Fantasmic - Seems like a huge hassle?

[eliza61]

Do they usually add an extra show during the last week of August? Aug 22-29 in particular? they only have 1 listed at the moment.

jjsdad,
hey, well be there that same week also. Last year they did add extra shows at night.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

One question.

Have you seen Fantasmic! at Disneyland?

No, it's worse?

I admit, I have seen Fantasmic 3 times. Once in 2000, once in 2009, and in February. I'm done unless something changes. We are doing the Fantasmic Dinner in August for DS's 16th. bday, but I am going to enjoy the park while they see the show!

 

[Robo]

No, it's worse?

About the same number of guests, but
no stadium... and virtually no seats at all.

 

[phtktz3]

My, DH, and DD14 have all been to Fantasmic before but that was 10 years ago. My DD14 was only 4 and doesn't remember much about it. Our trip is 31 days away and she has already started with the whining.... 4:20 is too early to eat, why do we have to be there an hour early, do we have to wait in that huge line... I really considering canceling the package and skipping it. But on then I think about how beautiful the show was when we first saw it... I think she will love it if she can just deal with the hassle. What would you do? Cancel or Keep??

I leave the whiny kid at home....just kidding I would make her endure the wait and see it

 

[mom2rtk]

We saw Fantasmic on our down day last December. We had been to the Christmas party the night before and planned a slow day to recover. We had the dinner package at Mama Melrose at 4:15 then headed straight over for the 6:30 show. No hassle, no big deal.

We had done our DHS touring earlier in the week on a non-Fantasmic day. It was just the perfect way to recharge before continuing our week.

No hopper needed.

 

[PEANUT1]

I think I might be tempted to tell my daughter that she could stay back at the hotel if she wanted to whine about itI wouldn't let your 14 year old dictate your trip...it can set a bad precident..jmho[/

The only way I would ever do fantasmic is with a dinner package..those lines are crazy...since you do have the dinner planned and you haven't seen the show in a long time, I would do it!!!

 

[mom2rtk]

I think I might be tempted to tell my daughter that she could stay back at the hotel if she wanted to whine about itI wouldn't let your 14 year old dictate your trip...it can set a bad precident..jmho[/

The only way I would ever do fantasmic is with a dinner package..those lines are crazy...since you do have the dinner planned and you haven't seen the show in a long time, I would do it!!!

I agree with this. And how does she even know she won't be hungry at 4:30? SO maybe you eat lunch at 10. Then she'll be GOOD and hungry at 4:30!

I'd keep it the way you have it, but arrange time for someone to escort her back to the hotel before dinner if she chooses not to participate.

 

[princesscharming]

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...

I've got two questions.

1. You said we can bring in some CS from elsewhere in the park. I'm just wondering how that works?? Do you need to get it before hand or can you leave? I'm guessing you can't leave once you've been admitted. I'm also guessing you need to do it in that time period well before the show starts (so you can make sure to get seats), but after they've started letting people in. To me, I think I'd love the flexibility of getting something from Starring Rolls etc, but can't help but think the food would never make it to the show. We'd all be eating it standing in line.

2. Based on the map you provided (OK this is going to sound stupid..even more so than the first question), but the path to the boat dock seems really close to the second exit path from Fantasmic. Could one cut through?

 

[Tink9721]

Personally, I think it's worth the hassle. I absolutely love Fantasmic. I have to see it every year. This Feb, on the Thursday after President's Day, we got in like about an hour and a half before the show and got perfect seats. We were barely in line for a half hour before we sat down. They had two performances that night and we went to the first one.

We consider Fantasmic! one of the top reasons that we go to DHS in the first place.

I just plan around the time that it takes to be able to see it.

Same here. We always plan our day around it. For me, a day at DHS without Fantasmic wouldn't feel complete.

 

[Robo]

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...

I've got two questions.

1. You said we can bring in some CS from elsewhere in the park. I'm just wondering how that works??
Do you need to get it before hand or can you leave? I'm guessing you can't leave once you've been admitted. I'm also guessing you need to do it in that time period well before the show starts (so you can make sure to get seats), but after they've started letting people in. To me, I think I'd love the flexibility of getting something from Starring Rolls etc, but can't help but think the food would never make it to the show. We'd all be eating it standing in line.

2. Based on the map you provided (OK this is going to sound stupid..even more so than the first question), but the path to the boat dock seems really close to the second exit path from Fantasmic. Could one cut through?

1. Buy any food from outside first. You should not attempt to leave the theater once you have entered.
Otherwise, buy from the inside-the-theater concession stands.

2. The two areas are not connected. There is fencing and the Fantasmic path is about 2-3 stories above the dock level, as the Fantasmic! pathways are quite steep.

 

[Mr. Disney 1986]

Fantasmic is one of my favorite things at WDW, so I say keep it.

 

[Moonies]

Now I'm a little confused. If we have a reservation at 7:15pm at 50s Prime Time and get out before 9pm will it be possible at all to see Fantasmic at all even if it's just standing room only?

 

[pigletto]

3 trips and we have skipped it every time. I want to see it.. I feel I should see it on principal. We just always avoid HS on Fantasmic days to begin with so it would require hopping over in the evening when we're dead tired. Add in the fact that an hour and half long line would bore me to death, and we never make it.
I still feel like I should just once.

 

[marivaid]

Just to be clear, you would not likely be "standing in line" for an hour.

