Evening strategy to maximize time for Fantasmic, fireworks and parade

[KCarr2000]

We will be at the parks on June 6 through 8, leaving the park around 5:00 p.m. on Monday. We will have EMH for all three days and plan to use that. I will be there with my 20 year old son and his 18 year old girlfriend. The girlfriend is all about Disney but has never been to a Disney park before. Our plan is to get up early each day and maximize on the extra hour. I plan to use midday to go back to the hotel and rest, but the other two plan to go early to late for three days and be really tired and grumpy on the trip home - wish me luck there . EMH is Disneyland on Saturday and CA on Sunday/Monday. I am thinking we will spend most of Saturday at DL, leave the park for dinner (reservations at 5:00) outside the park but close, then go to CA for World of Color at 9:00, maybe back to DL for a few rides or the 10:45 Fantasmic/11:00 fireworks since CA closes at 10 and DL closes at midnight. On Sunday, we will start with the EMH at CA then head to DL for the rest of the day and try to do as many of the evening activities as we can - Fantasmic, fireworks and the parade. Then on Monday we will start the day with the EMH at CA then head back to DL for the rest of the day. I do know that Saturday is a grad night so that may make a difference in how we should plan Saturday night.

I don't think we will have "plenty" of time to do everything, but I think we can reasonably do most of the things we want. My concern is fitting in the evening attractions - WOC, Fantasmic, night time parade and fireworks. These are high on the list for all three of us. I am happy to take a few hours out of my day to take a blanket and stake out a spot for us to watch Fantasmic and/or WOC.

Any thoughts on how to maximize that time would be much appreciated.

 

[figment_jii]

I don't think we will have "plenty" of time to do everything, but I think we can reasonably do most of the things we want. My concern is fitting in the evening attractions - WOC, Fantasmic, night time parade and fireworks. These are high on the list for all three of us. I am happy to take a few hours out of my day to take a blanket and stake out a spot for us to watch Fantasmic and/or WOC.

Both WoC and F! use the FP system now. For both shows, the viewing areas open about an hour before the show is slated to start. For F!, guests used to be able to stake out prime spots hours in advance, but the new FP system prevents that from happening.

The entertainment schedule has F! being presented at 9:00 pm and 10:45 pm, Disneyland Forever fireworks at 9:30 pm, Paint the Night parade at 8:50 pm and 11:00 pm, and WoC at 9:00 pm and 10:15 pm. I truthfully think that folks are going to be hard pressed to find an "easy" way to see F!, the parade, and fireworks all on the same night. My guess is that folks will either watch the 9:00 pm F!, view the fireworks from the F! viewing area and then catch the 11:00 pm parade OR watch the 8:50 pm parade, the 9:30 pm fireworks and the 10:45 pm F!. I think you have to decide which is more important to see from a prime viewing location. If you go with the parade, fireworks, then F! schedule, I don't think you'll get a prime viewing spot for F!. DLR says that fireworks should be spectacular from several viewing locations throughout the park (Main Street, F! viewing area, IaSW mall), but no one really knows yet because the show has debuted to the public. Wait until this weekend, when the first reports will start coming in and hopefully some fellow Dis'ers will report how the view is in the F! viewing area for fireworks. That will then help to determine if it's worth starting with F! and ending with the parade.

The WoC timing will make it hard to see that show plus fireworks unless you're willing to give up a good/prime view for either fireworks or WoC.

Basically, this is a long way of saying to wait until next weekend to see how things went for the first few nights when all three shows were presented in DL. It's been a really long time since DL did three different evening shows, plus with the new fireworks, no one yet knows how it'll look from the various viewing areas in the park.

I am thinking we will spend most of Saturday at DL, leave the park for dinner (reservations at 5:00) outside the park but close, then go to CA for World of Color at 9:00, maybe back to DL for a few rides or the 10:45 Fantasmic/11:00 fireworks since CA closes at 10 and DL closes at midnight.

Just a note, but there are no fireworks at 11:00 pm. There is a second presentation of the parade. Fireworks is only presented once per night (at 9:30 pm).

 

[KCarr2000]

Thanks Figment. I am a major planner who was trying to not plan for this trip, but my son let it be known that we had to have a plan going in. My husband was shocked with our last Christmas trip to Disneyworld when I told them Thanksgiving week that I had to know what he wanted to eat on Christmas Day because I needed to pre-order his lunch for BOG. He was, however, thankful when we got there and didn't have to wait in the long line...... I am very appreciative of you and others from this board for all of the information I have gained.

My son says that Fantasmic is most important to have a prime viewing area. It sounds like we can likely get a good view of the fireworks after that, then see the 11:00 Paint the Night Parade, even if it isn't a great spot. Or on Saturday we can see WOC then head over to DL and I can stake out a decent spot for the 11:00 Paint the Night parade. Thanks for the info on staking out a spot for Fantasmic and WOC and fastpasses. I was concerned about standing during the whole show so thought I would rather take an hour or two out of my day to stake a spot.

What are the options for a seated spot for Fantasmic? Would I need to get a Fantasmic Meal reservation to get that? Same question for WOC.....

 

[calilou]

In my experience it is really worthwhile to do the WOC and F! dining options and take advantage of the VIP viewing areas. You have to eat anyway right?! We go ahead and do the premium options (Carthay Circle and Blue Bayou) because we have premium passes and get a discount. But even the lesser expensive options simplify things and allow you to avoid lines for FPs and waits for the shows. I like to plan for the most part, and these options have totally eased our days and simplified things. Worth it!

 

[figment_jii]

What are the options for a seated spot for Fantasmic? Would I need to get a Fantasmic Meal reservation to get that? Same question for WOC.....

For F!, there are no seated (chairs) viewing areas for the general public. The Blue Bayou F! Dining Package reserved viewing area is guaranteed ground seating, and all reports have thus far indicated that the RBT Dining Package viewing area is also ground seated. (The RBT package details do not guarantee ground seating, but so far no one has reported that they had to stand.) Each of the main FP viewing areas (Blue and Yellow) do have some ground seating areas (generally), but you cannot guarantee you'll get to be in that area. If you know you want to sit and watch the show, you'll need to splurge and do either the RBT or BB Dining Packages.

For WoC, there are no seated viewing areas for the general public. Everyone has to watch the show standing up, regardless of whether you are in the FP viewing areas or the dining package viewing areas. I think they do this because if you sit on the ground, you won't be able to see much because of the plants, railings, and other things that get in the way. Guests do sit on the ground while waiting for the show to start, but you'll have to stand up to see the show. There are also dining packages for WoC, but those don't offer as clear cut a benefit as the F! dining packages. The general rule of thumb is you need to get to the WoC viewing areas about 90 to 120 minutes beofre the show in hopes of getting a railing spot. otherwise, you'll be in the crowd and your view is subject to how well you can see over the person on front of you. The biggest thing to note is that WoC takes place either at eye level or below eye level, so you need to be able to see the water surface to fully appreciate the show.