Fantasmic! 2.0 Rumors, Speculation, Announcments

D

Deleted member 107043

I read the article and was underwhelmed by the lack of any meaningful changes to the structure of the show. Switching out Snow White for a different Princess and some digital projections on the Columbia isn't exactly earth shattering news.

Oh, and two exclamation marks on the title to signify that this will be show version 2? o_O
 

Practical Pig

Well-Known Member
I read the article and was underwhelmed by the lack of any meaningful changes to the structure of the show. Switching out Snow White for a different Princess and some digital projections on the Columbia isn't exactly earth shattering news.

Oh, and two exclamation marks on the title to signify that this will be show version 2? o_O

I think they're afraid of changing the show too radically for the rabid, I mean passionate, fanbase to accept.

On the renaming, and just for fun, Fantasmic! ran for 24 years. Let's round that to 25 and pretend that this will be consistent with future renewals. If Fantasmic is still around a century from now, will it be Fantasmic!!!!!!?
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
I'd bet money that the new princess is Rapunzel, with I See The Light thrown into the medley. This means that whole scene will have to be re recorded (and I'm hoping they don't just splice together the theatrical editions of Beauty and the Beast, Part of Your World, and I See the Light)

From the article:

New digital mapping projectors have been installed for the show. While they work great on fixed objects and help make the show feel more magical, the Fantasmic team is having a great deal of trouble getting them to work on moving objects. Most notably, the attempt to project onto the Columbia and onto moving actors on the ship to make them look like skeletons is not working out. For this effect to work, the ship must be in exactly the right spot at the right time and all actors must hit their marks perfectly without fail every time.
I'm not surprised they're having trouble making the moving projections work.

And whoever thought of having the show be renamed "Fantasmic!!" should not be put in charge of show naming.

But far and away the most alarming change stated is:

Much of the musical score also seems to have been updated. While the music is familiar, the show now has much more of a pop beat to it.
I HATE when Disney tries to turn their classic Disney material into pop music. The only time I think this actually worked was PTN- and even that took some getting used to.

So far, the only changes I've heard about that I think are good are the higher quality projections for the water screens, the added use of projection mapping (though I don't agree with replacing Pan with PotC), and the new paint job on the island.
 

oceanbreeze77

Well-Known Member
Today's Mice Chat update has some rumored info on the new Fantasmic! They say, among other things, that the show will be (slightly) re-named to Fantasmic!! with two exclamation points to stand for Fantasmic 2.0, that they are have great difficulty in getting the digital mapping to work on the moving Columbia and performers in the new POTC sequence, and that in the princess segment, Snow White is being replaced by a "top secret" princess. Hmm. Do I feel a chill?
its supposedly punzie
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
The article says that The Lion King is replacing Kaa- but that the show is still going to transition into the traditional monkey scene everyone loves?

Kaa and the monkeys are the same scene.
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
What I wanna know is, what if the new show flops? What if the overall reception is poor, technically they aren't able to work out the kinks, and the new show just isn't able to live up to the original?

Does Disney change the show back? Do they leave it the same? Do they alter it further?

The best case scenario is the new show is better in every way and we can all be happy with what we get. But Fantasmic! (one exclamation point) is a very tough show to beat.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
I don't want to toot my own horn here, but I will. *notice the exclamation points that were written this way purposely before today's MiceChat article*

No, no, toot away. That's great! I will start scrutinizing your use of punctuation more carefully here. :)

All these changes sound really good. I don't mind updating the soundtrack one bit; it's not as if the original was a Mahler masterpiece or anything, it was just circa 1990 theme park water show goodness. It could stand an update into this century.

I read an article years ago that said Fantasmic! was originally supposed to just last three years, and then they'd maybe redo it or swap it out for a new night parade or something. It was designed to run from Fiscal year 1992 to Fiscal Year 1995. It was a bigger hit than they thought, so it stuck around for decades. Kind of like the Electrical Parade. It also helped Fantasmic!'s cause that by 1995 Eisner was mandating big budget cuts across the division, and Paul Pressler had arrived and was trying to outdo Eisner's budget cuts even more to make a name for himself, so there was no rush to change up the 1992 original show. That budget trend from the 1990's didn't end well for Disneyland or Paul Pressler, but that's another story.

So I have no problem with updating the show 25 years later, tweaking the music and characters used, introducing new plot twists, adding new tech that you couldn't have dreamed of back in 1991, etc., etc.
 
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jrhwdw

Well-Known Member
Thats the last weekend of MSEP. I would imagine most definitely not. Unless they want another may 22, 2015 on their hands.
F! did open on a MSEP and Fantasy In The Sky weekend back in 1992. I wasn't there so IDK how DL handled it and if it was also the first weekend of the year for MSEP and Fantasy.

As for a more Pop feel in F!!: PLEASE don't go overboard!!! TDS's F! is Pop enough! If that's even Pop!
 

Nland316

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
One of the things I've always admired about Fantasmic(!), is the simplicity in it's delicate story that I find to be lacking in newer shows Disney has created. We have a heroine, Mickey Mouse, battle against the villains of characters from their own respected movies. You have Snow White: The Evil Queen, Ariel: Ursula, Peter Pan: Captain Hook, Pinocchio: Monstro, amongst others. I have read that Aurora was supposed to originally be part of the Princess Medley instead of Belle (further adding credibility to my argument since Maleficent, her main antagonist, is also a threat in the show) but was replaced due to BatB's upcoming theater release. I'm nervous that by adding too many different characters for the sake of technology and "newness" they are taking a big gamble in messing with what gives Fantasmic it's own charm. I'd take charm over newness and modernizing any day. I realize people working on this show have an equal love for it as well, but there is a huge risk factor in changing so much content. Not that I'm opposed, but I hope they don't deteriorate those special storylines, transitions, and musical medleys that really harken to people's emotions.
 

Practical Pig

Well-Known Member
So I have no problem with updating the show 25 years later, tweaking the music and characters used, introducing new plot twists, adding new tech that you couldn't have dreamed of back in 1991, etc., etc.

Mostly agreed. My main reservation in what I've read so far concerns the pop music reference. That could mean many things, and most of those don't raise my hackles. But after my several visits during the 60th celebration, where I often felt that my senses were overwhelmed at night by the sheer volume, and amped-out base of the pop music party atmosphere blasted at me in so many places, I'm a little leery. I admit that my hearing is very sensitive to loud volumes, and I have often had to leave audio performances that others have no trouble with.

I have some trust that Disney won't be turning Fantasmic!! into a similar sonic assault, but until we can experience it, I'll withhold judgement. And I have learned to bring ear plugs on my visits.
 

TP2000

Well-Known Member
I have some trust that Disney won't be turning Fantasmic!! into a similar sonic assault, but until we can experience it, I'll withhold judgement. And I have learned to bring ear plugs on my visits.

The very loud audio levels bug me too. In many cases it seems that they are just dialing it up so loud because someone convinced TDA to invest in expensive speaker equipment, and they dial it up loud because they can.

As for using contemporary pop music riffs or styles, I'm fine with it. On festive occasions, and after two cocktails, I have been known to do a mean Mashed Potato and can Twist until last call. I'm all for them incorporating a bit of the latest rock n' roll into the park, just as Walt did in the late 1950's when rock n' roll was still being banned at many school dances and public events.
 
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