Fantastic Fantasmic!!!

Originating at Disneyland in 1992 when Disneyland Entertainment was asked to create a night-time spectacular involving water and fireworks to fill the space at the Rivers of America. Disneyland Entertainment employed the resources of Walt Disney Feature Animation and Walt Disney Imagineering as collaborators. When building the show, the Rivers of America had to be drained in order to install the show's extensive lighting, effects, and sound equipment, in addition to a new track for the Sailing Ship Columbia and the Mark Twain to travel. The walkways in New Orleans Square were also modified, but were already considered one of the benefits of building the show in that location.

As the lights fade, the river is quiet and dark. A female narrator speaks the following words:
"Welcome to Fantasmic! Tonight, our friend and host Mickey Mouse uses his vivid imagination to create magical imagery for all to enjoy. Nothing is more wonderful than the imagination, for in a moment, you can experience a beautiful fantasy or an exciting adventure. But beware, nothing is more powerful than the imagination, for it can also expand your greatest fears into an overwhelming nightmare. Are the powers of Mickey's imagination strong enough, and bright enough, to withstand the evil forces that invade Mickey's dreams? You are about to find out. For we now invite you to join Mickey, and experience Fantasmic!… a journey beyond your wildest imagination."

The show (which is set within a dream) then begins with Mickey Mouse, in formal attire, directing a water show on the river. The show's signature "water projection screens" take over, featuring animation from the Sorcerer's Apprentice sequence from the film Fantasia. The musical score from "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" and the "Imagination" theme interweave to accompany the action, as Mickey conducts animated shooting stars and live fireworks launched from the six pyrotechnic barges on the river. The animation then blends with performers on stage interpreting different flowers, changing color and transforming from a pink Camellia to a yellow and white daisy to a purple pansy to a red rose. The petals then become huge green leaves and combine with on-screen animation to become the flora and fauna of the jungle. The lighting and music change to a jungle beat, and a 100-foot long puppet of Kaa, the snake from The Jungle Book, makes its way across the island with piercing beams of light for eyes. Accompanying this scene are three floating stages which carry King Louie and blacklit monkeys across the river, dancing along to the jungle beat. The music segues to a contemporary rendition of "Pink Elephants on Parade" from Dumbo, as animated pink elephants appear onscreen and in the form of performers on the island. The elephants then seem to be puppets dancing on strings, which serves to transition into a sequence based on Pinocchio. Three large puppets are manipulated by nine performers with fiber-optic "strings" stretching 30 feet above the puppets. Onscreen animation shows Jiminy Cricket underwater searching for Pinocchio. A colorful montage of underwater creatures appears, followed by Monstro the Whale. As Monstro splashes and lunges onscreen, water effects "splash" water toward the audience. Mickey appears to be caught up in this tempest, suggesting that he is beginning to lose control of his dream. Images of shipwrecks transition into the Peter Pan sequence.

Peter Pan and Captain Hook sword fight aboard the Sailing Ship Columbia.A concussion canon is fired from Sailing Ship Columbia, which has been transformed into Captain Hook's pirate ship. Hook, Smee, Peter Pan, Wendy, and pirates participate in a stunt sequence as the ship makes its pass. Peter Pan and Captain Hook duel in the ship's riggings, while Wendy and the pirates play a game of chase below. Following the ship is an articulated crocodile barge, with the sound of a ticking clock emanating from its tail. Pan emerges victorious as Columbia exits the stage. Snow White and her Prince, Ariel and Eric, and Belle and the Beast appear on three floating stages (transformed since the Jungle scene earlier) on the river. The "Imagination" theme is mixed with "Someday my Prince will Come," "Part of Your World," and "Beauty and the Beast," as each couple has their featured dance.The music turns darker, as the Evil Queen from Snow White appears on stage, calling for her magic mirror — which appears onscreen in animated form. The mirror informs the Queen that the three princesses are fairer than she, and that "in Mickey's imagination, beauty and love will always survive." In anger, she moves to her cauldron, where the Queen transforms into the Hag from Snow White. The hag summons "forces of evil" to transform Mickey Mouse's dream into a "nightmare Fantasmic." Onscreen, we see her face dissolve into that of the sea witch, Ursula, from The Little Mermaid. Ursula sings and joins the plot against Mickey as her two pet eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, glide across the river. Previously, this sequence was accompanied by a 20-foot tall Ursula barge floating across the stage. Her eyes glowed, and her mouth, tentacles, arms, and head moved. However, mechanical problems forced that unit's retirement from the show early in its run.

Onscreen, the face of Ursula transforms into Chernabog, from Fantasia. Animation from the "Night on Bald Mountain" sequence from Fantasia accompanies Mussorgsky's score.
A pyrotechnic burst of flames explodes on the island and Maleficent, from Sleeping Beauty, appears. Maleficent taunts Mickey Mouse, saying that he shall "deal with me and all the powers of my imagination!" Another burst of flames accompanies Maleficent as she rises 30 feet from the stage and transforms into a dragon onscreen. The animation gives way to a 45-foot mechanical puppet dragon, who rises from the stage before breathing fire onto the river. Natural-gas piping allows the flames to burn on top of the water as they spread to take over the stage. Mickey appears as the Brave Little Tailor and uses a magic sword to destroy the dragon. As the dragon screams, the villains who have appeared are also destroyed onscreen, and the sequence ends with a pyrotechnic burst from the river. Sometimes, when a dragon is not used, Maleficent will make herself taller and summon her dragon to breathe fire on the rivers and she will summon fire on the rivers and Mickey Mouse will defeat Maleficent with his sword which will cause her to lose her powers and grow shorter and make all villains disappear forever, including her dragon. Onscreen, Tinker Bell appears and showers the Mark Twain Riverboat with pixie dust as it comes around the bend. Mickey Mouse, dressed in his attire from Steamboat Willie, pilots the vessel, while fifty Disney characters dance on the ship in a ribbon routine. Sometimes, when the Riverboat is undergoing refurbishment, the characters dance on the island instead of the boat. As Mark Twain continues its pass, or as they continue dancing on the island as they leave, the two musical themes of Fantasmic! are accompanied by searchlights, fountains, and pyrotechnic effects. Once the ship reaches the end of the stage, it disappears as Mickey appears on the roof of Lafitte's Tavern, now as Sorcerer Mickey. In this climactic sequence, Mickey "conducts" laser beams, fireworks, and lighting effects that span the length of the river stage. In a flash, Mickey disappears from atop the Tavern and reappears again, center stage, resuming his formal attire. Mickey says to the audience, "Some imagination, huh?" With a laugh, he disappears in a flash. A final burst of pyrotechnics is accompanied by a brilliant green flash to end the show. The river is once again quiet and dark.

Then in late 1990s the original blow up Urusla was always plagued with not working so they took her out fo the show all together, just having her on the screens... Then in 2009, with the Summer Nightastic! promotion teh show underwent some changes, with the replacement of a more movable Crocodile following Captain Hook, added a Flotsam and JEtsom to teh Urusla sequence and was suppose to add a brand new fully moveable Audio-Anamatronic Maleificent Dragon. All premiered in June, except the Dragon, which still hasnt yet shown up because of techinical problems...

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Tomorrow we will talk about the Disney's Hollywood Studios show... Stay Tuned...

Pics and Info from LaughingPlace.com and Wikipedia.org