15 fun facts about Fantasmic! and its return to Disneyland
Fantasmic! officially returned to Disneyland this week.
The show closed Jan. 10, 2016 when construction began for the new Star Wars land. During that time the Rivers of America needed to be closed. During that time the show received an update with new mist screens and state-of-the-art projection technology, as well as new songs.
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| The dragon breathing fire at Fantasmic! |
2. New scenes feature songs such as “Friend Like Me” and “A Whole New World” from “Aladdin.”
3. A crew of ghost pirates man an eerie pirate ship that appears on the Rivers of America. These professional stunt performers execute all the spectacular duels and falls.
4. More than 100 cast and crew bring “Fantasmic!” to life.
6. In the story, the wicked Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty” rises to a height of 45 feet in 17 seconds, before transforming into the dragon.
7. The dragon is a fully animated three-dimensional design that replicates the movements of the dragon in “Sleeping Beauty.” It is 45 feet tall by 28 feet wide and weighs approximately 18,000 pounds.
8. To help inflict its terror, the dragon can ignite a 35 foot long plum of fire.
9. The dragon lights the Rivers of America on fire for 25 seconds.
10. About 9,000 guests can view “Fantasmic!” at each performance. The audience is approximately 70 feet from the main stage on Tom Sawyer Island.
11. The main stage on Tom Sawyer Island, including underground housing for many special effects, was specially built for “Fantasmic!” By day, it is a boat dock and “cider mill” visited by guests on the island.
12. At the beginning of the show, two light towers appear on either side of the main stage. During the day, these towers rest 26 feet underground. They rise to a height of 40 feet in less than a minute.
13. The audio surrounding “Fantasmic!” spectators is created by four speaker stacks on Tom Sawyer Island and three on the mainland.
15. “Fantasmic!” premiered to the public on May 15, 1992, at Disneyland
