We Were at Disneyland On the First Night of Fantasmic!’s Return to See the New Changes

Fantasmic! has finally returned to Disneyland after its lengthy absence from the Rivers of America, and to say that fans are thrilled would be an understatement.

We were there on the first night of Fantasmic!'s return, and it was a really special experience getting to see the show after so long. The area was absolutely packed with fans, and everyone was so excited and vocal throughout the performance.

We will take you through our reaction (and the crowd's reaction!) to some of the new changes to the show. Disney had previously shared that the show would be returning with new special effects, a reimagined battle scene between Mickey and Maleficent, and the return of the iconic Peter Pan scene that hasn't been a part of the show since its 2017 refurbishment that replaced it with Pirates of the Caribbean.

Keep reading for our thoughts on the new changes that came to Fantasmic!

Fantasmic! First Performance With New Changes

Before we dive into the details of the new changes, it's worth talking about the special atmosphere of last night's show. Everyone in the audience was so thrilled to see Fantasmic! back, the performers did a beautiful job, and the atmosphere was absolutely electric. This has always been my favorite nighttime spectacular at Disneyland and holds a really special place in my heart, and it's clear that countless other people feel the same way.

Mickey's introduction was particularly emotional, as you could hear the crowd buzzing with excitement, then he appeared and everyone erupted in cheers. This was the energy throughout the entire show, especially during some of its most iconic moments. The joy was truly palpable!

👉🏾 CLICK HERE to See Our Review of the New Fantasmic! Reserved Seating Dining Package

Fantasmic! Peter Pan Returns

The return of the Peter Pan scene was a big moment! As soon as that cannon went off, everyone was applauding and cheering. As we mentioned when this change was originally announced, we really enjoyed the Pirates scene but think that the Peter Pan scene more seamlessly blends in with the show overall. There's something that is just so magical about the classic scene! Personally, it was always my favorite part of Fantasmic! (along with the dragon scene). The Lost Boys were also a really fun new addition as well as they helped fight off the pirates.

There was a steady stream of cheering that came from the crowd the entire time during the Peter Pan scene, but when the Sailing Ship Columbia got closer and you could really see the action, the crowd got even more vocal during several moments.

I've always loved this last moment of Peter Pan posing on the back of the ship as it makes its exit! In an interesting change to the end of this scene, the crocodile is shown on a water screen instead of trailing after the ship in the water.

See the return of the Peter Pan scene below!

Another change in the scene following this was a new choreographed dance between Aladdin and Jasmine that replaced their iconic magic carpet moment. The choreography was really cute but a bit hard to see between the projections, lighting, and fog. You could feel the confusion from the audience at this moment as many were wondering why the magic carpet didn't return.

Reimagined Battle Scene with Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent

One of the biggest changes to the show was, of course, the absence of the Maleficent dragon. This is now a reimagined battle scene between Mickey and Maleficent. In the scene, Maleficent rises 35 feet in the air with her scepter in hand as she cackles maniacally.

We see the intense moment of Maleficent ascending, Mickey humorously running around in a panic, and Maleficent setting the Rivers of America ablaze, then Mickey says his iconic “This is my dream!” This got a big reaction out of the audience! The special effects when Mickey fights back were really bold and cool, and the reaction from the audience to this moment seemed generally positive.

👉🏾 CLICK HERE to See the Attractions We Want Disney to Bring Back to the Parks

The only parts of the scene that lagged a bit were some brief awkward moments during Maleficent's extension and after the fire was set. I think that previously, the anticipation for (and presence of) the dragon might have distracted from these moments, but now with so much more scrutiny on Maleficent, you notice these a bit more. That being said, the performer did a great job maintaining a commanding stage presence. When we shared the video of the reimagined scene on Facebook (which you can see below), many expressed that the scene felt anticlimactic compared to when the dragon was in it.

There is still a chance that the Fantasmic! dragon could eventually return to the show. Disney hasn't officially said anything like this, but there's an interesting quote that we reference in our discussion of the new changes to the show that may suggest that door is not completely closed. It's needless to say that many fans would love for that to eventually happen, but in the meantime, I think that Disney did a good job reimagining this scene in the dragon's absence.

See the reimagined Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent battle scene here:

If you are planning a visit to Disneyland as summer approaches, be sure to include Fantasmic! in your visit. If you're interested in getting a dining package for the show, you can see all of the options that are currently being offered here.

We were hosted by Disney at a media event for this performance of Fantasmic!.

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