Fantasmic! at Disneyland won’t be reopening this summer. Disney has announced the show will remain on hiatus until at least Labor Day 2023, which falls on September 4. The show originally closed when the Maleficent dragon dramatically caught fire back in April 2023.
Disney says they’ll use the time to evaluate the show and “explore opportunities to add new magic and touches” for guests to enjoy.
BREAKING: Fantasmic! at Disneyland will remain on hiatus through at least Labor Day.
Disneyland: "We are taking this time to evaluate the show and explore opportunities to add new magic and touches for Guests to enjoy." pic.twitter.com/VeLzRcZJLo
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 20, 2023
Disney also noted they’re “exploring alternate entertainment offerings” at Disneyland this summer while Fantasmic! remains closed. Does this mean a nighttime parade may return to Disneyland? Will the Main Street Electrical Parade get rolled out of storage again? We’ll have to wait and see.
Disney didn’t provide much information about Fantasmic! and its extended closure, but an educated guess says they’re not content running the show in “B” mode without the Maleficent dragon, and would rather retool the show. It’s unclear what changes Disney has in mind for the show, though we wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the latest popular films added in some way or fashion.
As disheartening as it is to see Fantasmic! closed for an extended period after returning to Disneyland relatively recently (May 2022), the future of the show doesn’t seem to be in jeopardy. Disneyland makes good money on several types of dining packages connected to Fantasmic!, and that revenue stream is almost guaranteed to continue. It’s always possible a new show with lower operating costs could be introduced to the Rivers of America, but that feels like needless worrying at this time.
