One of Disney World’s most popular nighttime shows is finally coming BACK in November!

Fantasmic!, the nighttime spectacular which is offered at both Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will FINALLY return to Disney World on November 3rd after being closed since 2020. (Fantasmic! reopened in Disneyland in May.) And while we’ll once again be able to catch Sorcerer Mickey in the battle of good and evil, not everything will be the same. Find out what’s CHANGING in Fantasmic! right here!

A Totally New Sequence

One of the biggest differences in Fantasmic! will be the addition of a completely new sequence in the show, which will take viewers on a “journey with our heroes,” according to Disney Live Entertainment Show Director Matthew Hamel. The new segment will include new characters, stunt performers, animation, and more.

During this new sequence, Hamel notes that we’ll “go on a journey with our heroes. We see them faced with a decision, and how hard that can be for them, then watch as they find that strength within themselves to push through in a truly spectacular way.”

Viewers will be able to watch an Aladdin scene with brand new stunts, a new scene with Elsa set to the song “Show Yourself” from Frozen 2, and special moments with Moana, Pocahontas, and Mulan. Disney actually brought in Mimi Chan, the original model used by animators for Mulan in the 1998 animated film, to help choreograph authentic Chinese martial arts in Mulan’s new scene.

Disney had previously shared that the Pocahontas scene would be the one receiving the biggest changes and overhaul, so we’re interested to see how the “moments” with Pocahontas have changed and what this new sequence will look like.

According to Disney, Fantasmic! will now include characters from the following Disney movies:

• Moana
• Frozen 2
• Mulan
• Aladdin
• Pocahontas
• Beauty and the Beast
• The Little Mermaid
• The Lion King

We can’t wait to see it in person!

Learn more about Fantasmic! reopening in Hollywood Studios here!

Longer Showtime

Fantasmic! will now have a running time of 29 minutes, which is an increase from the previous showtime of around 25-26 minutes. This is likely due to the new sequence included in the show, but could also be due to other changes.

For a full look at Fantasmic! showtimes, click here! And don’t wait to get your Park Pass Reservation! Park Pass reservations are already filling up for Hollywood Studios for select guests for Fantasmic!’s opening night.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is SELLING OUT for the return of Fantasmic!

New Technology

Fantasmic! debuted in 1998 and there have been many technological developments since that time. Disney has really taken things to the next level and upgraded a number of special effects for the show.

Katrina Mena Rick, Broadcast Creative Producer for Disney Live Entertainment, said, “It was extremely exciting to take advantage of technological enhancements that didn’t originally exist when the show opened in 1998…So, we [worked] with other disciplines such as special effects, lighting, lasers and music to ensure that our visual content was as exactly seamless and as beautiful as it could be.”

Laurice Marier, Disney Live Entertainment Producer, said, “We’ve taken this time to upgrade the lasers, the lighting, the sound, all to bring this show back even more beautiful than it’s ever been.”

We’ve seen some of the new equipment likely for some of the show lighting in aerial views of Fantasmic! construction.

Some of the special effects in Fantasmic! are pyrotechnics, projections, and water effects. We’ll be interested to see just how different things look upon its return. Remember that Fantasmic! takes place in the Hollywood Studios amphitheater that curves around a lagoon, so if you’re sitting in the front rows you might get wet!

See Fantasmic! construction in progress here

Get Ready for Fantasmic! to Come BACK!

So…what now? Well, now you get ready for Fantasmic! to come back. As we mentioned above, the first thing you’ll want to do is grab a Park Pass reservation, as those are already starting to fill up for the opening night.

While you can make a reservation for another park for the morning and Park Hop after 2PM, you might not want to take the chance. If Hollywood Studios hits capacity, Park Hopping may be restricted (though we’ve only really seen parks hit capacity like that on a few occasions recently).

One thing that is returning from previous years is Fantasmic!’s dining packages! These dining packages get you guaranteed seating in a special reserved area of the amphitheater, and you also get an entree and appetizer or dessert at the participating restaurants. You can take a look at the restaurants and prices below:

• 50s Prime Time Cafe — $51 per adult and $22 for children (9 and under)
• Hollywood  & Vine — Breakfast is $54 per adult and $36 per child, while lunch and dinner are $71 per adult and $47 per child
• Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano — $54 per adult and $22 per child
• Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant — $49 per adult and $22 per child
• The Hollywood Brown Derby — $73 per adult and $29 per child

Reservations for dining packages open on October 26th for performances on November 30th and beyond.

Learn more about Fantasmic! dining packages here!

We’re watching closely for Fantasmic! news so make sure you keep checking back for more information.

Are you excited for the return of Fantasmic! Tell us in the comments!