''Fantasmic!'' is a nighttime show at
Disneyland
Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envision ...
and
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Based on a concept by M ...
. The show formerly operated at
Tokyo DisneySea
is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, just next to Tokyo. It opened on 4 September 2001, at a cost of 335 billion yen. The Oriental Land Company owns the park, and licenses intellectual prope ...
. It features
fireworks
Fireworks are a class of low explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. They are most commonly used in fireworks displays (also called a fireworks show or pyrotechnics), combining a large number of devices ...
, characters, live actors, water effects,
pyrotechnics, lasers, music,
audio-animatronics
Audio-Animatronics (also known as simply Animatronics, and sometimes shortened to AAs) is the registered trademark for a form of robotics animation created by Walt Disney Imagineering for shows and attractions at Disney theme parks, and subse ...
, searchlights, decorated boat floats, and mist screen projections. The narrative of ''Fantasmic!'' is a voyage through
Mickey Mouse's imagination that culminates in a battle against the
Disney Villains
This is a list of Disney villain characters often based on animated fictional characters who have been featured as part of the Disney character line-up. Some of these villain characters have appeared in sequels, video games, comic books, stage pr ...
.
''Fantasmic!'' originated at Disneyland in 1992 after
Walt Disney Creative Entertainment
Disney Live Entertainment is the theatrical live entertainment production division of Walt Disney Imagineering, the design and development arm of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, a segment and direct subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company.
H ...
was asked to create a nighttime spectacular involving water and fireworks to reinvigorate the space in front of the
Rivers of America. The area was reworked, including terracing the walkways to accommodate viewing and modifying part of
Tom Sawyer Island
Tom Sawyer Island is an artificial island surrounded by the Rivers of America at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland. It contains structures and caves with references to Mark Twain characters from the novel '' The Adventures of Tom ...
to allow the show's staged live action segments. The producers employed the resources of
Walt Disney Feature Animation
Walt Disney Animation Studios (WDAS), sometimes shortened to Disney Animation, is an American animation studio that creates animated features and short films for The Walt Disney Company. The studio's current production logo features a scene fr ...
and
Walt Disney Imagineering
Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development, Inc., commonly referred to as Imagineering, is the research and development arm of The Walt Disney Company, responsible for the creation, design, and construction of Disney theme parks and attra ...
.
A second version featuring new scenes opened at
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Based on a concept by M ...
in 1998, and a third version premiered at
Tokyo DisneySea
is a theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, Japan, just next to Tokyo. It opened on 4 September 2001, at a cost of 335 billion yen. The Oriental Land Company owns the park, and licenses intellectual prope ...
in 2011, replacing ''
BraviSEAmo!
''BraviSEAmo!'' (''ブラヴィッシーモ! Buravisshiimo!'') was a nighttime water show at Tokyo DisneySea. The show featured water, pyrotechnic, and firework effects and was performed on the lagoon of the Mediterranean Harbor. The show was dir ...
''. An updated version of Disneyland's ''Fantasmic!'' debuted in 2017, featuring a re-recorded soundtrack in addition to new scenes, lighting, choreography and costumes. A third version premiered at Disneyland in 2022 with new clouded lasers and searchlights in the viewing area. A revamped version premiered at Disney's Hollywood Studios in 2022, with new scenes and special effects, which is part of Walt Disney World's 50th Anniversary celebration.
Disneyland version
Synopsis
''Fantasmic!'' takes place on the waters of the
Rivers of America at
Disneyland
Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envision ...
and on a stage across the waterway on
Tom Sawyer Island
Tom Sawyer Island is an artificial island surrounded by the Rivers of America at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom and Tokyo Disneyland. It contains structures and caves with references to Mark Twain characters from the novel '' The Adventures of Tom ...
.
The show begins with
Mickey Mouse being transported into his dream. He dances and orchestrates various water fountain, pyrotechnic, projection, laser and lighting effects to the show's theme. Mist screens rise from the water, acting as projection surfaces for various scenes from Disney movies. The show then transitions into a jungle scene from ''
The Jungle Book
''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, w ...
'', featuring a puppet of
Kaa
Kaa is a fictional character from ''The Jungle Book'' stories written by Rudyard Kipling. He is a giant snake who is 30 feet long.
In the books and many of the screen adaptations, Kaa is an ally of main protagonist Mowgli, acting as a friend ...
and three floating barges carrying
King Louie
King Louie is a fictional character introduced in Walt Disney's 1967 animated musical film '' The Jungle Book''. He is an Orangutan who leads other jungle primates and wants to become more human-like by gaining knowledge of fire from Mowgli. L ...
and
black-lit monkeys (that debuted in the Tokyo version) across the river stage. The song transitions into "
Hakuna Matata". The music then segues into a
dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken be ...
rendition of "
Pink Elephants on Parade" from ''
Dumbo
''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth Disney animated feature film, it is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, ...
