F! or WOC? Which would you rather see?

[SFMommy]

We have never seen WOC or F! because we were always back in the hotel with my daughter, who used to be asleep every night by 7:00. This year we are going from Sept 19-22 and will be traveling with my BIL and his 2 sons, ages 9 and 11. Which night time entertainment do you suggest? If my DD6 can stay awake, we will go too. Which is better for kids? What are the usual show times? I know nothing about either one. And I don't even know if they will both be offered during a quiet time of year.

Thanks for any info!

 

[jlwhitney]

Why not both, you have enough nights. WOC is every night and F! is on the weekends. Its not like you have to pay for them.

 

[GrandBob]

Hydroguy started a very extensive thread and poll on this subject, about 2 years ago. Take a look here:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2544183

 

[Patrick in Oregon]

F! is the MAGIC of Disney
WOC is the ENGINEERING of Disney

Both are great. We saw both for the first time the same night and were more impressed by WOC. Since that first time though, I think F! is better.

For your specific questions
I think the kids that age would enjoy F! better if they enjoy the mascots/magic
WOC times are 9 and 10:15
F! times are 9 and 10:30

 

[mvf-m11c]

You can check out these two superthreads that HydroGuy started and will telll you everything about WoC and F!.

World of Color Superthread

Fantasmic! Superthread - Or Everything You Need To Know About Fantasmic at Disneyland

As for your questions, you can see both shows in one night. But since you have multiple days, you can see WoC on the 19th or 20th since F! will not be running on those days. Then on those other days, which will be the weekend that F! will be running as well as WoC. I would see WoC on the weekdays, but since it is during the slow season in September, WoC will only be playing one time per night on Wednesday and Thursday while the other nights will be two times.

You can check out the September 2011 Park Hour Calender from last year and it will give you a idea of what the shows start in September. The calender won't be the same like this year with the additional hours to DCA, but the show times in September should be almost the same. The show times in September on the weekdays for WoC should start at 8:15pm if the park hours are from 10am to 8pm. On the weekends, WoC should be playing at 9pm and 10:15pm. F! should be running at 9pm & 10:30pm.

 

[SFMommy]

Thank you! I will read all of these threads and get up to speed on the night time shows! Thanks!

 

[Disneylovers2000]

We enjoyed F! more but only because we had a terrible viewing area for WOC and F! is much easier to get a good spot and watch without having to line up for hours before hand. But our strategy was to watch one show a night so that we weren't rushing from here there and everywhere. So one night we devoted to lining up for fireworks, one night for F! and one night for WOC. Both are great shows if you can get good viewing areas for both. I enjoy F! more because for me its a bit of nostalgia!

 

[interstate70s]

I just asked the kids (9 and 6) and both agreed F! with no hesitation. They like the story, and the dragon.

WOC is stunning and I personally like it but the kids seem to like that F! has a plot.

 

[DisneytheKid]

Good info! Thanks for posting the links!

You can check out these two superthreads that HydroGuy started and will telll you everything about WoC and F!.

World of Color Superthread

Fantasmic! Superthread - Or Everything You Need To Know About Fantasmic at Disneyland

As for your questions, you can see both shows in one night. But since you have multiple days, you can see WoC on the 19th or 20th since F! will not be running on those days. Then on those other days, which will be the weekend that F! will be running as well as WoC. I would see WoC on the weekdays, but since it is during the slow season in September, WoC will only be playing one time per night on Wednesday and Thursday while the other nights will be two times.

You can check out the September 2011 Park Hour Calender from last year and it will give you a idea of what the shows start in September. The calender won't be the same like this year with the additional hours to DCA, but the show times in September should be almost the same. The show times in September on the weekdays for WoC should start at 8:15pm if the park hours are from 10am to 8pm. On the weekends, WoC should be playing at 9pm and 10:15pm. F! should be running at 9pm & 10:30pm.

 

[larina]

My 18 and 9 year old daughters both say WOC. I'm torn, to be honest. Don't forget to catch the fireworks!!!! They're my absolute favorite part of a trip to DL.

 

[Disneyanajc]

Our 10yrs old GS loves F and said for this trip we can skip WOC.
jc

 

[milan15]

My favorite part of the entire vacation is WOC.
so add one to that list

 

[longtimedisneylurker]

My oldest (age 12) has loved Fantasmic since he was five years old. Younger boy (age 10) took a little longer to warm up to it but enjoys it now very much. We have only seen WoC twice, both from less than ideal locations. Until last month, if I even suggested getting WoC fastpasses "just in case", both my boys would beg me to not even think about it. Their complaints are that WoC is too long, too boring, and not engaging enough with story and music. Last month, they both started to thaw and suggested that if DH and I wanted to try it again they would go along without complaining too much. We got the fastpasses but never fit it into our evening. Maybe next time. We had seen Fantasmic the night before though, and we all definitely still enjoy that show.

 

[dnamertz]

I know a lot of people like WOC, but to me it is no contest...F! is much better. Not only does it have a story, but it has variety of special effects, and characters, and better music. We try to see F! on every trip, and will continue to see it on future trips. We saw WOC once on our last trip, and no one in our group has a desire to see it again.

This is not even to mention the waiting for the shows (sitting vs. standing). If you can stay in the park long enough for the 2nd F! show, it is very easy to get a great sopt (sitting) if you come in behine the crowd that is leaving the 1st show.

 

[Butterfly123]

My vote is for Fantasmic. The pirate ship is my favorite part! I can't imagine a Disney trip without seeing Fantasmic. I enjoyed WOC, but the manuvering to get a good viewing spot spoils it a bit for me. WOC is a good "show", but Fantasmic is Disney at its best.

 

[hootey]

Get the reserved SEATING area for Fantasmic. The desert box is an extra, the front row seats are almost priceless. Seeing everything, is almost breath-taking. Saying the disney engineers are the best, is an understatement...

 

[Mercenary]

I say see both if you can... They are both great... F is so fun great show WOC can take your breath away!

 

[Thundergod]

Fantasmic is only on weekends?

 

[KateDrake]

Fantasmic! is only on weekends during the off season.
I would try to see both if you could, but if I can only choose one, it's WOC, hands down. I do love F!, but it has started to feel dated to me. But maybe that's because I've been seeing it for 20 years
I think part of it depends on what movies your kids like. WOC features more of the Pixar movies, and is really focused on the last 20 years of releases.
F! is all the old classics, like Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, etc. My DD likes WOC better because she tends to watch the newer movies more often. But both are great, and totally worth seeing!

 

[katejc]

If I could only see one, I'd go with F! IMO it's more of a complete show with a story than WOC (though I do like WOC, now that I've finally seen it with a good view!). F! has water effects, but also characters, floats, fireworks, and the pirate ship part is so awesome. DD, 11, is with me on this one, and also emphasizes getting the dessert seating. It's pricey but so worth it. Don't eat a lot beforehand--you get a ton of food!!