Fantasmic Articles

*Some imagination, huh?* So concludes Mickey Mouse at the end of Fantasmic and it's doubtful anyone can disagree.Originally intended to be called either Imagination or Phantasmagoria. Fantasmic is an elaborate state-of-the-art outdoor music and pyrotechnics show that almost defies the definition.To install a stage and create the special effects in 1992 the Rivers Of America waterway in Frontierland was drained the southern tip of Tom Sawyer Island was rebuilt and the islands mill was relocated.After the first year prove so overwhelmingly successful, but also overwhelmingly crowded terraced walkways were added near Frontierland in New Orleans Square to accommodate the thousands of guests who gathered nightly along the river banks to witness the mesmerizing 22 minute show.The complicated multimedia presentation incorporates many different elements usually including over 50 cast members most taking on multiple roles and featuring thrilling music and sound effects thirty foot tall spotlight towers 125 special effects that can generate 6 foot flames 11 floating craft an assortment of smoke machines laser black lights and water cannons.

The show also features a hundred foot long snake a crocodile 25 ft wide by 17 ft tall a 20 foot tall Ursala from the Little Mermaid an appearance by the Mark Twain Riverboat and or the Sailing Ship Columbia and as of 2009 a 40 foot tall fire breathing mechanical dragon (nick named Murphy) some of the most innovative elements of the production are huge water screens on which full color animated images are projected the screens which are 30 ft tall by 50 ft wide by 4 inches thick require thousands ofgallons of water to create.The Fantasmic plot follows the hero Mickey in his sorcerers costume as he battles various Disney villains resulting in a tour of classic Disney movies from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Beauty and the Beast. One possible drawback of Fantasmic is that it is canceled in any inclement weather that would soak viewers with water from the water screens. Up until a 2007 remodel the public's best view was from a balcony outside the nearby Disney Gallery which once offered a special vantage point for those with reservations.

The dragon has an unofficial nickname given to it by the cast and crew of the show. Its nickname: Bucky later became Muphy due to all the problems with it. Original namefor Fantasmic was Imagination but was changed since Disney could not copyright the name. This was the first show in the US to use the new French water screens. In addition to being used for back projection, they can completely hide Tom Sawyer Island for set changes. Film images are projected onto three massive mist screens which appear on the River. Features include lasers, fog effects, water fountains, fireworks, and fiber-optics technology.Maleficent, the Sleeping Beauty sorceress, is transformed into a 45-foot dragon which breathes fire and ignites the surface of the River. Five water barges are the means by which a 20-foot-tall Ursula (originally on a barge currently shown only on water screens) and a 25-foot-long Crocodile move about the river.

For the most part, Fantasmic! Takes place on the water. The remainder of the production occurs on the new "rest area" in front of the Cider Mill on Tom Sawyer Island. While guests may visit here during the day, at night it is a performance space including a 20-foot by 20-foot trap door. Statistics: Crew: 50 per performance Costumes: 341 costumes are necessary to operate seven nights a week. Sound effects: A full orchestral score and a variety of sound effects are presented in full surround sound on an all-new, computer-controlled, state-of-the-art sound system. Projectors located on the island create images on the screens using 70 mm film. Special Effects: Seven separate hydraulic lifts and three compressed air lifts are used to assist in the special effects. (Lasers, fog, smoke, water effects, fire and pyrotechnics.)

Watercraft: In addition to the Mark Twain Steamboat and the Columbia Sailing Ship, Fantasmic! Features five new "show barges". The barges used to transport characters during the show, are 20 feet long by 4 feet tall Audience Capacity: 12,000 guests per show, standing along the banks of Disneyland's Rivers of America in Frontierland and New Orleans Square.

The dragon has an unofficial nickname given to it by the cast and crew of the show. Its nickname: Bucky.

Original name for Fantasmic was Imagination but was changed since Disney could not copyright the name.

