Fantasmic Dinner Package was FANTASTIC!!!!!!

[MarkinNM]

Hey all just back from our 10-day vacation to the world and loved it! After much hesitation on the “F!” dinner package I am SO glad we did indeed get this little beauty! Booked a Mama Melrose “F!” dinner package @ 4:20PM, checked in @ 4:10PM, the place smelled wonderful and got seated right at 4:20PM and super quick service from Barbara, the BEST service of our entire trip! She was awesome at explaining the menu, what’s included and started the dinner with such super service she left us feeling great and was an AWESOME start to a magical night! The dinner package was a fixed price @ $32.99 PP and the entire menu was open for ordering, which included 1 nonalcoholic beverage, 1 appetizer, 1 entree, 1 desert per person which is a great deal and a lot of great food! Barbara was super quick to refill our drinks and we never had to ask for refills! She was awesome at removing the dirty dishes and timed the food at such a great pace that we were finished with the appetizers well before the entrees made it to the table and we did not have to wait long for our deserts to arrive, which were awesome! The resturant was packed to the gills with people but they did an awesome job at moving the tables, especially the “F!” dinner packages.
Here comes the great news, Disney must have seen an increase of headcount as the park hours were increased (common theme this week) from 9-8pm 1 Fantazmic @ 8PM to the new hours which were posted to my delight when entering the park at 9AM, to 9-9:30PM and 2 Fantasmic shows 8 & 9:30 with EMH till 11PM!! But the best was yet to come, all the claims of the dinner packages not being worth it are our the door and I am not sure when Disney started this again but they OPENED UP the separate entrance for the dinner package holders only! Yes the gate next to the Beauty and the Beast entrance was opened for us again!!!!! My yellow card had a white sticker over the normal wording about showing up 60-90 mins before the show to 30-45 mins before the show and to use the Beauty and the Beast entrance and show up no later then 7:30PM! So after stuffing ourselves to the gills with some AWESOME food, the best of the entire trip, we visited TSM(fastpasses) and ToT twice before the show. We walked right in @ 7:15 with PLENTY of seats (dinner package side) the general seating side was getting real full and with the design of the show and the theater there is NOT A BAD SEAT ANYWHERE!!! I say this because the water curtains are set up in each of the 3 sections so everything is even so sitting right in the middle is no real advantage, which Disney has worked out to the tee for all of their shows! And also quite to the contrary of opening up the dinner package section to the overfill of the general seating did NOT happen this night, the rope stayed up all throughout the show and was removed at the end of the show! So yes “F!” dinner package holders it IS VERY MUCH WORTH IT!!! IF you can get one GET IT as you will LOVE IT, the Mama Melrose “F!” dinner package was indeed Fantasmic!!

 

[Emagine]

ty for sharing. I booked a F package in early Dec. I am glad to see such good reviews.

 

[DisneyGrampa]

You lucked out! They only started the new scheme about a week ago. Glad you had a good time.

 

[TillyMarigold]

They started the separate entrance two weeks ago--I was there the week before the OP. I'm pretty sure the night I was there (September 10) was the actual first night.

We loved the food at Mama Melrose (were amazed at how good it was) but our server started out strong and then disappeared for 50 minutes in the middle of the meal.

Welcome back to 'Burque--it's been FREEZING here! Quite a shock to leave Florida where it was still summer and find us deep into autumn.

 

[MarkinNM]

They started the separate entrance two weeks ago--I was there the week before the OP. I'm pretty sure the night I was there (September 10) was the actual first night.

We loved the food at Mama Melrose (were amazed at how good it was) but our server started out strong and then disappeared for 50 minutes in the middle of the meal.

Welcome back to 'Burque--it's been FREEZING here! Quite a shock to leave Florida where it was still summer and find us deep into autumn.

Yes it was a shock to see the Freeze warning up during the weather and walking into 60 deg weather from the low 90's all week! MM was the BEST food and service all week during our trip and would not hesitate in going again!!

BTW, got our green chile roasted and fix yesterday for dinner, really missed it!!!

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Thank you so much for sharing this great news. We have Mama Melrose's booked for 11/30. We had planned to eat there anyway so why not get the F! package and use our DDP credits.

I am so glad to hear that you definitely get the appy with the F! package. Care to share what you had to eat? Would love some suggestions.

But the most thrilling news is back to the separte entrance. If ever there was a doubt this makes the F! package worth it.

