Disney's 'Fantasmic!' Suspension Confirmed Until End Of May Following Fire

Last month, Disney Guests witnessed the Maleficent dragon animatronic in the "Fantasmic!" show go up in flames after it caught fire mid-performance.

Workers rushed to extinguish the fire during the "Fantasmic!" performance, and the Anaheim Fire Department confirmed no injuries due to the incident. However, multiple Cast Members were treated for smoke inhalation following the incident.

Disney released a statement following 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".

Disney has informed Cast Members that "Fantasmic!" will be suspended at least through the end of May following the last month's fire.

WDWNT reports that a notice was sent to Disneyland Resort Cast Members, stating, "Performances of "Fantasmic!" are now paused until at least May 28. Leaders will be contacting affected Cast Members. As the investigation continues into the April 22 incident, fire effects similar to those in "Fantasmic!" are temporarily suspended out of an abundance of caution."

Previously, it was believed the show would return on May 14, but the Disneyland calendar has removed showtimes for "Fantasmic!" through May 28.

"Fantasmic!" is a nighttime show at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, that brings Guests into Mickey's dream of him as the Sorcerer's Apprentice. The official Disneyland website describes the show as follows:

As darkness falls, dazzling special effects transform the Rivers of America into an epic canvas for this extravagant live show.

Fast asleep, Mickey dreams he is the Sorcerer’s Apprentice. With a wave of his hands, he conducts scenes from Fantasia across enormous screens of water while brilliant sparks burst overhead. Pink elephants, swashbuckling pirates, princesses and more—including memorable scenes from Disney classics such as Aladdin, The Lion King, Tangled and Pirates of the Caribbean—appear on and around the Rivers of America.

When Mickey is suddenly pulled into the Magic Mirror, his dream takes a dark turn. The Evil Queen from Snow White conjures up some of Disney’s most dastardly villains—including Maleficent as a 45-foot, fire-breathing dragon! Mickey must use the power of his imagination to vanquish his foes—and save the day.

Featuring a fantastical array of live performers, beloved Disney characters, enhanced special effects, state-of-the-art projections and superb pyrotechnics, this show will wow the entire family.

During a "Fantasmic!" performance at the end of April, Guests were in shock as they witnessed the Maleficent dragon animatronic go up in flames after it caught fire mid-performance.

Walt Disney World is still using the fire effect in their version of their show at Disney's Hollywood Studios, despite Disney stating 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".

Disney World did, however, put a pause on the fire effect from Maleficent's dragon during the Festival of Fantasy parade, which occurs daily at Magic Kingdom. The parade float still appears during the route but no longer blows fire. This specific parade float did catch fire once before in 2018. Luckily, it was quickly extinguished, and nobody was injured.