On April 22nd of this year, there was an incident during Disneyland’s Fantasmic! performance. The fire-breathing Maleficent dragon animatronic unexpectedly caught on fire, causing the show to end early.

Fantasmic! in Disneyland

Shows paused after the incident (luckily, no one was hurt and the fire department responded quickly to the scene), and an update appeared on Fantasmic!’s webpage, stating that, “With the goal of delivering the best possible show for our guests, performances of Fantasmic! are paused through at least Labor Day.” Now, we finally have an update on WHEN Fantasmic! will resume and how it will be different once it returns.

Disneyland has announced that Fantasmic! will return in Spring 2024.

When the show returns, it will NOT include the Maleficent dragon figure but will “feature new special effects and a thrilling new battle scene between Sorcerer Mickey and Maleficent.”

Fantasmic! at Disneyland Resort

Cast Members who were part of the show previously are being given cross-training opportunities while the show is paused.

Disneyland officials said, “Our goal is to always deliver the best possible show for our guests. With that in mind, we are planning the return of ‘Fantasmic!’ with exciting new magic in spring 2024. As teams continue work on the show, we have launched nightly entertainment on the Rivers of America this summer and we are working on even more exciting entertainment offerings for our guests later this year.”

Rivers of America

Currently, you can see Queenie and the Jambalaya Jazz Band perform “high-energy tunes and Disney favorites” as they float down the Rivers of America “on a New Orleans-themed themed raft.” Soon, Disney plans to announce more entertainment coming to the Rivers of America.

We’ll continue to watch for more updates on this development, so stay tuned to DFB for all the latest news.

Disneyland vs Disney World — A Complete Breakdown

Are you visiting Disneyland this year? Let us know in the comments.