ADR before Fantasmic

[Eliz87]

Do I need to change my dinner ADR time?
We have a lunch ADR at 11:30 for Mama Melrose's with the Fantasmic dining package, then a 6:00 ADR for dinner at 50's Prime Time. Will 6:00 be too late to eat and then make our way over to the dining package seating for Fantasmic, or should we try to eat earlier? This is in late July, and Fantasmic is at 9:00.
This is my first time planning a Disney trip, and these boards have been SO helpful to me already!

 

[rwdavis2]

6pm should be fine.

 

[hiroMYhero]

I agree. You'll want to be in the amphitheater by 8:15/8:30 to choose your seats in the Dining section so that amount of time for dinner is fine.

 

[Eliz87]

Great, thank you!

 

[Ryan2016]

You can also look into the fantasmic dining package if you worried about getting into fantasmic. You are guaranteed seats that way.

 

[Robo]

You can also look into the fantasmic dining package if you worried about getting into fantasmic. You are guaranteed seats that way.

The guest already booked the fantasmic dining package.

We have a lunch ADR at 11:30 for Mama Melrose's with the Fantasmic dining package...

 

[CAS239]

You can also look into the fantasmic dining package if you worried about getting into fantasmic. You are guaranteed seats that way.

And technically you're not guaranteed seats. Closer to show time if there's enough people coming in still, they open up all areas to everyone. So if someone on the F! Dining plan happens to show up 5 min before show time on a busy night, the dining area seating section might already be at capacity.

 

[Robo]

And technically you're not guaranteed seats. Closer to show time if there's enough people coming in still, they open up all areas to everyone. So if someone on the F! Dining plan happens to show up 5 min before show time on a busy night, the dining area seating section might already be at capacity.

Agreed.

 

[Eliz87]

And technically you're not guaranteed seats. Closer to show time if there's enough people coming in still, they open up all areas to everyone. So if someone on the F! Dining plan happens to show up 5 min before show time on a busy night, the dining area seating section might already be at capacity.

That's what I was worried about. I just want to make sure that a 6:00 ADR will get me to Fantasmic before that happens.

 

[Robo]

That's what I was worried about. I just want to make sure that a 6:00 ADR will get me to Fantasmic before that happens.

Be sure to arrive at the 50's Prime Time by 5:30 and check-in (it can get backed up.)
Also, ask for your check (bill) as soon as your waiter arrives at the table and pay it before you dine... so you won't be stuck at the end of the meal waiting for a late check.

Another thing nobody brought up is eating two big meals on the same day.
Some guests are not comfortable with two large meals, "back-to-back."
If you are eating at Mama Melrose's just to get the Fantasmic! Dining Pkg.
I suggest that you could, instead, get a FP+ for Fantasmic!
F! FP+ are nearly always available as a 4th or 5th FP+ of the day.
They issue THOUSANDS of them.

And...
to the DISboards, Eliz!

 

[Robo]

The CMs open the theater an hour or more before show-time.
Guests at that time will simply walk slowly through the very long pathways to the theater and file in to find a seat.

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 45-60 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.
-------------------------------------------------------------------

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.)

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

 

[Nancyg56]

Be sure to arrive at the 50's Prime Time by 5:30 and check-in (it can get backed up.)
Also, ask for your check (bill) as soon as your waiter arrives at the table and pay it before you dine... so you won't be stuck at the end of the meal waiting for a late check.

Another thing nobody brought up is eating two big meals on the same day.
Some guests are not comfortable with two large meals, "back-to-back."
If you are eating at Mama Melrose's just to get the Fantasmic! Dining Pkg.
I suggest that you could, instead, get a FP+ for Fantasmic!
F! FP+ are nearly always available as a 4th or 5th FP+ of the day.
They issue THOUSANDS of them.

And...
to the DISboards, Eliz!

I thought about that too. I would try to move my MM later or my 50's PTC earlier, make sure it was the package and just snack to fill the void. Both restaurants offer a filling meal so I worry that this is overkill.

 

[Robo]

I thought about that too. I would try to move my MM later or my 50's PTC earlier, make sure it was the package and just snack to fill the void. Both restaurants offer a filling meal so I worry that this is overkill.

Of the two, 50's Prime Time is the "better" restaurant.
(But, 50'sPT does not offer a F! Dining Pkg.)

My preference would be to dump MM, get an earlier ADR for 50'sPT, and just get a F! FP+ for the show.

 

[Nancyg56]

Of the two, 50's Prime Time is the "better" restaurant.
(But, 50'sPT does not offer a F! Dining Pkg.)

My preference would be to dump MM, get an earlier ADR for 50'sPT, and just get a F! FP+ for the show.

I forgot that 50's did not offer the package. Thanks for the correction!

If paying oop I would ditch MM. If on the ddp I would need to think about it. Either way, my personal comfort level would be better if my meal was earlier than the OP has scheduled. We would be the family behind ADR was running late, whose order was mixed up, bill was lost and whose entire crew needs to use the restrooms twice! Welcome to my world. Lol!!