Fantasmic! Show at Hollywood Studios | Times & Info

After patiently waiting for 2 and a half years, the nighttime spectacular ‘Fantasmic!’ has finally returned to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and it’s better than ever!

Watching any of the Walt Disney World nighttime spectaculars is always a highlight of the day, but we have a special place in our heart for Fantasmic!, the longest-running of the nighttime shows in any of the 4 theme parks.

In this post, we will go over everything we know about Fantasmic! coming back to Walt Disney World and what you need to know before seeing it.

We will break down the latest announcement from Disney, the new scene, showtimes, and any other changes and improvements that have been made to the show for its return. We’ll also answer any FAQs you may have about Fantasmic!

The important thing to know is that Fantasmic! is now back at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. If instead you are looking for info on some of the other shows at Disney World, check the following guides:

• Happily Ever After at Disney’s Magic Kingdom
• Luminous – The Symphony of US at EPCOT

Keep in mind, that show times for Fantasmic! are constantly changing, and Disney often makes small adjustments to the shows. If more news comes in or other changes are made, we will let you know so keep checking back for the latest.

Before we get started, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. We will update you with any changes to the nighttime spectaculars at Disney World, and share the latest vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

Overview

• Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Opening Date: Opened November 3, 2022
• Attraction Type: Nighttime Spectacular with Fireworks & Projections
• Show Duration: 29 minutes
• Designer: Walt Disney Creative Entertainment

“Welcome to Fantasmic!…” Oh, how we, along with millions of other fans have longed to hear those iconic words once again! We already got the great news that Happily Ever After is coming back to Disney World this year, now with this news about Fantasmic! we are ecstatic!

If you haven’t seen the show before, Fantasmic! is a nighttime spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios held in the theater off Sunset Blvd. It features Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters in a battle against good and evil with plenty of pyrotechnics, projections, and water effects to show off.

Not only is Fantasmic! back, but it’s better than ever, with many new improvements being made to the original show. This larger-than-life nighttime spectacular will boast the live performers, stunning effects, rousing music, and dazzling pyrotechnics you know and love – complete with a brand-new show sequence!

This is great news for a park that is sorely missing nighttime entertainment and it will be great to have a reason to stay after dark there once again. We saw fireworks return to Disney World last year, but Fantasmic! has been mysteriously missing from the lineup of nighttime spectaculars since 2020.

Fantasmic! Showtimes

Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios runs nightly but can vary based on the park’s operating hours or special events happening on a given day. At times there are two performances of Fantasmic! per night, and at less busy times only one.

Here are the general hours for Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios:

• When there is 1 Show: Fantasmic! runs at 9:30 pm.
• When there are 2 Shows: Fantasmic! runs at 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm.

Here are the current hours for Fantasmic!:

• Now through December 31 with 1 Show Nightly: 7:15 pm, 7:30 pm or 9:00 pm
• Now through December 31 with 2 Shows Nightly: 7:30 pm and 9:00 pm
• From January 1 and beyond: 9:30 pm

Check the My Disney Experience app or the Walt Disney World website for the most updated times during your vacation.

New Sequence

One of the new additions to Fantasmic! is a brand-new sequence featuring Moana, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan, and Elsa from Frozen. Here is how Disney describes it:

“Through this entire sequence, we go on a journey with our heroes. We see them faced with a decision, and how hard that can be for them, then watch as they find that strength within themselves to push through in a truly spectacular way,” says Disney Live Entertainment Show Director, Matthew Hamel.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see how it looks and flows within the structure of the existing show.

Other New Additions

Not only is it getting a new sequence, Fantasmic! will also have other technical improvements when it comes back!

“We know this show means so much to people, and we’ve kept that in mind every step of this journey.” says Disney Live Entertainment Producer, Laurice Marier.

“Even beyond the new scene, we’ve taken this time to upgrade the lasers, the lighting, the sound, all to bring this show back even more beautiful than it’s ever been. We’re all really just so excited for guests to see it.” 

Even though it took some time to come back, it sounds like it will be worth the wait.

Films Represented in the Show

Even though they couldn’t fit songs from every Disney film into Fantasmic!, there are a total of 38 films and shows represented by the character projections or music during the show. 

