Disney has made a big announcement that means a favorite scene featuring Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow from “Pirates of the Caribbean” will be replaced. We dig into what the replacement will be and the likely motivation, which may not be the reason you are expecting.
The Fantasmic! nighttime spectacular at Disneyland has been on hiatus since the incident earlier this year when the Maleficent dragon unexpectedly erupted in flames, with fans missing the beloved show and eagerly waiting for its return.
Disneyland had previously shared that “We are taking this time to evaluate the show and explore opportunities to add new magic and touches for Guests to enjoy.” After the recent news that Fantasmic! will be returning next May, Disney has now shared more details about what we can expect when the show reopens, including the return of a classic scene and removal of current scene.
Keep reading for more details on one of the big changes that will be coming to Fantasmic! when it returns!
New Changes Coming to Fantasmic! Nighttime Spectacular
Upon Fantasmic!'s highly-anticipated return to Disneyland Park, new magic will be added to this fan-favorite show that combines live performance, projections, character appearances, and music.
When Fantasmic! reopens, it will feature changes including new special effects, the replacement of the dragon scene with a new battle scene between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent, and perhaps most excitingly, the return of the Peter Pan scene to the show!
Favorite Fantasmic! Scene Returns
Fantasmic! featured the iconic Peter Pan scene on the Columbia until a Pirates of the Caribbean scene replaced it after the 2017 refurbishment. While the Pirates of the Caribbean addition was a fun scene taking place on the Black Pearl, there was something especially magical about the Peter Pan sequence, and many fans were disappointed to see it go.
Disney has confirmed that with the return of the Peter Pan sequence that the Pirates of the Caribbean sequence of the show will be removed.
There is the possibility that Disneyland is reverting this scene back to Peter Pan due to the recent media coverage of Johnny Depp, but we wouldn't be surprised if this was a move they've considered since the 2.0 version of the show received lower reviews on the segment where the show featured Pirates of the Caribbean instead of Peter Pan. When the new version debuted in 2017, our main criticism at the time was that the Pirates of the Caribbean scene felt disjointed in the grand scheme of the show when compared to Peter Pan.
Johnny Depp's segments in Disneyland in both Fantasmic! and World of Color have developed cult followings with massive crowd cheers when he appears on the projection screens for both shows. I think that the World of Color scene works far better with Depp than the Fantasmic! scene, but in general, I always found it odd that it was the only live-action Disney movie that made the cut. For Fantasmic!, it definitely makes more sense to have the appearance of classic Disney characters in this scene that blend in more seamlessly with the overall show.
You can see a video of the Pirates of the Caribbean scene from Inside the Magic on YouTube below:
Personally, the Peter Pan scene was a favorite part of Fantasmic!, and arguably one of the most memorable scenes in the entire show. There was nothing quite like the sound of that concussion canon (which always seemed to catch you off guard no matter how much you anticipated it!) and the appearance of classic Disney characters Peter, Wendy, and Hook amidst a thrilling battle aboard a pirate ship.
The stunts, thrilling fight choreography, and Peter's flight mid-scene were the icing on the cake for this engaging sequence. For me, this scene was really the epitome of Disney magic!
You can see a video of the old Peter Pan scene from Dwats on YouTube below in anticipation of when this Fantasmic! scene returns:
We are so excited to see the show when this Fantasmic! scene returns along with the other new changes Fantasmic! when it reopens. In addition to the reopening of this beloved nighttime spectacular, see more reasons why you should consider visiting Disneyland in Spring of 2024!
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