This was the first show in the US to use the new French water screens. In addition to being used for back projection, they can completely hide Tom Sawyer Island for set changes.
Film images are projected onto three massive mist screens which appear on the River. Each screen is 50 feet wide, 30 feet high, and 6 inches thick.
Features include lasers, fog effects, water fountains, fireworks, and fiber-optics technology.
Maleficent, the Sleeping Beauty sorceress, is transformed into a 45-foot dragon which breathes fire and ignites the surface of the River.
Five water barges are the means by which a 20-foot-tall Ursula (originally on a barge currently shown only on water screens) and a 25-foot-long Crocodile move about the river.

Statistics:
Water screens are 30 by 50 feet and 4 inches thick
Stage: For the most part, Fantasmic! Takes place on the water. The remainder of the production occurs on the new "rest area" in front of the Cider Mill on Tom Sawyer Island. While guests may visit here during the day, at night it is a performance space including a 20-foot by 20-foot trap door.
Crew: 50 per performance
Costumes: 341 costumes are necessary to operate seven nights a week.
Sound effects: A full orchestral score and a variety of sound effects are presented in full surround sound on an all-new, computer-controlled, state-of-the-art sound system.
Projectors located on the Island create images on the screens using 70 mm film.
Special Effects: Seven separate hydraulic lifts and three compressed air lifts are used to assist in the special effects. (Lasers, fog, smoke, water effects, fire and pyrotechnics.)
Watercraft: In addition to the Mark Twain Steamboat and the Columbia Sailing Ship, Fantasmic! Features five new "show barges". The barges used to transport characters during the show, are 20 feet long by 4 feet tall and are docked in a new Backstage marine with six pyrotechnic barges.
Audience Capacity: 12,000 guests per show, standing along the banks of Disneyland's Rivers of America in Frontierland and New Orleans Square.
KAA the Snake: 100 feet long

In 2009 a 45-foot-tall, 18,000-pound dragon nicknamed "Murphy" was installed and premiered on September 1, 2009

In May 2023 "Murphys'" (the dragon) head caught fire during a performance of Fantasmic!. The dragon was completely destroyed. Show discontinued.

Disneyland announced Fantasmic will return on May 24, 2024

As the lights fade, the river is quiet and dark. Then, a very faint musical note is heard, swelling and growing into a dramatic chord. A brilliant cone of light shoots up from the island into the sky, circling -- but with nothing inside.

Another chord is struck, and the cone vanishes, revealing Mickey Mouse. The music becomes glorious and exciting, as Mickey brings the river to life. He then appears on giant water-mist ''screens'' as the Sorcerer's Apprentice, from the film *Fantasia*. The musical score from ''The Sorcerer's Apprentice'' and the theme ''Imagination'' interweave to accompany the action, as Mickey conducts animated shooting stars and live firework comets flying across the sky.

The mist screens are filled with twinkling stars that dissolve into colorful, blooming flowers. On stage can be seem huge flower petals, changing color and transforming from a pink Camellia to a yellow and white daisy to a purple pansy to a red rose. The petals then become huge green leaves and combine with on-screen animation to become the flora and fauna of the jungle.

As fog begins to float over the river, the rhythm and exotic sounds of the jungle can be heard. Through the fog can be seen an enormous Kaa, the snake from *Jungle Book*, slithering across the island with piercing beams of light for eyes, searching the audience as he makes his way through the jungle foliage. The Jungle beat grows as floating stages carry King Louie and neon-colored monkeys across the river, which has been transformed into an imaginative jungle where everything moves to the wild beat.

The music changes abruptly to a pulsing, contemporary rendition of ''Pink Elephants on Parade'' from *Dumbo*, as animated pink elephants appear both on-screen and on the island. Suddenly, the elephants seem to be puppets dancing on strings, then vanish, leaving the strings behind. Now the magical strings manipulate three huge puppets, with Pinocchio in the center.

On-screen we see Jiminy Cricket underwater, calling to his pal Pinocchio, in gurgling desperation. A colorful montage of underwater creatures appears. Jiminy then encounters the huge eye and teeth of Monstro the Whale. A combined sequence of film and live special effects show the angry, tail-thrashing whale creating a storm-like effect on the water, with real water splashing around as Monstro stirs up the sea. The sounds of crashing waves and thunder rumble through the audience, as we witness a ship, on-screen, being tossed in the storm.

