FANTASMIC! Dining, Dessert, Fastpass Thread - Q&A Here

[Aimee_Jane83]

Thank you for all the pictures on the viewing areas. My BF and I have BB Fantasmic reservations for this coming Friday night and I wasn't sure about what was the best to shoot for. I definitely don't want to sit front row by the rails. I think they would take a way from the experience. I don't want to spend that amount of money to stare into a fence.

 

[T_E_N]

Today marks 180 days until my trip, I was planning on booking a Fantasmic! Dining Package at Hollywood and Vine for an evening in the second week of November, however, no dates for November were available. Is this package not always offered?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Today marks 180 days until my trip, I was planning on booking a Fantasmic! Dining Package at Hollywood and Vine for an evening in the second week of November, however, no dates for November were available. Is this package not always offered?

This is the DLR forum (CA), and I think you want to post this in the WDW forum.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

... I definitely don't want to sit front row by the rails. I think they would take a way from the experience. I don't want to spend that amount of money to stare into a fence.

One thing you can do is stop by the viewing area earlier in the day and sit in front of the railing to check the view. Then try sitting further back to check that view. You should be aiming your eyes at the cabin on the island and at the water in front of it. See what you think. For me, I'm short, so sitting further back from the railing means that I would be staring at someone's back or the back of their head. That would take away much more from the experience than looking through the railing! For that reason, I actually prefer sitting up at the railing where I know no one will be directly in front of me. I can look through the railing spaces, and in the dark, the show lights are so bright, that the railing really doesn't obstruct my view at all. YMMV, so try checking things out earlier in the day and imagining how different spots would work for you.

 

[cinder-ellah]

I agree with you @theluckyrabbit I’ve seen it twice in the past 4 months with family doing the Hungry Bear dinner package. 1st time was with 3 kids & 9 adults. 2nd time with 1 child. We all loved sitting at the railing. For us the lights & the awesome show were not hindered by the railing. The railing is our favorite spot to see the show & we didn’t have to look around people. That is a great idea for those that haven’t been and to check out the area before hand. For us the railing seemed to melt away once the show began.

A plus watching the 1st show was being able to stay there for the Fire works, music & projections. We did have to stand when that started so some adults & kids behind us had their view blocked by people taller than them standing.

 

[SeiterClan]

I agree with you @theluckyrabbit I’ve seen it twice in the past 4 months with family doing the Hungry Bear dinner package. 1st time was with 3 kids & 9 adults. 2nd time with 1 child. We all loved sitting at the railing. For us the lights & the awesome show were not hindered by the railing. The railing is our favorite spot to see the show & we didn’t have to look around people. That is a great idea for those that haven’t been and to check out the area before hand. For us the railing seemed to melt away once the show began.

A plus watching the 1st show was being able to stay there for the Fire works, music & projections. We did have to stand when that started so some adults & kids behind us had their view blocked by people taller than them standing.

Thanks for the feedback! We are wanting to do the first show with the HB dinner package in August with our family of 6 kids ages 4-16 Wondering when you guys say at the rail do you literally sit right up against it so there's no space at all in front of you or is there an imaginary line or what? I don't want my kids to have anyone sitting in front of them to obstruct their view! Also how early did you arrive to get those rail seats in the HB section? TIA for your help!

 

[cinder-ellah]

Thanks for the feedback! We are wanting to do the first show with the HB dinner package in August with our family of 6 kids ages 4-16 Wondering when you guys say at the rail do you literally sit right up against it so there's no space at all in front of you or is there an imaginary line or what? I don't want my kids to have anyone sitting in front of them to obstruct their view! Also how early did you arrive to get those rail seats in the HB section? TIA for your help!

We had plenty of leg room and comfortable space all around us. We kept room to stretch out our legs in front of us to start with and were able to keep that space for the show. We brought light weight blankets just to define our space and so did others. It wasn’t overcrowded the times we went. We arrived at 7pm to get inline, had fun chatting with the CM’s and then were escorted to our seating area at 8pm. A fun time !

 

[FoxC63]

I agree with you @theluckyrabbit I’ve seen it twice in the past 4 months with family doing the Hungry Bear dinner package. 1st time was with 3 kids & 9 adults. 2nd time with 1 child. We all loved sitting at the railing. For us the lights & the awesome show were not hindered by the railing. The railing is our favorite spot to see the show & we didn’t have to look around people. That is a great idea for those that haven’t been and to check out the area before hand. For us the railing seemed to melt away once the show began.

A plus watching the 1st show was being able to stay there for the Fire works, music & projections. We did have to stand when that started so some adults & kids behind us had their view blocked by people taller than them standing.

Why did you "have" to stand up for the fireworks?

 

[WillowRain]

Why did you "have" to stand up for the fireworks?

THEY MAKE YOU!!!!

