Disneyland’s nighttime spectacular Fantasmic! premiered on May 13, 1992. It was the most technically advanced show ever produced at the park at that time. The story features Mickey Mouse and his imagination in an epic battle of good versus evil. In 25 minutes you see pyrotechnics, classic animation, lasers, water effects, fire, live characters, stunts, boats, and water screens 30 feet tall and 50 feet wide. The Disneyland version is the original and the show was “copied” at Disney-MGM Studios and Tokyo DisneySea. The original Disneyland version closed on January 11, 2016 during the construction of Galaxy's Edge. It reopened July 17, 2017 with updated technology and a few different scenes.
The original Sleeping Beauty dragon, Maleficent, was 45 feet tall and breathed fire out of its mouth, which set the Rivers of America ablaze. A new 45 foot dragon debuted in 2009 which was a full figured Maleficent, but it sadly burned up during a performance on Apil 22, 2023. The dragon in my home video is the old one - a dragon head on a cherry picker. While constructing the show in 1992, a half-mile of stainless steel pipeline was installed under the water. Natural gas bubbles up during the show and is set on fire. Robert McTyre from Disneyland Entertainment says the fuel shot from the dragon’s mouth is the coffee whitener Cremora. Yum! If I were Mickey I would be holding out a mug, not a sword.
Mickey’s Toontown was opening in 1993 and Michael Eisner wanted something big in the park for 1992. Main Street Electrical Parade director Barnette Ricci was assigned the task of creating a new show in the next 20 months. The Disney creative team constructed a show which used Mickey Mouse as the main character, new technologies like the water screens, and the Rivers of America as the setting rather than the castle.
The promenade around the Rivers of America was reconstructed to fit many spectators for the show. It can hold 12,000 guests. More than 100 cast and crew members are needed for each show. In a week, 341 costumes are used. Animation was projected onto the water screens using 70 mm projectors inside Tom Sawyer Island. In 2008 HD projectors were installed. The images are 30 frames per second, so designing the show with classic animation and new soundtrack was tricky, trying to match up special effects, dialogue, actors, and music.
In this 2005 home video you will see:
Mickey Mouse's imagination intro. & Fantasia “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” sequence
Flower petals dance on stage
A 100-foot-long Kaa snake slithers around the stage shining light bulb eyes at the crowd
Dancing monkeys on boats pass by. King Louie is there.
“Pink Elephants on Parade” (Pink elephants on the projection screens)
“I’ve Got No Strings” Pinocchio marionette with green light up strings dances on stage with two girl puppets.
Jiminy Cricket & Monstro appear on the water screens “We’re down here!”
Mickey appears on the water screens and is swirling in a water cyclone “Help!”
A cannon fires and the Sailing Ship Columbia floats past with the cast of Peter Pan on board
Peter Pan battles Hook. Pirates threaten Wendy. Pirates swing overboard. Many stunts are happening at once. Captain Hook swings behind the ship’s stern with the sound of Tick-Tock Croc being heard (but not seen).
Prince & princesses dance & pass by on boats. Belle & Beast: “Beauty and the Beast”, Ariel & Eric: “Part of Your World”, Snow White & the Prince: “Some Day my Prince will Come”.
The Evil Queen on stage calls for all the evil forces and turns into an old hag. Magic Mirror is seen on the water screens.
Ursula appears on the water screens and agrees to control Mickey’s mind. She sings “Poor Unfortunate Souls”. “Beluga Sevruga indeed!” Hahaha.
“Night on Bald Mountain” plays and Chernabog appears on the water screens. Skeletons fly around him.
Maleficent threatens Mickey on stage. The water screens show her morphing into a dragon. Then the villains appear on the screen one by one and evil-laugh at Mickey. Then the real Maleficent dragon is on the stage with Mickey. It blows fire from its head and the Rivers of America catch fire.
Mickey pulls out a sword and points it at the dragon. Sparks and light beams come from the sword. Maleficent screams and then the water screens show the villains being defeated one by one. Looks like death by electricity. Maybe they shouldn’t have chosen a water screen? Tinkerbell appears on the screen after that and sprinkles some pixie dust.
The Mark Twain Riverboat sails past with Mickey Mouse from Steamboat Willie up top. Many characters are on the boat waving and twirling ribbons.
The “Fantasmic!” theme plays and Sorcerer Mickey appears on the high part of the stage and sets of fireworks.
He disappears from the high platform and reappears on the stage immediately. “Some imagination, Huh?” There’s a flash and boom, he’s gone again. Mind blown! Amazing - every single time!
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