Fantasmic! Dining Packages

[allie98]

I'm sorry if this is a silly question, but I don't quite understand how the Fantasmic! Dining Packages work.

On the Disney website it says the following:

The Fantasmic! Dining Package combines dinner at one of 3 restaurants in Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park with designated seating for the Fantasmic! fireworks show.

The Fantasmic! Dining Package gives you an unforgettable dining and entertainment experience. With the convenience of choosing lunch or dinner at The Hollywood Brown Derby or Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, or dinner at Hollywood & Vine in Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park, you'll also enjoy designated seating for the Fantasmic! fireworks show.

With 3 restaurants to choose from, you can decide between buffet service, casual dining or fine dining. After your meal, be dazzled by the dramatic spectacular, Fantasmic! Follow Mickey Mouse into a dream world as he and his friends battle Disney Villains in an action-packed conflict of good versus evil. Fantasmic! is performed on select nights only and runs approximately 30 minutes.

Reserve a table at one of these 3 restaurants in Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park:

* The Hollywood Brown Derby (lunch or dinner)
* Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano (lunch or dinner)
* Hollywood & Vine (dinner packages only)


My questions:
1. Why does it offer you lunch or dinner for Hollywood Brown Derby and Mama Mel's if the show is only during dinner?
2. Are the seating selection a whole lot better to reserve with this package, rather than chance it on your own?
3. Does anyone have any preference between the three restaurants - I would be making reservations for two 30 year olds who aren't too picky.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Que_Sarah_Sarah]

1) The point is if you eat at a TS restaurant, they'll let you sit in a special section. You're spending the money, they don't care what time of day, lol. You don't go from dinner straight to the show, you just get a pass or something that says you have reserved seating.

2) Not worth it. The section they put you in isn't great. We have much better luck eating where we want and sitting on our own. Good advice would be to attend the second show and get there when they drop the rope. A cast member should be able to tell you when that will be. All the seats are "good", but if you sit on your own you can sit towards the middle of theatre whereas the reserved seats are off to the side somewhere.

3) If you were going to do the package anyway, I would go with BD or MM. I prefer MM because I like the selection (and it is less expensive) but BD is also good. I've heard terrible things about HaV.

 

[tzeitel]

Are you doing the DDP?

We did the Mama Melrose package and had a good meal and great seats - w/o having to get there super early. With the DDP it was a great deal since we got apps, entree and dessert for just 1 ticket.

Next year we will be going to Brown Derby (2 tix) since we have the DxDP

I have not read anything good about H&V - but DH does not do buffets for any reason so it is not even an option for us

 

[juliebug1997]

Depending on when you go, there may only be one show. If that's the time of year you're going (one show a couple of nights a week), then I highly recommend the package. We did H&V the first time (right before Christmas) and it was not great. This time, we're doing MM so I'm hoping for better.

 

[Shanna-like-Banana]

Does each person in your party get a pass to the reserved seating ?

Does each person at the table have to order an entree to get the pass ? Could we order apps instead, or even apps to split ?

Last time I tried to book this for dinner you had to dine before like 4:30, whenI called on my 180+10 at 7:am , they only had like 3:40 avaliable.

I wouldn't mind taking a ADR at that time, if we know that it will be ok if all we order are salads and still get a pass per person .

 

[squirrel]

You get one pass per table and it will have the # of guests allowed in on the paper ticket.

The meals are early as they want to ensure you have time to get to the theatre to see the show.

Most nights you would have to line up about 60 min or more to get a seat for F! With the package you can show up about 30 min early. If the theatre gets full they start allowing everyone else into the reserved section about 30 min before the show.

You can order a salad, but it's a set meal price so it would still cost the same as if you ordered an appetizer, entree, dessert and drink.

If you don't care for the dinner times, maybe try for a lunch.

 

[kjbean]

I'm not crazy about the menu options for the restaurants participating in the Fantasmic! Dining Experience, and think my family (with 2 boys 9 and 5, both picky and a DH with diet restrictions) would be happier with eating at the Sci-Fi Dine-In. We plan to have the DDP and thought the package would make the most sense. But we are also planning on going in September, so maybe crowd levels won't be so bad that getting seats on our own won't be a problem?

 

[vfalkner]

So is it a flat fee no matter what you order? What are the limitations to what you can order?

Based on the description from the Disney site, I thought you paid for what you order (so if I just eat a salad that's all I pay for.) But I am gathering that is not the case? Why isn't this clearer on the site (or am I just an idiot and didn't read the fine print.)

If we have 4 people going to lunch but only 3 going to Fantasmic - can 2 of us split a meal and only get 3 tickets?

