Fantasmic - delays getting in with no FP+

[ArwenMarie]

Dining package is roped off, so it really doesn't matter who gets in first...only dining package people are allowed in the dining package area. We saw many, many FP+ people being turned away from the dining package area in October.

But to answer your question...dining package people and FP+ people both enter in the FP+ line, so they're let in together according to their place in line.

Oh that makes sense. Thanks!

Dining Package has the two center sections, Sorcerer Mickey and the one to the right of it, and they can enter whenever they want as it is reserved for them.

I noticed that most Dining guests arrived close to 30 minutes before show.

Good to know!

I imagine it has to be only a matter of time until they stop the Fantasmic! packages right? With FP+ being the thing they want to use for all experiences, it would probably migrate. (likely at the same time that BOG FP+ gets merged in)

I don't think so since they make money off of the set-price dining package? Helps fill those restaurants I would think, especially at some odd hours of the day.

 

[buggy2727]

I imagine it has to be only a matter of time until they stop the Fantasmic! packages right? With FP+ being the thing they want to use for all experiences, it would probably migrate. (likely at the same time that BOG FP+ gets merged in)

I don't think they would stop the Fantasmic! dining, it's the only reason we were going to book Mama Melrose - they control it by only featuring "select" restaurants that may not fill up normally and then they charge extra. It's a win / win. I was VERY surprised they offered Fantasmic! with the H&V Star Wars dinners.

 

[Itinkso]

So in other words, if you are stand by, you have to show up an hour ahead of time to get in OR wait until all the dining and FP+ people are seated and they open up stand by close to showtime?? I'm wondering if with the new "extra" FP+ you will be able to book F! after you've used all of your 3 FP+ for the day??

The last minute standby guests are allowed to fill in Fp+ seating and standing room only walkways. They are not allowed in Dining for the first show. The Captains/Managers stand near the roped off walkway leading to Dining to ensure compliance.

If they were to offer an extra Fp+ for Fantasmic, it will probably only be for the second showing.

 

[BraveCruiser]

Not to beat this topic to death but... When do they start letting the SB folks in? Do they start letting both SB and FP people in at the same time? And is there really a bad seat in the house? We will have a 4 yo so we don't want to sit too close so hopefully she's not too scared but just want to have a good view with minimal wait

They seemed to let in some SB folks early, so if we had arrived 10 minutes earlier we would have been able to go in with the other guests.but at half hour before we were held behind a rope until 10 minutes before the show. We still got in though.

I realize too that the second show has a lot of availability but we were getting tired.

 

[AmyB2006]

When they fill in the FP area, do the make the first guest go all the way to the end or do they fill up the middle first? I know its been said (over and over) that FP for Fantasmic! is a waste but with the Star Wars bfast needing 2 credits, we dropped our Fantasmic dining package. Having 3 kids under 8 we are trying to minimize our wait time but also don't want to waste a FP!

What is this SW breakfast you speak of? LOL Sorry to hijack.


And OP.... are you saying they let the FP+ people in now ahead of the standby people for F! now?? Because that would be awesome to hear that. F! was a waste of a FP+ because it was just a separate line that they let in the same time as the standby.

 

[coley444]

Is FP+ offered for the 2nd Fantasmic showing when there's 2 shows per night?

Having trouble getting it to show up.

I booked the first Fantasmic and tried changing the time to the later showing but still didn't see it.

 

[jtowntoflorida]

Is FP+ offered for the 2nd Fantasmic showing when there's 2 shows per night?

Having trouble getting it to show up.

I booked the first Fantasmic and tried changing the time to the later showing but still didn't see it.

I don't believe FP+ is offered for the second show. Even if it was, it would be a waste because there is always plenty of seating available for the second show.

 

[Itinkso]

Is FP+ offered for the 2nd Fantasmic showing when there's 2 shows per night?

Having trouble getting it to show up.

I booked the first Fantasmic and tried changing the time to the later showing but still didn't see it.

In February, the same thing happened. The CMs at Fantasmic said it was, of course, a glitch. Even the iPad CMs said there wasn't Fp+ for the 2nd Fantasmic, yet there were guests with Fp+ at the second showing.

