Disneyland Announces Fantasmic! Reopening Date

Fantasmic! returns to the Rivers of America without the fire-breathing Maleficent dragon.

By Cameron Bonomolo

It's not your imagination: Fantasmic! is back at the Disneyland Resort.

Disney Parks announced that the California theme park's longest-running nighttime spectacular returns with updated special effects this Friday, May 24. It will be the first showing since the Maleficent dragon caught fire during a live performance in April 2023. In the wake of the incident, Disney temporarily suspended fire effects at select shows and entertainment experiences across all its theme parks "out of an abundance of caution" and put the 45-foot tall, fire-breathing audio-animatronic dragon on ice.

Fantasmic! returns without the Maleficent dragon, replaced by a reimagined battle scene between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent (pictured below). According to the official description, "Mickey gathers all his magical powers, creating colorful swirls of light as sparkling pyrotechnics bolt from his fingers. Cloaked in her dark gown with her powerful scepter in hand, Maleficent ascends to a height of 35 feet as she appears to ignite the Rivers of America."

Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent Face Off in "Fantasmic!" at Disneyland Resort
(Photo: Disneyland/Richard Harbaugh)

The show will also restore a Peter Pan sequence that was replaced with Jack Sparrow and other Pirates of the Caribbean characters in 2017. In the updated swashbuckling scene, The Lost Boys will join Peter Pan and Wendy as they battle Captain Hook on a pirate ship.

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"Our goal is to always deliver the best possible show for our guests," a Disneyland spokesperson said in a statement after Fantasmic! was temporarily shuttered last year, adding the nighttime show would return with "exciting new magic in spring 2024."

Originally opened in 1992, Fantasmic! finds Mickey Mouse facing menacing villains using the power of his imagination. Featuring characters and music from Fantasia, Sleeping Beauty, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Lion King, Tangled, and more, the 25-minute show has incorporated state-of-the-art projections on mist screens and water effects alongside pyrotechnics, live performances, and character appearances.

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