 

[FoxC63]

THEY MAKE YOU!!!!

Well, that's no fun! After a long day in the parks I'd rather sit Thanks for responding.

 

[WillowRain]

We had plenty of leg room and comfortable space all around us. We kept room to stretch out our legs in front of us to start with and were able to keep that space for the show. We brought light weight blankets just to define our space and so did others. It wasn’t overcrowded the times we went. We arrived at 7pm to get inline, had fun chatting with the CM’s and then were escorted to our seating area at 8pm. A fun time !

You lined up at 7? The reason I do these packages is so I do not have to wait. I hate that this is still a 2 hour wait to the show. I want to show up 5 mins til. We actually showed up at 8, and got a front row seat. We would have been farther back later but still would have been okay. What I did not care for however, was that when the 3 packages split up, we were single file. And then we were told we couldn't bring our stroller (Hungry Bear told us otherwise) and so when we went to park it, people behind us got the spot we would have gotten. I think that if it's so super first come first served, it should still count that we were there first, stroller or not. We ended up on the very left end of the section, and while it was fine, we were in between fountains and the view wasn't ideal.

 

[WillowRain]

Well, that's no fun! After a long day in the parks I'd rather sit Thanks for responding.

You're telling me! We sit for F! but for whatever reason when the fireworks started, all the CM's insisted we stand. Same with PTN parade, we sat while waiting but when the parade came we were "supposed" to stand. I let my kid sit, and if someone wanted a fight, I was down for it. Some jerk to the left of our section yelled something to the CM "If everyone has to stand, then make them, rules are rules". Hey guy, ever had a mom wearing mouse ears beat you up?? Mind your business!

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Well, that's no fun! After a long day in the parks I'd rather sit Thanks for responding.

It's a logistics/crowd control thing. The area is dim, and you have three groups of people in the area: a) people who watched Fantasmic! but aren't watching fireworks and trying to get out, b) people who watched Fantasmic! and are watching fireworks, c) people who are trying to get lined up for the second Fantasmic!

So it is, in a word, MAYHEM, just crazy crushes of crowds, and if you had people sprawled out across the floor with other people trying to move all around them that would be an absolute nightmare.

 

[FoxC63]

You're telling me! We sit for F! but for whatever reason when the fireworks started, all the CM's insisted we stand. Same with PTN parade, we sat while waiting but when the parade came we were "supposed" to stand. I let my kid sit, and if someone wanted a fight, I was down for it. Some jerk to the left of our section yelled something to the CM "If everyone has to stand, then make them, rules are rules". Hey guy, ever had a mom wearing mouse ears beat you up?? Mind your business!

Did the area you were in become more crowded when you stood up for the fireworks, were they letting more people into these areas?

 

[FoxC63]

It's a logistics/crowd control thing. The area is dim, and you have three groups of people in the area: a) people who watched Fantasmic! but aren't watching fireworks and trying to get out, b) people who watched Fantasmic! and are watching fireworks, c) people who are trying to get lined up for the second Fantasmic!

So it is, in a word, MAYHEM, just crazy crushes of crowds, and if you had people sprawled out across the floor with other people trying to move all around them that would be an absolute nightmare.

Yep! Now I get it!

 

[FoxC63]

So it is, in a word, MAYHEM, just crazy crushes of crowds, and if you had people sprawled out across the floor with other people trying to move all around them that would be an absolute nightmare.

Hopefully I can book BBF! I'm pretty short, 5'2" and shrinking, should I try to move closer to the railing to see the fireworks after F! or just stay put?

My little guy is taller than me, he can use my head as a neck rest!

Where did the time go?

 

[Skyegirl1999]

Hopefully I can book BBF! I'm pretty short, 5'2" and shrinking, should I try to move closer to the railing to see the fireworks after F! or just stay put?

We always move to the railing because I have a 5-year-old. If you're on the left (facing the island), you can see the projections on the water screens, the back fireworks, and the castle fireworks all in one view. The whole Hungry Bear section is there, but depending where you are in the BB section, you might want to shift a bit to get a nice view.

 

[FoxC63]

We always move to the railing because I have a 5-year-old. If you're on the left (facing the island), you can see the projections on the water screens, the back fireworks, and the castle fireworks all in one view. The whole Hungry Bear section is there, but depending where you are in the BB section, you might want to shift a bit to get a nice view.

I'll make a note of this to remind me! Thanks so much for the tip!

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Around what time do people with the BB package start lining up for the second show these days? We have a late lunch package that designates the second show, but we might ask for the first show, if it's available. But, if only the second show is open, then we need to be prepared for that.

 

[FoxC63]

Around what time do people with the BB package start lining up for the second show these days? We have a late lunch package that designates the second show, but we might ask for the first show, if it's available. But, if only the second show is open, then we need to be prepared for that.

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