Fantasmic! Technical Problems Confirm Need for Refurbishment

If you haven't had the opportunity to see Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios, you're missing one of the most unique experiences the Disney Parks have to offer. Although it's often a test in endurance just to get to see the show (we've waited through rain on more than one occasion, only to have the show cancelled), and guests are encouraged to be in their seats an hour before the show begins (which is great fun with wiggly children!), the show does not disappoint! Well...it usually doesn't disappoint. Except for sometimes it does.

See, one of the most memorable things about Fantasmic! is the enormous scale of the production. You have actors down low on the ground platform, with others waaaaay up high on the mountain top, while still others are paddling or riding in boats on the water in front of the mountain stage area. There are also some pretty ginormous (yep, I'm pretty sure that's a real word) characters in the show too--a snake that has alarmed its share of tots, as well as a Maleficent-inspired dragon that nearly fills the the entire stage area. It's a big scale show with pyrotechnics to boot...and when something is missing, the show just doesn't quite work.

While we've never personally witnessed a Fantasmic! FAIL, friends of ours witnessed a major dragon malfunction. (They weren't too upset, though, because they were a little concerned about how their children would react to it in all its glory.) But as of this weekend, "technical problems," have forced Fantasmic! to rework the dramatic finale in which Sorcerer Mickey appears on top of the mountain and shoots fireworks from his sleeves. This sequence has been replaced by a traditional Mickey at the bottom of the mountain doing the same motions. Not exactly the "WOW" moment that guests are accustomed to seeing.

But, have no fear! Disney is planning a much-needed refurbishment of Fantasmic! for early 2012 (Jan. 9 through Feb. 12). Let's hope this will be enough to get the kinks out of the system and tackle all the technical problems troubling the attraction.