Happy Birthday to Disneyland’s Fantasmic!
On this date, back in 1992, Disneyland’s Fantasmic, a new nighttime fireworks and hydrotechnic show, is officially dedicated in Frontierland. The show is 22 minutes long, and features fireworks, water effects, fire, music, boats, live actors in costume, decorated rafts, mist with projections, etc and takes place over the Rivers of America.
A second version of Fantasmic officially opens years later, in 1998, at Disney-MGM Studios at Walt Disney World in Florida. I’ve never seen the Fantasmic show at Disneyland, but I have indeed seen the one in Florida. The Rivers of America at the Magic Kingdom wasn’t similar enough to the layout at Disneyland, so Disney built a 10,000 seat amphitheater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, then MGM, to house Fantasmic. Another reason to have Fantasmic at MGM in Florida, instead of the MK, was to boost attendance numbers for that park, which were struggling at that time. Fantasmic was also considered a replacement for Sorcery in the Sky, an aging fireworks show.
Fantasmic is still a Disney fan favorite. Even though it’s been around awhile, make plans to arrive at the Fantasmic location early, there’s still a crowd and you’ll want to get a good seat! Happy Birthday Fantasmic, here’s to many more years!
Michele also contributes theme park news for Fox 35 Orlando 11pm news and on the radio on WDBO.
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