Disneyland is meant to be a magical place for all those that visit it. However, faulty pyrotechnics ended up turning the "Fantasmic" show into a disaster as the animatronics caught fire. This resulted in the show being on that day and today as well.
Fiery Performance
In the "Fantasmic" performance, Disney's representative character Mickey Mouse was meant to defeat Maleficent in her dragon form. For effect, Mickey was meant to blast sparks at the "Sleeping Beauty" antagonist, which eventually started the fire.
Just watched Fantasmic Dragon catches on fire at Disneyland 😢 #disney pic.twitter.com/49yTBA2MR7
— mlg (@MelissaLeeGiles) April 23, 2023
The fire, which eventually burned parts of the machine dragon, started to affect other attractions such as Tom Sawyer Island, as mentioned in Gizmodo. Several videos on social media platforms emerged, showing the Maleficent animatronic burning like a bonfire.
Reports say that the Maleficent dragon may have had a leak in its mouth, and the sparks that Mickey released may have lit it. The Anaheim Fire Department responded to the scene and put out the fires on the scene.
According to the responders, there were no injuries sustained in the incident for both the staff or visitors. However, there are reports saying that while the crew was trying to put out the fire, the animatronic dragon collapsed, as well as the stage it was on.
A Disney spokesperson stated that Tom Sawyer Island's cast and visitors were safe and that the attractions near the island were evacuated due to the smoke and wind. The incident is still under investigation to determine how the fire started.
Although the Anaheim Fire & Rescue responded fast, performances for the "Fantasmic" show have been canceled, given that the machinery for the attraction have been burned or damaged, and the area might not be stable enough to accommodate performances.
What You Can Visit Instead
Although Disneyland Park has canceled its "Fantasmic" performance, there are still many attractions and shows you can attend to experience Disney's magic. You can witness the "Magic Happens" parade which will be between 3:30 PM to 6:30 PM.
The parade will exhibit floats with whimsical themes of your favorite Disney titles. You can see Moana on her voyager canoe and Miguel from "Coco," as well as the enchanted forest from "Frozen 2" along with its characters like Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Olaf, and Sven.
You can also catch the attraction at night such as the "Wondrous Journeys with Projections" which will start at 9:30 PM. There's also a Storytelling show at the Royal Theatre that will go on for 25 minutes, where you'll see scenes from "Tangled" and "Beauty and the Beast."
You can attend several showings or one that fits your schedule. On both April 24th and 25th, you can choose to go by 10:45 AM, 12:00 PM, 1:15 PM, 3:00 PM, 4:15 PM, or 5:30 PM. Be sure to check the schedules when you choose to attend on a different date.
You may also witness the "It's a small world" Encanto-themed projection which will last for two minutes. Times you can catch it are 9:00 PM, 10:00 PM, and 10:30 PM. The show will feature light projections that animate the stage to the Encanto song: "We Don't Talk About Bruno."