'', as animated pink elephants appear onscreen and in the form of performers on the island. The scene then transitions to "
Friend Like Me
"Friend Like Me" is a song from the 1992 Disney film ''Aladdin''. It was performed by Robin Williams in his role as the Genie. The song is also performed by Will Smith in the remake. It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song a ...
" from
''Aladdin''. Sorcerer Mickey watches the
Genie
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic myt ...
perform tricks. Then they go under the sea as they head into the world of
''The Little Mermaid'' and ''
Finding Nemo''. A bubble floats by and
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Disney version of the " Talking Cricket" (Italian: ''Il Grillo Parlante''), a fictional character created by Italian writer Carlo Collodi for his 1883 children's book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'', which Walt Disney adap ...
appears onscreen, searching underwater for
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...
. An animated
Monstro
The Terrible Dogfish ( it, Il Terribile Pescecane) is a dogfish-like sea monster, which appears in Carlo Collodi's 1883 book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (''Le avventure di Pinocchio'') as one of the main antagonists and the final one. It is ...
appears suddenly, accompanied by a heavy musical score as he crashes through water. The sea morphs into the "Sorcerer's Apprentice" flood scene. As Mickey looks around in the dark and asks "What's going on?", a ship caught in a storm appears.
Captain Barbossa then appears on the mist screens.
![The Sailing Ship Columbia during the Pirates of the Caribbean scene of Fantasmic](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f0/The_Sailing_Ship_Columbia_during_the_Pirates_of_the_Caribbean_scene_of_Fantasmic.jpg)
A cannon is fired from
Sailing Ship ''Columbia'', portraying the ''
Black Pearl
The ''Black Pearl'' (formerly known as the ''Wicked Wench'') is a fictional ship in the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' film series. In the screenplay, the ''Black Pearl'' is easily recognized by her distinctive black hull and sails. Captained by ...
'' from the
''Pirates of the Caribbean'' films.
Jack Sparrow,
Elizabeth Swann, and other pirates participate in a stunt sequence. The scene ends with fountains that look like explosions and a cannon fired from the Sailing Ship ''Columbia'' (In earlier incarnations, the Columbia served as
Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate capta ...
's pirate ship). As the scene concludes, Mickey paints the moon, with silhouettes of Peter Pan and the Darlings flying over it. Mickey's sorcerer hat is painted on the mist screen and the hat turns to clouds as
Aladdin and
Jasmine are on a physical magic carpet flying through the clouds while a rendition of "
A Whole New World
"A Whole New World" is the signature song from Disney's 1992 animated feature film ''Aladdin'', with music by Alan Menken and lyrics by Tim Rice. A duet originally recorded by singers Brad Kane and Lea Salonga in their respective roles as the ...
" plays. Then the carpet fades away and three small barges arrive carrying
Belle and the
Beast,
Ariel
Ariel may refer to:
Film and television
*Ariel Award, a Mexican Academy of Film award
* ''Ariel'' (film), a 1988 Finnish film by Aki Kaurismäki
* ''ARIEL Visual'' and ''ARIEL Deluxe'', 1989 and 1991 anime video series based on the novel series ...
and
Prince Eric
This article lists information of animated original characters from Disney's ''The Little Mermaid'' franchise, covering the 1989 film, its prequel , its direct-to-video sequel and prequel films, and the stage musical adaptation.
''The Little ...
, and
Rapunzel
"Rapunzel" ( , ) is a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm and first published in 1812 as part of '' Children's and Household Tales'' (KHM 12). The Brothers Grimm's story developed from the French literary fairy tale of '' Persinet ...
and
Flynn Rider
Eugene Fitzherbert (born Horace, later renamed Eugene and then known by his alias Flynn Rider) is a fictional character who appears in Walt Disney Animation Studios' 50th animated feature film ''Tangled'' (2010), its short 2012 film '' Tangle ...
, with the accompanying signature melody from each film — "
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
," "
Part of Your World
"Part of Your World" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken for Disney's animated feature film ''The Little Mermaid'' (1989). Performed by American actress and singer Jodi Benson in the titular role as Ariel, a merm ...
," and "
I See the Light".
![Fantasmic July 4](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8f/Fantasmic_July_4.jpg)
Mickey's dream takes a turn for the worse. The magic mirror appears onscreen and tempts Mickey to enter the darker realms of his imagination. When asked if he has the courage, Mickey accepts the challenge, and the mirror traps Mickey inside. The
Evil Queen
The Evil Queen, also called the Wicked Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White", a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm; similar stories exist worldwide. Other versions of the Queen appear in subsequent ...
, disguised as the old hag, calls all the villains to partake in Mickey's nightmare, invoking a riled
Ursula who joins the Queen's plot to destroy Mickey. Ursula calls upon
Chernabog
The following are fictional characters from Disney's 1940 film '' Fantasia'', its 1999 sequel '' Fantasia 2000'' and the 2014 video game '' Fantasia: Music Evolved''. Characters in this list are sorted by the film and segment in which they appe ...
