Fantasmic Dinner Package Worth It?

[to be tink]

So I was able to snag a reservation at Hollywood and Vine for the Fantasmic Dinner Package. I'm not really a fan of Hollywood and Vine so I'm wondering if it is really worth using a dining credit to get the special seating? We will be there the second weekend in March so I'm hoping the crowds won't be too bad. But we haven't seen the show in years. Any advice?

 

[figment_jii]

I generally don't think it's really worth spending any money or credits on a meal that you aren't interested in to start with. In this case, I would try to get a FP for F! instead and save the credit for a meal at a place you like/want to go to.

 

[lisahoo]

I enjoyed Fantasmic!, but found it to be very disjointed as far as the storytelling goes, although the effects are pretty awesome. I don't think I'd make any big sacrifices to see it a second time. We had reserved seats (we REALLY enjoyed Mama Melrose's, so it was worth it for us), but I think pretty much any seat in the theater is pretty good.

 

[Mikie]

We were on the dining plan and couldn't get Mama Melrose for the pkg, so we chose H&V. Like you, I think it's fine but nothing special. Since we couldn't get Mama anyway and I wanted to sit down somewhere for dinner and I also wasn't interested in Sci Fi or Brown Derby (would have considered 50's but the F! pkg swayed me to H&V) I went ahead and did the H&V pkg. it was "fine" as usual for food.

I had never been to F! before and was very surprised at the giant mass of humanity at the entrance to fantasmic about 30 min prior to the show. It was very hard to tell whether there was any special line for FP or dining pkg people, until you get all the way up the incline to the actual theater and CMs there did a good job of steering standby, FP and dining pkg each to the right sections. Dining pkg seats are right in the center and very good location - I don't know, but I think all seats would be "fine", but pkg seats are definitely the best. It also seemed like there ended up being plenty more seats in the far right and left wings, but anything central was totally full.

All of this is a LONG way of saying we MIGHT have been just fine without the pkg, BUT I wanted my FPs for other stuff, I didn't have much else to choose from for that dining credit, and the theater seemed chaotic and full enough to make my reserved center section seem pretty great.

 

[hblackb]

I enjoyed Fantasmic!, but found it to be very disjointed as far as the storytelling goes, although the effects are pretty awesome. I don't think I'd make any big sacrifices to see it a second time. We had reserved seats (we REALLY enjoyed Mama Melrose's, so it was worth it for us), but I think pretty much any seat in the theater is pretty good.

I agree. Every time we go to WDW I try to skip Fantasmic, but I am overruled by the Wife and kids. The affects are great, but as you stated the story is very disjointed. I also hate the crowds when the show ends, and you are trying to exit. My kids are older now, so I don't have to fight the crowd to retrieve the strollers from stroller parking. So it is not as bad now.

 

[Donna Smith]

We were on the dining plan and couldn't get Mama Melrose for the pkg, so we chose H&V. Like you, I think it's fine but nothing special. Since we couldn't get Mama anyway and I wanted to sit down somewhere for dinner and I also wasn't interested in Sci Fi or Brown Derby (would have considered 50's but the F! pkg swayed me to H&V) I went ahead and did the H&V pkg. it was "fine" as usual for food.

I had never been to F! before and was very surprised at the giant mass of humanity at the entrance to fantasmic about 30 min prior to the show. It was very hard to tell whether there was any special line for FP or dining pkg people, until you get all the way up the incline to the actual theater and CMs there did a good job of steering standby, FP and dining pkg each to the right sections. Dining pkg seats are right in the center and very good location - I don't know, but I think all seats would be "fine", but pkg seats are definitely the best. It also seemed like there ended up being plenty more seats in the far right and left wings, but anything central was totally full.

All of this is a LONG way of saying we MIGHT have been just fine without the pkg, BUT I wanted my FPs for other stuff, I didn't have much else to choose from for that dining credit, and the theater seemed chaotic and full enough to make my reserved center section seem pretty great.

 

[Donna Smith]

Jumping in on this thread for some quick info. I noticed you stated the Dining pkg seats are right in the center. Years ago we did this and ours were off to the side for the Dining pckg seats. We have not been back but now want to take our grandchildren ages 4 and 7. Just clarifying that they now are in the center?

 

[Mikie]

Jumping in on this thread for some quick info. I noticed you stated the Dining pkg seats are right in the center. Years ago we did this and ours were off to the side for the Dining pckg seats. We have not been back but now want to take our grandchildren ages 4 and 7. Just clarifying that they now are in the center?

Since I've only been once, I can't verify it as a change, but in Oct it was center section for dining pkg, one side for FP, I think, and the other side and further wings for standby people. I can't remember what threads I read for info, but my experience matched with what people had told me on these boards beforehand.

 

[Mikie]

So I was able to snag a reservation at Hollywood and Vine for the Fantasmic Dinner Package. I'm not really a fan of Hollywood and Vine so I'm wondering if it is really worth using a dining credit to get the special seating? We will be there the second weekend in March so I'm hoping the crowds won't be too bad. But we haven't seen the show in years. Any advice?

Also, many on these boards have said that seating is easy to come by at the second Fantasmic on nights where there are two. If there are two during your trip, people report great results from riding everything with shorter waits while thousands are in the first Fantasmic, then going to catch the second show.

 

[rlduvall]

Jumping in on this thread for some quick info. I noticed you stated the Dining pkg seats are right in the center. Years ago we did this and ours were off to the side for the Dining pckg seats. We have not been back but now want to take our grandchildren ages 4 and 7. Just clarifying that they now are in the center?

Yes, the dining package seats were moved to the center. One of the biggest complaints about the package before was that the location was not that great. Seems when Fantasmic became a F+ option they improved the dining package views.

We are doing the Mama Melrose package this June - not because I love Fantasmic all that much, but because I love the steak at MM so much that paying for the dining package and getting an appetizer and shared dessert is a slight savings over paying OOP.

Edited to add: Just checked the package price against paying OOP and it's actually a decent savings - about $15. pp.

 

[to be tink]

Thanks for all the great responses! I have been checking daily to see if I could get Mama Melrose instead. Yesterday I was able to switch! So excited!!

 

[Arden01]

I'm going to book (hopefully) the MM F! package for our late August trip. With the package, how far ahead would you recommend arriving for the show? Is 30 min sufficient? TIA.

 

[Dreamin of Dole Whip]

Hi Everyone! Thinking of doing the F! Dinner package for my trip in early September. I have eaten at Brown Derby before and wasn't particularly wowed, so I am consider H&V or MM. I will be paying out of pocket. What package is the best "value" when paying out of pocket. There is a substantial price difference between brown derby and the others, but do you make it up in choices? I would go there again if the package is a good bang for your buck, thought I would see what everyone thought on that. Thanks!

I'm going to book (hopefully) the MM F! package for our late August trip. With the package, how far ahead would you recommend arriving for the show? Is 30 min sufficient? TIA.

I read on Disney that you need to arrive around 30 prior. I think at 20 they give those seats away. I suppose it beats standing in line for 2 hours beforehand. Ha.