Disneyland will not bring back its Fantasmic! nighttime spectacular this summer.
The show has been closed since last month, when fire engulfed the Maleficent character, forcing an immediate stop to the performance. [Fire Shuts Down Popular Disneyland Spectacular] All cast members were evacuated safely from the show area.
Disneyland has run a "B mode" show without the practical Maleficent character on windy evenings, so the prop itself is not required to run Fantasmic. But with a fire destroying the dragon inflatable and damaging its platform, Disneyland has not been able to stage Fantasmic! at all since the mishap. And now, Disneyland has extended the show's closure.
"Our goal is to always deliver the best possible show for our guests. With that in mind, we've made the difficult decision to put Fantasmic! on hiatus through at least Labor Day," Disneyland said in a statement. "Teams are actively exploring alternate entertainment offerings for guests this summer and we look forward to sharing more soon."
Let the speculation begin as to what those "alternate entertainment offerings" might be. The September-December period has replaced the summer months as the high season at Disneyland, so the park could use a solid promotion to engage visitors in Fantasmic's absence. Yet another revival of the Main Street Electrical Parade would seem the easiest to substitute, though some of us might dream of a return for Paint the Night instead.
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All right, it’s time: Bring on the Disneyland Hail Mary that is The Main Street Electrical Parade!
It's unfortunate to hear about the incident at Disneyland and the closure of the show due to the fire. I also read some trending news at TNI (thenewsinsides) Ensuring the safety of cast members and guests is of utmost importance in such situations, so it's a relief that everyone was evacuated safely.
Given the damage caused to the dragon inflatable and its platform, it seems that staging Fantasmic! has become challenging. Disneyland's decision to extend the show's closure until at least Labor Day reflects their commitment to delivering the best possible experience for their guests.
In the meantime, Disneyland is actively exploring alternative entertainment offerings for guests during the summer. While the specifics haven't been shared yet, it's reassuring to know that the park is working on providing other enjoyable experiences while Fantasmic! is on hiatus.
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Bummer. Will be there this summer and was hoping this would be part of my attempt at giving my kids the memorable experience they never got at the logistical nightmare known as Disney World.