Show Hollywood Studios Fantasmic

The term “Disney movie” may sound like a boring cliché, but it’s actually pretty accurate! Almost every major studio has at least one blockbuster film that fits this description. A few even have several such films in their collection.

With the rise of big-budget movies with huge marketing campaigns behind them, many people now recognize the name brands associated with each studio. For example, you can tell how much money was spent promoting Harry Potter and Star Wars movies, so they are very popular.

These types of movies usually feature large, well known characters who get significant screen time. Their stories often emphasize moral lessons or messages, making them quite impactful.

Some examples of this include: Indiana Jones telling his son about life, Spiderman teaching students about bravery, and Curious George explaining why animals need to be protected.

In fact, some studios use these themes and concepts more extensively than others. For instance, Pixar uses storytelling as a way to teach important life lessons, while Disney typically features classic fairy tales and settings.

Overall, these types of movies are powerful because they appeal to our sense of imagination. They ask us to envision ourselves in someone else’s shoes, which is difficult sometimes. This makes them good sources of inspiration and learning, however you choose to apply them.

Fantasmic is an excellent choice for entertainment during the summer season.

New characters in Fantasmic

In recent years, one of the main features of Disney’s “Epic Movie Night” is its ever-changing cast. Since it was first conceived back in 2010 as an all-night movie event at Downtown Disney Resort, there have been over 50 different actors who have taken to the stage to narrate the show!

At times, there will be three or four new faces per scene, with some taking longer than others to become familiar. This can sometimes lead to confusion for audience members since they may not know which character is next!

This isn’t too much of a problem when the actor stays in place but it becomes more noticeable when a new character enters the screen. Thankfully, technology has advanced to help solve this issue!

Disney recently launched a way for guests to virtually meet their favorite theme park and movie characters via their MomsieApps mobile app.

Popular songs in Fantasmic

Many people seem to enjoy listening to popular music while they are doing things, whether it is working out or watching TV shows. So why not use this opportunity to add some additional fun to Disney’s famous nighttime show - Fantasmic!

You can easily find most of these songs anywhere you look on YouTube. Some even have their own fan clubs that coordinate meet-ups at places like Disneyland to watch the song together.

Many of these songs also have soundtracks which are available for sale as well.

History of Fantasmic

While many Disney parks have some sort of nighttime spectacular, it is not until The Haunted Mansion that we truly get to see how long running immersive experiences really work. In fact, when The Haunted Mansion first opened in 2003, there was no show!

It was just an attraction where you ride around in a boat while monsters chase you. It was pretty scary, but nothing more than that. However, as time passed, the show began to develop and include scenes and characters from various attractions at Walt Disney World. This way, guests are able to connect what they experience outside the show with what happens inside.

Since then, every year during Halloween season, Mickey Mouse takes part in his own spooky adventure through the haunted mansion. He even gets into some ghostly fights! When spring break comes around, kids love it because they can go during non-Halloween months and still enjoy the show.

This show has become one of the most popular at Magic Kingdom and people all over talk about it constantly. Since it is now such a well known element of the park, other parts of the themeing community pick up on it and use it for their shows.

Different themes

While some may think that watching Fantasmic is just about spotting famous people, it actually has several different themes or stories. Some are more political, others romantic, and there are even ones with superheroes in them!

The story of the show’s beginning comes from Walt Disney himself. When he was working at RCA Victor as an animator, he would do late night research sessions into various myths and legends.

He would then take what he learned and create his own versions of these tales in animation form. These new creations were then integrated into the soundtrack-focused music video for “Be Prepared” which later became part of the Disneyland theme park attraction The Jungle Cruise.

This initial concept eventually led to the creation of Fantasmic!, a nighttime spectacular featuring scenes inspired by these myth and legend settings. Since then, it has become one of the most popular attractions at the Magic Kingdom, along with It’s A Small World Day And Night!

You can read all about the history of Fantasmic! here, but the important thing to know is that it doesn’t really tell its full tale until around the middle of the second act when everything gets put together.

New costumes

While many of you may have noticed that some characters in the show do not seem to be wearing as much clothing as they did before, it is because they are now in more elaborate new costumed scenes or dances!

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests can enjoy watching all-new performances of the Studio's classic shows like Beauty and The Beast and The Jungle Book. These reenactments feature newly designed outfits for each character!

These new designs look spectacularly authentic and fit their respective roles very well. It is clear that a lot of work went into creating them.

Beauty and The Beast
The retelling features Belle (known in this version as Beatrice) in a long dress with an attached cape. She wears white tights under the dress and has black thigh high boots to go along with her design.

Belle uses her intelligence and wit to convince the overly protective Gaston to let himself be kissed by his favorite person. This scene takes place during the fireworks display at the park.

The Jungle Book
Mowgli (Bagheera) and Kaa (Lion) dance together during the finale performance. Their costume design includes patterned leggings, knee length fur coats, and jeweled headdresses. Mowgli also sports furry shoes and earrings matching those of Kaa.

Both dancers use their power and strength effectively to win the battle against one another.

New props

In an effort to keep things interesting, Disney has some new fantastical decorations for you to behold while watching their fireworks show! Some of these new additions are very specific to certain years or versions of the show, so make sure to check out what they add each year to see all of them.

For example, in 2017, they added floating cacti! These were placed at random locations throughout the water display and trickled down into more surreal scenes as it floated away. It was incredible to watch and experience firsthand!

Another cool addition that we have seen several times now is something called “water lanterns”. These look like large paper cups with small holes poked onto the top. As the show progresses, lights shine through the holes creating beautiful patterns and shapes.

Popular attractions at the parks

Having seen both Disneyland’s and Universal Orlando’s versions of Fantasmic, I can say with confidence that they are some of the best nighttime entertainment experiences in America.

Not only do they dazzle with incredible special effects and immersive storytelling, but they also offer some really cool things like interactive elements and applications for guests to enjoy.

At Disney’s Magic Kingdom, for example, you will find characters interacting with audience members, and many show events feature little trinkets or souvenirs that people can pick up and take home.

And while it may sound crazy, there have been instances where cast members from the show got into costume and joined their favorite fans for an extended amount of time! It’s totally possible to connect with other people who love the same movie, TV show, or theme park attraction as you.

That’s what makes this experience so powerful - if not life altering! - for your soul.

The show is amazing

This past summer, as you probably know by now, Disney’s Hollywood Studios closed for an extensive refurb that will last well into next year. During this time, however, the park was still open every night for guests to enjoy their stay!

One of our favorite parts about staying at Walt Disney World during these times is experiencing some form of nighttime entertainment. Whether it be Magic Kingdom’s Electrical Parade or Animal Kingdom’s Oasis in the Jungle, both are spectacular experiences.

But what if we asked you to choose one? Which would win - the jungle-themed spectacle with water effects and pyrotechnics, or perhaps the parade celebrating technology and innovation? We bet you’d pick the latter, right?!

Well, good news! You get to make such a choice because… why not bring back the original name of “Fantasmic!” And while you’re doing that, let’s add some more hyphens so it reads like the best fireworks show ever! (The way it should be said, naturally.)

We all have our own personal favorites when it comes to Fantasmic!, but there’s always room for one more.