When you visit a Disney theme park, one thing you will see is that there is absolutely no shortage of merchandise. Guests can purchase traditional merchandise with classic characters, merchandise with the name of the Disney Resort on it, merchandise for different Disney movies, and even merchandise for specific theme park attractions.
Nearly every attraction exits at the gift shop, so there is ample opportunity to see what goods Disney has for purchase. I mean, who doesn’t love buying a new t-shirt that features some of your favorite characters from a ride like the Haunted Mansion?
Related: Guests Debate as Resellers Descend on Disneyland, Buy Up Anniversary Merchandise
The Happiest Place on Earth, AKA Disneyland Resort, currently has even more amazing merchandise for sale as the theme park celebrates its 70th anniversary. Disney has created several different lines of merchandise, some celebrating the legacy of Disneyland with a more classic style, and some celebrating 70 years of progress with a more colorful, modern line.
However, some of the park’s newest merchandise is causing quite a stir among guests, and they are worried that the park may never be what it was just a few years ago.
Related: Guests Are Already Trying to Get Rid of Their New Disney Merch
Recently, Disney influencer Five Fires (@thecalibae) visited Disneyland and noticed there was some new Fantastmic! merchandise for sale. There were adult and child-size t-shirts, as well as a zip-up sweatshirt.
However, Five Fires noted that the merchandise had one glaring omission — Maleficent’s dragon was nowhere to be found!
Is this a sign Fantamsic dragon is never coming back? New merch from Disneyland
Is this a sign Fantamsic dragon is never coming back? New merch from Disneyland pic.twitter.com/hVrqnIFmfH
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FIVE FIRES
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As you may very well remember, in April 2023, during a showing of Fantasmic!, Maleficent’s dragon became engulfed in flames. The fire started at her head when one of the pyrotechnic effects went wrong. Unfortunately, the fire quickly spread and was out of control in mere minutes. The show was stopped, guests were escorted from the area, and the Anaheim Fire Department was called in to help extinguish the blaze.
Fantasmic! disappeared from Disneyland for more than a year as the area was repaired and the show reworked. It finally returned in May 2024 and has been a staple nighttime spectacular ever since. However, Maleficent’s dragon, nicknamed Murphy, was too damaged and has not been seen since that fateful night.
Five Fires worried that the new merchandise meant that Murphy would never return to the show.
Related: Fantasmic! Suffers Second Troubling Malfunction Since Tragic Fire at Disney Park Resort
Some commenters were not as worried as TheCaliBae, thinking that Disney would be crazy NOT to bring Murphy back. The scene between Maleficent’s dragon and Mickey Mouse was the highlight of the show. If Disney never brings that scene back, some think that the show will become something entirely skippable and might lead to the show ending permanently.
Not it’s not a sign.
And honestly… If they never bring back the dragon, dining package sales and even ticket sales will dwindle. The dragon IS FANTASMIC. Mickey VS the Dragon IS FANTASMIC. It’s one of the few things Disneyland has that still BEATS Universal in entertainment.
Others commented that Disney could afford to bring it back, and they should try to make the show as incredible as it once was.
If they don’t bring back the dragon, they should just cancel Fantasmic and come up with a new spectacular
Others felt that the new merchandise didn’t signal anything about Murphy’s potential return. Instead, they felt it was simply a new line of merchandise reflecting the way the show is now, not the way it will be in the future.
Seeing they purposely took it off cause it’s on the Disney world design. I won’t say never. But at least the life span of this merch
Disney has not confirmed that Murphy will return to Disneyland’s Fantasmic! in the future, but rumors have been swirling that the company is working on building a new dragon. The original one was completely destroyed, and it could cost upwards of $1 million to build a new animatronic.
However, with the criticism the show has been facing since reopening, it would seem to be a bad decision not to make the investment in one of the park’s most iconic and beloved nighttime spectaculars.
Do you think the new merchandise means that Murphy will never return to Disneyland’s Fantasmic!? Or do you believe the rumors that Disney is working on building a new dragon, returning the show to its original state? Do you think it’s time for Disney to abandon Fantasmic! and create a new nighttime show? Share all your thoughts with us in the comments!
The post New Fantasmic! Merchandise Has Fans Fearing the Worst appeared first on Inside the Magic.
