Disneyland Guest Sets Up Memorial For Maleficent Dragon Following Fire

Murphy, the Maleficent dragon animatronic from Disneyland's "Fantasmic!" was burnt to a crisp following a fire that broke out unexpectedly during a performance of the show over the weekend.

Now, fans are coming together to remember Murphy, even building a memorial for him at the "Fantasmic!" theater.

Over the weekend, Disneyland Guests watched in shock as they witnessed the Maleficent dragon animatronic go up in flames in the middle of the “Fantasmic!” performance.

The Anaheim Fire Department confirmed that no one was injured as crew members worked quickly to extinguish the fire. Unfortunately, one member of the show did not make it out okay -- Murphy the dragon.

Although the cause of the fire is still unknown, one thing is known, and that is how badly burned the Maleficent dragon animatronic got.

Now, fans are coming together to remember the dragon, even creating a memorial for the animatronic. "shoutout to whoever set up the memorial for Murphy at Disneyland 💔 📸: tatianasaykali on Instagram," one Twitter user wrote alongside a photo which shows a small Maleficent plush surrounded by fake candles and flowers.

https://twitter.com/DrewDisneyDude/status/1650608389985034242

On Saturday evening, viewers were watching "Fantasmic!" at Disneyland when they suddenly heard a large explosion followed by flames shooting out of the dragon (which was not part of the show), prompting the crowd to gasp and yell. Disney staff was then heard informing the others to “clear the area.”

Tom Sawyer Island and other surrounding areas were evacuated.

Other fans have taken to social media to pay their respects for the animatronic.

One Twitter user even shared a photo of the animatronic after the fire was put out, and it is obvious there is practically nothing left. “I’m heartbroken 😭,” they wrote.

https://twitter.com/jaysquivel/status/1650167296781086720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1650167296781086720%7Ctwgr%5E22b6ddcbc3f0c30e4914ec4a991f1ed2f710f076%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftheblast.com%2F479915%2Fphotos-show-aftermath-of-maleficent-dragon-fire-at-disneyland%2F

Another fan shared a video of Murphy in action from one year prior to the incident, writing, "Remembering Murphy the Dragon 🐉 😢 He is gone after a fire during tonight’s performance of Fantasmic at Disneyland. This video is from last year."

https://twitter.com/luisromanvlog/status/1650035069975949312

Disney has since spoken out regarding the incident, stating that the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time and that they are “temporarily suspending fire effects similar to those used at Disneyland Park’s Fantasmic! at select shows and entertainment experiences globally out of an abundance of caution following the Fantasmic! Prop fire at Disneyland Park”.

This is not the first time a prop has malfunctioned and caught fire at Disney Parks. In 2018, the Maleficent Dragon parade float, part of the Festival of Fantasy Parade at Magic Kingdom, caught fire at Walt Disney World. Luckily, it was quickly extinguished, and nobody was injured.

At this time, future performances of “Fantasmic!” at Disneyland have been removed from the showtimes schedule until at least May 26, 2023, but that is subject to change. The Walt Disney World version of the show, which takes place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is still on the schedule, and Disney has confirmed no changes will be made to its version of the show.