, who summons deceased spirits. He then summons
Maleficent
Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who appears as the main antagonist in Walt Disney Productions' 16th animated feature film, ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). She is represented as an evil fairy and the self-proclaimed " Mistress of All Evil ...
(the true mastermind who wishes to take over Mickey's dream), who threatens Sorcerer Mickey as she transforms herself into an enormous
dragon. Onstage, the 45-foot dragon sets the waters ablaze, breathing fire onto the river. Mickey defeats the dragon, destroying the villains in the process.
Tinker Bell
Tinker Bell is a fictional character from J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan'' and its 1911 novelisation ''Peter and Wendy''. She has appeared in a variety of film and television adaptations of the Peter Pan stories, in particular the 1953 ...
then appears with the
''Mark Twain'' Riverboat approaching with fireworks, and a black and white Mickey from ''
Steamboat Willie
''Steamboat Willie'' is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black and white by Walt Disney Studios and was released by Pat Powers, under the name of Celebrity Productions. The cartoon ...
'' appears. Mickey then appears again to conduct a final set of fireworks and water fountains before leaving in a bright blast of fireworks.
Development
The original Disneyland soft opening and press premiere were scheduled to begin Wednesday, April 29, 1992 and continue through the weekend. By late afternoon,
rioting began in Los Angeles following the acquittal of the Los Angeles police officers involved in the
Rodney King
Rodney Glen King (April 2, 1965June 17, 2012) was an African American man who was a victim of police brutality. On March 3, 1991, he was beaten by Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers during his arrest after a pursuit for driving whi ...
beating. Promotional materials with the catchphrase "Be There When the Night Ignites" were quickly pulled from public circulation.
Refurbishments
Disneyland's ''Fantasmic!'' has undergone several technical refreshes. A new sound system debuted in the summer of 2007, along with new show barges featuring LED lighting arrays. A complete overhaul of the lighting system debuted in the spring of 2008. The three mainland lighting towers, which rise hydraulically from pits in the ground prior to the show, were rebuilt with pull-out slides for the new
Clay Paky
Claypaky S.p.A. is a developer of professional lighting systems for the entertainment sector (theatre, television, concerts, nightclubs and outdoor events ) and for architectural applications. The company is based in Seriate, near Bergamo, about ...
Alpha Spots and Washes and redesigned for the new Strong Gladiator IV followspots. The footlights on the mainland side at water level were replaced with LED fixtures. Refurbished pyrotechnic barges were given new technologies derived from Disneyland's Air-Launch Firework (ALF) system.
In 2008, the three original 70mm projectors were replaced with high definition (HD) digital projectors. A new audio-animatronic dragon (nicknamed Murphy by fans, after
Murphy's law, when the dragon experienced multiple delays in 2009) was built to replace the previous dragon which had been a mechanical dragon's head on a JLG cherry picker. The new dragon was designed to be a full-bodied replica of Maleficent's final form in ''Sleeping Beauty'', standing at 45 feet tall.
In early February 2010, the entire
Rivers of America were drained. Both the ''Mark Twain'' and the Sailing Ship ''Columbia'' were refurbished, and the track along which the ships travel was replaced. The show's underwater effects underwent maintenance as well, and the laser effects for the finale were upgraded. On August 28, 2010, the second-generation dragon broke again, partly collapsing during a performance. It was restored to the show on November 12, 2010.
On January 11, 2016, ''Fantasmic!'' and other attractions closed due to the construction of
''Star Wars'': Galaxy's Edge. It reopened on July 15, 2017. This version features some scenes that are inspired by the defunct Tokyo DisneySea version of ''Fantasmic!'', along with the "Imagination" song as part of the post-show.
Disney's Hollywood Studios version
Synopsis
![HollywoodStudiosFantasmicShip](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3d/HollywoodStudiosFantasmicShip.jpg)
The Florida version of the event and show takes place at the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, with a rocky mountain and a façade of trees serving as the setting. The narrative of the Walt Disney World version is fairly similar to that of Disneyland's original version and defunct Tokyo DisneySea version, with the show's introduction and conclusion nearly identical. However, there are notable differences throughout the rest of the show.
* The ''Fantasia'' sequence at the beginning of the show transitions into a scene from ''
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance ...
'' only.
* The ''Dumbo'', ''Aladdin'', ''Little Mermaid'', and ''Finding Nemo'' sequences are replaced with a bubble montage of Disney animated films presented on the mist screens that includes ''
The Lion King
''The Lion King'' is a 1994 American animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 32nd Disney animated feature film and the fifth produced during the Disney Renaissance ...
'', ''
The Jungle Book
''The Jungle Book'' (1894) is a collection of stories by the English author Rudyard Kipling. Most of the characters are animals such as Shere Khan the tiger and Baloo the bear, though a principal character is the boy or "man-cub" Mowgli, w ...
