2 Things That Will Be DIFFERENT About Disney's 'Fantasmic!' When It Returns in 2024

It’s official — Fantasmic! will be returning to Disneyland in 2024!

Fantasmic! at Disneyland Resort

You can catch this show currently in Disney World, but after an unexpected fire destroyed the Maleficent dragon animatronic in Disneyland, the show has been indefinitely closed while they revamp the design. Now that it’s been announced the show is returning, remember that these two things will be very different when the show returns.

The Dragon Won’t Be Returning, And Neither Will Some of The Fire

The dragon was destroyed in the fire, and Disney has decided to permanently retire the dragon from the West Coast park’s show. This means that there will be no Maleficient Dragon animatronic in any form when the show returns.

The Maleficent dragon animatronic

However, since it was fire that caused the animatronic’s demise, it’s also fair to assume that there will be much less fire used in the show than before. Especially since said dragon will not be around to breathe the fire.

Did we mention there was LOTS of fire before?

It’s a bummer for sure that we won’t see the dragon return, but what’s most important is the safety of the Cast Members performing in the show and working behind the scenes, and we are looking forward to seeing what Disney comes up with instead!

The Ending Fight Scene Will Be Different

With no Maleficient dragon to battle, Sorcerer Mickey will be finding a new way to complete the battle and close out the show.

Fantasmic! in Disneyland

Now, don’t misunderstand us — the battle at the end of the show is still happening, but we’ll be seeing the two characters battle it out in a different way. One that doesn’t include a massive electronic dragon, at least.

Fantasmic! in Disneyland

Could we see projections? Perhaps a flame-resistant dragon statue, or one that doesn’t move like the Expedition Everest Yeti in his eternal B mode? We don’t know yet, but we’re looking forward to hearing more details soon and seeing it for ourselves next year.