Couple Of Dining Questions

[kennezgirl]

Has anyone tried the Fantasmic Dining option? Was it worth it? How were the seat selections? The information that is available states that you must still arrive 30 minutes early to the reserved seating area. Is this really necessary?

Also, for early morning breakfast reservations...I know that we are supposed to give our confirmation number to a guard that will let us in. Do you have to work through a crowd to get to this area? How long does it take to get from the parking lot to the entrance? (We are doing early meals at MK, AK, and Epcot) Just wondering how much time to allow in the mornings before our reservation time.

Thanks in advance.

 

[PiRSquared]

We have done the Fantasmic twice. We love it. I don't like to wait for 1.5 hours for anything. We go to the Brown Derby because it is SO good. Best steak I've ever had. The seats aren't the best, but you are guaranteed them. Yes, you need to get there 30 minutes ahead or you will be at the very end. The 30 minutes go by fast. People start the wave, and there are refreshments and stuff to buy. It is expensive, but we love it.

 

[MariDisney]

We also love the Fantasmic dinner and a show program. The seats are fine, but not awesome. I don't know how early you have to get there to be front and center. The seats are off to the side. But, ever time we've done it we've gotten seats at the very end of the reserved section so it's closer to the center. (clear as mud?) I also agree with PIRSquared that the 30 minutes fly by.

When you go in the park early for dining, which we LOVE to do because we feel like we own the place...you have you stand in line for a few minutes at the gate, but then there's no crowd to fight or anything. We usually get 8:05 ressies...and they don't open the gate until 8:00. So, you don't have to be there earlier than 7:50, IMHO. Once we eat we love to wander where they'll let you before the park is open. I have awesome pictures of DD in MK with no one else around. We also just like to be near the castle and dance to the music after an early breakfast at the Crystal Palace. Then, we'll usually be first when they drop the rope to head towards Splash Mountain or Space Mountain. It's the BEST!

 

[byoung]

We feel the dining package is worth it.

 

[mmcguire]

We waited between 1-2 hours in line for Fantasmic twice before we knew about the dinner package (perhaps before it was offered), and now we wouldn't do it any other way. Instead of standing out in the freezing cold (Dec) or the burning heat (June), we enjoyed a tasty dinner at Hollywood & Vine, took our time strolling over to the back entrance, and got great seats without standing in line one minute. Well worth the money, IMHO.

 

[kennezgirl]

Thanks everyone. I still can't visualize the early morning breakfast entry though. If everyone is trying to be there when the park opens, do they not line up at the gate and you have to push through to get to the guard to get in? My res. are for 9:00 all three mornings.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

We do the Fantasmic package also and there are a few caveats. One is that the latest reservations are for 4:30. Sometimes they will open reservations but that can be too early for some people.

The seats are not front and center but still very good. Although I've never done it, some people have gotten there very early and used that time to eat a counter service meal.

Also, the package can be quite a bit of food for a small child, particularly if it is too early for their dinner. My DD didn't eat a bite of dinner so her package was wasted. She never eats an appetizer, dinner and dessert.