'', ''
Dumbo
''Dumbo'' is a 1941 American animated fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and released by RKO Radio Pictures. The fourth Disney animated feature film, it is based upon the storyline written by Helen Aberson and Harold Pearl, ...
'', ''
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...
'', ''
Alice in Wonderland'', ''
Hercules
Hercules (, ) is the Roman equivalent of the Greek divine hero Heracles, son of Jupiter and the mortal Alcmena. In classical mythology, Hercules is famous for his strength and for his numerous far-ranging adventures.
The Romans adapted the ...
'', ''
Pinocchio
Pinocchio ( , ) is a fictional character and the protagonist of the children's novel '' The Adventures of Pinocchio'' (1883) by Italian writer Carlo Collodi of Florence, Tuscany. Pinocchio was carved by a woodcarver named Geppetto in a Tuscan ...
'', ''
Aladdin'', ''
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history.
According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
'', ''
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
'', ''
Lady and the Tramp
''Lady and the Tramp'' is a 1955 American animated musical romance film produced by Walt Disney and released by Buena Vista Film Distribution. The 15th Disney animated feature film, it was directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and ...
'', ''Fantasia'', ''
Tangled
''Tangled'' is a 2010 American 3D computer-animated musical adventure fantasy comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Loosely based on the German fairy tale ''Rapunzel'' in the collection of ...
'', ''
The Princess and the Frog
''The Princess and the Frog'' is a 2009 American animated musical fantasy romantic comedy film produced by Walt Disney Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. The 49th Disney animated feature film, it is loosely based on the ...
'', ''
Bambi
''Bambi'' is a 1942 American animated drama film directed by David Hand (supervising a team of sequence directors), produced by Walt Disney and based on the 1923 book ''Bambi, a Life in the Woods'' by Austrian author and hunter Felix Salten ...
'', ''
Beauty and the Beast
''Beauty and the Beast'' (french: La Belle et la Bête) is a fairy tale written by French novelist Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve and published in 1740 in ''La Jeune Américaine et les contes marins'' (''The Young American and Marine ...
'', ''
The Little Mermaid
"The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...
'', and ''
Frozen''.
* The ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' segment is replaced with a medley of Disney heroes and heroines, featuring onstage appearances of
Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...
,
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history.
According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
,
Aladdin,
Elsa, and
Moana. From 1998 to 2020, the original show instead featured an onstage battle scene from ''
Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...
'' during the entirety of this act.
*
Snow White
"Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is a 19th-century German fairy tale that is today known widely across the Western world. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection '' Grimms' Fairy Tales'' and numbered as T ...
and her Prince still appear in the princess segment, performing "
Someday My Prince Will Come
"Someday My Prince Will Come" is a song from Walt Disney's 1937 animated movie ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs''. It was written by Larry Morey (lyrics) & Frank Churchill (music), and performed by Adriana Caselotti (Snow White's voice in the ...
", instead of Rapunzel and Flynn.
* The climax features more villains than in the Disneyland version. In addition to the
Evil Queen
The Evil Queen, also called the Wicked Queen, is a fictional character and the main antagonist of "Snow White", a German fairy tale recorded by the Brothers Grimm; similar stories exist worldwide. Other versions of the Queen appear in subsequent ...
,
Ursula,
Chernabog
The following are fictional characters from Disney's 1940 film '' Fantasia'', its 1999 sequel '' Fantasia 2000'' and the 2014 video game '' Fantasia: Music Evolved''. Characters in this list are sorted by the film and segment in which they appe ...
, and
Maleficent
Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who appears as the main antagonist in Walt Disney Productions' 16th animated feature film, ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). She is represented as an evil fairy and the self-proclaimed " Mistress of All Evil ...
,
Cruella de Vil
Cruella de Vil is a fictional character in British author Dodie Smith's 1956 novel '' The Hundred and One Dalmatians''. A pampered and glamorous London heiress and fashion designer, she appears in Walt Disney Productions' 17th animated feature ...
from ''
One Hundred and One Dalmatians
''One Hundred and One Dalmatians'' (also simply known as ''101 Dalmatians'') is a 1961 American animated adventure comedy film produced by Walt Disney Productions and based on the 1956 novel '' The Hundred and One Dalmatians'' by Dodie Smith. Th ...
'',
Scar
A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a n ...
from ''The Lion King'',
Frollo from ''
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
''The Hunchback of Notre-Dame'' (french: Notre-Dame de Paris, translation=''Our Lady of Paris'', originally titled ''Notre-Dame de Paris. 1482'') is a French Gothic novel by Victor Hugo, published in 1831. It focuses on the unfortunate story ...
'',
Jafar from
''Aladdin'' and
Hades from
''Hercules'' also appear.
* The battle between Mickey and the villains, as well as their subsequent defeat, is longer in the Florida version.
