to the Disneyland Resort website, all nightly viewings of Fantasmic! have been canceled through February 2. At this time, Disney has not released a statement as to why it has chosen to stop the theme park show. It has been raining a lot in Southern California, but that wouldn’t account for canceling nearly three weeks’ worth of shows.

Fantasmic Disneyland

Haven’t had a chance to see Fantasmic! at Disneyland Park yet? Here’s some more info on Disney’s iconic nighttime show:

When Dreams Come to Life

As darkness falls, dazzling special effects transform the Rivers of America into an epic canvas for this extravagant live show.

Fast asleep, Mickey dreams he is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. With a wave of his hands, he conducts scenes from Fantasia across enormous screens of water while brilliant sparks burst overhead. Pink elephants, swashbuckling pirates, princesses and more—including memorable scenes from Disney classics such as Aladdin, The Lion King, Tangled and Pirates of the Caribbean—appear on and around the Rivers of America.

When Mickey is suddenly pulled into the Magic Mirror, his dream takes a dark turn. The Evil Queen from Snow White conjures up some of Disney’s most dastardly villains—including Maleficent as a 45-foot, fire-breathing dragon! Mickey must use the power of his imagination to vanquish his foes—and save the day.

Featuring a fantastical array of live performers, beloved Disney characters, enhanced special effects, state-of-the-art projections and superb pyrotechnics, this show will wow the entire family.

Fantasmic

Disney Dining will update readers if changes are made to Disneyland’s schedule and Fantasmic! resumes its shows at Disneyland Park before the February 2 date.

Disney Shares First Look at New Fantasmic! Scenes

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

For more than two years, Guests visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort have had to walk by the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, which is the home of the popular nighttime show, Fantasmic!. Fantasmic! closed when the theme parks were forced to shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic and, during the shutdown, Disney announced that the show would be undergoing a major refurbishment. Photos shown during the refurbishment showed the entire area drained and massive work being done.

Well, it’s been a long two and a half years, but Fantasmic! is finally ready to reopen, and will do so on November 3! And now we have a first look at some of the new scenes, courtesy of Disney. The new scenes will replace the controversial Pocahontas scene that had been a part of the show for years.

Let’s take a look!

Moana Fantasmic

Theme park insider Scott Gustin also shared a promotional video that highlights the new scenes.

Beginning November 3, Fantasmic! will show at the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater nightly, weather permitting. If you would like to see Fantasmic! during your theme park day, check your My Disney Experience for showtimes.

Disney’s Fantasmic! Gets Standing Ovation

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Hollywood Studios

Few things have been more anticipated than the return of Fantasmic! At The Walt Disney World Resort.

Fantasmic!, the beloved nighttime spectacular, has been closed at Walt Disney World Resort since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As Disney fans have anxiously awaited the return of the show, they’ve been hit with disappointment as it has remained closed for over two years.

Thankfully, Disney officially revealed that this show would finally be returning to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in November.

Mickey Mouse performing during Fantasmic! at Walt Disney World Resort

Fantasmic! is a nighttime spectacular that takes Guests into Mickey’s dreams as they visit some of the most iconic Disney animated stories. It is located inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Sunset Boulevard near Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster.

The fantastic fantasy includes Disney Characters from some of your favorite animated films:

  • Moana
  • Frozen 2
  • Mulan
  • Aladdin
  • Pocahontas
  • Beauty and the Beast
  • The Little Mermaid
  • The Lion King

Disney’s Fantasmic! will begin performances at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on November 3, with Cast Members getting a special preview a few days early.

A tweet was shared by @WaybrightAdam showing the crowd’s reaction to Fantasmic!’s first show back at Walt Disney World. The video can be seen below:

As you can see, the energy in the audience was electric, with hundreds of Guests standing up to cheer. It’s a magical moment for sure to see a show return after so long. We are sure that Guests will feel the same when the Walt Disney World Railroad finally reopens at Magic Kingdom.

The nighttime spectacular is also featured at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California.