Fantasmic Reopening Watch

[CaptainAmerica]

Cast Members aren't guests to be squeezed of more money.

Wanna bet?

 

[JohnD]

Well granted that the park closes at 9, and the show will end closer to 10, most stores will be closing. Also not really true but…

For guests, gift shops will naturally stay open as they depart the park after the show. Routes above Sunset Blvd. to other areas of the park are blocked off. Then to encourage them to leave, entrances to gift shops will be closed while other guests are still inside to make their final purchases. So they are gradually encouraged to leave but not before a last minute chance to buy stuff.

 

[JohnD]

In the before times, I have found there to be little rhyme or reason to where you were directed out after a show that ended after the park closed. Some times, we would come out right by Tower, but other times we'd get routed behind Beauty and the Beast, down a backstage path, and then pop out right by the front entrance. Really seemed to be rather random.

I think it depends on where you were sitting. If on the left (facing the stage), you would come out by BATB. If on the right, still onto Sunset Blvd. but closer to Hollywood Blvd.

 

[gerarar]

Last night, guests from the first show were directed to the bypass that dumps near the park entrance. Second show only dumped guests onto Sunset Boulevard I think.

 

[DCBaker]

Last night, guests from the first show were directed to the bypass that dumps near the park entrance. Second show only dumped guests onto Sunset Boulevard I think.

There was a fair amount of people from the first show that exited onto Sunset through the line of people waiting for the second show.

 

[brb1006]

I was wondering that too. They changed one little part of his ("Hey, what's going on? Uh oh") to "can I get a little help here?" or something like that. The rest is exactly the same. I think Brett Iwan does a fine job but nothing can top Wayne Allwine's Mickey. I really wish they hadn't swapped out his dialog seeing as how it didn't really change and everything else in the show is still exactly the same musically and spoken.

They kept Wayne's Mickey scream after he encounters Maleficent for some reason.

 

[zulemara]

I just don't get the hype for this show. And I really don't understand the queue getting all the way to the gates. I mean, it is a really old show with something like 4 minutes of new stuff. And when I say new stuff, I mean Frozen and Moana (is it Pocahontas too?) which are all old IPs. People are out there waiting three hours... this fandom is crazy.

As I said, the fans are clamoring for a night show that doesn’t suck. Fantasmic is the only night show left from pre-pandemic. I would drop everything in a heart beat to go see it if I was offered a free ticket.

 

[Father Robinson]

They kept Wayne's Mkckey scream after he encounters Maleficent for some reason.

Like I said, I think it's silly that they redubbed it in the first place. It's 99.9999% the same script right down to the tone and inflection in the delivery.

 

[MagicHappens1971]

Like I said, I think it's silly that they redubbed it in the first place. It's 99.9999% the same script right down to the tone and inflection in the delivery.

Probably so that if they want to make small changes in the next few years, they can just plug in new lines rather than having to worry about re-dubbing it another time. The show was down for 2 years, it makes plenty of sense that they re-dubbed it since their is a new voice actor for MIckey.

 

[TheEPCOTHistorian]

My only thought last night after the show was that Illuminations would have survived if given this brand of TLC. Sad to think, but I'm glad this show was spared.

 

[WondersOfLife]

Just watched it... Yea the new scenes dont really add anything to the story. In fact, they don't make any sense. They're not bad, and most don't care... But man, you'd think they'd be able to ADD to the STORY. Make it make sense as to why they're there.

Overall though, same show. The BIGGEST upgrade is the lighting. Whoever they got to re-design all of the lighting did a PHENOMENAL job!!! Bravo! DRASTIC improvement!

 

[WondersOfLife]

My only thought last night after the show was that Illuminations would have survived if given this brand of TLC. Sad to think, but I'm glad this show was spared.

ANYthing can "survive" if they got this kind of TLC.

Imagine how cool something as simple as Carousel of Progress would be if every animatronic was a brand spanking new multi million dollar AA.

 

[TheEPCOTHistorian]

ANYthing can "survive" if they got this kind of TLC.

Imagine how cool something as simple as Carousel of Progress would be if every animatronic was a brand spanking new multi million dollar AA.

Its just so weird to see what they feel is deserving of that kind of love. I almost certainly felt it wouldn't be this.

 

[Touchdown]

Its just so weird to see what they feel is deserving of that kind of love. I almost certainly felt it wouldn't be this.

This show single-handedly keeps people in DHS, sells out dining packages and supports a dessert party. Upgrading it was a no brainer for the company and very easy to justify the cost.

 

[Disney Analyst]

Just watched it... Yea the new scenes dont really add anything to the story. In fact, they don't make any sense. They're not bad, and most don't care... But man, you'd think they'd be able to ADD to the STORY. Make it make sense as to why they're there.

Overall though, same show. The BIGGEST upgrade is the lighting. Whoever they got to re-design all of the lighting did a PHENOMENAL job!!! Bravo! DRASTIC improvement!

I mean, this specific scene in any iteration has never really added to the story. Whether Pan Segment, Pirates Segment, or Pocahontas Segment. It was always just another part of Mickey's dream, and was always meant to be fun, live action sequence.

I'd say Mickey asking for help very specifically in this version does tie it in further, as he needs a hero to assist him. Perhaps they could have tied it in further if each segment helped Mickey more clearly in some way.

But I'd still argue this is an improvement over the Pocahontas scene, although I'd like there to be more performers in the Mulan sequence, and Aladdin sequence.

 

[Animaniac93-98]

Pocahontas was released to theaters in 1995 and video in 1996, so it was very much in recent memory when the WDW show was in development. In hindsight, Hercules or Mulan would have made more sense for an action scene, but I always appreciated the weirdness of doing Pocahontas instead of Peter Pan like Disneyland, or almost any other Disney movie.

 

[Skywise]

This feels like a missed opportunity here - The show is about Mickey's dreams of Disney and how the Heroes of Disney fight the Villains of Disney. Not unlike the theme of Wishes.

You don't need a PLOT per se as it's really a set piece to show off IP (which at the time was Hunchback, Pocahontas and Hercules which is why they were so prominent) with a general trend of good vs evil and evil winning out before Mickey pulls the rug out from under 'em.

Like Walt's original vision of Fantasia they could rotate out the IP on the video segments for the latest villains and heroes at very little cost. I also think they could change up the live action segments randomly with the heroes/villains shown before the segments.

Ah well...

 

[jrhwdw]

Any line reports today?

 

[DisneyfanMA]

How was the line tonight? Trying to guage my strategy for Monday. 630pm too late to line up? I don't want to forgo any longer than that I don't think.

 

[ToTBellHop]

I mean, this specific scene in any iteration has never really added to the story. Whether Pan Segment, Pirates Segment, or Pocahontas Segment. It was always just another part of Mickey's dream, and was always meant to be fun, live action sequence.

I'd say Mickey asking for help very specifically in this version does tie it in further, as he needs a hero to assist him. Perhaps they could have tied it in further if each segment helped Mickey more clearly in some way.

But I'd still argue this is an improvement over the Pocahontas scene, although I'd like there to be more performers in the Mulan sequence, and Aladdin sequence.

I think there reaches a point where they are being condescending, and if Mickey had to personally thank each hero for their help, it would feel like an episode of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I think it’s okay that they left a bit to us to fill in. It’s probably the clearest narrative of any WDW nighttime spectacular (its main competition being RoE, but portions flew over many heads and yet they didn’t feel a need to pause the narrative and say, “now class. Let’s talk about what we’ve just seen.”