*Mickey appears in his ''Brave Little Tailor'' attire and uses the sword to defeat
Maleficent
Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who appears as the main antagonist in Walt Disney Productions' 16th animated feature film, ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). She is represented as an evil fairy and the self-proclaimed " Mistress of All Evil ...
, in her dragon form.
*Instead of the ''Mark Twain'' Riverboat, the characters appear on board the ''
Steamboat Willie
''Steamboat Willie'' is a 1928 American animated short film directed by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. It was produced in black and white by Walt Disney Studios and was released by Pat Powers, under the name of Celebrity Productions. The cartoon ...
'' during the finale.
Hollywood Hills Amphitheater
![HollywoodHillsAmphitheaterRear](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/HollywoodHillsAmphitheaterRear.jpg)
The Hollywood Hills Amphitheater is a purpose-built seat riverside amphitheatre at the
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by The Walt Disney Company through its Parks, Experiences and Products division. Based on a concept by M ...
theme park in the
Walt Disney World Resort
The Walt Disney World Resort, also called Walt Disney World or Disney World, is an entertainment resort complex in Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista, Florida, United States, near the cities of Orlando and Kissimmee. Opened on October 1, 1971, ...
, Florida, that showcases the nighttime spectacular ''Fantasmic!'' It is located off of Sunset Boulevard, between
''The Twilight Zone'' Tower of Terror and the Theater of the Stars, where the ''Beauty and the Beast'' stage show takes place. The ''Fantasmic!'' stage in Florida is significantly larger than Disneyland's, featuring a man-made, mountain on which Sorcerer Mickey stands and from which the dragon emerges. The amphitheater has 6,900 seats, with room for an additional 3,000 people standing.
The moat around the island itself can hold of water.
On September 15, 2015, it was announced that
Pop Secret
Pop Secret is an American brand of popcorn, owned and marketed by Snyder's-Lance – a subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company since 2017. Snyder's-Lance had acquired the Pop Secret brand from Diamond Foods in early 2016.
''Pop Secret'' popcorns w ...
would become the official sponsor of ''Fantasmic!'' at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Prior to this, ''Fantasmic!'' was the only nighttime fireworks show at Walt Disney World without a sponsor, with ''
Wishes'' gaining sponsorship from
Pandora Jewelry in 2014, while
IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth was sponsored by
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable en ...
from 1999 to 2003 and sponsored by
Siemens from 2005 until 2017.
Refurbishments
On March 16, 2020, this version of ''Fantasmic!'' was temporarily closed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
. On August 17, 2020, even though Walt Disney World reopened in July 2020, due to the ongoing on
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
the ''Fantasmic!'' lagoon has been drained.
On November 20, 2021, it was announced that the show would get remastered to feature a new sequence with segments from ''
Aladdin'', ''
Mulan
Hua Mulan () is a legendary folk heroine from the Northern and Southern dynasties era (4th to 6th century CE) of Chinese history.
According to legend, Mulan took her aged father's place in the conscription for the army by disguising herself as ...
'', ''
Moana'', and ''
Frozen''. According to officials, it will now be 29 minutes long.
Alternate show: "''Taste of Fantasmic!''"
The Florida version has a four-minute-long substitute show that plays when inclement weather prohibits the presentation of the regular show. The alternative show does not showcase any of the performers, floats, or puppets due to the dangerous conditions that are posed to the performers because of the possibility of rain accumulating on the stage. Instead the ancillary show is a brief summation of the conventional show; including a fountain display synchronized to "
Little April Showers", a sequence integrating the "
Night on Bald Mountain
''Night on Bald Mountain'' (russian: Ночь на лысой горе, translit=Noch′ na lysoy gore, links=no), also known as ''Night on the Bare Mountain'', is a series of compositions by Modest Mussorgsky (1839–1881). Inspired by Russian ...
" music, and a finale orchestrated with all of the usual pyrotechnics and musical fanfare from the original show's conclusion.
Tokyo DisneySea version
''Fantasmic!'' debuted at Tokyo DisneySea on April 28, 2011, replacing the ''BraviSEAmo!'' show in the Mediterranean Harbor. The show was originally planned to debut on April 23 with the park's 10th Anniversary "Be Magical!" celebration, but was delayed by the
Great East Japan Earthquake
Great may refer to: Descriptions or measurements
* Great, a relative measurement in physical space, see Size
* Greatness, being divine, majestic, superior, majestic, or transcendent
People
* List of people known as "the Great"
*Artel Great (born ...
in March 2011. Originally, Fantasmic! was planned in 2001 for the park and the story would be themed around Tokyo DisneySea but was scrapped and instead DisneySea Symphony debuted. Many of the barges were reused from Tokyo DisneySea's former nighttime Christmas show “Candelight Reflections” but were reimagined. The Christmas tree barge was used for Mickey's sorcerer hat. This barge would also be used for Tokyo DisneySea's former nighttime Christmas show “Colors of Christmas” (2012–2019). The natural gas line in the harbor and 5 water cannons originally used for BraviSEAmo! were also repurposed.
