World of Color Superthread

[blackjackdelta]

We are going to Disneyland resort early February, I was just wondering do they still allow guests staying at a DLR hotel to get in early for a WOC fastpass? I can't find anything on the website mentioning that perk

Welcome to the boards and they still do allow going to the GRR FP machines and getting you fastpass.

Jack

 

[HydroGuy]

We are going to Disneyland resort early February, I was just wondering do they still allow guests staying at a DLR hotel to get in early for a WOC fastpass? I can't find anything on the website mentioning that perk

And FWIW everything in the OP is current to the best of my knowledge, including the perk you mention.

 

[lukeca]

Awesome, thanks a lot for the info!

 

[Dreaming of Main St]

We just returned from Disneyland and this thread was so helpful in planning for WOC, I wanted to share our experience...

We arrived to check in at the Grand Californian at around 2:30 in the afternoon on Wed. 1/19. We checked in, picked up our park passes and headed straight into CA to see if there were any fastpasses left. There were! We picked up 4 red section fastpasses. There was only one show on this night and it was at 8:15 pm. We headed over to the viewing area at 6:15. We found the red fastpass entrance and we were the first group there so I started chatting with some of the CMs and sent the rest of the family to go on a few rides. During the next 45 minutes, many of the CMs gave me different info so it did get a bit confusing about where you could wait and what time they'd open the area. A couple of CMs told me they wouldn't even be opening the area until after 7:30 (glad I didn't listen to them and leave). There was no line because of the construction walls. By about 6:40 a larger group of people had congregated in the area and we were told we had to go to the area near the Zephyr and they would open the viewing area at 7 pm. So, it turned out that there wasn't much of a benefit to getting there before 7:00 on this night. At 7:00 everyone rushed at the same time to get in line to get into the viewing area. We ended up being about the 5th family in line and got a good spot right on the rail in the red "wet" section. We had picked up some sandwiches for dinner and ate them and played cards to help pass the time while waiting. Most of the good rail spots were taken up within about 15 minutes and the area behind us had filled in by about 7:30-7:45.

The show was great. We all loved it and agreed that we were glad we waited to get a good rail spot. Even though we brought our rain coats, we didn't really need them. We got a light spray of water, but didn't leave feeling like we had gotten really wet. Thank you so much to everyone on this board for all of the great advice!

 

[HydroGuy]

We just returned from Disneyland and this thread was so helpful in planning for WOC, I wanted to share our experience...

We arrived to check in at the Grand Californian at around 2:30 in the afternoon on Wed. 1/19. We checked in, picked up our park passes and headed straight into CA to see if there were any fastpasses left. There were! We picked up 4 red section fastpasses. There was only one show on this night and it was at 8:15 pm. We headed over to the viewing area at 6:15. We found the red fastpass entrance and we were the first group there so I started chatting with some of the CMs and sent the rest of the family to go on a few rides. During the next 45 minutes, many of the CMs gave me different info so it did get a bit confusing about where you could wait and what time they'd open the area. A couple of CMs told me they wouldn't even be opening the area until after 7:30 (glad I didn't listen to them and leave). There was no line because of the construction walls. By about 6:40 a larger group of people had congregated in the area and we were told we had to go to the area near the Zephyr and they would open the viewing area at 7 pm. So, it turned out that there wasn't much of a benefit to getting there before 7:00 on this night. At 7:00 everyone rushed at the same time to get in line to get into the viewing area. We ended up being about the 5th family in line and got a good spot right on the rail in the red "wet" section. We had picked up some sandwiches for dinner and ate them and played cards to help pass the time while waiting. Most of the good rail spots were taken up within about 15 minutes and the area behind us had filled in by about 7:30-7:45.

The show was great. We all loved it and agreed that we were glad we waited to get a good rail spot. Even though we brought our rain coats, we didn't really need them. We got a light spray of water, but didn't leave feeling like we had gotten really wet. Thank you so much to everyone on this board for all of the great advice!

Thanks!

