Allocated seating trial at Fantasmic***Now with another new twist, see page 15, #288***

[Tomh]

I think they need to set up a web app like would be used for a big concert, or show, and let people pick their seat and reserve it from the app, and be done with it. No FP+ used, just a reservation that anyone with a ticket can make, each seat is filled, guest chooses their own seat. Put in a bunch of scan points and every one scans in with their magic band. Easy peazy.

 

[challada]

So is the FP+ seating and the Fantasmic dinner seating the same area? We have reservations for the dinner as I last remember those being the center seats for Fantasmic, but now that there are FPs and all this new reserving, I am wondering if it is worth it.

 

[Robo]

1. So is the FP+ seating and the Fantasmic dinner seating the same area? We have reservations for the dinner as I last remember those being the center seats for Fantasmic, but

2. now that there are FPs and all this new reserving, I am wondering if it is worth it.

1. No.

2. 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.

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.)

 

[mom2mickeyfan]

I think they need to set up a web app like would be used for a big concert, or show, and let people pick their seat and reserve it from the app, and be done with it. No FP+ used, just a reservation that anyone with a ticket can make, each seat is filled, guest chooses their own seat. Put in a bunch of scan points and every one scans in with their magic band. Easy peazy.

But what about the folks that make a reservation for each night of their stay because thet aren't sure which night the are going to hop to DHS for the show? If anyone is free to reserve a spot while sitting at home, won't there be a good chance of spots being taken by guest that aren't and don't plan to be in the park?

 

[Robo]

But what about the folks that make a reservation for each night of their stay because thet aren't sure which night the are going to hop to DHS for the show? If anyone is free to reserve a spot while sitting at home, won't there be a good chance of spots being taken by guest that aren't and don't plan to be in the park?

Unlikely enough to make a dent.

They can issue thousands of FP+ for F!
Nearly half of the seating.

 

[sharonabe]

I'm going to say it again, but with color and larger font:

OPEN THE THEATER TWO HOURS BEFORE THE SHOW AND LET PEOPLE GO IN AND WAIT!!!!

 

[mom2rtk]

I'm going to say it again, but with color and larger font:

OPEN THE THEATER TWO HOURS BEFORE THE SHOW AND LET PEOPLE GO IN AND WAIT!!!!

NO JOKE.

Right now all they are doing is trying to fix a pointless problem they created themselves.

Plus, it's utterly insane to try and find a system right now to free people up from sitting and waiting.

WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO IN THIS PARK?

 

[mom2rtk]

Not at all. These are just tests, the showings of F! that aren't in the test dates are just like normal, with a possible use of a FP+ slot or just wait in the line.

I would just be skeptical if they play the announcement that the show is full and walk over to see for myself.

 

[ArwenMarie]

Maybe they are doing this to try to figure out how to run the DAK nighttime show?

I remember something about this at LMA too...that they didn't want people in there more than 30 minutes before. I can't remember where I saw it though, but I know I read it somewhere.

 

[mom2rtk]

Maybe they are doing this to try to figure out how to run the DAK nighttime show?

I remember something about this at LMA too...that they didn't want people in there more than 30 minutes before. I can't remember where I saw it though, but I know I read it somewhere.

The more I read along with this thread, the more I think this is the case. They are going to want to leverage it for FP. But they are going to need to get people in and out quickly so they can run several shows per night.

 

[ArwenMarie]

The more I read along with this thread, the more I think this is the case. They are going to want to leverage it for FP. But they are going to need to get people in and out quickly so they can run several shows per night.

Yeah, definitely if they are going to run multiple shows per night good point. And I think that show could be way worse than Fantasmic since people will be spilling out onto the main path as they wait and Animal Kingdom already bottlenecks very easily.

 

[nuzmom]

Plus, it's utterly insane to try and find a system right now to free people up from sitting and waiting.
WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO IN THIS PARK?

If people aren't waiting in line, they are wandering in the park. If they are wandering, then there is the potential that they are shopping and buying "stuff". I know there's food in the stadium, but I think people are more likely to buy food as they continually walk past it, as opposed to having to leave your seat to get it.