Once they open the theater (about 90 minutes before show-time,) you are free to go in and find a seat, then sit there (maybe have a snack) until the show starts.

Thanks for clearing that up. I've been seeing posts on the DIS about "getting in line" for F! 90mns early and wondered if we are just extremely lucky, because we've never had to wait in line for the show (except on our very first trip when we followed the advice to go to the 2nd show -big mistake).

We saw Fantasmic last Wednesday, got in the theater about an hour before and while we didn't have front-row-center seats we had a great view nonetheless, at the end of a row so we could leave before the end without bothering other guests.

It's really not more of a hassle than standing in front of the castle for an hour before Wishes, sitting on the curb for over an hour to see a parade, or hunting for a good lagoon-view spot an hour before Illuminations. It's still an hour wait, and at least you're sitting on a somewhat comfortable bench.

 

[Robo]

Add in the fact that an hour and half long line would bore me to death,

See post #54 directly above this one.

You would not be "in line" for 90 minutes.

 

[SueM in MN]

So if they open the show 90 minutes prior, would I walk right in at the 60 minute mark? If so that doesn't really = standing on line in my book and I would totally rethink all of this. Walking over there at 8 (9 showtime) and getting to my seat by 8:15 is what i'm looking at here? or will there always be a line all the way up until showtime?

It’s a slow moving line, so it could take you longer that 15 minutes to walk in.
If there are 2 shows, they open the gates to allow guests to get in well before the show and guests will keep entering and walking into the area as long as there is space.
Last October, we arrived to the Fantasmic gate between 7:10 and 7:15 for an 8 pm show. (We had not planned to get there that late - but had a car key problem that delayed us. One member of our party decided he was not staying for Fantasmic, but he forgot that I had the car keys). The park was not particularly busy, but Fantasmic was.
When we got to the gate, the CMs were already announcing that it was standing room only (45 minutes before showtime). We had one member of our party using a wheelchair and she could not transfer. We got the next to last wheelchair spot.

When we exited our show, we passed guests for the 2nd show who were already in the Fantasmic area in a very tightly packed line almost all the way to the stroller drop off point. When we got out to Sunset Blvd, it was roped in half, tightly packed with guests almost all the way to the end of Sunset Blvd.
They don’t start letting guests in for the second show until all the guests from the first show have exited and the CMs have picked up trash (there is lots of trash!).

I've got two questions.

1. You said we can bring in some CS from elsewhere in the park. I'm just wondering how that works?? Do you need to get it before hand or can you leave? I'm guessing you can't leave once you've been admitted. I'm also guessing you need to do it in that time period well before the show starts (so you can make sure to get seats), but after they've started letting people in. To me, I think I'd love the flexibility of getting something from Starring Rolls etc, but can't help but think the food would never make it to the show. We'd all be eating it standing in line.

2. Based on the map you provided (OK this is going to sound stupid..even more so than the first question), but the path to the boat dock seems really close to the second exit path from Fantasmic. Could one cut through?

As was already posted, you need to bring food in with you if you want any choice.
When we went in October, all that was left was pretzels and pop. I stood in line for about 20 minutes for the pretzel.
Once you have come in, you can’t leave because it may get to a point where there is not even any standing room left and the CMs are no longer letting guests come in.

 

[ChisJo]

I think this thread just talked me out of seeing this show. I've never seen it in all my 9 trips, but always wonder if I should have. We were planning on going to this on one of the weekends in May, but I just cannot wait 90 minutes to see this show. And, knowing that that is also an EMH night just makes it even more of a hassle than anything. We were going to go to the park at 7pm for an 8pm show, but now I realize that that would be way too late. I figure we wait enough for good things in WDW to wait for one more thing.

We are seeing other things that are more important to us anyways...so we will be skipping this once again!

 

[pigletto]

See post #54 directly above this one.

You would not be "in line" for 90 minutes.

Thank you for the clarification.

It's really not more of a hassle than standing in front of the castle for an hour before Wishes, sitting on the curb for over an hour to see a parade, or hunting for a good lagoon-view spot an hour before Illuminations

We don't do any of those things either. I guess we're not show people.
I will try it this time.. I want to try it at least once

 

[mom2rtk]

I think the key to any of those things requiring a wait.......is to structure your day so you are ready for some down time when you have to wait. We went on our down day, so had no real desire to be doing the rides.

Or do a full day in the park, and look at the wait for Fantasmic (or Wishes, or Illuminations, or the MSEP) when you would be ready to just SIT for a while anyway. We find that a great time to go over what we've done, look at the pictures in the camera, or play some Disney word games.

If you do it at a time when you are rearin' to go (do some rides or whatever)............ then the wait definitely will frustrate you.

 

[kenziekinz09]

Personally, I think it's worth the hassle. I absolutely love Fantasmic. I have to see it every year. This Feb, on the Thursday after President's Day, we got in like about an hour and a half before the show and got perfect seats. We were barely in line for a half hour before we sat down. They had two performances that night and we went to the first one.



Same here. We always plan our day around it. For me, a day at DHS without Fantasmic wouldn't feel complete.

Same. We always sit front row center and wait the full 120 minutes(or 90 depending on how long it is that day). I've seen both versions several times, I can't imagine going all the way to Florida without seeing it at least once. The wait really isn't that bad, but I'm a social person and can start a conversation with anybody. If you have small fidgety kids it may not be the best experience though. I would bring cards or a small game if you're bored easily.