Is Fantasmic....fantasmic?

[Mouseturtle]

I skipped this on our 1st trip this year as it just seemed too hyped up.

Now, I am thinking I like the hype

Do you recommend getting the dinner package? Also does that save you time? And which restaurant is the best for that (location AND food wise)

I read on another post that the "far right" seats are not the best...is that far right looking at the stage or from the stage?

Any comments would help - not sure if I want to book this (and my window opens Saturday so I guess I should make up my mind this week!)

Thanks all

[KatMark]

Originally Posted by Mouseturtle

I skipped this on our 1st trip this year as it just seemed too hyped up.

Now, I am thinking I like the hype

Do you recommend getting the dinner package? Also does that save you time? And which restaurant is the best for that (location AND food wise)

I read on another post that the "far right" seats are not the best...is that far right looking at the stage or from the stage?

Any comments would help - not sure if I want to book this (and my window opens Saturday so I guess I should make up my mind this week!)

Thanks all

We've done the Fantasmic Package three of the last four years. We always do it at Mama Melrose (we didn't care for Brown Derby and definitely don't think it is worth the two table service credits on the dining plan; and you could not pay us to ever eat at Hollywood & Vine again--awful experience twice). The seats are off to the right of the arena--looking at the stage. We don't find them to be bad seats. Yes, they are not front and center, but you can still see everything that is going on and it certainly is easier getting out after the show being at one end.

[720L]

We've never done the Fantasmic Package. I don't think you need it to get a good seat. We usually get there 30-45 minutes before the show starts. We've never had a bad seat.

[duffy]

Fantasmic is the BEST attraction Disney has. Better than any ride, show, parade...ANY OTHER ATTRACTION. I would not dream of missing it.

The seats you get with the package are on the right looking at the stage. If you're on stage, they're on your left. "Stage left" means on the left of someone on stage. So, the seats are on stage left, and for someone watching, they're on the RIGHT. Got it?

I prefer to sit at the top, in the middle. Viewing is excellent here. We show up at the entrance about an hour before show time.

[Mouseturtle]

Originally Posted by duffy

Fantasmic is the BEST attraction Disney has. Better than any ride, show, parade...ANY OTHER ATTRACTION. I would not dream of missing it.

The seats you get with the package are on the right looking at the stage. If you're on stage, they're on your left. "Stage left" means on the left of someone on stage. So, the seats are on stage left, and for someone watching, they're on the RIGHT. Got it?

I prefer to sit at the top, in the middle. Viewing is excellent here. We show up at the entrance about an hour before show time.

LOL, got it

So do you even recommend doing the package?We're going in Mat and I noticed there are only 2 shows the week we are there

[HOGFAN]

definitely do dinner package. mama melroses is really good. hollywood and vine, just okay. Its a whole lot easier getting into the theatre with the package and guaranteed seating. dont do it any other way, especially if they arent running it but a couple times/week.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by duffy

The seats you get with the package are on the right looking at the stage. If you're on stage, they're on your left. "Stage left" means on the left of someone on stage. So, the seats are on stage left, and for someone watching, they're on the RIGHT. Got it?

[Robo]

We love Fantasmic!

Full of Disney characters, music, film clips, elaborate live "movie stunts," and amazing over-the-top special effects, performed right before your eyes.

The show runs nearly 30 minutes and there is somethong new to see the entire time.
-------------------------------------------

No one can predict exactly how large the crowds will be or how early you should go to find a seat for Fantasmic! on any given day.
It has totally to do with the whim of the crowd at DHS on that day, and the general crowd LEVELS.
How much time you wish to "invest" in waiting is a personal decision. We have never done the formal Dinner Package, and have always seen the show (dozens of times).

(Take all of these as "average" numbers, sometimes the crowd will be MUCH greater and the theater can fill up much sooner.)

VERY Busy days:
If you go to the first show of the evening (or "only" show that evening), if you arrive about 75-120 minutes before show-time, you can sit just about anywhere.
45-60 minutes before: Outside seats likely still available.
30-40 Minutes: will vary between seats at edges and rear of theater to SRO or even "closed" to further guests.

Yes, the lines can start forming over 2 hours before the show-time.

At about 120 min. before show-time, they will open the gates and begin allowing guests in line to approach the theater seating.

(See my maps. It is a very long ramp.)

They will continue with the lines of guests walking in until the theater is completely filled or the show begins, whichever comes first.

They will "hold open" the Dining Pkg. seating area ONLY for guests who have the Dining Pkg. voucher.

BUT, if the theater is over-crowded (a very likely scenario in 2009)
then, at about 35 min. before show-time,
the CM's will cease holding the DP area open for DP voucher guests
and, at that time, begin to allow ANYONE
who still needs a seat to sit in (any seats left) the DP area.


Busy days:
If you go to the first show of the evening (or "only" show that evening), if you arrive about 75-120 minutes before show-time, you can sit just about anywhere.
60 minutes before: Good seats
25-35 Minutes: will vary between seats at edges and rear of theater to SRO or even "closed" to further guests. (The crowd of "last-minute" arrivals can be slow to get seated before show-time.)

