Did anyone wait for Fantasmic (not do the dinner)

[marriedmarylander]

Sorry if this is repeat for some.
DH wants me to cut dining costs and I wanted to keep the CRT dinner and one character meal. I personally think we can swing H&V.. The thing is they have a cancellation policy. I'm afraid we'll literarlly be at MGM that day and I say we have a PS and DH will say something like "I don't want a buffet. That's too much money". Did anyone wait for Fantasmic?

 

[Cinderella822]

We always wait, have never done the dinner package. If you get there early enough, usually about an hour ahead, you can get great seats. Actually, I doubt there are any seats that are bad really. We grab a bucket of popcorn on the way in and just relax until the show.

 

[OhMickey]

We've always waited for Fantasmic and have been happy with our seats.

 

[L107ANGEL]

We also have not done the dinner pacakage and go about an hour before. You will still have a great time!

 

[MrsJ Henry]

You will actually get better seats if you get there early and wait.
This is the first time we will be doing the dinner package. Last time we waited. It really is not that bad of a wait. I would get there a little more than an hour early. You can take food in with you or get some inside.
We enjoyed watching the people, chatting with some, doing the wave, watching all the venders selling and the people buying .
Really it is not bad at all.
The earlier you get there the better seat you can get.... But there really are not any BAD seats.

 

[Going Broke]

We always wait also. Again, you may have to get there an hour ahead of time. Sometimes the crowd has fun with the wait and they all do "The Wave." You know, that silly thing they do at baseball games. Anyways, the kids usually have a lot of fun with that!!

 

[oogieboogie]

We did the dinner package the first time with my ILs and I didn't like the seats that they reserve for package holders. It was way to the right side of the stadium.

After that, we never did the package again. We just waited. One time didn't wait at all and went in 10 minutes before it was supposed to start and got seats up at the top which I like better anyway because you can make a fast exit before the rush.

Another time we did have to wait a bit because they were having technical difficulties and they weren't letting people in. DH stood in line with the kids while I grabbed some food, then we just ate while standing in line.

You'll see a lot of people carrying trays of food while standing in line. Heck... if you're going to be in line, might as well eat some dinner too. We just carried our tray into the stadium, sat down and kept on eating dinner.

 

[skiwee1]

We go every May and October and have never done the dinner package. We always eat at 50'S Prime Time Cafe beforehand and then walk over to Fantasmic. We get there about 1 to 1 1/2 hours before showtime and get perfect seats. At 30 minutes to show time there still are plenty of seats but just not as good. There is also a counter service food place right there at the seats in Fantasmic. You could kill some time by eating your dinner there or grabbing food from the market before the entrance and bringing it in with you. We always see folks bringing the food there so they can eat while waiting.

 

[SuBeat]

We've always waited too, I think we get better seats that way. We show up an hour to an hour and a half early, find our seats, then send DH and DS off to get our food from the little stand they have there. We've always found someone interesting to chat with while we wait, making the time pass pretty quickly.

 

[MECH8T7]

You should be aware that, with the package, you are supposed to arrive 30 minutes before the show anyways or risk losing entry to the reserved seating. Also, the later you wait to get your reserved seating, the further out to the right you will be.

The point here is that, even with the dinner package, you will have to get there earlier anyways. So, when people suggest that you should get there an hour earlier, the wait is only about 30 minutes more than it would be with the package.

 

[dismom9761]

I waited w/ 6 kids! was not bad at all.We ate and the kids played their gameboys and colored. My DD6 even took a nap.The show was worth every minute we waited.

 

[MNmom]

Is it ok to have one member of your family go early (60-90min) and have the rest of the family come later (30min early)??

We have one child that could never make it waiting over an hour

 

[skiingwife]

Does anyone remember what food they sell at the counter service place near Fantasmic, or even the name of the place?

Also, when you arrive at Fantasmic 1 or 1 1/2 hours ahead of time, are you waiting in line outside the stadium or do they let you in the stadium so you can find your seats and sit down?

Thanks

 

[snowy76]

Why not have a big late lunch and snack your way through dinner while waiting for the show to start! We did the package once, and the show was canceled because of a storm! DH and I would not have done a sit down meal otherwise, so we felt like we wasted a lot of time and money. The next time we joined the line about an hour before showtime. We got a great spot in one of the middle sections. We noticed the reserved seating was waaaaaay to the side and we were glad we didn't try for the dinner package!

 

[Going Broke]

Is it ok to have one member of your family go early (60-90min) and have the rest of the family come later (30min early)??

We have one child that could never make it waiting over an hour

I believe that once they hit capacity, they will let no one else in, which could end up happening 1/2 hr. ahead of time or earlier depending on the crowd. It could be risky.

 

[DrTomorrow]

We've never done the package, we get there around an hour early, and have always had good seats: center section, about 2/3 of the way up. After a long day at WDW, the wait can be a nice break.

 

[skiwee1]

Is it ok to have one member of your family go early (60-90min) and have the rest of the family come later (30min early)??

We have one child that could never make it waiting over an hour

No you cannot do that. As they pack you in to the seats they make you schooch all the way down. Once everyone is seated you are allowed to get up and get food or go to the bathroom or smoke but you really aren't allowed to leave the theater. The kid in question can run around by the bathroom area if they need to stretch their legs.

 

[DZNYMGCFAM]

Last year when we went, we got there about an hour before it started (we never do the dinner package) we had great seats...about two rows up from the front about 3 or 4 sections over (not quite center section)...we also had our three girls..ages 9,6 and 2 1/2...they actually behaved while waiting there . We had also grabbed a bucket of popcorn, cotton candy and a couple of drinks. I would recommend arriving at least an hour prior to show time if you do not do the dinner package.

Good Luck!!

 

[Minniemom97]

No you cannot do that. As they pack you in to the seats they make you schooch all the way down. Once everyone is seated you are allowed to get up and get food or go to the bathroom or smoke but you really aren't allowed to leave the theater. The kid in question can run around by the bathroom area if they need to stretch their legs.

In November (Thanksgiving week) we got there over an hour early, had 2 people beside of us with enough space between them to fit 2 people or so in. Well, about 15 minutes before the show, they squeeze in probably 6 or 7 people. I was not happy. Of course, they squeezed and squeezed and squeezed, making it not too comfortable for the rest of us! If you want to hold space for other family members fine, but at least have the courtesy to leave adequate space for all of them. No CM ever told them to scoot together.

I have a 7 year old, so I remember the days of trying to keep a younger child happy/quiet/content while waiting. Not bashing the person that asked at all, just my 2 cents.

 

[skiwee1]

In November (Thanksgiving week) we got there over an hour early, had 2 people beside of us with enough space between them to fit 2 people or so in. Well, about 15 minutes before the show, they squeeze in probably 6 or 7 people. I was not happy. Of course, they squeezed and squeezed and squeezed, making it not too comfortable for the rest of us! If you want to hold space for other family members fine, but at least have the courtesy to leave adequate space for all of them. No CM ever told them to scoot together.

I have a 7 year old, so I remember the days of trying to keep a younger child happy/quiet/content while waiting. Not bashing the person that asked at all, just my 2 cents.

I wouldn't have put up with the extra people and I certainly wouldn't have budged an inch for them. I would have called a CM over and had them removed.