Flaming dragon in ‘Fantasmic’ show is latest in a series of Disneyland mishaps

Certain fire effects at Disney properties will be temporarily suspended after an animatronic dragon used in Disneyland’s “Fantasmic” show burst into flames Saturday night, startling the audience and prompting evacuations.

Disney officials say similar fire effects will be temporarily suspended at company theme parks across the globe, including on a dragon float at the Festival of Fantasy Parade at Walt Disney World in Florida. The float will be used, but the fire effect will be temporarily suspended, Disney officials said.

The animatronic dragon at the “Fantasmic” attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Florida uses a different pyrotechnic system than the one used at Disneyland and therefore won’t be affected, officials said.

Tim Turensek, an accountant from Minneapolis, witnessed the blaze at Disneyland. The fire, water and light show normally operates twice a night from Tom Sawyer Island, and most park visitors watch from the opposite shore, near New Orleans Square.

“When it first started, I thought it was part of the show,” Turensek said. The dragon had been breathing fire, and Turensek was impressed, wondering how the crew could “let the whole thing catch on fire and still be operational.”

When it was clear that the fire was a mishap, there “was a little delay in relaying to the cast members what to do,” he said, “but once everyone was out, it was business as usual outside that part of the park.”

Turensek found it “quite comical they continued to play the upbeat Disney music while the fire roared on.”

In a statement, Disneyland officials said, “All cast members were safely evacuated from Tom Sawyer Island. Due to smoke and wind, attractions near the island were safely evacuated of any guests, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation at this time.”

Disneyland will be “temporarily suspending fire effects similar” to those used in “Fantasmic” at “select shows and entertainment experiences globally out of an abundance of caution,” officials said.

The Disneyland website shows no performances of “Fantasmic” scheduled until May 12.

The flaming dragon joins a list of Disneyland mishaps over the years.

• In 2011, a flying carpet used in a production of “Aladdin” flipped; the show reopened after the malfunction with the carpet grounded, according to the OC Register.
  
• In 2015, a fire broke out near the “It’s a Small World” attraction, per NBC. No one was injured.
  
• In 2018, a collapsing float catapulted Santa off his sleigh during the Christmas Fantasy Parade, Fox News reported.
  
• Only last week, a computer glitch affected turnstiles used to enter Disneyland and California Adventure Park, keeping crowds waiting outside.