Credit: DisneyDisney’s Hollywood Studios’ nighttime spectacular, Fantasmic!, has experienced multiple technical issues in the last week. Both times, the show suddenly stopped mid-performance, and Disney cast members evacuated thousands of guests from the outdoor amphitheater.
Fantasmic! opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in October 1998. For decades, the show has invited guests into Mickey Mouse’s dream as he fights some of the scariest Disney Villains. In 2022, Walt Disney World Resort debuted a new version of the show with scenes inspired by Frozen 2 (2019), Moana (2016), and more.
Disneyland Park was the first Disney Park to perform Fantasmic!, on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. While similar, this show features a full-size replica pirate ship and a more advanced Maleficent dragon animatronic. However, in 2023, the dragon suddenly caught fire during a performance.
The audio-animatronic was totaled, and Fantasmic! stopped performing until spring 2024, when it returned–without its iconic “Murphy” animatronic.
Walt Disney World Resort’s version of Fantasmic! also has a dragon, but it emerges from an artificial mountain structure rather than being a standalone audio-animatronic. This dragon disappeared for unannounced maintenance earlier this year but finally returned in February. Unfortunately, the show still isn’t running smoothly.
On March 1, Redditor u/Chemical-Being1834 reported that Fantasmic! ended abruptly. A commenter claiming to be a Disney cast member said a “small technical risk” stopped the performance:
“Nothing bad. It was a technical thing related to effects. Can’t give much more detail than that without getting too close for comfort.
…Nobody hurt! Just a small technical risk that halted the show. “
Days later, on March 3, Fantasmic! experienced another mid-show stop–this time, as Mickey Mouse used his pyrotechnic sword to fight Maleficient. TikTok user @pedalaluisa shared this video, claiming to have heard someone screaming “Gas! Gas! Gas!” before the performance halted:
@pedalaluisa We’ve spent 24h without no clue of what happened until we saw this video#disney #hollwoodstudios #disneyparks #fantasmic #fantasmicgasleak
Most Disney Parks fans agreed that the screaming was not a panicked guest or cast member but the normal sound of Maleficient screaming after being defeated by Mickey Mouse.
However, one commenter alleged that the guest’s theory about a leak wasn’t far off. They said the Maleficient animatronic was “leaking” earlier in the week (which would line up with the show stop on March 1), and an attempted repair failed.
“Yeah you did not hear them yelling that, nor would you smell it,” @tylerrobbins619 claimed. “However that is why they stopped. The dragon was leaking, it had been leaking earlier in the week and the repair failed.”
Another commenter claimed the show stopped because Mickey Mouse’s pyrotechnic sword didn’t go off. Since it was still loaded with pyrotechnics but didn’t work as intended, Fantasmic! had to end early to protect performers.
“His sword is supposed to have pyro. It didn’t go off. Show halt for safety,” @aflamingmooncosplay wrote.
Walt Disney World Resort rarely issues public statements about show stops, and this incident was no different. However, Fantasmic! remains on the entertainment schedule in the coming days, suggesting no planned refurbishment or severe damage to the set.
For the best view of Fantasmic!, arrive early or consider purchasing a dining package with reserved seating. For more information on availability, click here.
Do you prefer Fantasmic! at Disneyland Park or Disney’s Hollywood Studios? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!
Please note that the story outlined in this article is based on personal Disney Parks guest experiences. No two guest experiences are alike, and this article does not necessarily align with Inside the Magic’s personal views on Disney Park operations.