 

[Smiling Cheshire Cat]

Sorry but I thought of another question- when F! is shown twice in one night, can you chose which show you attend? I haven't heard if they have F! dining seating for the second show.

Thanks,

 

[squirrel]

What did you order for dinner?

I also have the Fantasmic DP at MM.

The package is only for the first show. They don't do a Fantasmic DP for the second show.

 

[kellybean]

We also had the Fantasmic dinner package at Mama Melrose on 9/20 and it was AWESOME!!! We decided we wanted to see the later Fantasmic though and the package is only good for the earlier show, so we gave our Fantasmic dinner ticket to someone waiting in the line without the package, we were able to get an excellent seat in the center for the 9:30 show and we didn't get in line until about 9:00pm, in fact we went over to the gate around 8:20 and a CM gave us fast passes for TOT and Rockin Rollercoaster for between 8:15 and 9:15 and told us to ride a few rides and come back at 9!

I was concerned about eating here because I had read so many horrible reviews about this place but when comparing the menu against the others in HS it just seemed like the only choice for us and I am SO HAPPY I went with it!!! Mama Melrose was also the BEST SERVICE we had our entire trip. Our server was Pal and he was awesome! Also on top of drink refills, very informative about all of my menu questions, pleasant to chat with...He was from Hungary and ended up talking about the differences in American coffee and espresso compared to there...just a great time! We even asked to speak to a manager on our way out to let them know we had the best service there out of any other place we ate (it was our last TS meal too since we left 9/21, so that was saying something!) The food was very good (Ohana's was my favorite, but Mama Melrose is definitely somewhere we plan on going back to for dinner!)

For those asking about food... DBF and I both got salads as appetizers... I had the Caesar salad, best Caesar dressing and it comes with little bread crisps with cheese melted on them...yum! DBF had the mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette and Gorgonzola cheese. For entrees I had Baked chicken parm which I LOVED! Chicken Parm is one of my favorite meals and it is SO hard to find a place (at least around home) where they don't fry it first! It is baked and the piece of chicken was so tender and juicy with just the right amount of cheese on top! It was over spaghetti...spaghetti was spaghetti, nothing special about...my only complaint with that was that I wish the sauce was a little thicker, but it still tasted good. DBF had the 4 cheese flat bread, it was HUGE and he said it was absolutely delicious! We were feeling pretty full and decided to skip desserts so we opted for cappuccino and mocha espresso instead...but Pal kept telling us dessert was the best part so we shared a chocolate gelato...simple but filled with chocolatey deiciousness!

On the way out we started to talking to another couple who asked us what we thought of the place and as soon as we told them it was the best service we had they got all smiley and said they couldn't agree more! Their waiter was Sam and they had also told a manager about how wonderful their experience was, and the manager told them how happy they were to hear such good things.

 

[TillyMarigold]

I had the tomato and mozzarella appetizer, penne a la vodka, and ... I think cheesecake. DH had the mussels appetizer (he says it's very hard to cook mussels exactly right and these were perfect), spinach and tomato flatbread, and tiramisu. All of it was outstanding, except the flatbread, which "it was pretty good pizza, but it was really just pizza."

Our server was ... I can't remember his name. It started with Yu- or You- and I remember thinking that if it had been spelled differently, it would be a woman's name. He was from Morocco. (I think it was Youniss ... so it sounded like Eunice.)

He gave very good service to the table next to us, then would turn around and give the exact same service to us (their drink order, our drink order; their drinks, our drinks; their appetizer order, our appetizer order; etc.) but then after he took their and our entree orders, he totally disappeared. In the time he checked on them, took their dessert orders, brought their dessert, brought their check, and brought their receipt, he never even glanced at us for 50 minutes [someone else brought our entrees from the kitchen]. After that table had left and our plates were still sitting there, we called a manager over and complained.

 

[playjar]

I agree with all of you, too. We did the F! dinner package at Mama Melrose and enjoyed it very much! We were there on 9/6 and as we were heading down to get in line, surprisingly we saw CMs directing people with the dining package tickets to enter by way of the Beauty and the Beast entrance. I was delightfully surprised as our server and the ticket said to go to the main entrance.
For our meal, my DH had the mussels for app and sirloin steak for entree. Both were very good he said. I had the bruschetta for app and spicy italian sausage for entree. It is served over spaghetti and was very good (I got the caprino cheese on the side, which turns out I don't like). We would definitely go to MM again!

