Maleficent burned down in 2023 and never came back. The pyro has gone missing on and off, six of 21 fountains were dead in August, and the premium dining package is still full price.
Fantasmic is still one of the best things Disneyland does. It is also running with a lot of pieces missing, and Disney has not adjusted what it charges people to watch it.
The Maleficent dragon has been gone since a fire destroyed it in April 2023. A replacement has reportedly been in the works for a while, and a full show refurbishment was shelved in favor of other projects.
Meanwhile the dining packages are on sale at full price.
How much do Fantasmic dining packages cost at Disneyland?
Four options, and the top one is not cheap.
River Belle Terrace runs a premium package at $94 per adult and $49 for kids 3 to 9, which includes a three-course meal with a beverage and viewing from your table. The standard River Belle Terrace package is $64 for adults and $36 for kids.
Cafe Orleans matches the standard price at $64 and $36. Rancho del Zocalo is the budget option at $39 for adults and $28 for kids.
Those are current prices off Disney’s own booking page.
What is missing from Fantasmic at Disneyland?
Quite a bit, based on what was documented over the summer.
In August, reporting from the park found Fantasmic running several consecutive nights without pyrotechnics. On one Saturday performance, only 15 of the show’s 21 fountains appeared to be working, with the dead ones clustered near the stage-right seawall.
Beyond the hardware, characters have been cut. Mickey’s disappearing and reappearing finale effect was removed. Maleficent’s staging was swapped for a simplified version. A character barge normally carrying Rapunzel and Flynn was absent, Belle and Beast were gone, and the Mark Twain Riverboat finale had fewer characters on it.
Guests on Disney fan forums have kept reporting similar experiences into September.
Where did the Fantasmic dragon go?
A fire, and it has not been replaced in almost three and a half years.
The Maleficent dragon caught fire during a performance in April 2023. The show went down entirely for months and came back in spring 2024 without her. For a show whose climax is built around a dragon, that is a substantial hole, and everyone who has seen the original knows it.
Disney has not given a timeline for a replacement. Estimates of what a new dragon would cost have run into the millions, and the reporting suggests the money went elsewhere.
Has Disney said anything about the show’s condition?
No.
The company has not commented on the missing pyro, the fountains, the cut characters or the dragon. The Fantasmic dining package page carries no mention of reduced effects or modified staging.
What it does carry is standard boilerplate. “Entertainment, experiences and offerings may be modified, limited in availability or unavailable, and are subject to restrictions, change or cancellation without notice,” the page reads, along with a line noting that “Fantasmic! may not occur daily and showtimes are subject to change or cancellation without notice.”
That language covers Disney legally. It does not tell a family spending $94 a head what they are actually buying.
Is Fantasmic being replaced at Disneyland?
Nothing has been announced.
The show has been running at Disneyland since 1992 and remains a signature piece of the park’s nighttime lineup. There is no announced closure, no replacement, and no refurbishment on the calendar.
What has been reported is that a comprehensive overhaul was considered and then set aside. Disneyland has a lot competing for capital right now, including the DisneylandForward expansion, an Avatar project and a Tomorrowland rebuild that fans have been waiting on for years.
What else is going on with Disneyland entertainment
Fantasmic is not the only complaint.
Guests have pointed out that Paint the Night and the fireworks show have been used sparingly, and that the resort has gone stretches without a daytime parade. Whether that is a budget decision, a staffing one, or just scheduling is not something Disney has explained.
For anyone booking a trip, the practical advice is simple. Fantasmic is still worth seeing, and the Rivers of America setting still does most of the work. Just know what you are paying for before you put $94 down on the premium package, and consider whether standing in a free viewing spot gets you the same show.
It probably does, at the moment.
Article compiled with the help of the Pirates & Princesses newsroom.
Pirates and Princesses is your destination for Disney news, theme park updates, and the pop culture you love. From Disney cruises and travel tips to Disney fashion, food, collectibles, and movie news, PNP covers it all. Visit us at piratesandprincesses.net for daily coverage. Follow PNP on Facebook and Instagram, and listen to the Pirates & Princesses podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTube.
Hat Tips:
WDW News Today, the August reporting on the missing pyrotechnics, the 15 of 21 working fountains, the removed finale effect, and the cut character barges
Disneyland Resort, current Fantasmic dining package pricing for all four options and the disclaimer language, taken from Disney’s own booking page
Prior coverage of the April 2023 fire, the dragon’s destruction and the show’s 2024 return without it
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