The thought that this is a test for AK show makes a lot of sense, too. But, I'm still of the opinion that most of the FP+ and this new "test" is to move people away from waiting in line to shopping more (food and items).

 

[lugnut33]

Yeah, definitely if they are going to run multiple shows per night good point. And I think that show could be way worse than Fantasmic since people will be spilling out onto the main path as they wait and Animal Kingdom already bottlenecks very easily.

I had brought this up much earlier in the thread. Think about Animal Kingdom and where in the heck they would hold 10,000 people until the show seating opens up. It's going to be ugly and it's one of the reasons why the best Imagineering teams passed on the project and Disney had to assign the "B" team (according to Jim Hill). Disney wants to let people wander around right up until show time otherwise it's going to be a nightmare.

 

[mom2rtk]

If people aren't waiting in line, they are wandering in the park. If they are wandering, then there is the potential that they are shopping and buying "stuff". I know there's food in the stadium, but I think people are more likely to buy food as they continually walk past it, as opposed to having to leave your seat to get it.

The thought that this is a test for AK show makes a lot of sense, too. But, I'm still of the opinion that most of the FP+ and this new "test" is to move people away from waiting in line to shopping more (food and items).

I get that. And the shopping thing could be successful to a certain point. But it's getting borderline ridiculous how little there is to do in this park these days. There reaches a point where any degree of extra time wandering fails to produce any additional result.

 

[EdmondD]

Isn't the return ticket thing the same way they handle World of Color at Disneyland?

 

[mom2rtk]

Isn't the return ticket thing the same way they handle World of Color at Disneyland?

As tested so far, no.

WOC only divides viewing into 2 sections. These tests have involved testing a larger number of sections and specific seat assignments, so much more specific in assigning people to certain areas.

 

[Sailormoon2]

They can issue thousands of FP+ for F!

So this is a little off topic, but if the above is true, then is the reason there are no F! FPs available for my trip Aug26-30th because they have taken them out of the system to prep for this test?

 

[socrateze]

I get that. And the shopping thing could be successful to a certain point. But it's getting borderline ridiculous how little there is to do in this park these days. There reaches a point where any degree of extra time wandering fails to produce any additional result.

I know what result it's produced in my family: we give up and leave the park. It's just not worth the wait!

 

[andyman8]

Maybe they are doing this to try to figure out how to run the DAK nighttime show?

I remember something about this at LMA too...that they didn't want people in there more than 30 minutes before. I can't remember where I saw it though, but I know I read it somewhere.

Yeah, I had brought this up towards the beginning of this thread. RoL certainly presents a challenge for Ops and they know that. For starters, they know/want it to be popular but they're unsure just how many people they're going to be actually dealing with. Right now, attendance numbers for DAK that late are either tiny and will be irrelevant (because most guests duck out of that park around 3pm) or nonexistent because the park is closed, so they're trying to estimate how big of a draw this will be. Will this keep the majority of guests in the park that late? Will only some stay for the show? How late would they be willing to stay if there's not enough room in the first show? Answers to these questions are, at this point, all speculation and projections, so it would help to have specific numbers locked in in advance for these shows to help with these dilemmas. Further complicating things is when AVATAR comes online in 2017, which will definitely bring in more people to DAK after dark. You add complicated seating areas to this and it's a tough situation. And they're hoping this will be big (expect two to three shows a night), so they're planning for high attendance right now, which is why they're considering using the DI trails as a potential holding area for shows. All of these F! tests seem to be more about fine tuning a system for RoL than increasing guest spending at DHS, though if they find success with this at RoL, I wouldn't be surprised to see it at Fantasmic!

 

[Robo]

So this is a little off topic, but if the above is true, then is the reason there are no F! FPs available for my trip Aug26-30th because they have taken them out of the system to prep for this test?

Maybe.

Regardless, if they are NOT testing on your nights in Aug. you should have no problems getting a same-day, in-park FP+ for F!
as your 3rd, 4th or 5th FP+ of the day.

They issue thousands of them.