Fantasmic Dessert Seating

[tallpkb]

We're planning a trip to DL mid/late September. I was curious about the Fantasmic Dessert Seating and looked it up. Is it really $69 per person????? I mean, the seats and viewing are great, but for $69 I would expect some over the top desserts, not rice krispie treats and brownies!!! Is this true?

 

[blackjackdelta]

I thought it was 59/person. Do you have the link to that price!
Here is the link I was referring to...
http://www.mousesavers.com/dlspecialevents.html#fantasmic

Jack

 

[ScooterL]

It's $59 per person (no tax added). We did it recently. Actually, I would've been happier with rice krispie treats than with some of what we got! Let's see...there was a cookie with strawberry jam inside, a small chocolate filled chocolate cupcake, a miniature cheesecake, a coconut macaroon, a small lemon tart, and then there were 4 or 5 different kinds of packaged cheese (cheddar, jack, and gouda among others), two packages of crackers and a bunch of grapes. It was a lot more dessert than we could eat - we each received a box and each ended up taking more than half of it home.

What you're really paying for is just *having* a seat, and not having to wait for hours to have a good viewing spot. The desserts are just a bonus to help you justify the expense.

 

[Diva of Dragons]

What did you get to drink?

 

[ScooterL]

They had coffee, hot chocolate, bottled water and canned soft drinks available.

 

[Kauinohea]

DId you feel it was worth the cost. How far in advance did you line up to choose your seat?

 

[Hologram Lampwick]

Your paying that much for a show you can get to within ten minutes of starting time and get good seatS?

 

[nunzia]

Your paying that much for a show you can get to within ten minutes of starting time and get good seatS?

Please tell me where you can get good viewing for this within 10 minutes (when it was slow we did find the smoker's area by the Tom Sawyer rafts an OK place, but when it's busy?) We plan on getting this again in Sept so we don't have to worry about the grandkids and the crowd and the long wait times.

 

[ScooterL]

DId you feel it was worth the cost. How far in advance did you line up to choose your seat?

Yes, I thought it was worth it - but I hate crowds.

I didn't get in line at the podium until about 7:45, and there were already a lot of people in front of me. We did not get front row, but I chose the back row instead, since we could stand if we wanted to get a better view.

 

[Tyr23]

We just did the Fantasmic Dessert seating package on Tuesday and while I thought it was great to have good seats, I'm not sure I'd do it again.

The dessert box was cute, but way too much for one person to eat. We would have taken more out of it "to go" but it's too big to really carry around after the show if you're planning on going on rides.

As far as saving time, while you don't have to stake out a place ahead of time, you still have to line up early at the podium to get first row seats so you're not looking at the back of someone's head. I lined up at the podium at 7pm on Tuesday and there was a group in front of us. I had to stand there for an hour to put my name on the list for seating then we came back around 8:30 to be seated. Not really much of a time saver in my opinion.

I'm glad we did it once, but I dont't think it was really worth it to do again.

 

[blackjackdelta]

We just did the Fantasmic Dessert seating package on Tuesday and while I thought it was great to have good seats, I'm not sure I'd do it again.

The dessert box was cute, but way too much for one person to eat. We would have taken more out of it "to go" but it's too big to really carry around after the show if you're planning on going on rides.

As far as saving time, while you don't have to stake out a place ahead of time, you still have to line up early at the podium to get first row seats so you're not looking at the back of someone's head. I lined up at the podium at 7pm on Tuesday and there was a group in front of us. I had to stand there for an hour to put my name on the list for seating then we came back around 8:30 to be seated. Not really much of a time saver in my opinion.

I'm glad we did it once, but I dont't think it was really worth it to do again.

Only 1 person needs to go and sign in for the seats and then you come back at check in time to get seated. I am not sure time is saved when you have to save a place on the concrete/asphalt(not my favorite place to sit) 2-3 hours ahead. At least you have the experience now!

Jack

 

[Tyr23]

Only 1 person needs to go and sign in for the seats and then you come back at check in time to get seated. I am not sure time is saved when you have to save a place on the concrete/asphalt(not my favorite place to sit) 2-3 hours ahead. At least you have the experience now!

Jack

Right - I was that one lucky person

And I agree that it was nice having a chair to sit on, but I think I'd save the $59 and cop a squat on the ground with a churro next time!

