Animatronic dragon catches fire during Disneyland's Fantasmic! show

What happened

Fantasmic! is a nighttime show staged on and around Tom Sawyer Island at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. It features a large fire-breathing animatronic dragon representing the character Maleficent.

During a performance on Saturday night, April 22, 2023, spectators saw flames around the dragon’s head rather than shooting out from it as they normally do. The show was stopped almost immediately. The fire then spread down the figure’s body until it was fully engulfed, and video taken by members of the audience shows the dragon burning on stage.

Performers and crew were evacuated from the island and guests were moved out of nearby attractions because of smoke. Anaheim Fire & Rescue responded and the fire was put out. No injuries were reported. The dragon, its set and props were damaged.

The system involved

The dragon is a mechanical figure about 45 feet tall that emits real flames as a special effect. It is a stationary show animatronic rather than a mobile robot.

The sources reviewed do not identify the builder of the figure or describe its fuel and control systems.

Investigation and response

Disney said in a statement that the dragon caught fire during the final showing of Fantasmic! that evening, that Anaheim Fire & Rescue responded and extinguished the fire, and that the cause was under investigation. The Anaheim Fire Department confirmed that no one was hurt.

The extent of the damage was not immediately known. No finding on the cause was located in the sources reviewed.

What is not established

The cause of the fire has not been established in the sources reviewed. Accounts differ on which performance it was: a fan site cited by City News Service put it at about 10:30 p.m. during the second showing, while Disney referred to the final showing of the evening.