 

[TheColtonsMom]

My family loves Fantasmic esp my DS6, They do use "movies" projected on water although this is not really a favorite part of the show for my family. My son loves a "new" story about Mickey and really his favorite is the Columbia coming around the corner with Peter Pan & Capt Hook battling in the rigging and Murphy the dragon.


The reason for my post is this...for those that do love WOC so much I need to be convinced that this is worth the time it involves. I mean even if you pay for a WOC meal you are still standing in line after line after line and are not guaranteed a good spot. Also we watched part of a mad dash for prime spots on a friends video and I cannot imagine being in that stampede with a 6 year old. It makes regular rope drop look like a stroll in the park.

I am one of the DISneytragic I love all things Disney and DL has been a home away from home my whole life. I love watching clips of Disney movies but I can do this on the internet or watch whatever parts I want on our extensive collection of Disney on VHS & DVD.

So a bunch of lights and water a little fire and not even a storyline just a series of scenes like movie trailers and the amount of time it would take away from other things we can do while at DLR just doesn't seem worth it. Our last trip was Christmas and we didn't want to brave the crowds for this but we are considering it for our Oct 2011 trip if the arrangements for getting a spot or the crowds for it change before then. So DIS WOC fans convince me. If you love this show why it is so special?
__________________

 

[HydroGuy]

My family loves Fantasmic esp my DS6, They do use "movies" projected on water although this is not really a favorite part of the show for my family. My son loves a "new" story about Mickey and really his favorite is the Columbia coming around the corner with Peter Pan & Capt Hook battling in the rigging and Murphy the dragon.


The reason for my post is this...for those that do love WOC so much I need to be convinced that this is worth the time it involves. I mean even if you pay for a WOC meal you are still standing in line after line after line and are not guaranteed a good spot. Also we watched part of a mad dash for prime spots on a friends video and I cannot imagine being in that stampede with a 6 year old. It makes regular rope drop look like a stroll in the park.

I am one of the DISneytragic I love all things Disney and DL has been a home away from home my whole life. I love watching clips of Disney movies but I can do this on the internet or watch whatever parts I want on our extensive collection of Disney on VHS & DVD.

So a bunch of lights and water a little fire and not even a storyline just a series of scenes like movie trailers and the amount of time it would take away from other things we can do while at DLR just doesn't seem worth it. Our last trip was Christmas and we didn't want to brave the crowds for this but we are considering it for our Oct 2011 trip if the arrangements for getting a spot or the crowds for it change before then. So DIS WOC fans convince me. If you love this show why it is so special?
__________________

As you know, WOC has gotten mixed reviews. My personal opinion is that a significant part of the negatives are a result of the imperfect viewing area and time one needs to dedicate to getting a good spot.

If you cannot dedicate the time you might be better off waiting until a future date.

As for the comment about lights and water and fire and limited storyline, one could say sort of the same thing about one of my favorite DCA attractions - Soarin Over California. After all, it is just a highlight real of various California locations. Heck, you can drive to most all of them. And Imax? Ho hum, old news. I live near one. So what's the big deal?

For Soarin the big deal is an immersive experience unlike anything I have experienced elsewhere, and something that catches my heart as a native Californian. It is how the elements are brought together.

For WOC it is the same. The lights and water are woven together in such a magical way that the experience was overwhelming for us.

Further, it did not require a huge stampede when we did the preferred dining. We just showed up at 6:55PM (for a 9PM WOC). We were second in line and walked straight down to the rail. Not hard at all.

Getting in the FP crowd can be a little more daunting. IMO totally worth it if you are willing to work at getting a good spot. Unlike anything you have ever seen.

 

[babyruth]

Does it matter what time you pick up your picnic? ie if we pick up the picnic at lunchtime would we get a better FP than if we pick it up at dinner? or is it determined by when you ordered the picnic, not when you pick up?

 

[HydroGuy]

Does it matter what time you pick up your picnic? ie if we pick up the picnic at lunchtime would we get a better FP than if we pick it up at dinner? or is it determined by when you ordered the picnic, not when you pick up?

The answer is "no". Almost. I did the picnic once and do not know if my experience was the standard procedure or not. I think it is.

