Fantasmic Dinner Package Changes

[mickeymom629]

Just to say, we just got back from WDW. I had us going to MGM on Monday (closing at 9) and a FDP on Wed., just in case at H & V.
On the tram on Monday, the driver said that it was closing at 10 with two showings of Fantasmic! I was surprised, but excited that we had longer at the park after our dinner at 50's Prime Time Cafe (6:30 p.s.). We did a lot of what we wanted, and at 8:55, I was asking the c.m. near the beginning of Fantasmic! why there were no other shows or rides opened tonight and he said because the park was closing and there was only one showing! With 5 minutes to go, I went running with my DS 15 and his friend and my DD11 to Fantasmic. My DH had to wait for my DS's 13 and 9 to get off ToT. We ended up being in standing room only (ugh), but saw it all okay. Met DH at entrance of ToT.

I just can't believe the tram person was incorrect because we all could have waited an hour in the stands to see it nicely.

Needless to say, I had cancelled our p.s. for Wed., luckily, when we went to MGM that night.

My point is, if you wait an hour before, you will see it without worrying about dinner package, if you don't want to commit.

 

[mickeymom629]

Just to say, I just came bacl and e ticket night was so crowded, as was ee days. Space Mountain broke down after one ride. The lines for everything else was a wait. Not like in the past. We won't do it again. My feeling is, just go to a park as soon as it opens and use fast passes to the max! We went to Epcot on Sunday late in the day (great). Went to EE at AK on Monday, not great. Went to MGM that night and saw Fantasmic! at 9 p.m. at the last minute. Went to TL in a.m. on Tues., some of us. My DD11 and I went to MK on Tues and rushed through with fast passes and did great. TL was great for the others in my family. Tues. night we went to MK before e ticket. Very crowded before and during e ticket. Went to pool at the resort and then Epcot the rest of the night.

We had a great trip, but don't expect fast passes after 2 p.m. Get there in the a.m. if you want to do rides. You can walk around in the p.m. to see whatever, especially at Epcot.

You will have a great time, but it's not like it used to be. I'll post a trip report when I get the chance.

 

[1DisneyFan]

mickeymom629


Thanks for the information. Sounds like things were very crowded. We went in 2001 in July...and although it was busy....I didn't think it was THAT bad!! Sounds like they are having a supper busy season. I was hoping that things would be slower by the time we get there...but I am not so sure. We will be there from July 30 til August 6. We were going to stay at the CBR but have switched to the CR...hopefully that will make traveling easier, although we will have a car, I prefer to use Disney transportation.

Sounds like you had fun, even though it was crowded. I look foward to reading your report on the trip report thread.

Thanks
DisneyFan

 

[jdaa1]

You said e-night was crowded. How long did you have to wait in line? Was it worth the $$?

How about EE days--would you advise to go for it, or to avoid them, and go to a different park that day?

Thanks for the info!

 

[mickeymom629]

Sorry about my last post; I just reread it and I didn't explain what we did very coherently (I had kids who were trying to get me off the computer so they could get on )

I would avoid ee days, but I guess you could make sure you are there plenty early before the ee time (usually 8 a.m.) and RUSH!
Like I said, we only did ee on Monday for AK and it was packed! Granted, we didn't get in line until about 8:00 (it's so hard to get up on vacation!), but we rushed to Safari and got in pretty fast, but by the time we went to Kali RR, we just had to get a fp and so we rushed over to Dinoland and waited to do the new roller coaster there, but we had a long wait for that, too. The fp for Kali was after our Restaurantosaurus p.s., so as soon as we ate, we got a fp for Dinosaur! and went on Kali, then Dinosaur. I guess we could have done something else if we hadn't eaten breakfast in a restaurant.

Went to MK on non ee day (Tuesday) (we didn't arrive until 9:45, so if you get there at 8:30, you'll do better than we did) and got fast passes, but didn't rush like crazy and saw many attractions.
We went back about 4:00 and it was CROWDED! The park was closing at 10 and it was e ticket night. We still got to see Tiki Room, Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Small World, Peter Pan, Barnstormer and People Mover before e night. My kids said they didn't have much wait for SM at all, about 10-15 min. wait for TR, Space Mountain and Buzz were almost like a regular day (long lines) and they didn't bother with Jamboree or HM or Alien (which probably didn't have much lines). Space Mountain, like I said, broke after one of their rides, so that was it for them. They didn't bother with the People Mover either, but that never has a line.

Epcot, like I said was great and we went in the afternoon on Sunday. We also went on Wed. afternoon (ee for Epcot, by the way) and fp for Test Track were out.

Bottom line, we will not be doing ee or enight anymore on our trips.

