Fantasy in the Sky

Fantasy in the Sky
Disneyland
Status	Removed
Opening date	1958 January 9, 2015 September 9, 2016[1] December 31 of any year
Closing date	1996 May 20, 2015 January 29, 2017 January 1 of any year
Replaced	Remember... Dreams Come True (2015) Disneyland Forever (2016)
Replaced by	Believe... There's Magic in the Stars (2000) Disneyland Forever (2015) Remember... Dreams Come True (2017)
Magic Kingdom
Status	Removed
Opening date	1976 December 30 of any year
Closing date	2003 January 1 of any year October 31, 2004 (Special Halloween Version)
Replaced by	Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams (2003) Happily Ever After (2017)
Tokyo Disneyland
Status	Removed
Opening date	1983 1995 2001
Closing date	1988 1996 2003
Replaced	Stardust Fantasy (1995) New Century in the Sky (2001)
Replaced by	Starlight Fantasy (1988-1993) Starlight Magic (1998-2000) Disney Magic In the Sky (2003-2012)
Disneyland Park (Paris)
Status	Removed
Opening date	1993
Closing date	2005
Replaced by	Wishes: A Magical Gathering of Disney Dreams Disney Dreams!
General statistics
Attraction type	Fireworks spectacular
Designer	Walt Disney Creative Entertainment
Wheelchair accessible

Fantasy in the Sky is a fireworks performance at Disneyland in Anaheim, California from 1958 to 1996 (with short engagements in 2004 and early 2015), at the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Florida from 1971 until 2003, at Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan from 1983 until 1988 (with engagements from 1995 until 1997, and again from 2001 until 2003) and at Disneyland Paris from 1993 to 2005 in Marne-la-Vallee, France.

Walt Disney requested a fireworks show against the backdrop of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland in 1958, to keep guests at the park for longer hours and provide much needed night-time entertainment. Early shows were performed by having cast members manually launch hand flares. The show was extremely popular, and became a vital component of the Disneyland experience. When the second Disney park, the Magic Kingdom, opened in Florida in 1971, it was only natural to duplicate the show there. The predecessors to Walt Disney Creative Entertainment, the company who create all the entertainment for Disney parks worldwide, were able to produce a much larger show with a bigger budget and more space to work with — Cinderella Castle is almost three times as tall as its Californian cousin.

As the shows aged, many guests began to miss out the fireworks in their visits as they had seen them so many times. In early 2000, to celebrate Disneyland's 45th anniversary, the Disneyland Entertainment team produced a lavish fireworks production to replace the old show, Believe... There's Magic in the Stars. Many guests formed an sentimental attachment to the show, especially when the company created a new additional section of the show, for Christmas, Believe... In Holiday Magic. Believe was itself replaced in 2005 with a special fireworks spectacular, Remember... Dreams Come True, celebrating Disneyland's fiftieth birthday, making it the most expensive fireworks show Disney has ever developed, with shells all around the park and projects, pyrotechnics and creative lighting. Believe was actually discontinued in 2004, while WDCE were developing Remember, Disneyland Entertainment created a new, smaller show using elements from both Fantasy in the Sky and Believe was created to bridge the gap between Believe and Remember; Imagine... A Fantasy in the Sky.

At the Magic Kingdom, Fantasy in the Sky was only discontinued in 2003. Following the example of Believe at Disneyland, Walt Disney Creative Entertainment developed another show aimed at creating emotional responses among guests, and the result was Wishes. The show was an instant hit, and the theme of the show became the official Magic Kingdom song, as well as forming the base music for Remember at Disneyland. In 2005, the show was extravagantly updated with two additional tags (like the Believe holiday tag) for Halloween and Christmas respectively - both included additions such as releasing fireworks all around the theme park from launch sites surrounding the Seven Seas Lagoon, not just the castle area. HalloWishes and Holiday Wishes became hits in their own right. A third special themed fireworks show, Magic, Music and Mayhem was created in 2007 for Mickey's Pirate and Princess Party and has become a hit in its first two seasons. Two more special fireworks shows debuted in 2008 themed to Independence Day and New Year's Eve, listed below.

At Disneyland Paris, Fantasy in the Sky was discontinued in 2005 to make way for Wishes, a multimedia version of the Magic Kingdom's night time fireworks display produced in honor of Disneyland's fiftieth anniversary. Fantasy in the Sky was sometimes known as Tinkerbell's Fantasy in the Sky or Fantasy in the Sky with Tinkerbell! in Disney literature.

Special performances

At Disneyland, Fantasy in the Sky was brought back from retirement to feature at the 2004 and 2005 July 4 celebrations and on New Year's Eve in 2004 through 2007. A 2008 revival was cancelled due to high winds. At the Magic Kingdom, it has been performed every year on the December 30 and 31, as well as on July 3–4; the July 3 and 4 shows being held in 360 degrees around the park and the Seven Seas Lagoon concurrently. However, WDW has announced new fireworks shows to replace Fantasy in the sky for Independence Day ("Disney's Celebrate America: A 4th of July Concert in the Sky").

Fantasy in the Sky returned for Disneyland and Walt Disney World for 2009 New Year Celebration.

In early 2015, a version of Fantasy in the Sky was brought back at Disneyland Park to bridge the gap between Remember... Dreams Come True ending and Disneyland Forever premiering as part of the park's 60th anniversary. Fantasy in the Sky's last performance was on May 20, 2015.

On August 2, 2016, it was announced that Fantasy in the Sky would be returning to Disneyland Park starting on September 9, 2016.^[1]

Changes

Soundtrack

The soundtrack for the Magic Kingdom 1990s version was released on two official albums:

• Walt Disney World Resort: The Official Album (1999 CD)
• Walt Disney World Resort: Official Album (2000 CD)

The soundtrack for the Disneyland Paris version was released on:

• Disneyland Paris: Main Street Electrical Parade (2000 CD)

Show soundtrack

   "Ladies and gentelmen, boys and girls, tokyo disneyland proudly presents: Fantasy in the sky!"

   "And Now, The Grand Finale of: Fantasy In the sky!"

References