How early to arrive for Fantasmic?

[Dominion]

We don't normally do late night shows/park touring because I like to keep my kids on a decent schedule, but we are staying at the Swan, close to DHS this trip so I'm thinking of trying to hop to DHS just for Fantasmic one evening. Its a crowd level 6 day with DHS as 2nd recommended park on easywdw, and there is nighttime entertainment at MK (not a MNSSHP night). Only one Fantasmic show that night at 7:30. I won't be able to use FP+ and I don't need amazing seats (are there bad seats??), I would just like to take my kids to see it. How early should we arrive to the line? How early do they normally let people into the seating area?

Thank you!

 

[Robo]

We don't normally do late night shows/park touring because I like to keep my kids on a decent schedule, but we are staying at the Swan, close to DHS this trip so I'm thinking of trying to hop to DHS just for Fantasmic one evening. Its a crowd level 6 day with DHS as 2nd recommended park on easywdw, and there is nighttime entertainment at MK (not a MNSSHP night). Only one Fantasmic show that night at 7:30.
A. I won't be able to use FP+ and I don't need amazing seats (are there bad seats??), I would just like to take my kids to see it.
B. How early should we arrive to the line?
C. How early do they normally let people into the seating area?

Thank you!

A. Why won't you be able to use FP+?
B. 50-60 minutes.
C. 60 minutes, or a bit earlier.

What a FP+ for F! offers is more CHOICE in seating.

If you DO get a F! FP+, you can choose to sit in either the FP section (virtually the entire left half of the theater) or the Standby section (virtually the entire right half of the theater.)
So, whatever section has the better seating at the time you arrive, you can go there.
Without a FP, you can only choose a seat in the Standby section.

There is a very good chance that you can get a FP+ for F! as a 4th or 5th FP of the day because they issue SO MANY of them (enough to cover nearly the entire left half of the seating.) On many nights, it is possible that you can gat a FP+ for F! as you are walking to the theater.

As to when to arrive at the theater, I'd get to there 50-60 minutes before the show-time.
Even with a FP or Dining Pkg. reservation, don't wait too late.
On busy nights, the CMs can stop holding the reserved sections within 20-30 minutes before show-time, and turn over any available seats to waiting walk-in guests.
There is sometimes a "pre-show" (such as it is) that can help pass the last 30 minutes before show time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Map Below-
Arrows indicate the center of the seating.
Shaded areas:
(First or Only F! performance of the evening)
Cyan= Standby (walk-in) seating
Red= Dining Package Reserved
Blue= FP+ Reserved
Purple= Can be either FP+ or Dining Plan Reserved, depending on needs.

(Second or Third F! performance of the evening)
Cyan= Standby (walk-in) seating
Red, Purple, Blue= FP+ Reserved
(Although much of the outer Blue will likely be used for Standby.)

--------------------------------------

 

[Dominion]

We are using our FP earlier in the day at EPCOT so we would use hoppers to see Fantasmic that night.

So it sounds like if we arrived at 6:30 they would be letting people in to sit down around that time?

Does the scenario I described above sound like one where it would fill up and we'd get shut out? does that happen often?

 

[Robo]

We are using our FP earlier in the day at EPCOT so we would use hoppers to see Fantasmic that night.

So it sounds like if we arrived at 6:30 they would be letting people in to sit down around that time?

A. Does the scenario I described above sound like one where it would fill up and we'd get shut out?
B. does that happen often?

Reread my expanded post that includes info about FP+.

A. Nobody knows.
B. It happens enough that you should not arrive too late.

 

[Dominion]

Robo, thanks so much for that information - so helpful!! Just to clarify though, if I use my first 3 FP+ at EPCOT that day, I can't get a 4th FP+ for Fantasmic, correct?

 

[mesaboy2]

Robo, thanks so much for that information - so helpful!! Just to clarify though, if I use my first 3 FP+ at EPCOT that day, I can't get a 4th FP+ for Fantasmic, correct?

You can, at any DHS kiosk, subject to availability. You may find the green link in my signature helpful.

 

[Dominion]

Wait nevermind!! I just reread mesaboy's tutorial on FP+ and realized that once we use the preselected 3 at EPCOT, we could hop to DHS and get a FP+ there for Fantasmic. Sweet! Thanks again!

 

[Dominion]

You can, at any DHS kiosk, subject to availability. You may find the green link in my signature helpful.

I am so familiar with the green link that I answered my own question. Thank you!