 

[xrobx]

We did this last year and it worked out so well, we've already booked it again for this year. It isn't a flat fee, you pay for whatever you order, so go as high or low as you want. We ate at Hollywood Brown Derby for Dinner (which is terrific btw, one of the best meals at Disney imo), and they gave us our tickets for Fantasmic. That usually leaves a couple hours to finish up anything else you want to do at HS before the show starts. Now usually with Fantasmic, you have to wait in line about 30 minutes or more just to even guarantee that you GET IN to the show, and if you want good seats you better start waiting 45 minutes to an hour before it starts. with the ticket, they let you in a side entrance with no wait, and despite what you may hear, the view of the show is good.

The only problem is the bugs swarming around at Fantasmic, but that's another conversation

 

[purple figment]

We did this last year and it worked out so well, we've already booked it again for this year. It isn't a flat fee, you pay for whatever you order, so go as high or low as you want. We ate at Hollywood Brown Derby for Dinner

I don't know when you went before or if you were sprinkled with pixie dust, but it is a flat fee now. Depending on which restaurant you choose it will vary, but currently at the Hollywood Brown Derby it's about $50 per adult or 2 dining credits per person. You can choose to order as little as you want, but you are entitled to an appetizer, entree, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage per person and you will be charged the entire flat fee even if you order only a salad.


To an earlier poster who asked: you can order off the entire menu at HBD and Mama Melrose. Hollywood and Vine is a buffet. Unlike Disney's website which doesn't have much information, here's a link to a very detailed description of Fantasmic and the Dining Package:

http://www.easywdw.com/worth-2/fantasmic-dining-package-review-at-hollywood-studios-worth-the-cost/

 

[disneydreamin247]

I don't know when you went before or if you were sprinkled with pixie dust, but it is a flat fee now. Depending on which restaurant you choose it will vary, but currently at the Hollywood Brown Derby it's about $50 per adult or 2 dining credits per person. You can choose to order as little as you want, but you are entitled to an appetizer, entree, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage per person and you will be charged the entire flat fee even if you order only a salad.


To an earlier poster who asked: you can order off the entire menu at HBD and Mama Melrose. Hollywood and Vine is a buffet. Unlike Disney's website which doesn't have much information, here's a link to a very detailed description of Fantasmic and the Dining Package:

http://www.easywdw.com/worth-2/fantasmic-dining-package-review-at-hollywood-studios-worth-the-cost/

I believe HBD is the exception to the flat fee rule. I remember reading that it's a la carte there. HnV and MM are a flat fee.

 

[WDWsBFF]

Not to hijack the thread or anything but I have a quick question about the Fantasmic dinner package as well...Dates for August aren't out yet (anyone know when they would be?), and I'm trying to make ADRs for my honeymoon, any chance I could just book Mama Melrose and add the Fantasmic ticket part on later? Thank you guys!

 

[TwiddleDeeTwiddleDum]

Not to hijack the thread or anything but I have a quick question about the Fantasmic dinner package as well...Dates for August aren't out yet (anyone know when they would be?), and I'm trying to make ADRs for my honeymoon, any chance I could just book Mama Melrose and add the Fantasmic ticket part on later? Thank you guys!

You have to book as a Fantamic package. If you book an ADR for MM, there is no guarantee they will "convert" it into a fantamic package as there are a limited number of packages per day. As long as there are "packages" available, I don't think you'd have any problem calling them to change your ADR, but again, you can't assume just because you got an ADR that it can be changed.

I have booked Fantasmic for early August - you need a room or package reservation to book this far out - but if you do, you may want to call to check again. Good luck & CONGRATS on planning your honeymoon

 

[TwiddleDeeTwiddleDum]

My questions:
1. Why does it offer you lunch or dinner for Hollywood Brown Derby and Mama Mel's if the show is only during dinner?
2. Are the seating selection a whole lot better to reserve with this package, rather than chance it on your own?
3. Does anyone have any preference between the three restaurants - I would be making reservations for two 30 year olds who aren't too picky.

Thanks in advance!

1 - Lunch & dinner (I believe) are the same price at HBD & MM's so they don't care either one you choose but H&V offers a character lunch but NOT a character dinner so only dinner for Fantasmic packages.

The show is not technically at dinner, it is at the end of the day, around the time the park closes or near the end of the day if there are 2 shows. It's different, but you could compare or think of it as the Studio's version of Wishes at the Magic Kingdom or Illuminiations at Epcot - only it is in a theatre & you have to be seated in said theatre to appreciate the show (the fireworks might possibly be visible outside the theatre but none of the other special effects could be seen unless you are in the theatre)

2) Opinions vary. For us, we feel Fantasmic is not to be missed. We love it but don't like to wait in a 30-60 minute line to see it. At extremely buzy times, back when it had only 2 showings a week, the lines might be 60-90 minutes wait to get a seat. FOr those days, you betcha it would be worth having the vouchers so you're assured of a seat without having to wait longer than 30-45 minutes.