They start off the picnics at whatever time - 11:30AM? - and give out blue WOC FPs. After these are gone they give out yellow. So depending on when you pick up the picnic it could influence what color you get. Other than that it does not matter.

 

[Disneyland 1951]

Does it matter what time you pick up your picnic? ie if we pick up the picnic at lunchtime would we get a better FP than if we pick it up at dinner? or is it determined by when you ordered the picnic, not when you pick up?

1. Picnic Fastpass ($16) / WCT Lunch Fastpass ($30) / Fastpass from GRR Fastpass Machine (FREE). are all exactly the same in function.

2. They are distributed in this order BLUE - YELLOW for Picinc/ Lunch Fastpass. If you show up early you can request Blue or Yellow. When Blue Fastpasses are gone you will get Yellow.

3. It is determined when you get your fastpass.

 

[Fantasmic303]

A friend is going to DL and WOC next week (March 12th) and we're trying to help her plan her strategy. There are two shows that night - 8:00 and 9:15. She is considering doing any of the dining options, but can someone help us determine the timing for any of them? How early would she need to get there if she was doing a picnic? How much earlier for one of the dining packages?

I've read so much about it on the DIS and elsewhere, but I'm still confused. It seemed like people were suggesting an hour and a half to two hours prior to show time, but how does that work if it's the second show and within 45 minutes of the first show ending?

Heeeeeeeeeeeeelp...lol

 

[HydroGuy]

A friend is going to DL and WOC next week (March 12th) and we're trying to help her plan her strategy. There are two shows that night - 8:00 and 9:15. She is considering doing any of the dining options, but can someone help us determine the timing for any of them? How early would she need to get there if she was doing a picnic? How much earlier for one of the dining packages?

I've read so much about it on the DIS and elsewhere, but I'm still confused. It seemed like people were suggesting an hour and a half to two hours prior to show time, but how does that work if it's the second show and within 45 minutes of the first show ending?

Heeeeeeeeeeeeelp...lol

One of the reasons people suggest different things is that WOC is a moving target for planning.

First questions that need answering:

1. How important is it to have a good view of WOC?
2. How much time is someone willing to wait?
3. How much money are they willing to spend?
4. How tall is the shortest person in your group?

With those answered you can move on to wait times for the show.

It is my personal opinion that WOC is worth a long wait to get a good viewing spot. Other people do not agree and thus would suggest something different.

If you want a slam dunk, for sure good spot, here is what you need to do:

1. Find out the good spots to view from each section (see the OP)

2. Decide whether you want to get preferred viewing thru dining and pay the money for that.

3. Get to the WOC queueing area 90 minutes before the show.

4. Be assertive (some would say aggressive ) in moving your group from the queue to the viewing area and to a good viewing spot.

5. Once at the viewing spot enlist your entire group to hold that spot. Otherwise people kind of creep into your spot and if you let them creep in front of you then you could lose your good view.


OK, let's say you would like to get a good view but you are OK if you don't.

Then do everything itemized above except show up 60 minutes early.

Finally, let's say you want to try for a good spot but only have 30 minutes to wait in line and are willing to chance a poor spot.

In this case do not do the preferred dining. That is only worth it if you queue at least 60 minutes early (I would say 90). If you get a blue WOC FP go to the fire hydrant spot (see the OP for info on this). If you get a red FP try for a wet zone spot down front (see the OP). If you get a yellow FP I am not sure you can get a decent spot by queueing 30 minutes early. So I would say don't try it but someone else may have a different experience here.

HTH

 

[cloudconnected1039]

I definitely second on the "be aggressive" notion. There have been far too many times where I have a perfect spot on the railing going into the transfer of line to section, but once the show time rolls around, kids around my height or a little shorter (we're talking like 1" - 2", as I'm only 5'1" ) and then my view is obstructed for the show. And I wasn't even asked if they could stand in front of me, they just pushed through and took the spot like many self-entitled people would do If the kids were younger and smaller and really needed to be in front, I'm more than willing to have them stand in front of me. I know of prefer that oddly enough, as I love watching their faces light up with delight during the show Well, the moral of the story is stand your ground!! I'm too timid to do that in a public setting like that, and it's left me bummed for the rest of the night. But that's enough negativity for this morning!! You're going to have an amazing time

Overall, it's an amazing show and you're going to love it no matter where you stand

 

[Fantasmic303]

Thanks for the feedback - so excited to see WOC!

