2-day trip in March: Help me pick a dinner package!

[VandVsmama]

We are going on a quick 2-day trip to Disneyland in March with my sister, so there will be 5 of us:

• me
• DH
• ODD (11)
• YDD (9)
• my sister

My sister admits that she doesn't like theme parks, but this trip is her idea because she is a big foodie person and wants to try out the Food & Wine Festival. The rest of us are DL veterans and I know how to navigate around the parks with ease.

I told the kids that our sole goal for this trip is for their aunt to have a nice time so she'll want join us again on future trips! My kids love my sister more than words can express and they are over the moon excited about doing this with her.

We're staying in the DLH. Rough itinerary right now is as follows:

• Thurs 3/22 - the 4 of us drive from Phoenix area to Anaheim. Check into the hotel. Latest we'd depart is noon. I'd like to get there earlier, though, so the kids can swim in the pool. The kids won't care what the outside temp is. My sister is arriving by air into LAX. She's arranging her own transportation to the DLH. She'll probably arrive @ DLH around 6 pm.
• Fri 3/23 - day 1 in the parks. We're all getting park hopper tickets. And I'm going to pay the extra $$ for us to use Max Pass. Max Pass didn't exist yet on our last trip this past May, so I need to go read up on it on the Max Pass super thread! Meal plans for breakfast & lunch are easy: grab & go breakfast in the hotel w/the goal to be in line for EMH by 7:45 am (assuming an 8 am EMH opening at DCA). Lunch will be Food & Wine food booth stuff.
• Sat 3/24 - day 2 in the parks. Same thing for breakfast & lunch: breakfast in hotel, lunch Food & Wine. Check out of hotel 11 am, store bags with the Bell Desk. Leave DCA/DL probably 7-8pm. We'll stay with friends or family Saturday night. My sister is going to spend a few days in LA with close friends of hers, so we'll part ways from DL early Saturday evening.

So this leads me to my question -
What to do for dinner on Friday evening?
None of us have seen Fantasmic! None of us have ever seen World of Color either. We can't do both. My sister wants DH & I to have a bit of a date night on Friday night without the kids. But I think it would be fun for all of us to see Fantasmic! together. I'd probably prefer that to seeing World of Color, mostly because World of Color will involve a bit of a time investment...most of it standing up. And given our #1 goal of this trip with my sister's dislike of standing in long theme park lines for hours on end, I don't think that World of Color would be a good idea.

So that leaves me with the Fantasmic! dining packages. For those of you who have done the Hungry Bear or River Belle Terrace packages, what did you think? I think that we'll skip the Blue Bayou one because it's really pricey at $65/adult and my sister isn't totally in love with the Blue Bayou like we are. Plus, my picky eater YDD would like the food at Hungry Bear or River Belle Terrace instead.

I've heard rumors that on the Hungry Bear package, you can sometimes have them substitute a regular menu meal for the special dinner package meal. Have any of you guys done that? That would make YDD's day.

How are the viewing areas for Hungry Bear vs River Belle Terrace (regular dinner seating, not the special 8pm one where you get to stay at your table to watch the show). Does the Hungry Bear viewing area allow you to sit down or is it standing only?

 

[Lesley Wake]

I would definitely say Fantasmic on Friday. That show really can't be missed! A dining package is the way to go, as you get best views and can sit down (albeit on the ground). I usually recommend Blue Bayou, as I love the atmosphere and food there, but you said you aren't really interested. Between River Belle and Hungry Bear, I would vote based on the menus (I don't have any experience with HB allowing you to substitute regular menu meal). The view from RBT area is slightly better than HB, but not enough to justify spending more $ if you will like the food at HB more. Hungry Bear allows you to be seated as well; I believe if its a super busy day there may be some overflow of standing, but if you get there 45min-1hr before showtime, you will be fine getting a seated spot.

Have you considered staying a bit longer on Saturday to see World of Color? It should be showing at 9pm.

 

[VandVsmama]

I would definitely say Fantasmic on Friday. That show really can't be missed! A dining package is the way to go, as you get best views and can sit down (albeit on the ground). I usually recommend Blue Bayou, as I love the atmosphere and food there, but you said you aren't really interested. Between River Belle and Hungry Bear, I would vote based on the menus (I don't have any experience with HB allowing you to substitute regular menu meal). The view from RBT area is slightly better than HB, but not enough to justify spending more $ if you will like the food at HB more. Hungry Bear allows you to be seated as well; I believe if its a super busy day there may be some overflow of standing, but if you get there 45min-1hr before showtime, you will be fine getting a seated spot.

Have you considered staying a bit longer on Saturday to see World of Color? It should be showing at 9pm.

I did consider that...staying longer on Saturday to see World of Color, but since we won't be taking a midday break on Saturday and since we'll be starting at DL that day at 7 am, there's no way we'll last until 9pm. Plus, my sister needs to leave around 6pm because she's having a late dinner with her friends in Los Angeles (who she's staying with that night). And the friends/family we're likely going to stay with Saturday night are a 60-90 minute drive away from Anaheim. So a 2nd evening of shows is likely a no go.