With the voucher, it is still recommended you arrive at least 30 minutes early but if it's summer, end of day, people hot & sticky waiting in line....you get the idea, it's nice to not be stuck in the midst of everyone & simply go to the separate entrance, present your voucher, walk right in & sit right down.....sounds like a song

The reserved seating is another opinion of yeahs & nays. It is all the way to the side so you are not squarely facing the absolute front if that's important to you. We've seen it many times, don't care, just want to see it and honestly, there's no bad seat in the house IMO. AND, you are closest to the exit when the 6500 person theatre is exiting.

If you have your heart set on the show, a fantasmic package will under normal circumstances (no rain, you arrive at a reasonable time, etc) guarantee you a seat without "working" for it in a possible long line.

3) Opinions vary. HBD is a signature restaurant, most expensive, some think the best meal. MM only 1 table service credit, less expensive & still a sit down order off the menu restaurant. H&V is a buffet, reminds you of a 50's diner in turquoise & pink, nothing special but probably the least expensive. We have a picky eater in our group who can usually get filled up at H&V so we ususally dine there. However, were it not for getting the Fantamic vouchers, we probably wouldn't

Hope that helps!

 

[cajunbaby1]

Question---Has anyone done the Fantasmic! pkg without being on the dining plan?
Is it a "set" price? What exactly do you get if not on the plan?
Just curious. Probably just wing it without the pkg.

 

[TwiddleDeeTwiddleDum]

Question---Has anyone done the Fantasmic! pkg without being on the dining plan?
Is it a "set" price? What exactly do you get if not on the plan?
Just curious. Probably just wing it without the pkg.

Having only had the DDP once, we've always paid OOP for our fantasmic package & booked at H&V, which is a set price for the buffet & your soft drinks (alcohol extra).

I'm pretty sure that BD & MM are also set prices. You pay the package price, but then order off the menu. Perhaps someone who has done the package there will post what they were able to order (appetiser? entre, usually dessert & non-alcoholic beverage)

I have read strategies of those who also wing it to purchase a counter service meal & carry into the theatre & eat while waiting. Depending upon when you visit, how buzy the park is, this may be an option if you choose to wing it. Good luck with whatever you decide

 

[rafiki14]

Question---Has anyone done the Fantasmic! pkg without being on the dining plan?
Is it a "set" price? What exactly do you get if not on the plan?
Just curious. Probably just wing it without the pkg.

I did the Fantasmic! pkg over New Years week without the DDP.

We got reservations at MM and correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the meal was $75 for two of us. We each got an app, entree, and dessert.

It was a TON of food. And it was pretty tasty. And we went in the busiest time of the year, so it was nice to not have to fight crowds for a seat.

It's a lot of money if you aren't on the DDP. So I'd weigh in time of year, etc. into your plans.

 

[Emma1987]

I don't think it's worth it with where the "reserved seating" is. Then again, I suppose the Disney attitude is that if you have enough to fork out the money for a flashy meal in the Hollywood Derby then you shouldn't get the special treatment! Kinda have to agree

 

[DJFan88]

This is a great question to bring up, OP... I would've thought you could order off menu and pay whatever the price too, had I not read this thread, since when I pull up MM menu it lists prices? Wonder why, probably just old news, or is the suggestion that you pay a flat price at MM only if you're getting the fantasmic package and if you were just walking in to eat there, you would pay the prices on the menu? Obviously you would pay a flat rate at a buffet like HaV. And of course, the DP is the DP, so that is really not a factor in this.
The dates are up I believe for August, to answer another poster's question: I looked on the schedule for the weeks of the 12th through the 18th and it's at everynight listed at 9 pm. And then the following week (19th on), it's listed at 8:30 pm for each day.

 

[TwiddleDeeTwiddleDum]

This is a great question to bring up, OP... I would've thought you could order off menu and pay whatever the price too, had I not read this thread, since when I pull up MM menu it lists prices? Wonder why, probably just old news, or is the suggestion that you pay a flat price at MM only if you're getting the fantasmic package and if you were just walking in to eat there, you would pay the prices on the menu? Obviously you would pay a flat rate at a buffet like HaV. And of course, the DP is the DP, so that is really not a factor in this.
The dates are up I believe for August, to answer another poster's question: I looked on the schedule for the weeks of the 12th through the 18th and it's at everynight listed at 9 pm. And then the following week (19th on), it's listed at 8:30 pm for each day.

I'm pretty sure that's your answer. If you book a fantasmic meal, you pay a set price but you still choose from the menu. If you do not book a fantasmic meal, you still order off the menu but pay OOP for exactly what you order.

H&V, yes is a buffet, but if you do not book your ADR as a fantamsic meal, then you just have the buffet. I think it is the same price whether fantasmic meal, buffet OOP or value of dining if using DDP.