Fantasmic wait time?

[mrstbalt]

We have never done Fantasmic before and we would like to try it. We will be with our 5&6yr old DDs. We will be going on a night Sunday April 29... Illuminations,Spectromagic and Fantasmic will be running. How long should we arrive(wait) to get a decent seat?? We thought about the dinner package but not much on the menus our girls will eat. TIA

 

[Robo]

We have never done Fantasmic before and we would like to try it. We will be with our 5&6yr old DDs. We will be going on a night Sunday April 29... Illuminations,Spectromagic and Fantasmic will be running. How long should we arrive(wait) to get a decent seat?? We thought about the dinner package but not much on the menus our girls will eat. TIA

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 MGM on that day, and the general crowd LEVELS.
How much time you wish to "invest" in waiting is a personal decision. We never do 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: Good seats
20-40 Minutes: will vary between seats at edges and rear of theater to SRO or even "closed" to further guests.

Busy days:
If you go to the first show of the evening (or "only" show that evening), if you arrive about 50-60 minutes before show-time, you can sit just about anywhere.
40 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 10-20 minutes before, but you'll likely be seated to the outer edges, and/or way at the back.

If you do the Fantasmic! Dinner Pkg. you still SHOULD enter by AT LEAST 35 minutes (much "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 and still find a seat.

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 holds about 7,000 guests.)

We like to eat our evening meal while waiting for Fantasmic! to start.
You can bring in items from the counter-service places in MGM, 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).

 

[Doc CW]

Depending on what time the show starts you should arrive an hour before the show starts and we always get good seats.

 

[mbtileguy]

are all the seats good is there a such thing as a bad seat?

 

[Robo]

are all the seats good is there a such thing as a bad seat?

The seats range from "pretty good" to "great" so you will enjoy the show from about anywhere in the theater.

I'd hate to be STANDING through the whole show (there are standing-room areas at the top of the seating) as it lasts 27 minutes.

Fantasmic! is a B-I-G show.

We sit down in the very front row, in the very center, if we get the chance.
BUT if the wind is blowing IN... guests in the the first 10-15 rows can get "rained-on" by the over-spray from the giant water effects.
If you have RAIN PONCHOS, take them to the show with you, if you'd like to sit down close (an amazing view of everything, down-front!)

 

[pdchris]

H & V is part of the Fantasmic Dinner Package. It's a buffet so I'd be surprised if they couldn't something there they would like. IIRC, last time I was there (2006), they also had a small children's buffet.

 

[mouseman41]

Try the Hollywood and Vine Fantasmic Package. The buffet is great! They have a childs buffet as well. My DW & DD are both picky eaters and they loved it. You are also guarenteed a good seat without the stress of waiting in line. I have waited as lon as 2 hours to get the best seat, but I enjoyed it much more with the package.

 

[katieandkerri'smom]

I would like to know if we have a 6:10pm ADR at 50's PTC will we have enough time to get to Fantasmic,we will be there 4/25?

 

[HappyStamper]

We arrived about 40 minutes before the second show the Tuesday before Easter and got great seats (center about half-way up). From what I've read, the second show (when offered) always has a shorter wait.

 

[Robo]

I would like to know if we have a 6:10pm ADR at 50's PTC will we have enough time to get to Fantasmic,we will be there 4/25?

4/25 Fantasmic! is at 8:30pm.

You want to arrive about 7:30 to 7:45pm.

Sure, you can do it.

 

[jdogclif]

At the Hollywood & Vine it's a buffet, so there's more to choose from. Expect to get there at least 30-45 minutes early for the early show. If there is a late show, it will be less attended and therefore easier to get in.

 

[katieandkerri'smom]

Thanks Robo,was getting a little nervous!

 

[SPJammer]

Try the Hollywood and Vine Fantasmic Package. The buffet is great! They have a childs buffet as well. My DW & DD are both picky eaters and they loved it. You are also guarenteed a good seat without the stress of waiting in line. I have waited as lon as 2 hours to get the best seat, but I enjoyed it much more with the package.

I agree with the above. We went to Disney for the first time last June and we did the Fantasmic Package because I had read about it on these boards. During the meal our waitress handed us special tickets to the show and told us where to meet at. (Was near the entrance to MGM off the right.) You enter through a gate and take a leisurely walk to the ampitheater. You actually get to see a little bit of what it actually looks like behind the scenese at MGM. Once you get to the amphitheater you enter in on the right side and they basically have the whole area blocked off for you. We go seats down in the front with no problems and really enjoyed the show. On a side note, while we were waiting (got there about 20 minutes or so before show started) a CM brought down these two young men, college students I believe, and the two guys managed to get the entire crowd to do the wave. It was hilarious. The first two attempts failed miserably, but once the rest of the crowd realized what we were doing things really got going. Managed to do about 10 or so waves.

It is set up so that there are basically no bad seats in the house. Enjoy.