When will Fantasmic reopen at Disneyland?

Fans of Disneyland's Fantasmic have had to put up with a delay for the beloved attraction after a big accident. Now, it looks like the delay is going to be even longer, so when does this wild show return? 

Opening in 1992 by the Rivers of America in Frontierland at Disneyland, Fantasmic has been one of Disney's most popular shows. This terrific mix of music and special effects has a storyline of Mickey in a dream landscape while featuring scores of Disney characters over the years. 

The show has updated itself over time to add in more Disney characters, with the most recent version featuring Moana, among others. It always has the big finale as Mickey faces a fire-breathing dragon Maleficent. 

The show was later adapted to the Hollywood Studios, where it was in its own separate theater. However, in April 2023, an accident occurred in Disneyland, where the dragon caught on fire. Since then, Fantasmic has been shut down with the initial belief it would be back up and running by summer. 

Instead, Disney has announced that the show will be suspended until the spring of 2024. Besides trying to get away from the bad publicity, this will also give them a chance to retool the show. That includes adding a different finale to avoid using the dragon, nicknamed "Murphy" by cast members, although having technical issues over the years. 

"Our goal is to always deliver the best possible show for our guests," a Disneyland spokesperson said. "With that in mind, we are planning the return of 'Fantasmic!' with exciting new magic in spring 2024. As teams continue work on the show, we have launched nightly entertainment on the Rivers of America this summer, and we are working on even more exciting entertainment offerings for our guests later this year."

This is a bit of a blow for guests who enjoyed the spectacle, although Fantasmic still plays in WDW. It appeared that one simple fire was enough to bring down this dragon and the spectacle around it.