Disney’s Hollywood Studios provide ‘Fantasmic’ entertainment
Disney’s Hollywood Studios has always been a favorite park of mine, second only to the Magic Kingdom. The tribute to the Golden Age of Hollywood is truly the only way I would want to visit the real Tinseltown. On this particular day, I had the blessing of enjoying some one-on-one time with my mother. We saw the spectacular new Disney villain show, Disney Villains: Unfairly Ever After, together. The 18-minute interactive stage show, hosted by the Magic Mirror from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, allows the audience to pick which villain is the most misunderstood between three live portrayals: Cruella de Vil from 101 Dalmatians, Captain Hook from Peter Pan, and Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty. Like most of the people waiting in line to see the show, many felt that Maleficent would emerge victorious. They were correct. Through the many mirrors across and surrounding the stage, we see numerous other villains from the many Disney films that have been created over the last century. It was a real thrill to watch this show with my mother from the front row, as she has always been a particularly big fan of the villains. We also had the opportunity to watch the outstanding Walt Disney documentary One Man’s Dream. The 15-minute film, narrated by the original Mary Poppins, Julie Andrews, features rare audio commentary from Walt Disney in his own words. It details his humble beginnings and the extraordinary hardships he overcame, including the loss of the rights to his early characters such as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and the dramatic story of how he brought Mickey Mouse and the Magic Kingdom to life. Prior to seeing the film, we were able to walk through a gallery that included more than 400 rotating artifacts from the Disney Archives, including original models, toys, animation artwork, and movie props, all of which track the evolution of The Walt Disney Company. There were no rides I could personally experience because of my disability at Hollywood Studios. Therefore, it was my job to concentrate on all the shows and offerings of that nature. Thankfully for me, there were plenty of those. Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Animation offered a 12-minute nighttime spectacular utilizing state-of-the-art projections that transform the façade of Grauman’s Chinese Theatre into a full-fledged movie screen carrying viewers through more than 90 years of Disney and Pixar animation. Broken into six themes—magic, family, adventure, villains, love, and friendship—the program features everything from classic hand-drawn films like Steamboat Willie to modern Pixar smashes like Coco and Frozen. It includes a variety of amazing light displays and a brief fireworks presentation that keeps you captivated throughout the entire show. It is the perfect precursor to the 25-minute Fantasmic! spectacular, which is presented on water screens created by fountains, mist, and lasers. With Mickey fast asleep, he dreams of being the powerful Sorcerer’s Apprentice from Fantasia, using the power of his imagination to control music, water, colors, and magic. When his dream is interrupted by a nightmare of Disney villains, he must overcome his deepest fears and defeat evil to prove that dreams are worth pursuing and that good always conquers evil. This is a very emotional show that is so good it almost makes you want to cry. Huge projections are cast onto walls of dancing mist and water screens featuring dozens of live costumed dancers, pirates, and characters performing on stage and aboard moving boats, complete with sword fights and acrobatics of all kinds. The special effects include dazzling pyrotechnics, lasers, fire effects, and giant floats, with different boats featuring classic characters, film clips, and music from movies such as Fantasia, The Lion King, Aladdin, Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, and more modern films like Moana and Encanto. The show delivers a message to dreamers of all ages that we have the power to control our own destiny and the choice of whether we pursue good or evil within our lives. My family and I also enjoyed a classic that has been part of our Walt Disney World trips for the past 27 years: Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage. Though it has grown progressively shorter over the years, it remains magical and enthralling for viewers of all ages. Emily, Bella, and I attempted to have a second day at Hollywood Studios, something we had never done before. However, when Emily was rudely interrupted by a cast member while trying to get Goofy’s autograph, my wife was reduced to tears and decided to move our day to the Magic Kingdom. We were happy to do so, and that truly made the day better. Emily was told by two different cast members that it was up to Goofy whether or not he would provide an autograph. When she asked Goofy himself, as directed, the cast member rudely informed her that they were in the middle of an experience telling jokes. Even though she did not have the cast member’s name when she made the complaint, she wanted it known, as do I, that this has been the only time in years of visiting Walt Disney World that we have ever been treated rudely. Even though nothing can be done about it now, we would never do anything to impede the experience of a child at Disney World. We would have been happy to wait until the interaction was finished, but the juvenile reprimand from the cast member upset my wife to the point that she did not want to return to Hollywood Studios. Thank God our three remaining days at the Magic Kingdom brought much more happiness. Stay tuned to hear about those.