Credit: DisneyWalt Disney World Resort has made a big update to Fantasmic! from December 27.
We’re currently in the midst of the busy holiday season at Disney World – and we hate to break it to you, but it’s only going to get worse from here on out.
The week between Christmas and New Year’s consistently brings some of the heaviest crowds of the year to Walt Disney World. Starting December 22, Magic Kingdom opens up entertainment typically exclusive to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – such as Minnie’s Wonderful Christmastime Fireworks and Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade – to regular day guests for a limited time, often pushing the park to capacity.
While not quite as busy as Magic Kingdom, the other three parks that make up Disney World also experience long lines and dense crowds. Guests flock to Hollywood Studios for alternative nighttime entertainment, with Fantasmic! serving as a cult classic for many diehard Disney fans.
The show – which sees Mickey Mouse confront the forces of evil with the powers of his imagination – takes place nightly in Hollywood Hills Amphitheater. According to WDW Info, the theater can hold up to around 10,000 guests (when you include its standing capacity), but it still fills up on the busiest days.
That’s why Disney is adding additional shows for the festive season.
Disney Adds More Shows For Fantasmic!
From December 27 to December 31, and on January 2 and 3, guests will have three opportunities per night to watch Fantasmic!
As per the Disney World website, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will host performances at 6.30 p.m., 8 p.m., and 9.30 p.m.
For most nights until December 27, guests have two opportunities to watch Fantasmic! On December 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, and 26, Fantasmic! will be performed at 7.30 p.m. and 9 p.m. On December 20 and 22, it will be performed at 6.30 p.m. due to Disney Jollywood Nights.
On January 1, Fantasmic! will take place twice – once at 8 p.m. and again at 9:30 p.m. After January 3, the show will return to one performance per night on most evenings.
Fantasmic! has undergone a few changes over the years. Its most recent major change occurred in 2022, when Disney axed its lengthy Pocahontas (1995) battle sequence and Peter Pan (1953) segment.
Today, the nearly-30-minute show features a medley in which Pocahontas, Mulan, Aladdin, Elsa, and Moana all appear onstage. The show still ends with Mickey Mouse defeating an array of Disney villains, before various beloved characters dance aboard Steamboat Willie. On nights when the boat is out of action, characters instead dance on Mickey’s mountain stage.
Do you plan on visiting Disney World this holiday season?