Your suggestions will help a lot, I'm sure. In terms of queuing an hour beforehand though, is there a separate holding area on nights when the two shows are pretty close together? (I'm thinking like the queue area for Fantasmic! at WDW vs. Fantasmic! at DL, where it's just open space.)

I've gotta get those maps of viewing areas printed out!

 

[skiingfast]

Thanks for the feedback - so excited to see WOC!

Your suggestions will help a lot, I'm sure. In terms of queuing an hour beforehand though, is there a separate holding area on nights when the two shows are pretty close together? (I'm thinking like the queue area for Fantasmic! at WDW vs. Fantasmic! at DL, where it's just open space.)

I've gotta get those maps of viewing areas printed out!

No unfortunately not. In DHS the F! ampitheater is set away from everything opening up some space. In DCA paradise park is right off the parade route, so they just seperate each viewing group into a holding area on the pathway. Then when the first show is done DCA has to empty the crowd back onto the parade route where the next shows viewers are waiting in their holding areas.

Because both shows use roughly the same holding areas the second show has a shorter wait just like with DHS's F!.


When you get the showpasses if it is the first show it will show a return time window of 45 minutes, a little after the window opens people are allowed into Paradise Park to claim spots. For the second show the return window is only 30 minutes long and people are allowed into the viewing area right away. So the key is really being in the holding areas right before the return time begins and make your way to the front to get into the park right away. Then when you get into the park know where good spots are and make your way behind a rail.

 

[ArchOwl]

For those interested, this is the view from the Cove Bar where I watched World of Color on Sunday, February 27th. I do not recommend this location for your first experience, but it was a nice way for hubby and I to see it again without standing in line. The Cove Bar does charge a $10 cover per person if you stay to watch the show, but that wasn't a big deal to us since we wanted to finish our drinks anyway.

Last call for drinks was at 7:45pm if I remember correctly. The show began at 8:15pm.

 

[Corbisblue]

We just saw WoC for the first time on March 3rd and we did the Picnic Option. We got tickets for the Blue section and we showed up about an hour before the show and were able to get good spots against the rail (not on the bridge). We couldn't see the far end of the show but that didn't really take anything away from our experience.

I thought the picnic option was good in our situation since we didn't arrive to the park until later in the day and that was the only day we could have seen the show. $16 for a meal and not having to stand in line for FP was well worth it. The food was decent, nothing great.

Just wanted to add my two cents

 

[Hummingbird15]

Thank you for all of the great reports. We'll be there at the end of April. I assume that the later show will be less crowded? We are staying at the DLH and can take advantage of the early gate through the GC. But I'm reading that when you go early you'll get tickets to the early show. I'm not quite sure what our strategy should be if we want the later show.
We're also up for eating dinner at Ariel's Grotto or Wine Country Trattoria. Does anyone have an opinion on which restaurant they prefer? We ate lunch with characters at Ariel's a few years ago. We are just adults on this trip. Thanks.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thank you for all of the great reports. We'll be there at the end of April. I assume that the later show will be less crowded? We are staying at the DLH and can take advantage of the early gate through the GC. But I'm reading that when you go early you'll get tickets to the early show. I'm not quite sure what our strategy should be if we want the later show.
We're also up for eating dinner at Ariel's Grotto or Wine Country Trattoria. Does anyone have an opinion on which restaurant they prefer? We ate lunch with characters at Ariel's a few years ago. We are just adults on this trip. Thanks.

Pretty much all the WOC shows are packed so no real advantage to second show.

You are right if you want second show FPs then the early use of GCH entrance has no value.

We have only done AG and WCT once each. Our preference is AG but they are both pretty good. For WOC dining most folks seem to prefer AG.

 

[DeluxePrincess]

Do they allow people to sit while waiting? DD and I would be perfectly fine standing, but DH and DS would be complainers. If no sitting is allowed, we'll just have to leave them at the hotel.