NEWS: Disney’s Fantasmic! Is BACK After Over a Year-Long Hiatus

We can hardly contain our excitement — Fantasmic! is BACK at Disneyland! 

The insanely popular nighttime spectacular at Disneyland Park debuted in 1992 but unfortunately had to take a lengthy hiatus after an incident with the Maleficent dragon animatronic, which resulted in the show shutting down for refurbishment OVER A YEAR. Well, Fantasmic! is BACK and it’s chock-full of new updates, changes, and welcome returns! We got a firsthand look at the return of the show and we can’t wait to share what’s new — and what’s returned!

Fantasmic! closed in April 2023 when the Maleficent dragon animatronic caught fire and caused structural damage, which prompted Disney to shut the show down indefinitely to implement show changes and upgrades. It reopened May 24th, 2024 and we were invited by Disney to get a good look at the refurbished show!

Still playing along the Rivers of America, Fantasmic! features scenes and music inspired by a wide range of iconic Disney movies, including Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, and Tangled.

One big change in the show’s return is the new final battle sequence between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent, which has new special effects but no longer includes the now-infamous dragon animatronic. Instead of turning into a dragon for the standoff with Mickey, Maleficient now remains in human form and rises up on a tower high in the air, setting the river below her on fire.

Another change is the return of the Peter Pan and Captain Hook ship sequence, replacing the Pirates of the Caribbean sequence that took its place initially. The pair duels high above the deck of the ship while the rest of the crew battles it out below.

The show also has lots of returning favorite elements like the water screen projections that show off plenty of Disney classics…

…and the finale scene featuring TONS of Disney characters on a boat with Steamboat Willie at the steering wheel!

There were some pretty major crowds waiting to see the return of Fantasmic! on Friday night, so plan to get there extra early if you want to get in and snag a good seat, especially in the first few weeks of its return.

We’re happy to see Fantasmic! back home in Disneyland where it has been sorely missed. For all kinds of Disneyland refurbishment and park news, stay tuned right here at AllEars for the latest!

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How do you feel about this latest version of the Fantasmic! show? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Disclosure: We were invited by the Disneyland Resort to attend the Fantasmic! media preview. This did not affect our reporting of the event — our opinions are our own.

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