Fantasmic - Disney / MGM Studios (2004)

During the year 2004, Fantasmic! was the undisputed crown jewel of nighttime entertainment at Disney-MGM Studios. Having opened in October 1998, the 25-minute nighttime spectacular was operating at the absolute peak of its early popularity in 2004, regularly filling the massive, 6,900-seat amphitheatre to its maximum capacity. Set entirely inside the mind of Mickey Mouse, the show blended live actors, water-screen projections, pyrotechnics, and a fleet of illuminated barges to show the power of imagination conquering evil. Technical Show Overview The production was housed in the custom-built Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, featuring a massive 50-foot-tall artificial mountain surrounded by a 1.9-million-gallon moat. • The Water Screens: The show pioneered the use of three giant, 50-foot-wide mist screens that rose directly out of the moat, allowing classic Disney animation to float weightlessly in the air. • Laser & Pyrotechnics: High-powered lasers projected onto the mountain, perfectly timed with a massive array of ground fireworks, water cannons, and real fire that blanketed the lagoon.