A LOT of entertainment has returned to Disney World, but some of it is still missing!

We’ve seen the return of fireworks shows in some parks, parades, stage shows, theater shows, and more over the past year. But, we still have yet to see the return of some entertainment, like Fantasmic! in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The show has already returned to Disneyland, so what’s the hold up in Disney World? Let’s talk about it!

Status of the Show

Fantasmic! used to be the main nighttime spectacular show in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It featured 50 live performers, extensive sets, cool special effects, music, pyrotechnics, and more.

But, the show hasn’t been happening since before the shutdown for the global pandemic in 2020. Since then, we saw nighttime fireworks return to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, but not Hollywood Studios.

Last year, Disney said that Fantasmic! would be returning to the park in 2022, but didn’t give any indication on when exactly that would be. But, they did tell us some other exciting info about what the show will be like when it returns!

Fantasmic! will return with a new segment of the show that includes new characters, stunt performers, animation, and more. The new show sequence will have Disney characters like Pocahontas, Aladdin, Mulan, Moana, and Elsa. At a Disney media event, it was shared that the Pocahontas scene specifically would be the one receiving the biggest changes and an overhaul.

There will also be new technical enhancements to Fantasmic! We don’t know the official details, but since the show was already pretty impressive when it was last running, we’re excited to see how Disney has taken it one step further.

What’s Been Happening with Construction?

For a while, Fantasmic! just sat empty and still, like almost everything else at Disney World during the shutdown. But, work started happening once the parks reopened.

According to the aerial photos from @bioreconstruct on Twitter, the pool was drained around the stage as work seemed to be happening in early 2021.

Aerial views of Fantasmic, where rain has collected. pic.twitter.com/lPChJkWfVN

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) February 8, 2021

In August of 2021, the ship used for the show was moved.

Aerial look at current work in Fantasmic. Among the recent changes is the ship has been moved. pic.twitter.com/VrTs8U8He2

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) August 22, 2021

In September of 2021, we saw a lot of movement happening as far as construction goes.

Aerial look at the refurbishment of Fantasmic. pic.twitter.com/iGj0XtDxsh

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) September 11, 2021

Work was being done on the show’s dragon in October of 2021.

Aerial look at the Fantasmic dragon during show refurbishment. pic.twitter.com/U2yKBq967H

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) October 15, 2021

In the beginning of January of 2022, the water was still drained from the pool…

Aerial overview of the refurbishment of Fantasmic.

Among the projects is the ship was stripped to frame and rebuilt. pic.twitter.com/d7KYiSB6xt

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) January 9, 2022

…but at the end of January, the pool was filled again!

Aerial look at Fantasmic. Pool recently filled. Seems like the refurbishment is complete. pic.twitter.com/Ez1ZM5I3FK

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) January 30, 2022

The pool was still filled with water in March…

Aerial overview of Fantasmic. Refurbishment seems complete. pic.twitter.com/Qvjzp5HtTk

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) March 2, 2022

…but then in April it was drained once again. A bit confusing, right?

Aerial look at Fantasmic. Drained, except for rain accumulated yesterday.

Arrow at a collection of recently staged trash cans. pic.twitter.com/d1WXcdMP5x

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) April 4, 2022

In May of this year, work seemed to be happening on the lighting for the show.

Aerial look at Fantasmic stadium. Seems like the show lighting is being serviced. pic.twitter.com/TWXOfvI6sL

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) May 8, 2022

And then, back in June, we saw the pool completely filled again.

Aerial look at the refurbishment of Fantasmic. Zoom in and there's trash cans staged at each seating section. Boom lift at left side of the seating is likely for servicing the show lighting. pic.twitter.com/VTj8qUfwEp

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) June 11, 2022

There were also trash cans set up around the arena, making it look like the work was perhaps close to being finished.

Aerial look at the refurbishment of Fantasmic. Zoom in and there's trash cans staged at each seating section. Boom lift at left side of the seating is likely for servicing the show lighting. pic.twitter.com/VTj8qUfwEp

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) June 11, 2022

In August, we got another aerial view of the area, and it continues to look like its nearing the end of refurbishments. 

Aerial photos of the Fantasmic theater. pic.twitter.com/whrIPZnseC

— bioreconstruct (@bioreconstruct) August 6, 2022

But, alas, still no word on when it will open. Come on, Disney, can we just have a hint, please?!

When Will Fantasmic! Open?

So, we know that Disney said Fantasmic! will open in 2022. And, in case you haven’t noticed, 2022 is over halfway over now, so it HAS to be coming back sometime between now and December, right?! Right.

But with Disney, you never really know — things can be pretty unpredictable. They said the Disney Dining Plan would be coming back too, and we still have absolutely no word on when that’s happening.

Remember, Disney will still have to hire or bring back performers for the show, and that takes training and rehearsals before the show can start. It’s not like a regular fireworks show where only the fireworks and technology has to be ready.

But, Disney’s website DOES still say that the show will be returning this year, so we guess we’ll just have to wait and see!

We are a little bit hopeful that the return will be soon since other shows have been returning around the parks, as well as things like character dining and meet and greets.

If you want some kind of nighttime entertainment while you’re in Hollywood Studios, Wonderful World of Animation is happening every night at 9PM right now over at the Chinese Theater.

We’ll keep you updated on what’s happening with the ride, so make sure to stay tuned to DFB for more!

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Which fireworks show is your favorite in Disney World? Tell us in the comments!