Fantasmic is one of the most popular shows at Disney World and Disneyland. In fact, when the show finally returned after covid, guests were stoked. The line for the first show back stretched all the way down Sunset Boulevard. Needless to say, not everyone got in. However, we are here to break the sad news that Fantasmic is closing permanently, but will be replaced with Hamilton from Broadway.
For those not familiar, here is Disney’s description of Fantasmic. “Featuring stunning effects, thrilling stunts, dazzling pyrotechnics, and rousing music, this larger-than-life show is painted on a grand canvas of dancing water and light.” It’s truly a revolutionary and exciting 30-minute show. Sadly, this more than 30-year-long show is coming to an end.
Why is Fantasmic Closing Permanently?
The decision to close Fantasmic at Disney World and Disneyland is no surprise. Ever since the show reopened at both parks, there has been nothing but issues for the show. These issues have been so severe, Disney has no choice but to end the show forever in both parks. The issues started when the Maleficent dragon caught fire at Disneyland.
Unless you live under a rock, you probably saw the huge fire at Disneyland’s Fantasmic. The Maleficent dragon went up in flames, forcing Disney to close the show temporarily. This temporary closure of the show, however, is turning into a permanent closure for Fantasmic. Despite the dragon catching fire at Disneyland, Disney World is having their own issues with the show as well.
Last week, the Fantasmic show at Disney World was cut short. This was due to technical difficulties. It remained closed the next few days with no updates from Disney as to why the show ended early and remained closed. It’s not clear if the issue is so bad that Disney just decided to end the show at Disney World or if they are ending it to be consistent with Disneyland. We assume Disney is ending the show at Disney World to go with Disneyland and bring Hamilton to both parks instead of just launching it at Disneyland.
Hamilton Replacing Fantasmic at Disney World and Disneyland
Hamilton is the 8th most popular Broadway show of all time. In fact, it’s the Broadway show with the most expensive top tickets. It’s extremely popular, which everyone knows. Disney took a huge bet on this show and acquired the rights to distribute it on Disney+. It’s a bet that paid off as the show has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 98%. Now, Disney is bringing Broadway’s Hamilton to Hollywood Studios and Disneyland to replace Fantasmic.
Apparently, when Disney acquired the rights to the film, they also acquired the rights to add a show to their theme parks. According to an internal source, at the time they made the agreement, there were no plans for a show in the parks, however, they wanted to plan ahead just in case. This is a lot like how Disney World planned ahead for their move to New Orleans as we reported here. There was discussion on where and when Disney would add a Hamilton show to their park. Apparently, that time is now and the place is Fantasmic.
Full details on the new Hamilton show replacing Fantasmic are scarce, however, we know the show will only be 30 minutes. This is far shorter than the Broadway show, which is nearly 3 hours. However, this makes sense. First off, guests don’t need to pay for this show and secondly, it’s replacing a 30-minute show. Disney felt giving guests a condensed version of Hamilton is the best option. Lin-Manuel Miranda will also have an impact on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train with the change to Encanto as we reported here.
What do you think of Fantasmic closing permanently and being replaced by Hamilton? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
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i will not being going back to disney fantastic is my favorite thing there that closing makes me not want to go back how could disney do something like this
You know, proper maintenance could have prevented this. Not just “patch repairs”, but total replacement. Know the lifespan (or cycles of use) of hoses and compressors and such. If something is approaching it’s lifespan, replace it with new. I’m sure all that stuff that made up Malificent Dragon wasn’t meant to last 10 years+ of regular use. You take a shortcut to save money, you end up spending a lot more money, one way or another. Now park visitors are paying the price… Hamilton replacing Fantasmic? Utterly ridiculous! That’s as bad as “Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” repalceing The Country Bear Jamboree! Ugh!