Credit: DisneyThe Disneyland Resort is shaking things up…
By now, the world of Disneyland Resort fans is well aware of the devastating fire which took place during the second show of Fantasmic! The incident almost completely destroyed the Maleficent Dragon prop and caused significant damage to the surrounding area, prompting a shutdown of Tom Sawyer’s Island and the indefinite cancelation of the show itself. Now, things are changing even more.
Related: Fantasmic! Showtimes at Disney World Unaffected by Disneyland’s Massive Fire
Generally speaking, safety has been second to none at the Disneyland Resort and other Disney Parks. Security personnel can be seen both as Guests enter the Parks, checking bags and doing metal detection, as well as patrolling the Parks, ensuring that the Happiest Place on Earth stays that way and that Guests are happy and safe.
This, of course, extends to every Cast Member as well, with many protocols being put in place to protect them both physically, as well as legally. Extensive training is given to Cast Members to ensure that they and the Guests are kept safe in an environment where certainly a lot could go wrong if they weren’t given the proper training, with attractions, parades, shows, and more.
This was one reason why the massive Fantasmic! fire came as such a shock. As diehard Disneyland Park fans know, the show has been running on and off for the past 30 years, and there’s never been anything as devastating as this fire. While it’s true that there have been other fires, even ones involving the Maleficent Dragon, it has never been as bad as this, prompting company-wide changes with pyrotechnic procedures for shows and parades and apparently in Casting as well.
The Walt Disney Company, and specifically, the Disneyland Resort, just posted a new hiring position this week to their job board for a pyrotechnician for the Anaheim-based Park. While it’s only a part-time position, indicating that the chief pyrotechnician is still in place, this new post indicates that at least one person may have lost their job.
While unfortunate, this does fall in line with Disney’s high standard for safety, and where this isn’t the first fire, but certainly the worst, it’s understandable that the company would want the best person possible to take over and ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again. Could this new position also be an indication that the fire effects for Fantasmic! and other shows and parades are merely suspended and will return?
It’s highly likely. Fire effects like those used with the Maleficent Dragon are part and parcel of Disney shows and contribute significantly to the overall look and feel of certain shows. It’s likely that after redesigns, and new hires, the effects will come back better and safer than before.
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