The show's score was recorded by the
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra at
Abbey Road Studios, composed by Don L. Harper, featuring Bruce Healey's theme from the original ''Fantasmic!'' at the US parks. The DisneySea version has new scenes and narrative elements, including scenes based on ''Aladdin'', ''Finding Nemo'', and ''Cinderella'', and the original new song "Imagination". This is the only version of ''Fantasmic!'' to not have a stationary stage, with the show taking place entirely on barges. All of the characters' dialogue and sung parts were recorded in Japanese by the characters' respective Japanese voice artists.
This version of ''Fantasmic!'' closed on February 29, 2020. It was originally scheduled to conclude its run on March 25, 2020 and then close March 26, but it was moved up due to the extended closure of Tokyo Disney Resort in response to the
COVID-19 pandemic in Japan
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
On July 20, 2020 the Oriental Land Company announced that Fantasmic! would be replaced by an all-new nighttime spectacular in honor of Tokyo DisneySea's 22nd anniversary celebration, called ''Believe! Sea of Dreams''. This brand new show is premiering effective on November 11, 2022.
In late September, the Fantasmic! barges were spotted backstage. While it was thought that they would all be dismantled, it was discovered in February 2021 that
Disneyland Paris
Disneyland Paris is an entertainment resort in Chessy, Seine-et-Marne, Chessy, France, east of Paris. It encompasses two theme parks, resort hotels, Disney Nature Resorts, a shopping, dining and entertainment complex, and a golf course. Disney ...
had purchased the 4 main barges for Walt Disney Studios Park for a future nighttime spectacular on their future harbor/lagoon. This may be a similar version of Fantasmic!
In early January 2021, two of the main Fantasmic barges were spotted circling the harbor most likely training drivers for the new show.
On March 11, 2021, the former hat barge, now reimagined was docked in Mediterranean Harbor rehearsing for the new show.
Soundtrack
The soundtrack for the original Disneyland show was included in the 2015 release of
''Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection: Disneyland''.
Voice cast
Disneyland
*
Wayne Allwine
Wayne Anthony Allwine (February 7, 1947 – May 18, 2009) was an American voice actor, sound effects editor and foley artist for The Walt Disney Company. He is best remembered as the 3rd official voice of Mickey Mouse. He is the longest-tenured ...
–
Mickey Mouse (1992 version) /
Bret Iwan
Bret William Iwan (born September 10, 1982) is an American voice actor and illustrator. He has been the fourth official voice of Mickey Mouse following the death of Wayne Allwine in May 2009.
Early life
Iwan was born on September 10, 1982, an ...
– Mickey Mouse (2017 version)
*
Heather Headley – Female Vocalist (Princess Medley)
*
Chris Mann – Male Vocalist (Princess Medley)
*
Robin Williams
Robin McLaurin Williams (July 21, 1951August 11, 2014) was an American actor and comedian. Known for his improvisational skills and the wide variety of characters he created on the spur of the moment and portrayed on film, in dramas and come ...
–
Genie
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic myt ...
(archival recordings; 2017 version)
* Jared Butler –
Jack Sparrow (voice-over; 2017 version)
*
Geoffrey Rush
Geoffrey Roy Rush (born 6 July 1951) is an Australian actor. He is known for his eccentric leading man roles on stage and screen. He is among 24 people who have won the Triple Crown of Acting, having received an Academy Award, a Primetime Em ...
–
Hector Barbossa
Captain Hector Barbossa is a fictional character of the ''Pirates of the Caribbean'' franchise, appearing in all five films in the series. Starting out as a villainous undead pirate in '' The Curse of the Black Pearl'' (2003), the character dies ...
(archival footage; 2017 version)
*
Eddie Carroll –
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Disney version of the " Talking Cricket" (Italian: ''Il Grillo Parlante''), a fictional character created by Italian writer Carlo Collodi for his 1883 children's book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'', which Walt Disney adap ...
*
Corey Burton
Corey Gregg Weinberg (born August 3, 1955), known professionally as Corey Burton, is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake, Dale and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transformer ...
–
Magic Mirror (2017 version),
Chernabog
The following are fictional characters from Disney's 1940 film '' Fantasia'', its 1999 sequel '' Fantasia 2000'' and the 2014 video game '' Fantasia: Music Evolved''. Characters in this list are sorted by the film and segment in which they appe ...
,
Captain Hook
Captain James Hook is a fictional character and the main antagonist of J. M. Barrie's 1904 play ''Peter Pan; or, the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and its various adaptations, in which he is Peter Pan's archenemy. The character is a pirate capta ...
(1992 version),
Mr. Smee
Mr. Smee is a fictional character who serves as Captain Hook's boatswain in J. M. Barrie's 1904 play '' Peter Pan, or the Boy Who Wouldn't Grow Up'' and 1911 novel ''Peter and Wendy''.