 

[blackjackdelta]

Right - I was that one lucky person

And I agree that it was nice having a chair to sit on, but I think I'd save the $59 and cop a squat on the ground with a churro next time!

Well, somebody has to do it. I have have done it twice now for the 6 of us. I knew it was going to take some of my time, the rest of the group had a great time riding the rides and the "F" experience. The amount of time to me is insignificant compared to the rest of the time spent in the parks. Just my two cents, have a great weekend.

Jack

 

[Niele]

I had never considered the back row until ScooterL mentioned it. Interesting, I kind of like the fact you have the option to stand up and look over those in front without being bumped constantly. We're taking small ones so they could probably see better standing and it would not be in anyone's way. Thoughts anyone?

 

[BelleLovesTheBeast]

I've heard about a Fantasmic dessert buffet. Do they still have this or is it the now the dessert box that you are talking about? Are there 2 different options?

 

[DizNee Luver]

They used to have a "buffet" when they had 2 seating area options. The Disney Gallery or Riverside. With the gallery closing above POTC to make the "Dream Suite", they went to just the Riverside seating & I believe that's when the dessert box was introduced.

We do this one time each trip, as we love the show & enjoy having seats. We chose to sit in the back row (only 3 rows) & have always been happy with our experience.

Yes the dessert box is definately a lot of food.....last trip in March we didn't even open them until we got back to the motel.

Here's a couple pics:

 

[dsny1mom]

They used to have a "buffet" when they had 2 seating area options. The Disney Gallery or Riverside. With the gallery closing above POTC to make the "Dream Suite", they went to just the Riverside seating & I believe that's when the dessert box was introduced.

We do this one time each trip, as we love the show & enjoy having seats. We chose to sit in the back row (only 3 rows) & have always been happy with our experience.

Yes the dessert box is definately a lot of food.....last trip in March we didn't even open them until we got back to the motel.

Here's a couple pics:

When Riverside first started they had boxed desserts. The first boxes were shoebox like in size and shape, purple in color and had a fabric texture to them and had an awesome metal F! emblem on the lid. They were clearly a collectable item. The contents were more pastry like back then, as well.

Back in the day Riverside seating area would remain pretty empty many nights while the balcony would sell out in the first minute or two each day at the 30 day out ressie point. The fine folks from special events (who run Riverside) decided to offer a buffet like the folks from Blue Bayou (who ran the balcony) had. The buffet at Riverside was no where near as nice as the balcony. I don't remember when the switch to buffet occurred. I do remember rice krispee treats and the like along with plastic forks, paper plates, cups and napkins at Riverside VS pastries, china, flatware and cloth napkins at the Balcony.

I don't remember when it changed to desserts in just plastic boxes. I do know it was still a buffet summer of 05, as that is the last time we did Riverside.

We don't bother with it any more. We don't like the side view, the need to camp out hours in advance to get front row, or desserts in a take out plastic box. I hope one day they go forward with the revamp of that area, add the new restaurant and once again offer an elegant option to view F!.

dsny1mom

 

[PatriciaH]

The balcony used to be awesome. We did it in 2005 and got seats 1, 2 and 3. Really nice desserts and drink set up. I loved it. I think that was about $49 at the time.

 

[DizNee Luver]

Yup, we did the balcony seating in 2005 as well......loved it!!

 

[dsny1mom]

I so miss the balcony.

We would usually do the balcony twice during our stays at DL, including two trips up there in July 2005. I screwed up and forgot to call for July 17th (DL's actual 50th) so the conceirge arranged for us to do Riverside.

We actually didn't even sit there in the beginning of Riverside when they first opened and had the nicer boxes. We were on the side balcony (next to the real balcony) one night and special events brought us the dessert boxes they were giving out at Riverside. I still have the boxes as they were awesome.

Don't know if you all know this but the first year or two F! played the balcony was first come first serve for free but without the buffet. You'd wait in the Court Yard and be lead up a spiral staircase to enter the Gallery and then out onto the balcony. Then the balcony spent a year as a press area only and then it opened as the pay for bufffet. So F! actually ran 2 or 3 years before the dessert buffet made its debut.

We stumbled accross it the first year of F! and had an *in* for the year it was for the press only, and did it twice a year every year after that until it was no more. So we became very F! spolied and Riverside just never measured up in our opinion.

dsny1mom