MGM studios maleficent dragon?

ProjectXBlog

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
i was reading an old old article by jim hill (i know...) and he mentioned an interesting fact: apparently there was a giant inflatable maleficent dragon on the backlot tour during the first few weeks of MGM studios' operation. something to do with WDI planning an early concept for "fantasmic" that never went through. does anyone have any memories of this - or better yet, pics? i've scoured google and can't find any evidence this even existed outside of hill's website, which makes me very very skeptical
 

FettFan

Well-Known Member
Was it the original, "Megasaurus" dragon from Fantasmic? The thing definitely LOOKED inflatable once it took the stage.
CRW_0642a.JPG


428.jpg
 

marni1971

Park History nut
Premium Member
The original DL plan was an for an inflatable to appear over the castle before the show was moved to the river. I doubt it was ever built.

WDWs, like the Anaheim original, was always an articulated solid head on a projecting neck.
 

OliveMcFly

Well-Known Member
It used to good awesome for the 90's and early 2000's. But once a new version of the dragon came out in 2009 at Disneyland. It now looks cheesy and cheap.
OMG, She looks awesome in DL! DHS is very sad looking, you should see it in the daytime. I was shocked.
 

OliveMcFly

Well-Known Member
Technically daytime is not seeing it under show conditions.

You'd be shocked in the Haunted Mansion too with work lights on.
I've always wanted to do that. I've been on Coaster with the lights on and I've been in every show area of Tower but Mansion would be great to see!
 
Please, Disney, when you announce your DHS revamp plans, please include a Fantasmic! show renovation as part of it. With some updates to the effects and a new dragon...I also wouldn't mind it if they dumped the Disney Renaissance version of the show and switched everything over to fit Disneyland's somehow... Minus the pirate ship. The mountain could be Skull Rock for a Pan scene? :/
 

brb1006

Well-Known Member
Please, Disney, when you announce your DHS revamp plans, please include a Fantasmic! show renovation as part of it. With some updates to the effects and a new dragon...I also wouldn't mind it if they dumped the Disney Renaissance version of the show and switched everything over to fit Disneyland's somehow... Minus the pirate ship. The mountain could be Skull Rock for a Pan scene? :/
I hope they update the water screens to, since they are difficult to see from different angels depending on where you sit at.
 

Disneysea05

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
Yes
It always bugged me how this version has so many villains to the point where none of them really add any real substance to the show. They all just have one liners, some of which are so clunky.

California and Tokyo only have 4 villains but Ursula's segment has much more to it then the villain clips.

Oh, and yes, the Disneyland dragon would do wonders for the Florida version. Make an even better dragon for WDW even!
 

ViperPitsFilly

New Member
Now that you mention it, on a disney fail blog and on a disneyland vs disney world website, they include images of a dragon maleficent that was supposedly for the trailers. However, even if the images are blurry, by the lighting of the images you can tell it's a soft material
Dragonfail2.png
image_summernightastic_screenshots08.jpg
image_summernightastic_screenshots07.jpg
 
Last edited:

Register on WDWMAGIC. This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.

Back
Top Bottom