Fantasmic! (Hollywood Studios)

Not Fantasmic!, but same park.

Fantasmic! is light and water show that I've seen in Disneyland and Hollywood Studios, but it's been about 10 years since I've seen the California version, so this post is going to focus on the Florida one. As far as I can remember the shows are nearly identical. The main difference is location.

At Disneyland, Fantasmic! is held in Liberty Square, right across from the entrance to Pirates of the Caribbean. You have to basically camp out to get a good viewing spot, because space is very limited. Otherwise, you're going to be that annoying person blocking the now narrow pathway between Adventureland and Critter Country. However, Disney World solved this problem by giving the show its own outdoor ampitheater!

I think having its own space made all of the difference. It felt bigger and more special and there's actual seats instead of just sitting on the ground. Unfortunately, when I saw it back in November, it was pouring. I had been awake for almost 40 hours and I was soaking wet and freezing, so I couldn't fully appreciate this nighttime spectacular. The warmth from the fire was definitely welcome. While the dedicated stadium solves the viewing problem, getting out is insane! It felt like a 10 mile hike all the way around the park to get out of there, and it's sloped, so it was super slick from the rain.

I hope to catch the show again during clear weather later this year.

What do you think of Fantasmic!?