History
Mr. Smee seems an oddly genial man for a pirate; B ...
(1992 version)
*
Kathryn Beaumont
Kathryn Beaumont Levine (born 27 June 1938) is a British-American former actress, singer and school teacher. She is best known for voicing Alice in ''Alice in Wonderland'' (1951) and Wendy Darling in ''Peter Pan'' (1953), for which she was name ...
–
Wendy
Wendy is a given name now generally given to girls in English-speaking countries.
In Britain, Wendy appeared as a masculine name in a parish record in 1615. It was also used as a surname in Britain from at least the 17th century. Its popularity ...
(1992 version)
* Louise Chamis –
Evil Queen/Old Hag
*
Pat Carroll
Patricia Ann Carroll (May 5, 1927 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress and comedian. She was known for voicing Ursula in ''The Little Mermaid'' and for appearances in CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show'', ABC's '' Laverne & Shirley'', and NB ...
–
Ursula
*
Linda Gary
Linda Gary (born Linda Gary Dewoskin, November 4, 1944 – October 5, 1995) was an American actress.
Career
Live-action appearances
Gary worked as a voice-over artist in animation and also appeared in two live-action films, 1977's ''Joyride T ...
–
Maleficent
Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who appears as the main antagonist in Walt Disney Productions' 16th animated feature film, ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). She is represented as an evil fairy and the self-proclaimed " Mistress of All Evil ...
, Opening Announcer
*
Tony Jay
Tony Jay (2 February 1933 – 13 August 2006) was a British actor.
A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in radio, animation, film, and video games. Jay was particularly noted for his distinctive bari ...
–
Magic Mirror (1992 version)
Disney's Hollywood Studios
*
Wayne Allwine
Wayne Anthony Allwine (February 7, 1947 – May 18, 2009) was an American voice actor, sound effects editor and foley artist for The Walt Disney Company. He is best remembered as the 3rd official voice of Mickey Mouse. He is the longest-tenured ...
–
Mickey Mouse (1998 version) /
Bret Iwan
Bret William Iwan (born September 10, 1982) is an American voice actor and illustrator. He has been the fourth official voice of Mickey Mouse following the death of Wayne Allwine in May 2009.
Early life
Iwan was born on September 10, 1982, an ...
– Mickey Mouse (2022 version)
*
Eddie Carroll –
Jiminy Cricket
Jiminy Cricket is the Disney version of the " Talking Cricket" (Italian: ''Il Grillo Parlante''), a fictional character created by Italian writer Carlo Collodi for his 1883 children's book ''The Adventures of Pinocchio'', which Walt Disney adap ...
* Louise Chamis –
Evil Queen/Old Hag
*
Tony Jay
Tony Jay (2 February 1933 – 13 August 2006) was a British actor.
A former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company, he was known for his voice work in radio, animation, film, and video games. Jay was particularly noted for his distinctive bari ...
–
Magic Mirror,
Judge Claude Frollo
*
Linda Gary
Linda Gary (born Linda Gary Dewoskin, November 4, 1944 – October 5, 1995) was an American actress.
Career
Live-action appearances
Gary worked as a voice-over artist in animation and also appeared in two live-action films, 1977's ''Joyride T ...
–
Maleficent
Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who appears as the main antagonist in Walt Disney Productions' 16th animated feature film, ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). She is represented as an evil fairy and the self-proclaimed " Mistress of All Evil ...
, Opening Announcer
*
Pat Carroll
Patricia Ann Carroll (May 5, 1927 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress and comedian. She was known for voicing Ursula in ''The Little Mermaid'' and for appearances in CBS's ''The Danny Thomas Show'', ABC's '' Laverne & Shirley'', and NB ...
–
Ursula
*
Susan Blakeslee –
Cruella de Vil
Cruella de Vil is a fictional character in British author Dodie Smith's 1956 novel '' The Hundred and One Dalmatians''. A pampered and glamorous London heiress and fashion designer, she appears in Walt Disney Productions' 17th animated feature ...
*
Jonathan Freeman –
Jafar
*
Jim Cummings –
Scar
A scar (or scar tissue) is an area of fibrous tissue that replaces normal skin after an injury. Scars result from the biological process of wound repair in the skin, as well as in other organs, and tissues of the body. Thus, scarring is a n ...
*
James Woods
James Howard Woods (born April 18, 1947) is an American actor. He is known for his work in various film, stage, and television productions. He started his career in minor roles on and off- Broadway. In 1972, he appeared in ''The Trial of the ...
–
Hades
*
Corey Burton
Corey Gregg Weinberg (born August 3, 1955), known professionally as Corey Burton, is an American voice actor. He is the current voice of Captain Hook, Ludwig Von Drake, Dale and others for The Walt Disney Company, Shockwave on '' The Transformer ...
