Fantasmic! 2.0 Rumors, Speculation, Announcments

Travel Junkie

Well-Known Member
Do they love Fantasmic circa 1998 or do they tolerate it?

I do think the DLR AP base does a good job holding feet to the fire with park updates.

I think most don't know any better. After seeing it at DHS for the first time after seeing it a lot at DL, a lot of the comments I heard leaving the theater were in upmost praise of it. I found it to be a huge let down not knowing they two shows were different. Wearing my Disneyland attire led to a few conversations and no one I spoke to had ever seen of the DL show. Most didn't know there was even a DL version.
 

Emmanuel

Well-Known Member
I think most don't know any better. After seeing it at DHS for the first time after seeing it a lot at DL, a lot of the comments I heard leaving the theater were in upmost praise of it. I found it to be a huge let down not knowing they two shows were different. Wearing my Disneyland attire led to a few conversations and no one I spoke to had ever seen of the DL show. Most didn't know there was even a DL version.

Wonder how they must feel when they look up the DL version on Youtube.
 
D

Deleted member 107043

I do think the DLR AP base does a good job holding feet to the fire with park updates.

They do for sure, but they can be equally as stuck on nostalgia as WDW fans. Look no further than the crowds that the MSEP is drawing at DL right now.
 

VJ

Well-Known Member
I think it's a pretty safe bet that Bruce Healey will be returning to score, considering he's basically the "executive producer" (analogy, not his actual title) of music for the Disneyland Resort and I'm sure the original score is very dear to his heart as it is to many of ours. Maybe wishful thinking, but I have faith (and trust, and pixie dust). I've also heard (I think it was said by @Old Mouseketeer ?) that Disneyland is aiming for a July 4 premiere date.

I do think that Disney is being a bit too greedy on releasing info.. Honestly, Fant! 2.0 is the one thing I've been looking forward to for 2017 at Disneyland since the show closed last January. Incredibly excited to see what's up their sleeves 25 years after the original show changed the way we see nighttime entertainment forever.
 

HMF

Well-Known Member
They do for sure, but they can be equally as stuck on nostalgia as WDW fans. Look no further than the crowds that the MSEP is drawing at DL right now.
Is there anything really wrong with nostalgia? Hell, the theme of Main Street is Walt's nostalgia for his hometown as a boy. Never mind the fact MSEP had a charm to it that PTN does not in my opinion and to be honest the more I hear about this new Fantasmic! the less I like it.
 

LukaLand

Active Member
I think most don't know any better. After seeing it at DHS for the first time after seeing it a lot at DL, a lot of the comments I heard leaving the theater were in upmost praise of it. I found it to be a huge let down not knowing they two shows were different. Wearing my Disneyland attire led to a few conversations and no one I spoke to had ever seen of the DL show. Most didn't know there was even a DL version.

Went to Epcot in 2015 wearing DLR attire and struck up a random conversation in a line with some WDW APs. They had been out to DLR recently and couldn't stop raving about our shows. WOC mainly, but they liked our F! better, too.
 

RMichael21

Well-Known Member
Dang, it looks like I'll be there June 26th. Any chance for soft-openings or dress-rehearsals, or is the current schedule too tight?
 

Emmanuel

Well-Known Member
Dang, it looks like I'll be there June 26th. Any chance for soft-openings or dress-rehearsals, or is the current schedule too tight?

Too early to say right now but they did file a permit with the city for a programming trailer for the show that'll be there from March 1st to June 20th. So likely after June 20th is anyones best guess right now until they officially announce the reopening date. Any previews though might be limited to Cast Members and media (and possibly APs, contest, special premiere night) only since thats usually the case with entertainment offerings before their scheduled opening dates.
 
D

Deleted member 107043

Is there anything really wrong with nostalgia?

When Disney relies on it as a way to shore up attendance and guest spending.without actually doing anything new. Maybe I'm too cynical, but the repeated hyped up celebrations and banking on nostalgia with merchandise and other gimmicks, like the return of a 40 year old parade which they said was "going away forever", is kind of lame to me. People seem to love the practice so what do I know?
 

HMF

Well-Known Member
When Disney relies on it as a way to shore up attendance and guest spending.without actually doing anything new. Maybe I'm too cynical, but the repeated hyped up celebrations and banking on nostalgia with merchandise and other gimmicks, like the return of a 40 year old parade which they said was "going away forever", is kind of lame to me. People seem to love the practice so what do I know?
I understand the frustration with Disney resting on their laurels especially considering the state of WDW. That being said If the new thing isn't as good as the old thing, I will take the old thing any day. Never mind the fact that bringing back MSEP was pretty much to placate fans upset about Tower of Terror.
 

SuddenStorm

Well-Known Member
and to be honest the more I hear about this new Fantasmic! the less I like it.

Disney struck gold with the original Fantasmic!- gold that they have been unable to replicate since in later iterations of the show. In '98, when they brought the show to WDW, Eisner wanted newer characters, and more characters. That's part of the problem with the show, and I'm worried that the same thing is happening here. Change for the sake of being something "new" isn't something I agree with, and I worry these changes are gonna be worse than shoehorning Sparrow into the PotC ride.

I see no reason why they couldn't keep the current soundtrack and utilize the new projection technology into the current show- a show that they know is good, and keep it good. It's been popular for 25 years, and was showing no signs of being less so. I consider the DL Fantasmic to be as much a "classic" as any of the classic Disney animation, and Disney messing with it is playing a VERY dangerous game.
 
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HMF

Well-Known Member
I see no reason why they couldn't keep the current soundtrack and utilize the new projection technology into the current show- a show that they know is good, and keep it good. It's been popular for 25 years, and was showing no signs of being less so. I consider the DL Fantasmic to be as much a "classic" as any of the classic Disney animation, and Disney messing with it is playing a VERY dangerous game.
A game they have been playing far too much recently.
 

Figments Friend

Well-Known Member
I was never a fan of 'Fantasmic' until i saw the Disneyland version for the first time in person.
WOW what a huge, huge difference to what i had already been far too familiar with!

The 'Fantasmic' i always knew was the version being run at D-MGM/DHS over the years and it never really 'wowed' me.
It always seemed like something was 'missing' to me...and i felt it was way over hyped within WDW's marketing materials.

The video projections on water mists did not really do much for me, as in my eyes i just saw yet more 'television screens' being passed off as 'entertainment' in yet another form.
There was far too much encroachment of 'screenz' in the Attractions ....and now the 'live nightime spectacular' is ..guess what...more 'screens'....!

The live performance segments i enjoyed, but there seemed to be too few.
Maleficent in her dragon form i saw as a missed opportunity to do something better, and i always wondered why they never did considering DHS has a purpose-built Show facility just for 'Fantasmic'.
But no....it was the original 'head on a stick'.
Meh.
The last few years i visited WDW i skipped it and headed elsewhere for the evening.

My fandom for the Show changed dramatically once i saw Disneyland's production when i was finally able to get out to California.
For years i had been reading in various magazines ( pre-internet, mind you...) about the incredible Maleficent dragon in their Show and the different segments.
After having such a lukewarm enthusiasm for WDW's version, i made myself muster up some excitement and make it a point to see Disneyland's version.
Such a huge improvement!

Although i'm still not a big fan of projections-on-water-mists...( zzzz..) i LOVE all the live staged elements.
Using BOTH the Mark Twain and Columbia is a real plus, and of course i love love love that awesome dragon !
'Murphy' is absolutely bad-rear !

So now i consider myself a fan of 'Fantasmic'...never thought i would be, but Disneyland's superior version is nothing short of it's description when seen in person - a 'nighttime spectacular'.

:)

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