This week’s AutoMatters & More column was not originally intended to be a part two of a Disneyland double-header (with videos!), but sometimes unexpected opportunities cause plans to change.
AutoMatters & More is usually distributed to publications beginning on Tuesdays. However, I delayed this week’s column so that I could first bring you my edited video of the May 4th Star Wars Day, Season of the Force, “Fire of the Rising Moons” fireworks show above Galaxy’s Edge, that I shot from within a sea of waving lightsabers, with the Millennium Falcon in the foreground (see https://automatters.net/star-wars-season-of-the-force-2024-at-the-disneyland-resort-with-fireworks-video/). Consequently, as I begin to write this week’s column, it is now Saturday morning, March 25.
Recently I drove from San Diego to Disneyland primarily to document an opening evening performance of the long-awaited, eagerly-anticipated return of Fantasmic, after a raging fire destroyed its gigantic, fire-breathing Maleficent dragon (nicknamed Murphy) during an ill-fated April 2023 performance. As my photos of the return day’s crowds show — particularly in and around viewing areas for Fantasmic — Disneyland was absolutely, utterly packed.
To shoot video and still photos of the opening night performance of Fantasmic, I breezed through Disneyland Security with a heavy professional camera; a fast, heavy, professional zoom lens (optimized for low-light performance); an external, wind sock-equipped microphone; a monopod, to my camera and steady my shots; and more.
I arrived at my preferred, elevated viewing area for Fantasmic — on the bridge above the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean — in what I thought would be sufficient time to stake out a spot for the first of the evening’s two performances. Unfortunately, that and the other roped-off viewing areas were already jam-packed with eager park guests, so I decided to leave and then return later for the 10:30 p.m. performance.
I headed over to Star War’s: Galaxy’s Edge to ride “Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance,” but it was closed for repairs. I waited for a while for it to reopen but it did not, so I returned to Fantasmic, arriving almost immediately before the start of the first (9 p.m.) performance. My plan was to stay there until the 9 p.m. audience had watched Fantasmic and then — hopefully — they would leave, giving me an opportunity to get a prime viewing location for the 10:30 p.m. performance.
I squeezed into a small space that remained within the roped-off, stand-by viewing area on the bridge, directly behind a crowd of people and a large, leafy tree. Somehow, I managed to shoot a few still photos when a gap occasionally opened during the first performance of Fantasmic.
When the viewing area’s rope was dropped midway through Fantasmic, I rushed over to a place not blocked by a tree and waited, behind the people watching from there. Then, when Fantasmic ended, enough people left that I was able to work my way through to what turned out to be a great location at the front of that viewing area, to watch Fantasmic’s 10:30 p.m. performance. The handrail there would enable me to keep my hand-held, heavy camera reasonably steady while shooting a video of the 25-minute performance.
As a bonus for arriving well before the day’s final performance of Fantasmic, first the audience also got to enjoy the Rivers of America version of Disneyland’s Friday evening (9:30 p.m.) fireworks show. That included projections of animations on sprays of water, in front of where the Fantasmic show would soon be presented.
As you will see in my video —here is the link:
https://automatters.net/fantasmic-returns-to-disneyland-with-opening-night-video/
— the climax of Fantasmic no longer includes the colossal, fire-breathing Maleficent dragon. Instead, the much smaller Maleficent in her witch form rises high into the air, from where she uses her magic wand to ignite flames upon the Rivers of America. In response, Sorcerer Mickey snuffs out those flames and gets rid of Maleficent the witch.
Fantasmic is back, filled with beloved Disney characters, dazzling special effects and magnificent fireworks, but it is disappointing that for the dramatic climax of the show, Disney did not replace the fire-breathing Maleficent dragon with something else as breathtaking as that. Perhaps they will eventually.
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Copyright © 2024 by Jan Wagner – AutoMatters & More #840
