The History and Evolution of Disneyland's Fantasmic! Show

Early Water Entertainment at Disneyland

• 💡 The Rivers of America have a long history of entertainment, with the first major water show being the "Rivers of America Entertainment Spectacular" in the summer of 1977.
• 📺 Early water entertainment included Louis Armstrong performing on the Mark Twain in a 1962 "Wonderful World of Color" episode, though some content from that era is now considered not politically correct.
• 🎭 The 1977 "Rivers of America Entertainment Spectacular" utilized Disneyland's boats like the Mark Twain and Columbia as floating stages for various acts, including comedians, characters from Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, and a finale with the "Kids of the Kingdom" and Mickey and Goofy.
• 💥 This 1977 show concluded with pyrotechnics launched from barges, similar to modern shows.

Shelving and Reimagining Water Shows

• 🚧 The 1977 show was shelved in 1979 partly due to the construction of Big Thunder Railroad, which removed other attractions and required the Rivers of America boats to be taken offline for the show, impacting park capacity.
• 🎶 In 1981, the show was revived as the "Rolling River Review," featuring a built-in stage and a different musical act each Saturday night, with celebrity performers like Frankie Avalon, Jan and Dean, Patty Paige, Buddy Rich, Joseé Feliciano, Cool and the Gang, and Leon Russell.
• 💰 The "Rolling River Review" proved too expensive due to the high cost of paying A-list performers and associated expenses, leading to its discontinuation.

Fantasmic! Development and Early Concepts

• 💰 In the early 1980s, a proposal was made to build a permanent stage for a nighttime show, aiming to capitalize on expected crowds for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
• 🏛️ However, this plan was put on hold due to corporate upheaval at Disney, including greenmail attempts and leadership changes, with Michael Eisner taking over in 1984.
• 💡 Ron Logan, then head of Disneyland entertainment, explored various concepts for a nighttime spectacular, including "River Haunt" using effects from "Fantasia's Night on Bald Mountain" and "Fantasia Live," which would project clips from "Fantasia" onto water screens with a live orchestra.
• 💧 The "Fantasia Live" concept was inspired by the emerging Dolby sound technology and the idea of re-recording "Fantasia's" score, though this faced criticism from the classical music community.

Water Screens and Construction Challenges

• 🌊 The concept of water screens for projections was developed, with Barnett Ricci discovering the technology in France and bringing it back to Disneyland.
• 🛠️ The construction of the original "Fantasmic!" involved significant challenges, including draining the Rivers of America to install water and fire effects devices.
• 🏞️ Recent closures of "Fantasmic!" have also been due to extensive work on the Rivers of America, including rerouting the train and river to accommodate the construction of Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge.
• 🦆 The transcript humorously notes the impact of draining the rivers on the resident ducks during construction.