 

[FloridaCat]

This past Monday at MGM we went back in the evening and went trough the House of Terror. At ten we walked to Rosies had a Cheeseburger and at ten fifteen walked into the Fantasmic stadium and sat center stage, 30th row.
A must see show, as far as the dinner package that is your call.

 

[Commando]

I felt your pain, mickeymom 629. We were there July 1-7, and the place was a madhouse from July 3 through the weekend. Believe it or not, I've read posts (in reply to mine) that the lines were not bad at all, and the crowds were manageable. Maybe I'm just spoiled with February crowds (when we usually go), or maybe the crowds just followed me around all week.

There were even waits of over 30 minutes for the MK train and the treehouse for goodness sakes.

We had a nice time, though, since DH's entire family (24 of us) were all there together. I'm just glad it wasn't my first time at WDW, so we knew how to zig and zag for whatever good that did.

BTW we did F!DP on July 1 at BD. DH was not impressed by the food. I thought it was OK, and it was nice to know we would have a place to sit.

FYI: Also, I should note that we were able to use our F!DP pass at the main entrance. When it was time to head to the front of the park for the designated F!DP entrance, we were by TOT, so decided to just head in the regular entrance. There was an entrance there for F!DP holders. Saved us a lot of walking in the heat.

 

[cpl100]

Are you saying that the F! package people are supposed to use a separate line? I didn't know that and I have a reservation in two weeks. Please advise the ins and outs! Thanks.

 

[*123JOANNA123*]

Last year when we did it, there was a separate entrance behind Oscars near the main gate. We showed up half an hour before showtime and got seats halfway back in the witches section. It was a lot of walking to get there, but well worth it!

 

[mom_rules]

Did they let you out the same way you went in?

When we went in May we also went in at Oscars but when we left we were re-routed and came out by the theatre they do Beauty and the Beast at. The walk out was longer and more conjested than the way in! Watch your small children..talk about easily losing sight of your companions.

 

[Wyndale]

I tried to run search about this, but its not working...

Has anyone used one of the wishes from the Silver Package to book this? I made PS, but if I'm restricted to a certain menu, I might just cancell the PS Fantasmic Dinner Package, and just enjoy a nice meal, and take our chances at the show seating.

Thanks.

Note: I found my answer...disregard this post! Thanks anyway!

 

[cmatt]

year since they started it , my thoughts exactly this year I said we are actually really paying a admission fee to see fantasmic,

oh well guess we still have to eat and with the money we saved on the FTP guess can spend it on food?

although I dont think the lines in aug for the second fantasmic are all that terribble its just if they only have one show when its the worst the early one ? thanks cmatt

 

[cmatt]

this and e-ride nite 12.00 each if you want the added perks you'll have to pay for them now, and more every year,

unforunatly my Dad said life is to short to get the cheap seats

he also said if you cant afford to go first class stay home

hate those darn sayings guess we will have to pay more for the park perks

cmatt

 

[Commando]

The F!DP vouchers you get for the show tell you to enter the theatre near Oscar's, which is at the front of the park. We took a chance by going to the "regular" entrance, but they let us right in to the F!DP section. No problem. Leaving they let DH go down the ramp that let him out right near the front of the park. (The rest of us went out the "regular" way since we were heading to ToT and RNRC.

 

[*123JOANNA123*]

I can't really remember, but I know we had to go back and reclaim our stoller, so I presume we left the way we came in. It was quite a stroll mind you, and I agree- watch your children- if there's one time you're going to want to have them strapped into the stroller, this is it!

 

[mom_rules]

So true-nothing worse than losing sight of them (panic!!!) and it's quite dark even with the lights along the way.

 

[jeankeri]

I will be going to MGM Monday, December 1st. Pretty sure there will only be one Fantasmic that night. Do we do the dinner package or not? For those who choose to wait it out in the line- is there a line outside the theatre before the theatre opens then a wait inside? If so- how long before the theatre is opened do you suggest waiting in line? Also- once you are seated, is the wait until show time 1 hour? If you buy something counter service to snack should you get it before you're seated? Do they sell food inside? I am reluctant to do the F!DP because my DS8 and DS6 want to eat at the Sci-Fi, and lunch and dinner would be too close togeather to do both. Please advise!!! Fantasmic is my DS6 most important to do at all of WDW!

 

[FloridaCat]

The wait starts at a rope gate which is about a city block from the stadium. The rope is dropped around 15 minutes before show time. I do not remember there being much of a wait once we were seated. Seats higer in the stadium give the best view in my opinion.

There were some vendors in the park, but I don't know what they were peddling. We had a Cheeseburger at Rosies before going in.

 

[jeankeri]

How orderly is the rope drop? Do those waiting move in any line towards the stadium, or en masse? Thanks for your reply to ??s!

 

[FloridaCat]

Once the rope drop it was everyone for themselves, but somewhat orderly.