 

[MarkinNM]

Thank you so much for sharing this great news. We have Mama Melrose's booked for 11/30. We had planned to eat there anyway so why not get the F! package and use our DDP credits.

I am so glad to hear that you definitely get the appy with the F! package. Care to share what you had to eat? Would love some suggestions.

But the most thrilling news is back to the separte entrance. If ever there was a doubt this makes the F! package worth it.

Sorry but I thought of another question- when F! is shown twice in one night, can you chose which show you attend? I haven't heard if they have F! dining seating for the second show.

Thanks,

What did you order for dinner?

I also have the Fantasmic DP at MM.

The package is only for the first show. They don't do a Fantasmic DP for the second show.

For our apps we had Mama's Antipasto, Wood-fired Mussels, Crispy Calamari for Two and my DD had the soup, all were AWESOME. For our entree's Spaghetti Fra Diavolo, Charred Sirloin Steak, Oven Baked Chicken Parmesan & Chicken Pipette but substituted shrimp and we all shared and enjoyed them. For our deserts Cheesecake and the truffle cake which had a wonderful piece of Pistachio brittle on it that was so good it could have been a desert by itself!! I cant say enough about this place and would GLADLY go again!

The "F!" dinner package is for the 1st showing only and was very glad we did this as BOTH shows were packed!!!

 

[MarkinNM]

We also had the Fantasmic dinner package at Mama Melrose on 9/20 and it was AWESOME!!! We decided we wanted to see the later Fantasmic though and the package is only good for the earlier show, so we gave our Fantasmic dinner ticket to someone waiting in the line without the package, we were able to get an excellent seat in the center for the 9:30 show and we didn't get in line until about 9:00pm, in fact we went over to the gate around 8:20 and a CM gave us fast passes for TOT and Rockin Rollercoaster for between 8:15 and 9:15 and told us to ride a few rides and come back at 9!

I was concerned about eating here because I had read so many horrible reviews about this place but when comparing the menu against the others in HS it just seemed like the only choice for us and I am SO HAPPY I went with it!!! Mama Melrose was also the BEST SERVICE we had our entire trip. Our server was Pal and he was awesome! Also on top of drink refills, very informative about all of my menu questions, pleasant to chat with...He was from Hungary and ended up talking about the differences in American coffee and espresso compared to there...just a great time! We even asked to speak to a manager on our way out to let them know we had the best service there out of any other place we ate (it was our last TS meal too since we left 9/21, so that was saying something!) The food was very good (Ohana's was my favorite, but Mama Melrose is definitely somewhere we plan on going back to for dinner!)

For those asking about food... DBF and I both got salads as appetizers... I had the Caesar salad, best Caesar dressing and it comes with little bread crisps with cheese melted on them...yum! DBF had the mixed greens with balsamic vinaigrette and Gorgonzola cheese. For entrees I had Baked chicken parm which I LOVED! Chicken Parm is one of my favorite meals and it is SO hard to find a place (at least around home) where they don't fry it first! It is baked and the piece of chicken was so tender and juicy with just the right amount of cheese on top! It was over spaghetti...spaghetti was spaghetti, nothing special about...my only complaint with that was that I wish the sauce was a little thicker, but it still tasted good. DBF had the 4 cheese flat bread, it was HUGE and he said it was absolutely delicious! We were feeling pretty full and decided to skip desserts so we opted for cappuccino and mocha espresso instead...but Pal kept telling us dessert was the best part so we shared a chocolate gelato...simple but filled with chocolatey deiciousness!

On the way out we started to talking to another couple who asked us what we thought of the place and as soon as we told them it was the best service we had they got all smiley and said they couldn't agree more! Their waiter was Sam and they had also told a manager about how wonderful their experience was, and the manager told them how happy they were to hear such good things.

THANKS for your review and am glad others felt the same way!!!

 

[Lehuaann]

Glad you enjoyed the FDP! Last year they had us enter by the strollers/wheelchairs near the front entrance...that was one loooooong walk. Never did understand why we had to use that inconvenient separate entrance. Now if they could just bring the show back to everyday schedule!!!

I remembered that you were staying CSR for the first time. I too was looking forward to staying there next month...however had to cancel trip. Was that too everything you hoped it would be?

Update: I just saw your thread on Resorts re CSR so disregard my question...I'm fixin to read your post now.