New way to reserve Fantasmic! seats: Christmas Week

[Robo]

Starting Dec. 22 (& running thru Jan. 5) you can reserve Fantasmic! in a different way.

Fantasmic! shows will be very busy during that time, so there is another way to reserve a place to sit.

Details just now released from Disney HERE.

[TDC Nala]

Same thing they did last year. Food is different though.

[anonymousegirl]

So buying these picnic-like meals entitles the guest to sit in the area reseved for the sit down meal like Mama Melrose?

Maybe it is me, but I don't think those seats are very good--off to the side as they are.

And don't you still need to queue for those reserved seats? I've seen posts stating 30-45 minutes.

I don't always make it to F!, but my husband hasn't seen it and so I thought we'd make the effort this trip (Dec 29-Jan 2). I usually prefer to wait with the main crowd and get center seating halfway up.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by anonymousegirl

1- So buying these picnic-like meals entitles the guest to sit in the area reseved for the sit down meal like Mama Melrose?

Maybe it is me, but

2- I don't think those seats are very good--off to the side as they are.

And

3- don't you still need to queue for those reserved seats?

4- I've seen posts stating 30-45 minutes.

I don't always make it to F!, but my husband hasn't seen it and so I thought we'd make the effort this trip (Dec 29-Jan 2).

5- I usually prefer to wait with the main crowd and get center seating halfway up.

1 & 2- Last year they reserved the CENTER section for these.
3- Yes. But, that beats the need to queue up 90 minutes, or so, on a super-busy night.
4- I'd do 45 minutes with the crowds that will be there Christmas Week.
5- Me, too, but I don't go when it's quite as busy as it will be during your time-frame.

[clm10308]

We did this last year right before Christmas. The good thing about it was that we made the reservations that morning from the park. We waited pretty late to pick up our food and the went into the Fantasmic seating early to eat the meals.

The best part for my kids is just avoiding waiting in that line or having to scroung for seats later. I thought the location was fine. We didn't want wet seats anyway.

[larryz]

Did the boards ever come up with a consensus on the "value" of the meal?

I seem to recall discussion varied from "yummy" to "cold cafeteria food."

[Echo queen]

Would love to here some feed back.

[clm10308]

I would say that it definitely was better than cold cafeteria food, but it is still Disney food and overpriced as everything is.

My DS had the kids snack pack meal, and ate it all over the course of the evening. My DD is extremely picky, and liked very little that trip but she ate one piece of her fried chicken and her dessert. My son ate some of her chicken. My DH ate all his chicken finished off my DDs. None of them are big fans of "fancy" salads or vegetables, so I ate some of the sides. I had a vegetarian wrap, or something like that, with some hummus and some kind of salad.

Would I do it again? Yes
We have paid for Fantasmic dining packages before, and I felt like it was a big waste since we can never eat all the food that you are required to purchase. This is a much cheeper way to get the seating and a much more reasonable amount of food to actually eat. Not sure I would want a picnic meal with fish in it though.

[jedi jen]

This sounds like a good deal to me to avoid waiting 90 minutes. Any chance Disney will offer this during the spring break time? Just wondering, since my understanding is that it can be crowded then too. We are thinking of going during spring break for the first time, and this thread got me thinking....

[TDC Nala]

Originally Posted by jedi jen

This sounds like a good deal to me to avoid waiting 90 minutes. Any chance Disney will offer this during the spring break time? Just wondering, since my understanding is that it can be crowded then too. We are thinking of going during spring break for the first time, and this thread got me thinking....

They did not offer this during Spring Break 2012. Just in the 2 weeks around Christmas and New Years.

[SUZI]

Thank you for posting this information. I originally had a F! dining package (never seen Fantasmic before). However, I just called and changed it to this Hollywood to Go Package. The cost is less AND there is flexibility in meal time. The CM did not know the location of the seats (as long as we don't get wet on a cold winter evening, we're fine)

Thanks again!

[forever-maria]

Did they let you reserve it already? I thought it was only 24 hours in advance or less!

[SUZI]

Originally Posted by forever-maria

Did they let you reserve it already? I thought it was only 24 hours in advance or less!

Yes, they let me reserve. The blog that Robo linked states "up to 24 hours prior"
They do ask for your food selection during the reservation, so be sure to have everyone's choices before you call.

[forever-maria]

Ooooooohhhh I read it backwards! I thought up to 24 hours meant 24 hours or less, haha! Oops. Do you pay when you reserve?

[SUZI]

Originally Posted by forever-maria

Ooooooohhhh I read it backwards! I thought up to 24 hours meant 24 hours or less, haha! Oops. Do you pay when you reserve?

You give them your credit card info, but payment is due when you pick up your meal. The same cancellation policy as the Fantasmic dinner package applies to this "to go" package.