Does Fantasmic ever run when the Columbia is in refurb?

[Tennor]

I extended my trip and got 5 day hopper so I could go on Sunday, Jan 27. With the hope Fantasmic would run that weekend.

Now the calendar shows Fantasmic playing the week before, and the Columbia is down for refurb.

I'm heartbroken!

 

[HydroGuy]

Yes, they have a version of F! without the ships that they run when they are down.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

The Mark Twain finale takes place on the island when the ship is not used.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I don't think I've ever seen it when the Columbia is down. What do they do for the Pirates of the Caribbean section? Do the pirates fight on the island, then?

 

[Jason Ross]

what a joke. the ships were under major refurbishment for what 2 whole years and has only been up for less then a year and already it is going back down!!!!!! they better do Fantasmic! without the ships--at least on weekends!!

 

[goooof1]

The ships were down for 2 years for the re-routing of the River and the building of Star Wars Land / Galaxies Edge.....
F! has previously been done without the ships (see above).

 

[Skyegirl1999]

what a joke. the ships were under major refurbishment for what 2 whole years and has only been up for less then a year and already it is going back down!!!!!! they better do Fantasmic! without the ships--at least on weekends!!

Fantasmic! has been back since July of 2017...

There’s no way to know yet what their plans are, but I’m sure they are trying to refurb everything that might need to be done in 2019 BEFORE Star Wars opens, so as many here have theorized, that’s going to be a lot of closures earlier in the year...

 

[figment_jii]

I am also curious about how they handle the PotC/Columbia sequence without the Columbia. I've seen them do the show without the Mark Twain, where all of the characters appear on the stage, but not without the Columbia. What do they do in lieu of the ship? Fight on the stage? Skip the sequence? Use the mist screens?

 

[Tennor]

With the last Fantasmic! dining package still President's Day (Jan 21) I'm starting to feel that F! will be on hiatus for a while.

 

[Jason Ross]

Fantasmic! has been back since July of 2017...

There’s no way to know yet what their plans are, but I’m sure they are trying to refurb everything that might need to be done in 2019 BEFORE Star Wars opens, so as many here have theorized, that’s going to be a lot of closures earlier in the year...

I mean i guess so, but when galaxy's edge opens everyone will be in that land, so during that time is when they can actually afford to shut down Fantasmic! because most people will just be focused on Star Wars and everything that land has to offer. In my perspective it makes more sense to go into refurbishment when everyone is distracted and busy at Galaxy's Edge then to bring it down during a slow period where they need everything they got to get people in the parks. When star wars open nobody will fuss if Fantasmic! is down because a whole new land will keep them very much occupied.

 

[dina444444]

I mean i guess so, but when galaxy's edge opens everyone will be in that land, so during that time is when they can actually afford to shut down Fantasmic! because most people will just be focused on Star Wars and everything that land has to offer. In my perspective it makes more sense to go into refurbishment when everyone is distracted and busy at Galaxy's Edge then to bring it down during a slow period where they need everything they got to get people in the parks. When star wars open nobody will fuss if Fantasmic! is down because a whole new land will keep them very much occupied.

I highly disagree with that notion. They need to have paths, entertainment, and rides in other parts of the park/resort ready to go come June/July because SWGE is not going to be able to hold everyone that is visiting. And in all honesty they don’t need everything they got to bring people into the parks. The parks have been steadily busy for the last few years with crowded times just being redistributed away from summer and into the fall.

 

[Gaugersaurus]

With the last Fantasmic! dining package still President's Day (Jan 21) I'm starting to feel that F! will be on hiatus for a while.

I wouldn't lose hope yet, F! dining packages are somewhat slow to release especially at a time when DLR "nighttime spectaculars" are in flux with the new Mickey Mouse fireworks/projection show coming out around that time (Jan. 18/19 cannot remember exactly which day). It's likely that they're trying to figure out the exact schedule for everything so they know how many dining packages to release.

 

[Jason Ross]

But to have World of Color down, Fantasmic! down, and Paint the Night down, nighttime during February is going to be dull. All I am saying is it is a dumb move to bring down another show when all other shows are also dark.

 

[figment_jii]

But to have World of Color down, Fantasmic! down, and Paint the Night down, nighttime during February is going to be dull. All I am saying is it is a dumb move to bring down another show when all other shows are also dark.

As others have said, they'll be debuting the new Mickey's Mix Magic show in late-January, so there will be at least one night time show. Being the "new" show, I'm sure it'll be pretty popular. Maybe they're also hoping to have WoC back by then.

On a side note, I had totally forgotten about Paint the Night. I wonder if they'll bring it back again once all of the Food Festivals end in DCA.

 

[Winnowill]

With the last Fantasmic! dining package still President's Day (Jan 21) I'm starting to feel that F! will be on hiatus for a while.

Just to avoid confusion - Presidents Day is in February. I think the holiday you're referencing is MLK Day.

 

[Jason Ross]

As others have said, they'll be debuting the new Mickey's Mix Magic show in late-January, so there will be at least one night time show. Being the "new" show, I'm sure it'll be pretty popular. Maybe they're also hoping to have WoC back by then.

On a side note, I had totally forgotten about Paint the Night. I wonder if they'll bring it back again once all of the Food Festivals end in DCA.

Mickey's show looks meh. I mean it won't have as much fireworks as say Remember...Dreams come true! (so they are saving a lot of money with just mostly projections) but you are right in it will be something new. God, i hope they have a good soundtrack and not just random mickey mouse tracks with no transitions or theme music.

And Yes Paint the Night!! It is my favorite! I really hope they bring it back. I was actually surprised when it went dark in DCA as WOC was already dark leaving DCA with no nighttime show at all.

 

[figment_jii]

And Yes Paint the Night!! It is my favorite! I really hope they bring it back. I was actually surprised when it went dark in DCA as WOC was already dark leaving DCA with no nighttime show at all.

While they did overlap for a few nights, I think the logistics (and crowd flow) of trying to present Paint the Night plus the festivals is difficult. To much of the parade route and the Festival booth placements overlap. I'm sure they would have liked to have a nighttime show in DCA, but I suspect the food festivals (be it Festival of the Holidays, Lunar New Year, or F&W) bring in a lot of guests and money, so it made more sense to offer the Festival and end PtN. And maybe they had really thought they'd get WoC back before the holiday season ended. Now, I could see them bringing PtN back in the summer to try and distribute some of the SWGE crowds.

 

[Cal-Pie]

F! is officially on the refurb calendar now Jan. 22-spring 2019. Splash is also going down Feb. 5.

 

[Jason Ross]

F! is officially on the refurb calendar now Jan. 22-spring 2019. Splash is also going down Feb. 5.

Strange that Spash is going down in Feb as last year it went down Jan 8 reopening Feb 1. I would think they would want it open for Presidents Day weekend no?

It just seems like more and more will be going down in Feb.

 

[Cal-Pie]

Strange that Spash is going down in Feb as last year it went down Jan 8 reopening Feb 1. I would think they would want it open for Presidents Day weekend no?

It just seems like more and more will be going down in Feb.

It's not uncommon for Splash to go down in Jan/Feb, but it had a longer more extensive refurb last year (I'd have to look up the exact dates), so I am a bit surprised that it's going down again this soon.