The History of Fantasmic! Part 2: Development and Debut

Disney Dish Podcast Live Event Details

• 🗓️ The episode begins with details about an upcoming live event in Walt Disney World from November 10th-13th, hosted by Jim Hill and Len Testa.
• 🏨 The event's host resort is Coronado Springs, with various other resort options available including Caribbean Beach, Boardwalk, Animal Kingdom Lodge, and All-Star Sports.
• 🎤 Saturday's activities include a breakfast buffet and Q&A at Animal Kingdom, a walk through Pandora, and an Illuminations dessert party in Epcot's Mexico Pavilion.
• 🎙️ Sunday features a TBD morning activity, a live podcast recording at Coronado Springs with Mickey-shaped snacks, and an informal meetup at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party.

Universal Orlando's Harry Potter Expansion

• 🎢 Universal announced the closure of Dueling Dragons to make way for a new Harry Potter-themed coaster, aiming to increase capacity and enhance the Harry Potter experience.
• ⏳ The new coaster and potential Great Hall dining experience are projected to open in 2019, with Nintendo Land aiming for a 2020-2021 opening, strategically timed to compete with Disney's upcoming attractions.
• 💥 The closure of Dueling Dragons was partly due to an accident that limited its simultaneous operation, impacting overall park capacity.

Disney's Hollywood Studios and Resort Pricing

• 🚶‍♂️ Disney's Hollywood Studios is introducing a new Grand Avenue area and a Baseline Tap House, as part of its ongoing reinvention and preparation for Star Wars Land.
• 🎭 The closure of the Great Movie Ride leaves a significant gap in park capacity, with pressure on entertainment to provide new offerings, while Mickey's Runaway Railway is fast-tracked as a key attraction.
• 📉 Disney's value and moderate resorts are being sold at significantly reduced prices on third-party sites, indicating soft demand potentially due to construction impacts and a general lack of new park attractions between 2015-2019.

Cast Member Compensation and Societal Issues

• 😔 A listener question highlights the financial struggles of a long-term Walt Disney World cast member, raising concerns about livable wages for customer service roles.
• 💡 The discussion touches on the societal issue of underpaying customer service professionals and the lack of clear career paths for those dedicated to making guests happy.
• 🔄 The concept of "out and up practice" is mentioned, where leaving the company and returning later can lead to higher positions and better pay, suggesting Disney may take its dedicated employees for granted.

The Genesis of Fantasmic!

• 💡 The success of Epcot's Illuminations in 1988 spurred Michael Eisner's interest in creating a similar draw for Disneyland's restaurants, leading to the revival of the waterfront show idea.
• 🚧 Significant disruptions were anticipated for Rivers of America, including the closure of attractions like the Mark Twain and Tom Sawyer Island, and the draining of the river for infrastructure work.
• 🚀 Despite delays and challenges, including a $30 million investment, Disneyland aimed to create a new theater for large-scale shows with Fantasmic!, which eventually opened in May 1992.
• 💧 A key technological breakthrough was the development of massive water screens by a French company, enabling projected images and visual effects that were crucial for the show's concept.
• 🐉 The show's debut involved complex staging, including the use of performers in costumes and innovative special effects like using powdered creamer (Creora) for dragon fire, highlighting the ingenuity and challenges faced by the Imagineers.