How strict are the reservation times?

[Holeshot1982]

If you have a 9:15 reservation, is it extremely important to show up at 9:15 or earlier? I know even with reservations before we've had to wait every time, once at least an hour! I'm only asking because we have a 9:15 for Whispering Canyon but don't want to miss Fantasmaic at 8:30..... There's a good chance they will add a 6pm show for that night but I'd still like to know how strict they are.

 

[lizard1]

Technically if you are a minute late they could mark you as a no show and not allow you to dine there. That probably depends on business though, but I wouldn't chance paying the fee for not showing up. Besides, if the show is at 8:30, when do you think you'll arrive at WL for dinner? You still have to figure in time for the show, getting out of the theater, exiting DHS with the droves of people, and then transportation to WL (and maybe waiting for a second bus if you aren't driving yourself).

 

[minnie mum]

Usually you would be charged as a no show if you are more than 15 min late for your ADR. If F! is at 8:30, you would be lucky to arrive at WL by 10:00 if you are taking the bus.

 

[sndral]

Fantasmic is 25 minutes long, leaving you 20 minutes to exit the theater amongst several thousand fellow Fantasmic watchers also exiting then walk amongst that crowd to the front of DHS then get to your car or wait in line for a bus, drive over to WL, find parking there or ride bus there, then walk to Whispering Canyon. IMO you won't even be close. Why not try for a later ADR?

 

[mrsksomeday]

You need to choose Fantasmic or the dining reservation, there is no way to do both.

 

[Nancyg56]

You can't manage this, even with a 15 minute grace period. You will need to make a choice.

 

[yooperfan]

When you book it says to be there at least 20 minutes before your ressie not when it is and allow something like 1 1/2 hours for transportation. i wouldn't even consider doing this 1. Because it would tie up a ressie for a time I couldn't get there by (which someone else could have had) and 2. I wouldn't take the chance of getting charged as you would be more than just a couple minutes late. Hope you can work something out, they are bothe enjoyable choices.

 

[Alesia]

There's no way.

You might be able to get by with being 15 minutes late, but not 45 minutes late.

 

[alix1979]

If you have a 9:15 reservation, is it extremely important to show up at 9:15 or earlier? I know even with reservations before we've had to wait every time, once at least an hour! I'm only asking because we have a 9:15 for Whispering Canyon but don't want to miss Fantasmaic at 8:30..... There's a good chance they will add a 6pm show for that night but I'd still like to know how strict they are.

I may be wrong but I've never heard of a 6pm Fantasmic. The nights when there are 2 x showings, they are usually 8:30 and 10pm.

 

[serene56]

I would cancel the reservation or make it another night. Like posted by the time you get there it will be almost 10 if not soon after. (and what time do they close or take the last person)
Getting out of Fantasmic is a zoo and waiting for transportation with all those people---

 

[kbmartin]

To me, I would not chance this, but I would like to point out that my DH and I were once 45 minutes late for a reservation at Liberty Tree Tavern, and they welcomed us in. (We had to wait about a half hour, though, once we arrived.) I don't think that is a typical thing, but I just wanted to mention it. That night, almost everything that could have gone wrong did. We were already running late and then waited over a half hour for a bus from POR. We barely got on the first bus to MK in over half an hour, thanks to the sympathy of people who had been waiting far longer than us (they were so kind to let us and another young couple who had reservations go first) and a bus driver who initially said the MK bus (which was a ME bus?!) was full. Then, when we arrived at MK, we had to fight our way through a parade crowd. I was freaking out, called the dining reservation line, etc. Let's just say I've learned my lesson since then... plan for transportation to take an hour!

 

[Trinity88]

There's no way you'll make it even close to your reservation time. With F! at 8:30, you won't even be out of DHS by your reservation time. The crowds are crazy.

We were 20 min late for our HDDR reservation in May, along with about 75 other people. There was a problem with the boat from MK and we had to wait an hour for it to show up. The show had already started of course, but they had no problem letting us in.

 

[Dis703]

It can easily take longer than 20 minutes just to exit Fantasmic much less get out of the park and all the way to another resort. You'd be extremely late if you tried. Much too close to try and make it work IMO.

 

[figment_jii]

I agree with the PPs that you aren't going to be able to make a 9:15 pm ADR after an 8:30 pm F! even if things go perfectly for you (show time plus driving time without traffic would be problematic alone - so getting out of the theater and then waiting for a boat/bus or getting to your car will add even more time). It's also worth noting that WCC closes at 10:00 pm (on most nights), so if you don't get there until then, it's possible that they'll turn you away and then you'll be charged the "no show" fee ($10 per person on the ADR).

The general rule of thumb is to allow 45 minutes per leg of the journey when using Disney transportation. That's to allow time for waiting for the bus and travel/drive time. So, if F! is at 8:30 pm, it'll end around 8:55 pm. Then it takes a bit to get to out of the theater (unless you opt to leave before the show end) and out to the bus stop (add 15-20 minute), so it's now 9:15 pm or so. Then up to another 45 minutes to get to WL and it's 10:00 pm or so at that point.

 

[Hopefully]

I agree with the others - No Way!!! You need to decide on one or the other

 

[jennab]

Do you think you even need an ADR at 9:15pm? Is it usually busy that late at Whispering Canyon? If not, I would just cancel the ADR just in case and get there when you get there!

 

[JZCubed]

If you have a 9:15 reservation, is it extremely important to show up at 9:15 or earlier? I know even with reservations before we've had to wait every time, once at least an hour! I'm only asking because we have a 9:15 for Whispering Canyon but don't want to miss Fantasmaic at 8:30..... There's a good chance they will add a 6pm show for that night but I'd still like to know how strict they are.

You're not talking about a few minutes here.

You'd be arriving at WC around 10pm.

If you want dinner antics, change your ADR to 50's Prime Time.

 

[HopperFan]

The restaurant closes at 10 pm and I think you'd be lucky to walk up to the podium at that point. I would fully expect them to say no because (1) you are way late and (2) they are trying to empty out and close. Best you cancel and make other arrangements.

 

[AlixaLock]

I totally agree with everything that's been said here, I definitely don't think you can make this one work. However, I just want to throw in that I don't think the reservation policy os particularly strict. While the ADR times are limited and rigid the people working the podium almost always try to help and I've been seated quite a few times when I arrived late ... even once at BOG.

 

[Holeshot1982]

I may be wrong but I've never heard of a 6pm Fantasmic. The nights when there are 2 x showings, they are usually 8:30 and 10pm.

This is in December when the park closes at 8pm. We were there back on 2012 and they did add a 2nd show at 6pm... I checked last years operating schedule and they all had earlier shows at 6:30 which would be perfect. Hoping they do that again this year.