Disney sets ‘Fantasmic’ return date at Hollywood Studios
“Fantasmic,” the nighttime spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park, has a reopening date. The show will return Nov. 3, Walt Disney World announced Wednesday.
The production has been closed since pandemic precautions shut down Disney World for four months starting in February 2020.
The company also shared some details about a new segment in the show on the official Disney Parks Blog. A “heroes” sequence will include an Aladdin chase scene with stunts, a scene with “Frozen” character Elsa and the song “Show Yourself” and “stirring moments” with Moana, Mulan and Pocahontas.
“We know this show means so much to people, and we’ve kept that in mind every step of this journey.” Disney Live Entertainment producer Laurice Marier said in the blog post. “Even beyond the new scene, we’ve taken this time to upgrade the lasers, the lighting, the sound, all to bring this show back even more beautiful than it’s ever been.”
Shows have been phased back into the Disney World theme park lineup over the past two years. The company had teased earlier than “Fantasmic” would return this year, and last week narrowed it down to November, before announcing the Nov. 3 date this week.
A showtime is not listed on the Disney World website, but operating hours for Hollywood Studios on that day currently are posted as 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Disney says the show is 29 minutes long.
“‘Fantasmic’ is a show that will take you on a journey to see so many characters, so many villains and heroes,” Melanie Gagne, entertainment proprietor for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, said in a news release. “It’s one of our biggest shows, and many guests will plan their day or their entire vacation around Fantasmic.’”
Other major productions to return include “Festival of the Lion King” and a re-imagined “Finding Nemo” show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. “Beauty and the Beast — Live on Stage” is now at Hollywood Studios, and the “Festival of Fantasy” parade regularly appears at Magic Kingdom. In October 2021, Disney introduced nighttime spectaculars “Harmonious” at Epcot and “Disney Enchanted” at Magic Kingdom, although replacements have been announced for both.
“Fantasmic” first opened at Hollywood Studios in 1998, although the show opened at Disneyland in California in 1992. The production’s storyline has dipped into the imagination of Mickey Mouse and has included a fiery climax with the character and Maleficent as a 40-foot-tall dragon., one of 11 villains in the show. The “Fantasmic” finale features a steamboat, loaded with characters and inspired by the vessel seen in the 1928 animated film “Steamboat Willie.”
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