Earlier this year, remember that fancy addition to the digital map at Hollywood Studios?
This image of Mickey atop the Fantasmic! Mountain Earlier in January:
We all have been speculating and pondering exactly WHY this image would all of a sudden appear. A few weeks later and no physical Distancing marks have been laid with the moat still drained.
See images from @bioreconstruct below:
And here is a view from above a few months ago…
What is to come next for our favorite shows like, Fantasmic?
As we all know, the Pandemic has pushed a pause button to nighttime spectaculars, such as, Happily Ever After and large stage shows like Fantasmic! Beautiful shows frozen in time until they can once again delight guest from far and wide. With the anticipation building for spectaculars like Harmonious, and the fact that Disney is showing they are optimistic enough to have a 2021 opening for their largest spectacle yet… I can’t help but feel a small flutter of hope that shows like these will return sooner rather than later.
Can Disney re-open these larger scale productions?
There are many factors to opening shows like these. For one, large gatherings in places catering to either a parade or other “standing room” experiences. A large amount of pre-shows have been cut from certain attractions for this reason. But, we saw Disney make it work in things like “Rise of the Resistance” where there are clear marks on the floor and dividers to ensure guests are physically distant enough. Then seating availability in larger theatres and how to navigate seating every other row and spacing during load-ins and load-outs of the theatre itself. But, they have been practicing this since reopening with theatres like “carousel of Progress” on a smaller scale. Backstage Cast Member safety is probably the biggest obstacle. With around 50 performers adding in costumers and technicians on and off the island itself, it’s bound to be a logistical nightmare. So the question remains, are they having these conversations on how to proceed? Without a doubt, yes. But how long before we can see these productions again? That question will remain unanswered for a while longer, it seems.
It is definitely a mystery I’d like to uncover. On why they changed images to reflect activity when respectfully there has been no “noticeable” movement in the Amphitheatre to suggest they are prepping for a possible re-opening. Oh Disney, you do know how to build the suspense!
I, like the company itself, will remain hopeful that things are indeed moving forward and that this is just stage 1 in a multi-stage process to re-open some of the most beloved attractions and shows such as Fantasmic!
See Ya Round, Insiders!
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