Fantasmic Dinner Package Question...

[bizwiz24]

Hello everyone,

I know that there is reserve seating for the Fantasmic Dinner Package. I am wondering if the special reserve seating area are infact good seats. I am not sure if they change it every show, though they mention a special gate to enter through. I appreciate all commments

Thank You.

 

[WDWAurora]

Have you been in the theater? If you have, the seats are the two sections to the far right.

To be more specific, in case you haven't...the theater is basically a semi circle. Every seat is a good one, however if you want to be close to the center, the dinner package doesn't do that for you, it puts you far to the right side. Many people think that the Fantasmic dinner package seats are quite good. I prefer to wait longer and be closer to the center.

 

[jlcbshaw]

We have used the Fantasmic Dinner option on our last two trips and we have not been disappointed.

The reserved seating is in the last two sections, however, we always show up to be seated as soon as they open the "back door." If you wait until the last minute you could end up at the very edge and not sure how the view is from there.

Advantages of Fantasmic Dinner:
A great sit down meal, decent seating and not having to wait in the "regular" line. We spend that little bit of extra time on rides or shopping.

Disadvantages:
Don't really know seeing as how we have never stood in the other line and this can be huge, the seating capacity is outrageous.

Key point: Enjoy a great dinner, enjoy a little less time standing in line and arrive early. We always end up right on the "reserved" ropes and have our choice of how high up or low we want to sit.

CBS

 

[pklein09]

We went in Nov 2003 and used the Fantasmic Dinner package. We were seated in the far right section of the theater and the seats, in my opinion, were good. You could see everything going on, but you certainly did not have a center stage view.

We booked dinner at Mama Melrose - ALLLLLLLLL the way across the park. One disadvantage was booking dinner at 4:30 so you could enjoy dinner and make it to the show on time. One thing that bothered me was that you were required to get appetizers - in this case, 2 pizzas - salad, and your meal. I can't remember about dessert. It really was too much food. There were 6 of us, 4 of whom were children. They assumed the kids would eat the pizzas, which they didn't. The pizzas were the fancy kind - nothing the kids would even touch. We ended up taking them back to VWL for lunch the next day.

We will probably book the dinner package again this coming December at one of the other restaurants. For us with 4 kids (ages 3, 5, 6, and 7), it was very nice to just walk into the arena and have seats and not have to wait in line with a lot of people.

You enter through a special gate - near where you get the stroller rentals. You can take your stroller up the hill with you, but you must leave it outside the arena. If you have a rental stroller, they tell you to take all your personal belongings with you so when the show is over, you just grab any stroller and go instead of looking for your stroller in the dark. You do not exit through the same gate you came in through, though. You exit near the picnic tables near TOT with everyone else leaving the arena.

 

[Aisling]

We saw fantasmic last July, and the wait was the worst experience we've ever had at Disney. People were packed shoulder to shoulder for close to an hour, it was hot, my youngest son started to cry because his feet hurt from standing so long. I had him sit on the ground with DH, DS and I around him to protect him from being stepped on.
This was our first time seeing Fantasmic, I wasn't on the Dis then, so I didn't know what to expect. I kept thinking it isn't worth it, to be so uncomfortable just to see a show. There were people who decided they couldn't stand there any longer and left, struggling their way through the crowd to get out.
Waiting with crowds never bother me or my family, waiting for long periods don't bother us. It's just that our feet are killing you we had no room to move for an hour.

So I decided, next time, we're either going to show up close to show time and sit in the back if need be, or do the package. I'd rather have a guaranteed seat waiting for me with no waiting, than to go through that again for a front center seat.

We were there at a very busy time, 4th of July week, so that's probably why it was so crowded.

 

[QuickGold]

Answers to Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Fantasmic! Dinner Package

 

[luvsTink]

We did the package and were glad we did, except I would never ever ever eat at H&V again. I will be dining at the Brown Derby next time. I am not a food snob by any means, but I just didn't like it.

Anne

 

[jenfur]

The first year I went to WDW, I left in tears because I missed Fantasmic the two times I had planned on seeing it because I had no idea how early you had to line up. The second year, we tried and got standing room which was not very enjoyable. Third year, we waited and got decent seats in the far left (exact opposite of reserved) and it was great, but I hated waiting with the kids. Last year, we got the package at H&V. The food was good, taste, service and quality wise but I didn't really like the variety. Actually getting in to the show and having seats 30 minutes out was GREAT! Also, if you plan to leave the park right after, the reserved exit is GREAT (anyone can use it thought few do.) I will probably try a different restaurant, but I will definately do the package again. The seats are great compared with the wait you would have to get front and center.

 

[DDinGA]

We also did the dinner package at H&V and would do the package again, but at a different restaurant.

We were there the first wk of June and peope were lining up even before we had dinner reservations. I would not have wanted to wait that long.

I hope this helps

 

[Littleroo]

I am considering this option. We are traveling with a 5 year old. I just want the basics and guaranteed seats without the wait.

Is it too late to do a PS for this?

 

[FatCow]

why not try to make PS anyway? Maybe it's too late... or maybe it's not.

 

[maps]

ok, what's so horrible about h&v?! please tell me since i have this reserved for this month! i basically did it so we wouldn't have to wait in line --so i took the cheapest pkg deal. the menu didn't seem all that bad. so what about it was not great?

 

[FatCow]

According to what I've been reading (so far), the food quality at H&V is nothing special. Not bad, but not good either.

Anybody else have any other info?

 

[Littleroo]

I did my priority seatings and now have them done. Thanks for the push.

 

[chuckbarr21]

The best addvice is to go to the menu data base and see what type of food is served for dinner ,at the Brown Derby, my girlfriend could not find anything she liked,at Mamma Melrose the food we had there was terrible on our first trip to WDW , so that leaves the Hollywood and Vine ,its not as good as the buffets you would find in Las Vegas, but we found the food there to be pretty good and everyone in our party found something they liked, so we booked that for our trip in May, the only problem is the latest time we could get was 4:30 pm and that was 90 days in advance.

 

[ladyjayhawk]

Does anyone think that the Fantasmic package would be necessary to avoid a long wait in late February? H&V does not appeal to me and the other two options look pretty expensive. But we will have a 5 yo and 1 yo with us and I don't know if at the end of the day, they would tolerate a long wait while standing. TIA!

 

[FatCow]

That's the only reason I booked the Fantasmic Dinner Package. Nobody in the group eat a lot... but I don't want my daughter to stand in line for hours on end either.

 

[chuckbarr21]

The Lowest Attendance --

January (except New Year's Day) until just prior to Presidents' Week in February

The week following Labor Day until the week prior to Thanksgiving

The week following Thanksgiving until mid-December
More Moderate Attendance:
After Presidents' week in February through early March
Late April through early June (except Memorial Day weekend)
Columbus Day Weekend (October)
The first part of Thanksgiving week

Highest Attendance:
Presidents' week in February
Mid March through Late April ("Spring Break")
Memorial Day weekend
Mid June through Labor Day
Thanksgiving Day and weekend
Christmas week through New Year's Day

Its not long lines that is the problem its getting to the theatre 2 hours before the show to hold a seat, thats why the dinner package is worth doing ,you can show up 30 min. before and find a reserved seat.

 

[Golter]

We went the first week in Dec 03 and I will not do dinner package againg. The reason is two fold. One, our meal at H&V was $100.00. We like to dine a little more economically (Usually less than $40 inside the park for our gang of 5)and splurge on a character meal. Secondly, that time of the year (which is the only time to go in my book) you can show up :30 ahead of time and walk right to a good seat.