To read more about the return of Fantasmic!, click here.
Fantasmic! returned to Disneyland’s Rivers of America on Friday, May 24, after a yearlong hiatus caused by the fiery disaster that engulfed the show’s villainous audio-animatronic dragon back in April 2023. Adding a sense of nostalgia, returning scenes from Fantasmic! shows of yore included Peter Pan, Captain Hook, and a band of pirates on the Sailing Ship Columbia (last seen in 2017) and a 35-foot tall Maleficent, on a cleverly disguised scissor lift (not seen since 2009). Orange County Register reporter Brady McDonald equated the “what’s-old-is-new-again” show with “seeing an old friend for the first time in more than a year.”
At 7:00 p.m., traffic was so backed up on Ball Road that guests were redirected to the Toy Story parking lot. By the time the first show started at 9 p.m., an estimated 10,000 guests had gathered along the waterfront. Mist screen imagery looked sharp and crisp, according to McDonald, thanks to the new state-of-the-art projectors installed during the show’s hiatus. Fans were thrilled. Fantasmic! will be repeated every night at 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. throughout the summer.
June 28th, 2024