Welcome to
Historia, a new nighttime spectacular only at Disney’s Hollywood Studios! This live show plays on select nights at Sunset Boulevard’s Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, replacing Fantasmic!. Guests join Oswald the Lucky Rabbit as he embarks on a journey across Disney history. Featuring live performers, animatronics, and dazzling special effects, Historia pays tribute to the stories and characters that make Disney what it is while providing a thoroughly exciting experience.
As with other Walt Disney World shows, Historia is compatible with Made with Magic souvenirs that light up, vibrate, and change colors in sync with the show. These include hats in the shape of Oswald’s ears, toy versions of Ludwig Von Drake’s time machine, and Yen Sid’s cap.
The show offers three unique packages for guests who want a little extra magic. The Test Subject package offers VIP seating for the show, to get you closer to the experience than anyone else. The Extra Sweet package gets guests VIP seating as well as a platter of some of the resort’s most popular treats and a drink served in a souvenir mug shaped like Oswald. The Dinner Show package features VIP setting and a meal at a Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ restaurant of the guest’s choice.
The show’s script can be found below.
The show opens on Professor Ludwig Von Drake’s lab. He’s standing in front of a bright yellow car. Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy, Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and Pete are in attendance. Each of the characters is represented by a performer in costume, while the car is a remote controlled machine.
Ludwig: Hello, hello! Thank you for coming! To those who do not know me, I am Professor Ludwig Von Drake! I have invited you all here today to present my newest invention: the Historia!
He motions to the car, visibly confusing his friends.
Goofy: Gawrsh, Professor, that’s a nice car!
The professor shakes his head and waves his hands.
Ludwig: It is not just a car! It is...a time machine!
Everyone gasps except for Oswald, who impatiently taps his foot.
Ludwig: This will allow us to relive our greatest memories! I have invited you all here for its maiden voyage. One of you here will be the first to test it.
They all take a step back.
Ludwig: Besides dummies, of course!
That puts them at ease.
Ludwig: So...any volunteers?
Donald raises his hand and jumps up and down.
Donald: Me, me!
Pete puts his hands on his sides.
Pete: I think it should be me.
Mickey motions towards Oswald.
Mickey: Well, since Oswald started all this, the honor should be his.
Everyone clamors in agreement except Pete, who crosses his arms. Oswald apathetically shrugs.
Oswald: Great, now I can relive all of Mickey’s victories…
Ludwig nods at their decision.
Ludwig: Then Oswald it is! Climb aboard, my boy.
He drags his feet over to the Historia, getting in the driver’s seat. Pete steps aside and talks to the audience.
Pete: With that time machine, I can make it so Mickey the Mouse here never became famous. I can make old Pete the most famous cat around.
Ludwig pats the Historia, which rumbles in return.
Ludwig: Simply input the time and location you would like to visit, and-
Before he can continue, Pete hops in, bumping Oswald into the passenger’s seat.
Pete: Sorry, Professor, but now Pete’s in the driver’s seat!
Before Ludwig can protest, Pete inputs his chosen time and location. In a puff of smoke, the stage goes black. A projection appears over it, showing the setting of
Steamboat Willie. Oswald, Pete, and the Historia have been inserted into it, portrayed in the style of the short.
Oswald: Wait a second, I was supposed to be in-
Oswald looks around and notices that Pete is gone. He puts his feet up on the dash and shrugs.
Oswald: Ah, what do I care? Not my cartoon anyways.
We follow Pete as he steps on board the steamboat. As it leaves port, billows of steam are released above the audience.
Pete: Time for Pete to make his move…
He rubs his hands together and approaches Mickey from behind. We see Mickey whistling “Steamboat Bill” as he steers the ship.
Pete: Bye bye, Mickey.
He laughs as he kicks Mickey overboard mid whistle and takes his place. He starts whistling “Steamboat Bill”, albeit off key, and pilots the ship to Podunk Landing. Minnie steps on board.
Pete: Welcome, my lady.
Pete leans down and kisses Minnie’s hand, causing her to blush and giggle.
Minnie: Oh, Captain!
Back at the Historia, Oswald is fiddling with the controls.
Oswald: How do I make this thing work?
Pete soon arrives, a proud smile on his face.
Pete: Never fear, Pete is here! Let’s make our way back...I have a feeling there’s gonna be some changes.
He laughs raucously, clapping his hands together. Oswald is unfazed.
Oswald: Whatever.
In a puff of smoke, the projection fades and we return to the stage. The facade on stage is now a theme park called Pete Land. The smell of stale popcorn is piped into the amphitheater. At the entrance, a purposefully stiff and janky Pete animatronic welcomes guests inside. Pete steps out of the car and proudly smiles.
Pete: It worked! Now no one remembers a world where Mickey is famous, ‘cept me...and that weird looking rabbit.
He shrugs Oswald off and heads inside Pete Land. Oswald looks around in confusion at the changed present.
