fantasmic dining package - tell me more!

[punkin413]

in all my trips to WDW i've never done the fantasmic dining package because we always go at slow times and i don't like the restaurant options with the package. however, i have a friend who is going the week before christmas and i told her that she REALLY needed to get the package if she wanted to see the show because it would be crazy crowded then. i got her a lunch ressie at mama melrose for 12/22 today with the package. now my question is what should she expect? since i've never done this before, i don't know. can someone just explain the process step by step to me? thanks so much!!!

[kiwicassie]

I've only done this package once about 5 years ago so I will try to help. At the meal, I believe you are given a voucher that is good for admission into Fantasmic. You line up for Fantasmic about 30 minutes prior to it beginning and they take you to a special seating section.

[TDC Nala]

The week before Christmas 2009 and you got a Mama Melrose reservation with Fantasmic package today? That's lucky.

From what I've been reading here they've been saying to report to the theater an hour before the show, not a half hour. Other posters have said that a half hour from showtime they open the reserved seating area up to the general public, so it might be advisable to get there and choose a seat before that.

[punkin413]

thanks for the info, guys!

Originally Posted by TDC Nala

The week before Christmas 2009 and you got a Mama Melrose reservation with Fantasmic package today? That's lucky.

yeah, i was stunned. i've been calling trying to get one for weeks now. i even tried at 90 days out but nothing was available. when i called today (for another reason and just checked while i had a CM on the phone), the CM gave me the impression that they had just opened up some lunch ressies so i grabbed one. i don't know that for a fact but that's just the impression i got.

[TDC Nala]

Are you sure you have the package? They're early, but I think they're considered dinner, not lunch. Were you asked to give a credit card number to hold the reservation?

[PurpleTurtle]

I got a lunch F! package for Feb. I could have had a 1:00 H&V, or a 3pm Brown Derby or a 3pm Mama Melrose. These are all considered lunch, from what the CM told me.

[punkin413]

Originally Posted by TDC Nala

Are you sure you have the package? They're early, but I think they're considered dinner, not lunch. Were you asked to give a credit card number to hold the reservation?

yeah, it's the package and it required a credit card number. the CM said something to the effect of, "i don't have any dinners at MM for the package, but we do now have some lunch times open if you'd be interested in those." then she told me what time fantasmic was that night and all that good stuff.

[coltink]

I got a lunch F! package today too for 1/14. I guess they must have decided that there was too much interest in the dinner to have to turn people away so they opened up lunch times too.

[princessmom29]

From what I understand the luch packages are a new thing and are in response to the fact that it is almost impossible to get one for dinner anymore as so few are offered. We tried 2 years in a row on the first day we were allowed to call and did not get Mama Melrose either time, and last year it was at 180 days out!!

[3smithboys]

I called yesterday and got my Hollywood & Vine Fantasmic ressie switched to Mama Melrose for Christmas Day. My H & V ressie was for 3:30 and my MM is for 2:25 - both of them are for 7 people. I made the H & V one at 90 days at 7am and at that point there were NO MM ressies available! I just tried on a whim to get a MM ressie and couldn't believe it when the CM told me that I could get one!

[DisneyFamily123]

We went during the last week of October 2009. By the way, Mama Melrose's food was delicious. We showed up about 25 minutes before show time and were shown to the reserved section which was right inside the entrance. It was already quite full so we were in one of the back (or top) rows. I actually liked being in the back/top (near the handicap benches). Why? (1) It was a great view, (2) I was able to quickly run out before the show started to get some frozen lemonade and popcorn from the stand right outside the entrance, (3) when the show was over, we were one of the first ones out. I really don't think being up close in the front rows would give a much better view. But someone who actually sat there might correct me.

I loved the show! Very different!

[KandD]

We did the dinner Fantasmic package in September at Mama Melrose. I know a lot of people don't like MM but it was actually very good. I would definately go back. It was definately the most crowded restaurant we went to during the week we were there (Free Dining time) and we waited the longest to be seated (no more than 20 minutes though if I remember correctly). The entrance/hostess area of the restaurant was really packed but once seated you would never know the chaos that was going on in the front of the restaurant!
Unlike the usual DP offerings, you do get an appetizer with this meal which was nice because I was craving a salad and I got a very good one. I can't remember what DBF got, maybe calamari?
We got the vouchers from our waitress and were told to arrive an hour to an hour and a half before the show which I had known about from the DIS but it still irritated me because WHY do you buy special tickets to reserve seats but still have to arrive so darn early?
So we arrived early at a special entrance and walked what seemed like forever to get to our seats. I don't think they ever opened up our section to non dinner package people because once the show started there was still some empty space in our area.
Would I do it again? Probably. Especially if we were going at a busy time.