Here is a list of all the films that have representation during Fantasmic!:

• Aladdin
• Alice in Wonderland
• Bambi
• Beauty and the Beast
• Cinderella
• Dumbo
• Encanto
• Fantasia/Fantasia 2000
• Finding Nemo/Finding Dory
• Frozen/Frozen II
• Hercules
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame
• Lilo & Stitch
• The Jungle Book
• Lady and the Tramp
• The Lion King
• The Little Mermaid
• Mickey Mouse & Friends/DuckTales (Launchpad McQuack was the only character from the series to appear in the finale)
• The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh/Winnie the Pooh
• Moana
• Mulan
• One Hundred and One Dalmatians
• Peter Pan
• Pinocchio
• Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
• Pocahontas
• The Princess and the Frog
• Sleeping Beauty
• Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
• Tangled
• Tarzan
• Toy Story/Toy Story 2/Toy Story 3
• Zootopia

Featured Characters

The character lineup for Fantasmic! is vastly different depending on which version of the show you see. The Disneyland version has different characters from the Hollywood Studios version, and the Tokyo DisneySea version has even more changes.

The characters are split up here into 2 groups, the Heroes/Heroines and the Villains. This is the list for the Hollywood Studios Fantasmic! only:

Heroes and Heroines

• Mickey Mouse
  • Brave Little Tailor Mickey
• Pinocchio
• Jiminy Cricket
• Tinker Bell
• Simba
• Nala
• Pocahontas
• John Smith
• Cinderella
• Prince Charming
• Ariel
• Prince Eric
• Belle
• Beast
• Aladdin
• Jasmine
• Snow White
• The Prince
• Aurora
• Prince Phillip
• Tiana
• Prince Naveen
• Lilo
• Stitch
• Moana
• Anna
• Elsa
• Olaf
• Tarzan
• Mirabel Madrigal
• Quasimodo
• Hercules
• Fa Mulan
• Li Shang

Best Viewing Spots for Fantasmic!

Even though some nights you may be happy just to get into the show, where you are seated does make a big difference while watching Fantasmic! There is a lot going on on the stage as well as other special effects that are not easily viewed from all angles.

After seeing Fantasmic dozens of times and having sat in almost every section, in my opinion, the center sections are the best and you will see all of the action from here. That way you have a clear view of all the characters on the boats, the water screens, projections, as well as Mickey Mouse and the other characters on the stage.

I would try to get as close to the middle section as possible for the best view, not too far back, but not too far forward either. You want to be high enough up to have a good view of the entire show, but not too close where your vision is reduced. There are also water effects, so if you are in the first few rows you may feel some spray.

I highly recommend you to avoid the outside edges of the arena at all costs. The view from far left or right is limited and you will miss a lot of the water screens and projections, and the music is often out of sync.

The best way to get good seats and not have to worry about the lines (more on that in a minute), is to get one of the Fantasmic! Dining Packages. Cast Members rope-off some of the sections in the middle where viewing conditions are optimal only for these guests. That will allow you to have a great view while waiting the least amount of time.

How Early Should I Get in Line for Fantasmic!?

There is no doubt that Fantasmic! is one of the most popular nighttime shows Disney has ever done, so for that reason you are going to need to get there early if you want a good view of the show. Of course, what time you need to show up depends on what season it is, how busy the parks are and how good of a view you want.

If you are visiting during the slower time of year and Hollywood Studios isn’t too crowded, you can usually get a good place to sit if you show up 60 minutes before the start of the show.

If you are going during one of the holidays or other busy times of the year, you need to get there at least 90 minutes before as there will already be a long line formed when you arrive.

Of course, since the seats in the center of the arena offer the best view, those are going to be the ones to go first.

Instead, if you don’t really care about having a good view and are willing to sit on the sides, you can even show up 20 minutes before the start time most of the time (unless it sells out which it does when Hollywood Studios is packed).

Fantasmic! Dining Packages

Like with many Disney nighttime shows, there is a Fantasmic! dining package available for guests who want to combine dinner and a show.

Dining packages for Fantasmic! start at $49 per person, and are offered in 5 restaurants at Hollywood Studios.

Participating Restaurants:

• 50’s Prime Time Cafè – $54 per adult, $23 per child (ages 9 and under)
• Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano – $56 per adult, $23 per child (ages 9 and under)
• Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant – $51 per adult, $23 per child (ages 9 and under)
• The Hollywood Brown Derby – $77 per adult, $31 per child (ages 9 and under)
• Hollywood & Vine –
  • Breakfast: $59 per adult, $39 per child (ages 9 and under)
  • Lunch & Dinner: $75 per adult, $49 per child (ages 9 and under)

What’s Included?