Off-Season (not busy days):
You should be OK to enter by 30-50 minutes before, but you'll likely be seated to the outer edges, and/or way at the back.

Dining Package:
New Dining Pkg. Entrance was added in mid-Sept. 2009.
If you do the Fantasmic! Dinner Pkg. you still SHOULD enter by AT LEAST 35-45 minutes ("safer" at 45 minutes) before show-time and still be guaranteed "pretty good" seats (not my "first choice" area, but fine), regardless of crowd-levels. Remember, the DP is only valid for the first show of the evening, if there are 2 or more. If you do have DP and you spy some seats outside the DP "reserved" area, you are free to choose to sit anywhere outside that area you like, no problem.

If there are TWO Fantasmic! shows in one evening, the second one will have lower crowd level than the first one. You can arrive a bit later (generally, 45-60 minutes) and still find a seat.
(Some say less advance time will be needed, but I'm cautious.)


Be aware that the second show waiting area will LOOK like the show is "too crowded".
That's because they HOLD the 2nd crowd outside the theater while the CMs CLEAN it after the first crowd has exited.

Then, they will let those waiting together in that big group IN... all at once, and there will be PLENTY of room.

(The theater seats over 7,000 guests.)

When you enter the theater, there will be CMs along the way directing the flow of traffic, but you may (if you are early enough to have a choice) simply choose any open seats in the theater to be your own.
If you want to exit more quickly, choose a seat farther back and to towards audience-right.
If you want to be immersed in the show (and sometimes, immersed in water-mist, if the wind is blowing "in") choose a seat towards the front.

We like to eat our evening meal while waiting for Fantasmic! to start.
You can bring in items from the counter-service places in DHS, or they DO have concession stands at the rear of the theater serving "baseball stadium-type" food and drinks. Yes, even beer, sold strictly ONE-at-a-time, one-only-to-a-person, so a single person can't go and buy beer for other members of a group... all guests wanting to buy a beer must be present in-person at the counter.
We have a hot dog, maybe a pretzel, later some popcorn or cotton candy (Disney Health Food).
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_fan.htm
Click above for the "menu."

But, nothing ALWAYS happens the same way at WDW.
I would be cautious about assuming anything, as WDW has been experiencing
unpredictable (sometimes record-breaking) crowds even over the past couple of years.

If its IMPORTANT to see a particular show, arriving a bit too early will be better than arriving a bit late.

If its not a really big deal to see a particular show, you may certainly arrive closer to show-time and just see if you get lucky.
Many folks do.

========================

[ShannonMB]

I also think Fantasmic! is one of the best shows at Disney, and I also wouldn't dream of missing it!

On our first trip we used the dinner package (H&V -- not as terrible as some say, but nothing special). It worked out fine. I was underwhelmed by the reserved seats, but there isn't a BAD seat in the house, just better ones.

In Feb we wanted to eat at Sci-Fi, so we just winged F! Got there REALLY early (5:30pm for a 7pm show!), but we had our absolute choice of seats and most of the time was spent relaxing in the amphitheater with popcorn, not standing in line. This was President's Week (busy), with just a couple nights having F!.

We're winging it again in Nov. It's not a problem doing it without the dinner package (at all) as long as you don't mind waiting a while and resting the tootsies after a long day of park touring!

[Mouseturtle]

Thanks, I definitely want to do this now.

Robo - WOW for all that info. You rock.

[mlittig]

We have never seen Fantasmic but after reading this thread, I think we will try it in April Thanks to Robo for the super maps and info (as usual ) and thanks to everyone for their positive input and motivation

[Mrs.Toad]

We used the dinner package a couple of weeks ago, and we were glad we did. We arrived about 40 minutes before the show and the reserved area was maybe 10% full, while the general seating area was packed pretty solid in the center, and maybe 80% full on the left side. We had our pick of seats, and the CMs kept other people out of the section until about 2 minutes before the show started, so it stayed comfortably roomy, too.

It doesn't matter that the seats on are on the right. You can see the stage just fine, and when they are projecting on the water curtains, there are 3 curtains, on for the left, one for the middle and one for the right, all showing the same thing, so you can see it all just fine.

[Micca]

We've seen it a few times and it was really cool. As WDW vets we're kind of over waiting very long for anything, and we prefer to be in the resort during the evenings. Fantasmic deserves a look or three, but for us it's no longer on our flight path.

[duffy]

I just want to add that one of my favorite memories is of my cynical, almost-a-teenaged daughter, who was too cool for, well, almost anything, watching Fantasmic.

"Look, Mom! It's Mickey! I love you, Mickey! Oh, my gosh, it's Donald Duck! I love you too, Donald!" *gasp* "MINNIE!! LOOK, IT'S MINNIE! I love her sooo much!! I LOVE EVERYBODY! This is soooo cooool!!" *giggle giggle*

[PoohsFan1]

We will be seeing Fantasmic for the first time this December and are all very excited about it. We are doing a toss up whether to do the package or not. So my philosophy is that I will try calling each day and see if I can do the package, and by the time our trip rolls around and I still don't have one, then no skin off my back. That just means that we will save that money that we would of spent on a package for something else