Steamboat Willie Mickey in Fantasmic! at Disneyland

Mark Twain Riverboat Missing, No Characters Appear in ‘Fantasmic!’ Finale at Disneyland

Lauren Shahan

The “Fantasmic!” finale at Disneyland was a bit empty yesterday, December 26, as the first performance of the night ended without its usual character-filled finale featuring the Mark Twain Riverboat.

‘Fantasmic!’ Finale “C” Mode at Disneyland

As the nighttime spectacular nears its close, the Mark Twain Riverboat glides across the Rivers of America, packed with beloved Disney characters waving to guests in the crowd.

Steamboat Willie Mickey in Fantasmic! at Disneyland

In a situation where the Mark Twain Riverboat isn’t working, the show does have a contingency plan where the characters will instead gather on Tom Sawyer Island.

However, last night’s first show saw an empty finale as the riverboat was missing and no characters or performers were present on Tom Sawyer Island. Instead, the two-minute finale consisted of just lights and music.

A nighttime scene at Disneyland with glowing streetlamps and a lively atmosphere. Below, a video of a peaceful pixelated landscape with the text "JUST REST".

The finale was caught on a livestream by MainStreetCowgirl on YouTube. You can find the finale around the 4:42:00 mark of the video.

No updates have been provided as to what happened to cause the lackluster finale. The Mark Twain did return for the second performance that evening, though, so whatever issue arose was fixed, or at least managed.

Sorcerer Mickey in 'Fantasmic!' finale at Disneyland

Fantasmic!” is a nighttime show featuring live performers, beloved Disney characters, and enhanced special effects with state-of-the-art projections and pyrotechnics. The show’s storyline is that Mickey is suddenly pulled into the Magic Mirror and his dream becomes a nightmare. The Evil Queen from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” conjures up some of Disney’s most wicked villains and Mickey must use the power of his imagination to conquer his foes and save the day.

This isn’t the first time that the show has experienced technical difficulties. In November 2024, the show’s full pyrotechnics returned after three months following multiple incidents that required reduced effects. These incidents included Mickey’s finger fireworks misfiring and rogue fireworks. These issues arose not long after the show returned following its one-year hiatus due to the fire that destroyed the Maleficent dragon previously featured in the show.

Disneyland has cut back on performances of “Fantasmic!” for 2025, despite a new dining package for the show debuting next month at Café Orleans.

Watch our video of the current show below:

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on TwitterFacebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.