• (1) entrée and (1) appetizer or dessert at select full-service restaurants; or one (1) full buffet (where applicable), along with a non-alcoholic beverage.
• One voucher for guaranteed seating at Fantasmic! in a reserved area.

This is a pretty standard dining package. You get dinner at one of the restaurants and a “guaranteed seat” for Fantasmic! For example, depending on what you order, you would spend close to $49 per adult anyway at Sci-Fi Dine-In, so getting a seat at the show as well isn’t bad.

You also get a special reserved section which is located right in the center, perfect for watching the show. In fact, the dining packages may cost slightly more than what you would spend otherwise in that restaurant, but the fact that you don’t have to get in line as early makes it a win for us.

Reservations for Fantasmic! dining packages are now on sale.

Fantasmic! FAQs

Here are the answers to some of your most common questions about Fantasmic! in particular:

Does Fantasmic! Run Every Night?

Yes, Fantasmic! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a show on the schedule every night. Under normal circumstances, that runs once per night, but during the busy times of year it has two showings per night. 

Does Fantasmic! Still Operate in the Rain?

Most attractions at Hollywood Studios continue to operate in all kinds of weather, including the rain. We’ve watched Fantasmic! in the rain multiple times, even though it’s not as pleasant of an experience.

The only reason Disney will actually cancel the show is if the rain is extremely heavy, if there is lightning, or high winds. Obviously, those kind of weather conditions make it unsafe for both the guests and performers of the show. In that case they may decide to delay the show, or even cancel it.

If you don’t want to watch Fantasmic! in the rain, we recommend watching the weather forecast ahead of time so you know if there will be rain or not. If you are going to Hollywood Studios multiple days during your trip, then you can always push off Fantasmic! to the second evening.

Can I use Genie+ to Skip the Lines?

While Genie+ is extremely helpful for many of the Hollywood Studios attractions, unfortunately, at this time it is not available for Fantasmic! nor for any other of the Disney World nighttime spectaculars.

That means, unless you are willing to purchase one of the Fantasmic Dining Packages, you are going to need to wait in a standby line like the majority of guests.

Is it Worth it to Stay for Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios?

Even though I know you may be really tired by the end of a long day touring Hollywood Studios, I still think it’s definitely worth it to stay for the Fantasmic! show. I consider almost all of the nighttime shows at Walt Disney World must-do and they are often the most popular attraction in each park.

That is especially true after this new version of Fantasmic! which has new special effects and new show scenes. Even if you’ve see the show before, you will still want to catch the latest version for all the upgrades.

We understand the kids may be cranky and you will probably be on 0 energy, but Fantasmic! is a classic that can’t be missed, especially if you have never seen it before or not in a really long time.

If you think you are going to be too tired to see the show, there are a couple of things you can do. For starters, you could always rope drop Hollywood Studios, then go back to your hotel after lunch for a nap and a break from the heat. This is easy to do if staying at one of the EPCOT hotels or Skyliner resorts nearby.

Then once you are rested up, you can head back to Hollywood Studios in the late afternoon, do a few more rides, grab dinner, and head over to get in line for Fantasmic! If there are two shows playing the night of your visit, you may want to go to the earlier show so you can get back to your hotel at a reasonable hour.

We’ve got a ton of announcements this year about the Disney World nighttime shows this year and Fantasmic! is only the beginning of the changes coming to the parks. At the D23 Expo, Disney announced that both Disney Enchantment and Disney Harmonious are not sticking around long-term and are going to be replaced.

To make that happen, Happily Ever After is coming back to Disney’s Magic Kingdom, while a new nighttime spectacular is being developed for EPCOT.

That wraps up our look at the new Fantasmic! in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. When any more changes are made we’ll have more coverage, so stay tuned for more soon!

If you are going to Disney World soon, make sure to read our Disney World Planning Guide for all the tips and info you will need to cover everything! Also, check out our Disney World Crowd Calendar so you know when the best time to visit is!

Also, don’t forget to sign up for our FREE Weekly E-Mail Newsletter. There we bring you the latest updates on Fantasmic! at Walt Disney World as well as vacation planning tips. You can sign up here: Join our E-Mail Newsletter!

Your Thoughts

I want to know what you think about Fantasmic! finally returning to Hollywood Studios…

• Are you happy it is now back?
• Which fireworks show are you most excited to see on your next trip?

Let us know in the comments section below!

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