During the 10:30pm performance of “Fantasmic!” at Disneyland on Saturday night (April 22), the Maleficent dragon erupted in fire as the audience looked on.
UPDATE (April 23 – 3pm):
Disneyland crews have been sifting through the accident site all day so far, and the remains are still being investigated.
It appears “Fantasmic!” will be cancelled through Thursday, April 27, with showtimes listed for Friday, April 28, 2023. If this changes, we will update this post. Given the enormity of the damage as seen in the photo below, Maleficent will need to be completely rebuilt.
Tom Sawyer Island appears to be closed for today (April 23), as they search the area where the incident happened, but shows regular times beginning on Monday, April 24.
Disneyland has also issued a new statement today about the incident:
“During the final showing of Fantasmic at Disneyland park on Saturday evening, the dragon prop caught fire. Anaheim Fire & Rescue quickly responded and the fire was extinguished. All cast members were safely evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island. Due to smoke and wind, attractions near the island were safely evacuated of any guests, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time. We are temporarily suspending fire effects similar to those used at Disneyland park’s Fantasmic at select shows and entertainment experiences globally out of an abundance of caution following the Fantasmic prop fire at Disneyland park. The continued safety of our cast and guests is of the utmost importance.”
Walt Disney World has also chimed in to say the only impact from the Disneyland fire on its park entertainment will be the temporary suspension of fire effects on the Maleficent float in the Festival of Fantasy Parade at Magic Kingdom, which in the past has also caught on fire. There are no planned temporary changes to “Fantasmic!” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as a result of the incident.
We’ll post more updates as we get them.
What Happened?
Video captured by parkgoers shows the fire first ignited from the dragon’s face before massive flames spread to the rest of its body.
Cast members evacuated the packed crowds out of the waterfront viewing area and nearby attractions in Frontierland for safety, and firefighters arrived shortly after to extinguish the flames.
Most of the show takes place in the mist of the Rivers of America, and the audience watches from the banks around New Orleans Square and Frontierland.
No injuries were reported so far, according to the Anaheim Fire Department, and the extent of the fire’s damage was not immediately known. It’s also not known if tonight’s shows at 9pm and 10:30pm will go on as scheduled.
“Fantasmic!” reopened at Disneyland following the pandemic closure on May 28, 2022.
Official Statement
KTLA5 in Los Angeles reported Disneyland issued the following statement
“During the final showing of Fantasmic at Disneyland park on Saturday evening, the dragon caught fire. Anaheim Fire & Rescue quickly responded and the fire was extinguished. All cast members were evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island. Due to smoke and wind, attractions near the island were safely cleared of any guests, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.”
The Videos
Here are some more of the videos that were posted to social media of the fire:
Kudos to the quick thinking cast members for getting everyone to safety! We’ll update as more details are released.
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