Fantasmic dining package

[phillipst47]

Has anyone done the Fantasmic dining package and is it worth it or not? I'm considering it, assuming there's any reservation slots left, but is it worth the cost?

 

[jharrowell]

In a word. No. Or at least that's what I would have said...

The seating for the packages is less than stellar (you can get better by just joining the line) and the price isn't that great (better to just eat where you want then go to the show separately).

Now having said all that I flip flop maddeningly...

The previous stuff is all still true, however with Fantasmic no longer being every night, getting a seat can be a nightmare nowadays. So with that in mind it might be worth it simply to guarentee a seat.

So if you're going in a busy time it probably is worth it, if it's a quieter time then back to the previous answer.

Not exactly the most helpful answer but that's the situation.

 

[Robo]

No one can predict exactly how large the crowds will be or how early you should go to find a seat for Fantasmic! on any given day.
It has totally to do with the whim of the crowd at DHS on that day, and the general crowd LEVELS.
How much time you wish to "invest" in waiting is a personal decision. We have never done the formal Dinner Package, and have always seen the show (dozens of times).

(Take all of these as "average" numbers, sometimes the crowd will be MUCH greater and the theater can fill up much sooner.)

VERY Busy days:
If you go to the first show of the evening (or "only" show that evening), if you arrive about 75-120 minutes before show-time, you can sit just about anywhere.
45-60 minutes before: Outside seats likely still available.
30-40 Minutes: will vary between seats at edges and rear of theater to SRO or even "closed" to further guests.

Yes, the lines can start forming over 2 hours before the show-time.

At about 120 min. before show-time, they will open the gates and begin allowing guests in line to approach the theater seating.

(See my maps. It is a very long ramp.)

They will continue with the lines of guests walking in until the theater is completely filled or the show begins, whichever comes first.

They will "hold open" the Dining Pkg. seating area ONLY for guests who have the Dining Pkg. voucher.

BUT, if the theater is over-crowded (a very likely scenario in 2009)
then, at about 35 min. before show-time,
the CM's will cease holding the DP area open for DP voucher guests
and, at that time, begin to allow ANYONE
who still needs a seat to sit in (any seats left) the DP area.


Busy days:
If you go to the first show of the evening (or "only" show that evening), if you arrive about 75-120 minutes before show-time, you can sit just about anywhere.
60 minutes before: Good seats
25-35 Minutes: will vary between seats at edges and rear of theater to SRO or even "closed" to further guests. (The crowd of "last-minute" arrivals can be slow to get seated before show-time.)

Off-Season (not busy days):
You should be OK to enter by 30-50 minutes before, but you'll likely be seated to the outer edges, and/or way at the back.

If you do the Fantasmic! Dinner Pkg. you still SHOULD enter by AT LEAST 45-60 minutes (much "safer" at 60 minutes) before show-time and still be guaranteed "pretty good" seats (not my "first choice" area, but fine), regardless of crowd-levels. Remember, the DP is only valid for the first show of the evening, if there are 2 or more. If you do have DP and you spy some seats outside the DP "reserved" area, you are free to choose to sit anywhere outside that area you like, no problem.

If there are TWO Fantasmic! shows in one evening, the second one will have lower crowd level than the first one. You can arrive a bit later (generally, 45-60 minutes) and still find a seat.
(Some say less advance time will be needed, but I'm cautious.)


Be aware that the second show waiting area will LOOK like the show is "too crowded".
That's because they HOLD the 2nd crowd outside the theater while the CMs CLEAN it after the first crowd has exited.

Then, they will let those waiting together in that big group IN... all at once, and there will be PLENTY of room.

(The theater seats over 7,000 guests.)

When you enter the theater, there will be CMs along the way directing the flow of traffic, but you may (if you are early enough to have a choice) simply choose any open seats in the theater to be your own.
If you want to exit more quickly, choose a seat farther back and to towards audience-right.
If you want to be immersed in the show (and sometimes, immersed in water-mist, if the wind is blowing "in") choose a seat towards the front.

We like to eat our evening meal while waiting for Fantasmic! to start.
You can bring in items from the counter-service places in DHS, or they DO have concession stands at the rear of the theater serving "baseball stadium-type" food and drinks. Yes, even beer, sold strictly ONE-at-a-time, one-only-to-a-person, so a single person can't go and buy beer for other members of a group... all guests wanting to buy a beer must be present in-person at the counter.
We have a hot dog, maybe a pretzel, later some popcorn or cotton candy (Disney Health Food).
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_fan.htm
Click above for the "menu."

But, nothing ALWAYS happens the same way at WDW.
I would be cautious about assuming anything, as WDW has been experiencing
unpredictable (sometimes record-breaking) crowds even over the past couple of years.

If its IMPORTANT to see a particular show, arriving a bit too early will be better than arriving a bit late.

If its not a really big deal to see a particular show, you may certainly arrive closer to show-time and just see if you get lucky.
Many folks do.

========================

 

[CleveRocks]

Has anyone done the Fantasmic dining package and is it worth it or not? I'm considering it, assuming there's any reservation slots left, but is it worth the cost?

There is no cost ... well, it's more precise to say that there is no cost of you were going to eat a table-service meal, anyway. If your family and my family are seated near each other at Mama Melrose's for dinner, and I booked the Fantasmic Dinner Package and you didn't, and we order the same food, you and I will pay EXACTLY the same amount of money for the meal, and there is no additional charge for the reserved seating at Fantasmic.

Is it worth it to do? I can only give you my one personal experience. Monday, Feb. 9, 2009 ... still "Value" season, so not a crowded time at the parks. Fantasmic was at 7. People started lining up for it before 5. We had a 4:20 or 4:30 ADR at Mama Melrose's. We ate a leisurely dinner, plus our waiter was fairly slow. We got to the entrance to the amphitheater at around 6:10 p.m. (they tell you to get there no later than 45 minutes before showtime). There was no line, we walked right in. When we got all the way down the path to the top of the amphitheater, there was a podium where out voucher was ripped in half (we kept half as a ticket stub) and we were shown where to go for the reserved seats. ALL of the other seats were taken ... we learned that it was announced around 6 p.m. that the show was standing room only. There were plenty of seats in the reserved section.

So in my particular case, had we not done the FDP, we would have been standing in line and then sitting on bleachers and eating fast food during the time we had a nice meal and then casually strolled into the theater.

I'm certainly glad I booked the FDP.