‘Head on Fire!’ Disneyland’s Fire-Breathing Dragon Bursts Into Flames

Mickey Mouse was nearly cooked during a stage show blaze.

By Dan Bova Apr 24, 2023
Gary Hershorn | Getty Images

Disneyland took special effects to a whole new level over the weekend. During a performance of the live show “Fantasmic!” at the Anaheim, Calif. theme park, a pretend fire-breathing dragon caught on actual fire.

Dazzled audiences assumed it was part of the show, which entails Mickey Mouse dreaming that he is a sorcerer’s apprentice.

“My sister and I were talking about how it was impressive,” audience member Tim Turensek told the New York Times. “I was like, ‘Man, they can set that head on fire and it just stays perfectly intact?’ So we were kind of amazed at Disney at first and then realized it was not part of the show.”

Related: Disney CEO Admits Theme Park Price Hikes Have Been ‘Too Aggressive,’ Recommits to ‘Accessibility’ for All

The loudspeaker commanded patrons to exit the building, and apologized for any “inconvenience this may cause.” (Note to Disney: it would definitely be more inconvenient to just sit there and burn to death.)

Watch events unfold, as captured by one audience member and uploaded to TikTok:

@hhaannaahhll Dude… #fantasmic #fantasmiconfire #dragon #maleficent #maleficentonfire #disneyland #disney #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #omg #fire ♬ original sound – Hannah

Thankfully, no one was seriously hurt in the incident. Six workers were treated for minor smoke inhalation and released from care.

Disneyland said in a statement that they were “temporarily suspending fire effects” similar to those used in the show “out of an abundance of caution following the ‘Fantasmic!’ prop fire.” Anaheim Police Department and Anaheim Fire and Rescue are investigating the cause of the accident.

Related: ‘Please Don’t Go’: Beloved Disneyland Hot Spot Shutting Down After 22 Years As Sweeping Changes Are Set to Hit the Park

Disneyland took special effects to a whole new level over the weekend. During a performance of the live show “Fantasmic!” at the Anaheim, Calif. theme park, a pretend fire-breathing dragon caught on actual fire.

Dazzled audiences assumed it was part of the show, which entails Mickey Mouse dreaming that he is a sorcerer’s apprentice.

“My sister and I were talking about how it was impressive,” audience member Tim Turensek told the New York Times. “I was like, ‘Man, they can set that head on fire and it just stays perfectly intact?’ So we were kind of amazed at Disney at first and then realized it was not part of the show.”

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Dan Bova

VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com
Entrepreneur Staff
Dan Bova is the VP of Special Projects at Entrepreneur.com and host of the How Success Happens podcast. He previously worked at Jimmy Kimmel Live, Maxim, and Spy magazine. His latest books for kids include This Day in History, Car and Driver's Trivia Zone, Road & Track Crew's Big & Fast Cars, The Big Little...

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