DL Fantasmic vs. WDW Fantasmic

[almostGoofy]

I took my kids earlier this week to see Fantasmic. Since we had seen this show at WDW last month, I was interested in seeing the differences between them.

The shows are very similar but I did notice a few differences. The first is the big sailing ship (the Columbia?) that comes around the river bend with Peter Pan battling Captin Hook. It really was a sight to see this huge ship sailing past you with pirates up high in the rigging and assorted Peter Pan characters below on the deck. Quite a show in and of itself. WDW didn't have that but instead I seem to remember a Pocahontus section of the show with John Smith swinging around the center island rock. Both shows end the same with assorted Disney characters on a boat with spinning fireworks sparklers on the backside. Difference is at DL they use the Mark Twain steam boat, a much larger boat than the one used at WDW. Also quite impressive. Did anyone else notice any other differences?

Although I felt show content wise, I liked the DL version better largely because of the Peter Pan section, my young daughter liked WDW better because of the seating venue which provided better viewing. I have to agree with her on that. It is so much better to see it in a stadium with racked seating than crowding around the Rivers of America at DL. Although we got there 1 1/2 hrs. before the first show, the best we could do was up front to the right side behind some bushes. It was an area that required that we stay seated on the ground. I was tall enough to see above the bushes but she was not. I had two children sitting on my lap to prop them up a bit and my legs fell asleep due to their weight.

 

[daannzzz]

I like the Disneyland version better as well though I really like having seats at WDW. The WDW version is missing the Mark Twain and Columbia and that makes a big difference to me.
The WDW version has a long sequence with the water screens showing seens from alot more of the Disney animated features and includes more villains in the villain section. The Pocohantes section while goot seems so far away for some reason. i did like the canoes with torches though and the Indians arounf the fire scene was really good.
The ending is different to though . At Disneyland Mickey slayes the dragon with his sword. AT WDW he slays the dragon with...fountins???? The fountains are really pretty but what is it suppose to mean?

 

[tinagirl]

I have always loved the DL version much more. I don't take seating into consideration personally, as I don't notice sore feet (if standing) or some obstruction views (bars, bushes, or other folks heads and shoulders) when I'm really into the show.

To me Fantasmic has always been about Good vs. Evil. And every segment in the DL section makes me root for the good guy. The thing about the WDW version that makes me unhappy is the Pocahontas part. Not because I don't like the characters or the film in fact, one of my favorite Disney songs of all time - If I never knew you - was from that film...well sort of, it was deleted, but played during the credits.

The problem is that there is no defined "evil" in that section. It shows Settlers vs. Indians (Native Americans, for Political Corectness), of these two who is the evil? Are the settlers evil, no, I don't think so, and the Indians, NOT AT ALL! Some would say that Governor Ratcliffe is the main evil, but he isn't established as such for the majority of the sequence. It shows each side doing their own thing then battling. Who do you root for?!?! I remember that when seeing this for the first time, I was drastically pulled out of the experience. I started looking around me at other folks in the audience and even (gulp) looked at my watch. Perhaps since I work in film, I notice that sort of thing more than others (and yes, I do the same thing when seeing a movie) but it really detracted from the experience for me.

All my best
~Tina
P.S. - I do also like the Columbia, the Twain, and especially my favorite snake Kaa, which they don't have in WDW.

 

[randytenn]

I also like the DL version much better than the WDW version. First was the deletion in the WDW version of the Pink Elephants on Parade music. Watching Fantasmic at DL and hearing that music was one of the few times I have truly been transported away into the magic. I just loved that whole section of music. They removed it on the WDW version for a montage of Disney songs, which, while very well done, does not nearly get my toes tappin like Pink Elephants.

Second is the pirate battle. Much more fun. When I saw WDW's Fantasmic, John Smith didn't even swing on the ropes. He just stood there. Probably too windy, but it just didn't make much sense.

Yeah, the amphitheater is much better at WDW, but the show suffers in comparison.

 

[almostGoofy]

Tinagirl,
Very well said! You're absolutely right; Good vs. Evil is very clearly defined in the DL version. As for the absences of Kaa in the WDW version; Kaa was in the version I saw in May. If it wasn't Kaa, than it was a dragon snaking around the center island but I think it was a snake. My memory is not very clear on that detail.

 

[BobbiKK]

I LOVE BOTH FANTASMICS equally, both for their differences and similarities, but the seating at WDW is a definite plus to me.

 

[tinagirl]

You may be right about Kaa, but he wasn't there when we went in January. Probably down for the night or something. So at least WDW gets one point back, but I still think DL is far better.
~Tina

 

[mowsearz]

There is a snake in the WDW version. It is supposed to be Jafar when he turned into the snake in the movie. It slithers around the stage and it's eyes shine like headlights.
It may not have been in the show that you saw due to rough weather or staff off-nights or something?? I dont know.
mowsearz