Oswald: Pete changed the past so that Mickey was never famous…
Oswald claps in celebration.
Oswald: Yay! Finally, I don’t have to hear anymore about how great that mouse is.
He steps over to the front of one of Pete Land’s stores, where several TVs are playing at once.
Oswald: Let’s celebrate with some cartoons.
Soon, Oswald finds that every TV is playing a cartoon related to Pete. From “Steamboat Pete” to “Pete Pan” to “The Cat King” to “Pete of the Caribbean” to “Pete Hero 6”, nothing is the same.
Oswald: Oh...that’s strange. Well, I can hang out with my friends!
Oswald looks to Minnie, who is on Pete’s arm. He turns to Goofy, who has an uncharacteristically serious expression and is wearing a suit. Becoming distressed, he approaches Donald and Daisy, but they’re too busy fighting to notice him.
Oswald: Everything’s...different.
He walks over to the Historia and sits on the hood sadly.
Oswald: I liked the way things were before. Sure, I wasn’t the most popular, but I had friends. I was happy! I had Mickey! Mickey…
Oswald strokes his chin.
Oswald: That’s it! Mickey! When he was famous, everyone was happy! If I can make Mickey famous again, everything will go back to normal!
He hops in the car, determined to fix the timeline.
Oswald: Alright...here goes nothing!
Oswald takes off as we return to the world of Steamboat Willie. He pulls Mickey out of the river, causing a splash that sets off water jets onto the audience.
Mickey: Thanks, pal!
He grins and nods, heading forward in time to
Fantasia’s “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment. Pete has taken Mickey’s place, the sorcerer’s hat looking comical on his head. He uses some of Yen Sid’s magic, causing bursts of flame to go off in front of the audience.
Pete: Ooh, fire!
Oswald dumps water onto the ground, causing Pete to trip, and frees Mickey from the broom closet he’s stuffed in.
Oswald: Here you go!
A montage shows Oswald fixing the timeline in several different periods, Pete taking the place of the title character in each of them. In
Mary Poppins, Oswald sics penguins on him. In
Mulan, Oswald knocks him off the top of a flagpole. In
Frozen, Oswald pushes him down a snowy hill. He eventually returns to the Historia, clearly exhausted.
Oswald: Here’s hoping that fixes things…
Once Oswald makes the trip back to the present, he finds himself back in Ludwig’s lab. He throws up his hands in celebration.
Oswald: I did it! Things are back to normal!
Everyone except Pete looks at the rabbit with concern.
Ludwig: Oswald, my boy, are you okay?
Pete stomps his foot, the only one of them to remember what happened.
Pete: Darn it! You silly rabbit, you ruined my shot at making it big! Well, I’ve got one more trick up my sleeve…
He gets back in the car, taking him and Oswald back to
Fantasia once more. This time, though, they’re on Bald Mountain.
Oswald: Where are we?
They both hop out, Pete rushing to the summit.
Pete: You might have beat me the first time around, but once Chernabog deals with you, I’ll be free to change time however I want!
Oswald scratches his head.
Oswald: Chernawho?
Suddenly, a low rumbling can be heard and “Night on Bald Mountain” begins to play. Lights on stage reveal a massive Chernabog animatronic, who lets out a roar that releases a huge gust of wind onto the audience.
Pete: That guy!
Oswald steps back slowly, clearly terrified by the monster in front of him. He flaps his wings, pushing the rabbit back. He has to grab onto the Historia to avoid being blown away.
Oswald: I don’t know how I’m gonna fight this thing!
He narrowly dodges Chernabog swiping his claws at him. After taking a few deep breaths, he lights up with a bright idea.
Oswald: I can’t fight him alone! I’m gonna need some help.
Oswald kicks the Historia, much to Pete’s confusion.
Pete: H-Hey! What are you doing?!
Beams of light pour out of the time machine as it malfunctions.
Oswald: Counting on Mickey!
The machine summons a variety of different versions of Mickey from throughout history, including the modern version, the one found in
Steamboat Willie, the one found in
The Band Concert, the one found in
Fantasia, and the one found in
Epic Mickey. All of them fight against Chernabog together, fending off the massive beast.
Pete: No!
Chernabog howls in pain, swatting Pete into the car. Oswald starts the Historia up again, putting every Mickey back where they came from, and returns to the present day.
Pete: Darn...that...rabbit…
Pete clutches his side in pain and hobbles off, everyone else looking baffled. Oswald proudly steps out.
Ludwig: Hey! Where did that dent come from?
Oswald hugs Mickey, much to the mouse’s surprise.
Oswald: Thank you, Mickey. For all the adventures.
Mickey embraces his predecessor.
Mickey: Thank you, buddy. For starting all this.
The other characters cheer and walk off, leaving Ludwig and the Historia. The confused duck turns to the audience.
Ludwig: So, anyone interested in being the second to ride it?
With this, the lights dim and the show ends, an orchestral version of “Steamboat Bill” playing.