Fantasmic!
Stage performances are a big part of the Disney experience. One of the most impressive is Fantasmic! in Hollywood Studios. This show involves a dream-turned-nightmare of the magician’s apprentice Mickey. It is shown intermittently throughout the week, and since space is limited (the amphitheater is huge, but it’s a popular attraction) a line forms well before showtime, quickly making its way down the street. It is quite the display, featuring an array of fireworks and lasers, as well as many familiar Disney characters. The Little Mermaid and Eric, Belle and the Beast, and Cinderella and the Prince all have their own floats that drift around the main stage during the performance.
Other characters wind up making guest appearances through clips from their various Disney movies. This is one of the most intriguing parts of the show, because the clips are viewed on water. Three fountains, angled for the different sections of the amphitheater, create screens of water that the movie clips are then projected onto. The constantly changing screen creates a dynamic and intriguing experience, making it unlike any movie you’ve ever experienced. The climax has Mickey dueling a giant, red dragon to defeat the Disney villains and their evil plot. This is quite an impressive pyrotechnic battle, during which part of the lake is set ablaze by the dragon’s breath.
Finally, the show ends with the entire Disney cast riding out on the steamboat from the original Steamboat Willy cartoon, a nice homage to Mickey’s humble beginnings. Then, the true challenge begins: getting out. With thousands of people all trying to get out of one opening at the same time, a bottleneck quickly forms, and if you are caught in the back you can easily wait 15 minutes before you can get out. Since the show lets out after the park has already closed, there is also a stampede to the bus stops and ferry landing, which can mean even more waiting if your slow. Sadly, my family tends toward the slow side, and since we sat on the opposite side of the theater from the exit, it was a long trip back to the Yacht Club.
