“Fantasmic” fans all want to know one thing now that the beloved nighttime spectacular has returned after a yearlong hiatus following a terrifying blaze that destroyed the show’s signature dragon: When will Disneyland bring back the massive animatronic? Disneyland officials have said “ ” would not include the dragon figure when the show returned, but instead feature new special effects during the battle scene between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent. “Fantasmic” with a 35-foot-tall Maleficent on a cleverly disguised scissor lift not seen on a regular basis since 2009 when the 45-foot-tall audio-animatronic dragon first debuted. What Disneyland hasn’t said is whether the animatronic beast with a problematic history will rear her fire-breathing head ever again or remain in retirement.
Disneyland has become extremely skilled at snatching opportunities from disaster. Disneyland leaders used the yearlong pandemic closure of the Anaheim theme park as an opportunity to rethink the future of the tourist destination. The result: The recently-approved $1.
9 billion DisneylandForward proposal that maps out the next four decades of growth at the theme park resort. Murphy the cursed dragon — nicknamed after Murphy’s Law — has had a long and troubled history at Disneyland. Why spend millions bringing back a constant source of headaches if nobody complains about the returning show or even notices the difference? It’s a question that Disneyland brass is almost certainly .