A loud canon shot takes our attention to the Pirate Ship, coming around the bend, filled with action. Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Peter Pan and pirates jump, climb and swing on ropes in a battle fully scored like a scene from an epic swashbuckling adventure film. Following the ship is a huge crocodile -- ''tick-tocking'' as he goes, scaring Captain Hook up to the crows nest, as the ship disappears into the on-coming fog.

The ''Imagination'' theme comes in again as pink and blue clouds cover the river. Snow White and her Prince, Ariel and Eric, and Beauty and the Beast all float by, as if in a dream ballet in the clouds, each so happy to have their dream come true. But the beautiful music starts to sound a bit haunting. The Evil Queen from *Snow White* appears on stage, calling for her magic mirror -- which appears in animated form, on-screen


Magic Mirror:In the Magic Kingdom, there are many beautiful princesses far more fair than you, my Queen.

The sinister Queen seethes with jealousy and hatred


Magic Mirror:In Mickey's imagination, beauty and love will always survive.

In anger, she moves to her bubbling cauldron, where she creates a brew of evil magic to transform herself in the Wicked Witch. The magic mirror transforms into the ugly face of the wicked witch


Magic Mirror:Imagine THIS!

On-screen, we see her face dissolve into that of the sea witch, Ursula, from *The Little Mermaid*, as out from the river and fog comes the tentacles of a 20' tall Ursula, laughing violently as she passes. Back on-screen, the face of Ursula fades to reveal only her evil eyes -- which transform into the eyes of the horrific Chernabog, from *Fantasia*.

Images of skeletons on horseback, riding across the sky, appear on-screen as Chernabog watches, flames dance in his hand. Then a real burst of flames explodes on the island and Maleficent, from *Sleeping Beauty*, appears. Mickey Mouse sees Malefiecent and shakes in his shoes as she points to him


Maleficent: Now you will deal with MY imagination!'' Another burst of flames signals a dramatic transformation as Maleficent grows 30' tall and changes into a ferocious dragon, on-screen. But, as lightning flashes, you can see through the animated sequence on-screen to a huge 40' three-dimensional dragon, taking over the island. She lowers her head and breathes fire over the river, igniting it into a sea of flames. The evil side of imagination have now created an island of terror.

Only Mickey can save himself from his own imagination, and he appears as the Brave Little Tailor, ready to do battle. With electrifying laser special effects, he defeats the dragon and all the evil forces. On-screen, we see the dragon, zapped by Mickey's positive powers, swirl into the air and vanish in a burst of pixie dust. A sparkling, twinkling presence can be seen and a magical sound begins to grow, as Tinker Bell appears. Flying about the sky on-screen, she waves her magic wand and showers the Mark Twain with pixie dust as it comes around the bend. The riverboat is loaded with all the lovable Disney characters, waving banners and cheering their hero, while fireworks cascade over the rails of the Mark Twain.

As the riverboat reaches the dock, a flash explodes on top of the boat, revealing Mickey Mouse as Steamboat Willie at the helm. Mickey pilots the boat past the audience in a festive celebrational finale, and then disappears into the fog. Suddenly, Mickey appears in a splash of light up on the Cider Mill, now as Sorcerer Mickey. The music swells and grows, as he conducts laser beams that criss-cross over the entire river area, creating a sunburst effect radiating out from Mickey, proving that the magical powers of his positive imagination are stronger than ever. As the musical theme ''Imagination'' builds to a final chorus, a glorious display of fireworks is added to the river spectacular. Mickey lifts his arms upward as more fireworks shoot from his fingers.

Then, in a flash, Mickey magically disappears from the Cider Mill and reappears again, center stage, in his normal character. All the effects and music abruptly freeze.


Mickey Mouse:Some imaginations, huh? Ha! Ha!

And with that, all the effects vanish, leaving the brilliant cone of lights empty. On a final musical note, the lights go out, and the river is quiet and dark once again