Disneyland’s ‘Fantasmic!’ returns this week with special effects, finale featuring Maleficent

Iman Palm
·2 min read

Disneyland’s longest-running nighttime spectacular will return to “The Happiest Place on Earth” Friday after 13 months. The show was put on hiatus when a dragon prop caught fire during a performance last April.

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    Disneyland
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    Disneyland
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    Disneyland

The show will return with a newly reimagined battle scene between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent during the finale.

During the scene, Maleficent dons her dark gown and wields her scepter to ascend to a height of 35 feet as she appears to ignite the River of America in flames.

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The iconic “Peter Pan” scene is also returning to Fantasmic! and will feature The Lost Boys for the first time.

It was removed in 2017 when Disneyland added a Pirates of the Caribbean scene to the show.

The 25-minute show has two nightly viewings in Disneyland Park.

In 2023 a fire broke out during the show’s finale, sparking first from the “Maleficent” dragon prop’s face before spreading to the rest of its body, photos and video from the scene showed.

  • This photo courtesy of Shawna Bell shows a fire during the “Fantasmic!" show in the Tom Sawyer Island section of Disneyland resort in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday, April 22, 2023. (Courtesy Shawna Bell via AP)
    This photo courtesy of Shawna Bell shows a fire during the “Fantasmic!” show in the Tom Sawyer Island section of Disneyland resort in Anaheim, Calif., on Saturday, April 22, 2023. (Courtesy Shawna Bell via AP)
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    A fire broke out during a nighttime show at Disneyland Park on April 22, 2023. (Brenda Coutiño)
  • disneyland fire
    A fire broke out during a nighttime show at Disneyland Park on April 22, 2023. (Brenda Coutiño)

Videos and photos showed cast members evacuating the packed crowd from the waterfront viewing area and nearby attractions as firefighters worked to extinguish the flames.

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Following the fire, Disneyland officials previously told KTLA they would be “temporarily suspending fire effects similar to those used at Disneyland park’s ‘Fantasmic’ at select shows and entertainment experiences globally” as a precautionary measure.

During the show’s hiatus, the theme park launched a new nighttime entertainment show near the Rivers of America at Disneyland. The Jambalaya Jazz Band and special guest Queenie perform lively tunes as they float down the Rivers of America on a New Orleans-inspired raft.

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