–
Chernabog
The following are fictional characters from Disney's 1940 film '' Fantasia'', its 1999 sequel '' Fantasia 2000'' and the 2014 video game '' Fantasia: Music Evolved''. Characters in this list are sorted by the film and segment in which they appe ...
*
Linda Hunt
Lydia Susanna "Linda" Hunt (born April 2, 1945) is an American actress of stage and screen.
She made her film debut playing Mrs. Oxheart in ''Popeye'' (1980). Hunt portrayed the male character Billy Kwan in '' The Year of Living Dangerously'' ...
–
Grandmother Willow (1998 version)
*
David Ogden Stiers
David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in '' The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for fou ...
–
Governor Ratcliffe
John Ratcliffe (born John Sicklemore; 1549 – December 1609) was an early Jamestown colonist, mariner and captain of , the smallest of three ships (the other two being ''Susan Constant'' and '' Godspeed'') that sailed from the Kingdom of ...
(1998 version)
*
Judy Kuhn
Judy Kuhn (born May 20, 1958) is an American actress and singer, known for her work in musical theatre. A four-time Tony Award nominee, she has released four studio albums and sang the title role in the 1995 film '' Pocahontas'', including her r ...
–
Pocahontas
Pocahontas (, ; born Amonute, known as Matoaka, 1596 – March 1617) was a Native American woman, belonging to the Powhatan people, notable for her association with the colonial settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. She was the daughter of ...
(archival recordings; 2022 version)
*
Brad Kane –
Aladdin (archival recordings; 2022 version)
*
Idina Menzel
Idina Kim Menzel ( ; ; born May 30, 1971) is an American actress and singer. Particularly known for her work in musicals on the Broadway stage and having achieved mainstream success across stage, film and music, Menzel has garnered the honori ...
–
Elsa (archival recordings; 2022 version)
*
Auliʻi Cravalho
Chloe Auliʻi Cravalho (; born November 22, 2000) is an American actress and singer who made her acting debut as the voice of the titular character in the 2016 Disney 3D computer-animated musical feature film '' Moana''. She went on to star in ...
–
Moana (archival recordings; 2022 version)
Japanese version (Tokyo DisneySea):
*
Takashi Aoyagi
(August 17, 1961) in Chiba is a Japanese scholar of Japanese literature and college professor from Chiba, Chiba. He was the Japanese voice actor for the Disney character Mickey Mouse from 1991 until 2018.
Biography
Aoyagi graduated from t ...
–
Mickey Mouse
* Kyoko Satomi –
Evil Queen/Old Hag
*
Tamio Ōki
was a Japanese voice actor. He was affiliated with Mausu Promotion.
Filmography Anime
Film
Drama CDs
Video games
Tokusatsu
;1967
* The X from Outer Space (Dr. Berman (Actor by Franz Gruber)
;1976
* Choujin Bibyun ( Sakasabash ...
–
Magic Mirror
*
Toshiko Sawada
is a Japanese voice actress from Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan.
Filmography Anime
*'' Amada Anime Series: Super Mario Bros.'' (Narration)
*'' Appleseed'' (Athena)
*'' Berserk'' (Queen)
*'' Cinderella Monogatari'' (Cinderella's stepmother)
*''Go! Prin ...
–
Maleficent
Maleficent ( or ) is a fictional character who appears as the main antagonist in Walt Disney Productions' 16th animated feature film, ''Sleeping Beauty'' (1959). She is represented as an evil fairy and the self-proclaimed " Mistress of All Evil ...
* Kumiko Mori –
Ursula
*
Koichi Yamadera
is a Japanese actor, voice actor, narrator and singer from Shiogama, Miyagi Prefecture. He graduated from Tohoku Gakuin University's economics school and is currently affiliated with Across Entertainment. Before that, he was affiliated with th ...
–
Genie
Jinn ( ar, , ') – also romanized as djinn or anglicized as genies (with the broader meaning of spirit or demon, depending on sources)
– are invisible creatures in early pre-Islamic Arabian religious systems and later in Islamic myt ...
,
Stitch
See also
*''
World of Color
''World of Color'' is a nighttime show at Disney California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California. Conceived by Vice President of Parades and Spectaculars, Steve Davison, and designed by Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, th ...
''
*''
Rivers of Light''
*''
Harmonious''
*''
Celebrate! Tokyo Disneyland''
*''
Disney Dreams!''
References
External links
Fantasmic! at DisneylandFantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios
{{Authority control
Operating amusement attractions
Amusement park attractions introduced in 1998
Amusement park attractions that closed in 2020
1992 establishments in California
1998 establishments in Florida
2011 establishments in Japan
2020 disestablishments in Japan
Amusement park attractions introduced in 1992
Amusement park attractions introduced in 2011
Audio-Animatronic attractions
Disneyland
Disney's Hollywood Studios
Tokyo DisneySea
Frontierland
Mediterranean Harbor (Tokyo DisneySea)
Sunset Boulevard (Disney's Hollywood Studios)
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts attractions
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts fireworks