There were at least four complete sections of the amphitheater that were empty during the second show. If you entered by standby, you would have a very good chance of sitting in the central Dining Area.

 

[Itinkso]

What is this SW breakfast you speak of? LOL Sorry to hijack.

****May 4 through June 15: Star Wars breakfast at SciFi with Vader and his friends - think Dark Side.

Star Wars dinner at H&V - the Jedi VIP Characters... Mickey, Minnie, etc.****

And OP.... are you saying they let the FP+ people in now ahead of the standby people for F! now?? Because that would be awesome to hear that. F! was a waste of a FP+ because it was just a separate line that they let in the same time as the standby.

Fp+ sits in all the left sections, standby sits in all the right sections.The two center sections are reserved for Dining Package guests.

 

[AmyB2006]

Fp+ sits in all the left sections, standby sits in all the right sections.The two center sections are reserved for Dining Package guests.

Interesting. We did the Dining Package last February, 2013. We got there about 20 to 30 minutes ahead of showtime. We were ushered in all the way to the right and was told that was the dining package section. I thought it was strange at the time. I thought, what is the point of doing the dining package and paying that money if I'm going to be sitting all the way over here where I could have walked in SB and gotten the same seat??

 

[LaurenT]

I imagine it has to be only a matter of time until they stop the Fantasmic! packages right? With FP+ being the thing they want to use for all experiences, it would probably migrate. (likely at the same time that BOG FP+ gets merged in)

I don't think they'll get rid of the dining package (just my opinion). They use the package to fill seats in the restaurants at off hours - that's free profit for Disney.

 

[386chad]

 

[Itinkso]

Interesting. We did the Dining Package last February, 2013. We got there about 20 to 30 minutes ahead of showtime. We were ushered in all the way to the right and was told that was the dining package section. I thought it was strange at the time. I thought, what is the point of doing the dining package and paying that money if I'm going to be sitting all the way over here where I could have walked in SB and gotten the same seat??

We did the Dining Package in 2009 and sat in the next to last right-side section. Major disappointment after paying to eat at HBD. And, being DL vets and watching Fant there numerous times yearly, we felt we were very, very removed from the show.

Now with Dining getting the best seats, that's how it really should be!!

 

[buggy2727]

What is this SW breakfast you speak of? LOL Sorry to hijack.


And OP.... are you saying they let the FP+ people in now ahead of the standby people for F! now?? Because that would be awesome to hear that. F! was a waste of a FP+ because it was just a separate line that they let in the same time as the standby.

Sorry, yes the Sci Fi Star Wars character bfast that's being offered starting May 4th until mid June I believe. There's also a H&V Fantasmic! Dining package that has the Disney characters as SW characters.

 

[coley444]

I don't believe FP+ is offered for the second show. Even if it was, it would be a waste because there is always plenty of seating available for the second show.

In February, the same thing happened. The CMs at Fantasmic said it was, of course, a glitch. Even the iPad CMs said there wasn't Fp+ for the 2nd Fantasmic, yet there were guests with Fp+ at the second showing. There were at least four complete sections of the amphitheater that were empty during the second show. If you entered by standby, you would have a very good chance of sitting in the central Dining Area.

Ok thanks! My arrival day is when I'm trying Fantasmic w/o dinning package and according to easyWDW HS is least recommended because of its AM EMH w crowd level 7- so I was trying to get FP+ for second show but sounds like I don't really need it / it may not even exist

 

[Itinkso]

Ok thanks! My arrival day is when I'm trying Fantasmic w/o dinning package and according to easyWDW HS is least recommended because of its AM EMH w crowd level 7- so I was trying to get FP+ for second show but sounds like I don't really need it

Best to use your Fp+ to save time on a ride rather than for a 2nd Fantasmic. Arrive at Fantasmic at least 30 minutes before the 2nd show. The CMs are still cleaning the sections up until that time.

When you enter, you can just keep moving across a bench into the Dining seating area. That's how the standby guests moved from their right-side area into Dining the night that we were there. The only way Fp+ could have moved into Dining was to exit and then come up the standby walkway on the right. Much more advantageous to be standby for the 2nd show.