Earlier this year, the Maleficent dragon animatronic in the “Fantasmic!” show at Disneyland unexpectedly went up in flames after a malfunction of some sort occurred mid-performance.
Workers rushed to extinguish the fire, 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”.
One of those fire effects included the one used in the Festival of Fantasy Parade at Walt Disney World. However, that effect has now returned.
Walt Disney World Brings Back Fire Effect
The Maleficent Dragon parade float in the Festival of Fantasy parade at Walt Disney World typically blows fire from her mouth as part of the performance. Due to the fire incident at Disneyland earlier this year, the company stopped using this effect. Now, the fire effect has returned to the parade float weeks later.
According to reports Disney World Cast Members said the effect is still suspended in some areas of the park due to the proximity of flammable materials.
Back in 2018, the Festival of Fantasy Parade Maleficent Dragon parade float caught fire during the performance. Luckily, it was quickly extinguished, and nobody was injured.
‘Fantasmic!’ Fire at Disneyland
On April 22, Disneyland Guests witnessed Mickey’s nightmare become a reality as the Maleficent dragon animatronic in the “Fantasmic!” show caught fire and went up in flames.
One Disneyland Guest and TikTok user was at the Park when the incident happened, capturing it all on film. In a video shared to the social media platform, viewers watch as the iconic Maleficent dragon animatronic goes up in flames, lighting up the entire night sky.
“Thank you to the DFD for keeping us safe today here at Disneyland,” they said.
@cruzdownmainstreet Thank you to the DFD for keeping us safe today here at disneyland. #disneyland #fyp #firefighter #happiestplaceonearth #disneyfire #disneyadult #murphy
Though pyrotechnics are part of the show, something went wrong as the dragon’s head went up in smoke and flames burst into the air. According to Disney fan site WDWNT, one reporter, who was on the scene, witnessed the fire falling from the dragon’s mouth onto Tom Sawyer Island below. According to their report, the cause “seems to reportedly be a leak of flammable fluid, seen dripping down from the mouth moments before the fireball effect went off”.
The Anaheim Fire Department has confirmed that there were no injuries as a result of the incident, though multiple Cast Members were treated for smoke inhalation following the incident.
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.
