Mickey's active imagination sets the stage on the Rivers of America for Fantasmic!, a musical extravaganza where the forces of good and evil battle in his dreams. Stunning effects erupt against the night sky as beloved Disney Characters join the reverie both in digital film projections on water and live performances.
Mickey opens his imagination to the audience as he conducts a breathtaking water show on the Rivers of America. Follow Mickey's dream as he takes you through high-resolution digital film sequences from the film Fantasia as they are projected onto enormous screens of water! His conductor's wand guides the whimsical scenes as brilliant sprays of sparks burst overhead. Pink elephants, massive puppets, princesses and more magically appear on and around Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island.
When the Evil Queen calls for her Magic Mirror, Mickey's dream takes a dark turn. The forces of evil come out of the shadows as she invokes some of Disney's most dastardly villains! Will Mickey triumph over this terrifying beast from the depths of his nightmare?
The show features fireworks, live actors, water effects, fire, music, several boats, decorated rafts and projections onto large mist screens featuring reworked Disney Animation. It originated at Disneyland in 1992 after Disneyland's entertainment department was asked to create a nighttime spectacular involving water and fireworks to invigorate the space in front of the Rivers of America. Disneyland Entertainment employed the resources of Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Imagineering as collaborators. Much of the area around the Rivers of America needed to be reworked, including terracing the walkways to accommodate viewing and modifying part of Tom Sawyer Island so that it could act as a stage for much of the show's live action.
Synopsis
The show is located on the waters of the Rivers of America at Disneyland and on a stage across the waterway. A tavern and tall trees act as a backdrop for the show. To begin, lights around the Rivers of America fade and a female narrator introduces the show with "Welcome to Fantasmic! Tonight, our friend and host Mickey Mouse uses his vivid imagination to create magical imagery for all to enjoy. Nothing is more wonderful than the imagination, for in a moment, you can experience a beautiful fantasy or an exciting adventure. But beware, nothing is more powerful than the imagination, for it can also expand your greatest fears into an overwhelming nightmare. Are the powers of Mickey's incredible imagination strong enough and bright enough to withstand the evil forces that invade Mickey's dream? You are about to find out. For we now invite you to join Mickey, and experience Fantasmic!… a journey beyond your wildest imagination."
The show begins with Mickey in formal attire directing a water show on the river. The show's signature water projection screens are activated, onto which animation from the Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence from the film Fantasia. Musical scores from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and the "Imagination" theme accompany the animation as Mickey conducts animated shooting stars pyrotechnics launched from the six pyrotechnic barges on the river.
The animation then blends with live performers interpreting different flowers.
The lighting and music change to a jungle beat, and a 100-foot-long (30 m) puppet of Kaa, the snake from The Jungle Book, makes its way across the island with beams of light firing from his eyes. Accompanying this scene are three floating barges carrying King Louie and black-lit monkeys across the river stage.
The music segues to a contemporary rendition of "Pink Elephants on Parade" from Dumbo, as animated pink elephants appear onscreen and in the form of performers on the island. The elephants then seem to be puppets dancing on strings, which serves to transition into a sequence based on Pinocchio. Three large puppets are manipulated by nine performers with fiber-optic "strings" stretching 30 feet above the puppets.
Onscreen animation shows Jiminy Cricket underwater searching for Pinocchio. An animated Monstro the Whale interacts with live splash effects on the river. The story line progresses as Mickey notices his dream becoming darker.
A concussion cannon is fired from Sailing Ship Columbia, which portrays Captain Hook's pirate ship. Hook, Smee, Peter Pan, Wendy, and pirates participate in a stunt sequence as the ship makes its pass. Following the ship is an articulated crocodile barge, with the sound of a ticking clock emanating from its tail.
Snow White and her Prince, Ariel and Prince Eric, and Belle and the Beast appear on three floating stages (transformed since the Jungle scene earlier) on the river, dancing to a medley of each princess' signature song, accompanied by lighting and water effects.
The show enters its villain segment, as the Evil Queen from Snow White appears on stage, calling for her magic mirror - which appears onscreen in animated form. The mirror informs the Queen that the three princesses are fairer than she, and that "in Mickey's imagination, beauty and love will always survive."
In anger, she moves to her cauldron, where the Queen transforms into the Hag from Snow White. The hag summons "forces of evil" to transform Mickey Mouse's dream into a "nightmare Fantasmic." Ursula, from The Little Mermaid sings and joins the plot against Mickey as her two pet eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, glide across the river.
Onscreen, the face of Ursula transforms into Chernabog from Fantasia. Animation from the "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence from Fantasia accompanies Mussorgsky's score.
A pyrotechnic burst of flames announces Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty, beginning the climactic showdown sequence. Maleficent rises 30 feet from the stage and transforms into a dragon onscreen. The animation gives way to a 45-foot animatronic dragon, who rises from the stage before breathing fire onto the river, which utilizes fire-on-water effects.
Mickey appears as the Brave Little Tailor and uses a sword to destroy Maleficent's dragon form. As the dragon screams, the villains who have appeared are also destroyed onscreen, and the sequence ends with a pyrotechnic burst from the river.
Following an appearance by Tinker Bell, the Mark Twain Riverboat crosses the stage, piloted by a black and white Mickey Mouse, dressed in attire from Steamboat Willie. Approximately 50 Disney characters dance on the ship in a ribbon routine. The sequence is accompanied by searchlights, fountains, and pyrotechnic effects.
