Fantasmic! opened at the then-Disney-MGM Studios in 1998, following the original Disneyland version of the show, which has been playing on the Rivers of America in Anaheim since 1992. (A third version will open at Tokyo DisneySea next year.) Fantasmic! presents highlights from many classic Disney films, in live action and animation projected on water screens in front of a massive outdoor stage. Mickey Mouse provides the focus for the show, as it's his dream that brings together all these classic Disney moments, culminating in his fiery battle with Sleeping Beauty's Maleficent.
The Walt Disney World version of the show plays in Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, which was built for the show. The other big difference between the two versions has been the frequency with which it plays. Until last year, when the schedule was cut back, the Disney World version played nearly every night, unlike the California version, which plays only during summers and holidays.
The shows differ in a few other ways: The Disney World version plays a few minutes longer, due to additional clips of villains. And the final character flood takes place on Steamboat Willie's steamship, instead of on the Mark Twain, as it does in Disneyland. To me, the Mark Twain's always been more visually impressive than the smaller Steamboat Willie ship, but the Florida version fits better within the theme of the show. A black-and-white Mickey piloting Steamboat Willie's boat makes sense. Mickey on the Mark Twain... not so much.
Despite playing in a massive theater (with room for more than 9,000 visitors), Fantasmic! remains a tough "ticket" most nights, making various dining packages at park restaurants that guarantee a Fantasmic! seat popular options. This show's enduring popularity made it an obvious top seed, but in which bracket?
The show's use of recorded voices and programmed effects would suggest it might be an animated show, but with dozens of live character actors and technicians bringing the show to life each night it plays, ultimately I placed it within the live show bracket. The show's use of pyro and water screens also makes it a difficult one to film, but I've embedded the best version I've found on YouTube to date for your Monday-at-work time-killing pleasure:
Please tell us your thoughts about Fantasmic!, and its chances within the Best Live show bracket, in the comments.
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Well.....nothing actually. It is simply the best of it's type and it's unlikely to be beaten in it's own category.
It'll be a tough one to pick if and when it comes up against Waterworld because I rate that the best stunt show on offer. But as a show of any type then Fantasmic lives up to it's name and is unbeatable in my book.
It's so good it may even win the whole shebang.
Regardless, I give Fantasmic! a 10-Perfection on the TPI scale. This show and the Tower alone make a trip to DHS worthwhile.
Great Music, Great Fireworks, and, great Characters!
A great show all around!
Great clips though! Number three is the best in my opinion.
I too was sad not that Illuminantions was not found in this bracket. I enjoy that show more, but I like Fantasmic as well!
My predictions for this bracket:
Round 1
1. Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios16. Universal Studios Florida's Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue
8. SeaWorld San Diego's Cirque de la Mer
9. SeaWorld Orlando's Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island
4. SeaWorld San Diego's Pets Rule
13. Finding Nemo - The Musical at Disney's Animal Kingdom
5. SeaWorld Orlando's Sea Lions Tonight 12. SeaWorld Orlando's Blue Horizons
2. Aladdin at Disney's California Adventure15. Lights! Motors! Action! at Disney's Hollywood Studios
7. Busch Gardens Tampa's Katonga
10. Universal Studios Hollywood's Waterworld
3. Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom14. SeaWorld Orlando's Believe
6. Dollywood's Sha-Kon-O-Hey
11. Universal Studios Florida's Universal Horror Make-up Show
Quarterfinals
1. Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios9. SeaWorld Orlando's Clyde and Seamore Take Pirate Island
13. Finding Nemo - The Musical at Disney's Animal Kingdom
5. SeaWorld Orlando's Sea Lions Tonight
2. Aladdin at Disney's California Adventure10. Universal Studios Hollywood's Waterworld
3. Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom11. Universal Studios Florida's Universal Horror Make-up Show
Semifinals
1. Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios5. SeaWorld Orlando's Sea Lions Tonight
2. Aladdin at Disney's California Adventure
3. Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Finals
1. Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios3. Festival of the Lion King at Disney's Animal Kingdom
Winner: 1. Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios
a #1 seed wouldn't be playing a #2 in the quarterfinals.
In any case, Fantasmic and Festival of the Lion King are the two best live shows at WDW.
I too, Like a few other readers am curious why IllumiNations did not make it into the tournament. Was it too hard to decide what bracket to put it in between live or animated, or did it simply not get enough votes? While Fantasmic is a good show, I would go to watch IllumiNations instead of Fantasmic if I had to choose between the two. It's much more original in terms of music and storytelling, and the fireworks are beautiful.
Still a great show after 10 years.
As for Illuminations, forgive me it I didn't explain this back in the beginning (I'd meant to), but I kept the pyro shows out of the tournament because I couldn't figure out where to put them. Fantasmic had enough elements of a live show that I felt like I could put it in this bracket (though I almost kept it out because it no longer plays every day that the park is open.) But the pyro shows were so unlike other shows that they really needed their own bracket.
But five brackets didn't exactly work. Illuminations and Universal's show remained the toughest calls, however, because they have filmed elements within them and might have fit in the Movie or Animated Show bracket. Ultimately, though, no one votes for Illuminations because of the film. They like it because of the music and pyro. So that's why I decided against putting it into the movie bracket. It's a pyro show.
(Conversely, pyro's just one element of Fantasmic, and not the essence of the show.)
I hope this helps explain the reasoning.
So we have a situation in which those same AP holders lecture us on how the Disneyland version is so much better, but the resort, and those same mobs, make it practically impossible for anyone but them to see it! Thanks. Thanks a lot.
I like the DHS because you can actually sit down to watch it vs having to stand and clog the already tight bottleneck that Adventureland/Pirates Cause.
I like the predictions mentioned above, but I personally am rooting for Festival of the Lion King to take it all just because of the first rate singing, dancing, and music.
Incidentally, I will be out of commission for the first weekend of this tournament, so I need need all the THEME&THRILLS OVER THRILLS-ALONE folks to keep a few of my favorites in the race at least through the first round! =)
Good luck!
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