Then in a flash of light, Mickey appears on top of the tavern as Sorcerer Mickey, and "conducts" laser beams, fireworks, and other lighting effects that span the length of the river stage. With a flash, he disappears from atop the Tavern and re-appears center stage, resuming his formal attire. Mickey says to the audience, "Some imagination, huh?" and disappears in a flash. A final burst of pyrotechnics is accompanied by searchlights placed around the tavern and stage.
Touring Tips
- Reserve your prime seat and tempting dessert sampler with this delightful premium viewing option! Take in the show from an elevated section near the anchor by Cafe Orleans and the French Market. Call the reservation line at (714) 781-SHOW (7469) for ticket prices and to reserve your seat up to 30 days before the show. Ticket does not include regular park admission. Reserved seating is first come, first served, so get there early!
- Disneyland Cast Members quarantine New Orleans Square in preparation for Fantasmic about 60 minutes prior to the show. In order to sit in the designated viewing area, you will want to arrive at least 75 minutes before weekday shows, 90 minutes before weekend shows
- Summer Hours - Nightly at 9:05 pm and 10:30 pm along the Rivers of America in Frontierland. July 4 has an added showing at approximately 12:15am or directly after the special July 4 fireworks have concluded. On especially crowded days a third showing will sometimes be added at 11:30 pm, but it typically does not appear on the advance schedule. Following the 9 o'clock showing, the lights remain dim and the fireworks show can be watched from the Fantasmic viewing area. The first showing of Fantasmic was modified to start 5 minutes after 9 pm starting on June 11, 2010. This is due to Disney's World of Color at Disney California Adventure having its first showings at 9 pm. As a result, the fireworks now begin at 9:30 pm.
- Winter Hours - As of the Holiday Season of 2010, the showtimes for Fireworks, World of Color and Fantasmic was changed around. World of Color now shows at 8pm and 9:15 with the fireworks beginning at 8:40. The first show of Fantasmic is now scheduled to begin after the fireworks show is over (as the holiday fireworks and Remember Dreams Come True have different show durations, the first Fantasmic is scheduled to begin generally 5 minutes after the shows concluded.)This was changed to help deal with the crowd issues Disneyland faces before, during and after a fireworks show. Show times and dates are posted online on the Disneyland calendar page.
Facts
- Official debut: May 13, 1992
- Producers: Disneyland Entertainment, Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Imagineering
- Control: Fully Automated by SMPTE timecode
- Executive producer: Ron Logan
- Score: Bruce Healey
- Villains: The Evil Queen, Ursula, Flotsam, Jetsam, Chernabog, Maleficent, Murphy, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Kaa, Monstro, and Pink Elephants on Parade
- The 20-foot-tall (6.1 m) Ursula is no longer a part of the show. It was too costly to maintain. A budget was given to replace Ursula when Fantasmic! received its new barges in 2007, but the replacement never happened when the barges went overbudget. Instead she is now shown in a short video projected on water spray and Flotsam and Jetsam jetskis now circle the island.
- Show cost: approx. $75,000 per showing.
History
In 1996, Walt Disney Entertainment in Florida partnered with Imagineering and Feature Animation to bring a new version of the show to Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney-MGM Studios), featuring new animated and live action scenes. The Rivers of America at the Magic Kingdom was not conducive to a replication of the layout at Disneyland, so a new purpose-built 6,900 seat amphitheater was built at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Intended to boost low attendance numbers at that park, the new Fantasmic! show was also seen as a needed replacement for Sorcery in the Sky, an aging nighttime fireworks show.
The Disneyland Resort Fantasmic! is in the process of a full technical refresh, aimed at reducing escalating maintenance costs and keeping it looking fresh.
A new sound system debuted in the summer of 2007, along with the 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 Alpha Spots and Washes and redesigned for the new Strong Gladiator IV followspots. The footlights, placed on the mainland side at water level were replaced with LED fixtures, as part of Disney's environmental initiative and improved flexibility.
Refurbished pyrotechnic barges were given new technologies derived from Disneyland's Air-Launch Firework (ALF) system. Reworked pyrotechnics emit less smoke than the previous iteration, reducing pollution and improving visibility of the stage, most notable in the finale. This is possible due to there only being a burst charge, eliminating the lift charge.
For the holiday season 2008, the three original 70mm projectors were replaced with High Definition (HD) digital projectors. The animation also received a new digital transfer. New Syncrolite fixtures were added to the mainland and island towers and to the roof of the tavern for use during the finale.
Fantasmic! was to serve as the flagship entertainment offering during the summer 2009 promotion "Summer Nightastic!" Several show scenes were reworked with new or improved characters. The Peter Pan sequence was given a new mechanical crocodile, which, though smaller, is more animated than its predecessor and can now interact with the action during the scene. The Ursula sequence now features Flotsam and Jetsam, in the form of jet-ski based floats which snake through the water. These provide a replacement for the used to be Ursula float, which was taken out of the show years ago due to constant repairs. A new audio-animatronic dragon (code-named Snaps McGee & nicknamed Murphy by fans) was built to replace the previous dragon (codenamed Bucky) which was a mechanical dragon's head on 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. The dragon had initial problems before a scheduled debut date and was unable to operate on said date. The new dragon was premiered on September 1, 2009.
The Mark Twain finale sequence featuring Disney characters doing a streamer dance was re-choreographed, and the timing of the fireworks in the finale was tweaked.
In early February 2010, the entire Rivers of America were drained. Both the Mark Twain and the sailing ship Columbia underwent refurbishment, 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. In early May, the refurbishment was completed, and the rivers were restored. Fantasmic! was slated to return for the summer season on May 28, 2010.
On August 28, 2010 the 2nd generation dragon (Snaps McGee) broke again. It partly collapsed during a performance. It was restored to the show on November 12, 2010.