Fantasmic dinner packages-- worth it? needed?

[skmommy]

I was hoping for some advice on whether or not we need to do a dinner package for access to Fantasmic. We will be there in late January so the crowds shouldn't be awful, but with a 5 and 7 year old I really don't want to have to stop everything and sit and wait for an hour just to get seats if I don't have to.
I could deal with a shorter wait (?half an hour) or should I just get an ADR for the package? Which restaurant do you recommend and why?
Thanks so much for the help---

 

[kldmom2000]

We used to do the Fantasmic dinner pkg because I feared we would have to wait 3 hours in line to get a seat

Last year I did not do it. They only seem to ever have seatings around 4pm for DINNER and we just weren't thrilled w/ the restaurant choices. We went in mid-August last year just before free dining. My then 7 yr old DD and I went while my DH took our 5 yr old DD back to the hotel to swim (she hates loud noises/fireworks/etc). DD and I walked into the ampitheater about an hour before showtime. We grabbed some Mickey bars to eat on the bleachers. By about 20 min. before showtime, the theater was packed.... and about 5 min. before, it didn't appear to really have any seating left. I think if you're going on an off time such as late January, you should be fine if you show up about 30-45 min. before the show starts (which is when you would have to show up w/ your dining VIP seating anyway).

Good luck and enjoy!

 

[lisa3383]

We went middle of January (without the dining package) and we showed up 1/2 hour before the show. NO sitting room in site! We got a decent place to stand, but then the crowds pushed us around so much we lost that space! The CMs were literally yelling at rude visitors but it did little (if anything). The guests were even climbing into the disability section and refused to leave when told to by two different CMs!!! I was in shock! IMO they should have been kicked out at that time.

As a result of all this the show was uncomfortable (and left me furious at some guests), and we vowed never to do it again without the package. Last time we went we couldn't get a package for a restaurant we liked, so we skipped it all together and rode ToT without a line!

As you can probably tell, my recommendation is to do the dining package or show up a good 45-60 min.s early! OR just skip it and enjoy some rides without much of a line!!!

 

[Angel1]

and never used the package. That said, I probably showed up an hour early. We made that part of our experience though, as its a neat opportunity to meet your neighbors!

I'm going this year in August, and again, don't have a package. My kids are crazy to eat in Sci Fi and Prime Time, and unfortunately, they don't participate.

 

[Laura's Dad]

We have used the package before, but usually go during school times and the section reserved has never been completely filled up. I don't know if it was really necessary or not. I guess if you wanted to insure a seat at busy times, it would be necessary. You really don't save that much time, but you do have a seat.

 

[Lmichele]

I think it is a matter of preference...do you want to wait in line or not. I always book the package - I have been very lucky with the reservations I've made in the past for Mama Melrose were always around 4:50 - 5:00, I've even had one at 5:05.

I like the whole dinner and a show idea...that's why I do it. Plus DH has the patience of a pea...so getting to show 15-20 mins before it starts is great for him.

 

[ROEDISNEY]

I was hoping for some advice on whether or not we need to do a dinner package for access to Fantasmic. We will be there in late January so the crowds shouldn't be awful, but with a 5 and 7 year old I really don't want to have to stop everything and sit and wait for an hour just to get seats if I don't have to.
I could deal with a shorter wait (?half an hour) or should I just get an ADR for the package? Which restaurant do you recommend and why?
Thanks so much for the help---

Never did the Fantasmic package. We eat dinner then go over to Fantasmic. I think you pay extra for that pkg. Not worth it. We time dinner and then get there like an hour before . We never have a problem and that's in Aug Labor Day weekend when it is crowded. Love Prime Time & Mama Melrose. Si Fi use to be our favorite until they changed the menu . Now it's horrible!

 

[SnowWhitee]

Just FYI - you can buy counter service from any of the DHS CS locations and take it into Fantasmic with you. Some people do this and it helps pass the wait time a bit.

 

[fenfur]

How crowded is the 2nd Fastasmic when there are 2 shows in a evening? We are thinking of doing a late night WDW trip (easy to do because we are West Coast) and can easily do the 2nd show.

 

[catne]

Several points to make...

We love doing the Fantasmic package...you show up 1/2 before the show at a special entrance that's quite a long ways away from the regular entrance: no line at all. You will not always get "4:00"...we had 5:05 in May, and in September we have 4:40. I was told the latest they do Fantasmic packages depends on the restaurant (and the average time it takes to eat there) so some places reserve as late as 6:00 for Fantasmic.

They reserve about the right 1/3 of the theater, top to bottom, for the dinner package guests (part of the top 2 rows are reserved for all handicapped guests, though.) The view is good from all the seats in the place (they actually duplicate some of the stuff in the show so both sides have a straight-on view of special effects.) About 10 minutes before the show they allow others to fill in the unused reserved seating, but even in the off times of year, the place will be crammed standing-room only by show time. We think the package is well-worth it, especially if you don't want to stand in line & don't want to wait. (in May 2007, I didn't get the dinner package, we were there during a supposed Lighter crowd time...line had hundreds waiting 90 minutes before the show. We skipped it.)

Fantasmic Package does NOT cost extra...you basically pay the same for the meal whether or not you had the package. The difference when you book the package is that you have to give them a credit card guarantee on the reservation, and they will charge a $10 per person fee for a no-show (but if you call & cancel in advance they don't charge this fee.) We liked Hollywood & Vine (nice buffet.)

On nights when they do 2 shows, the 2nd show is much easier to get a walk-in seat...many families, especially with younger kids, will do the earlier show & then leave the park. However, during slower times of year, they don't do 2 shows a night very often. Fantasmic packages are always for the 1st show if there are 2 shows.

 

[Valjean13]

We went in January 2006, and had no problems finding seats for Fantasmic. We went 3 times (I love it!). I think they did two shows on the weekend. We arrived for the 2nd show about 10-15min before it started and found great seats. Sometimes you need to walk down to the front in order to see where some empty spots are. We arrived about 45min early for the first show we saw, and the theater was not even half full. We could have just lucked out in terms of crowd levels, but based on my experience, I would assume you wouldn't need the dinner package in January.

 

[mmmears]

We've always done the dinner package, since we wanted dinner anyway (although we would have spent less money without the package) and had a small child with us and didn't want to wait forever or miss the show.

But the last time we went it was a nightmare. We still showed up early to make sure we got our seats. People were walking under the ropes and sitting in the reserved section. I mean LOTS of people. And the CMs weren't doing much about it.

So the reserved section got full really fast and then the package people showed up and there was no room. We felt like we paid for something that hundreds of people got for free. Plus, we were surrounded by the kind of pushy people who like to break rules.

BTW, this happened 30 mins or so before the show started, and there was still room on the other far side of the stadium when they pushed their way in. One CM tried to stop them, but just gave up. We're thinking it's not worth getting the package anymore, since we have to show up so early anyway!

Just my 2 cents...

 

[lisa3383]

But the last time we went it was a nightmare. We still showed up early to make sure we got our seats. People were walking under the ropes and sitting in the reserved section. I mean LOTS of people. And the CMs weren't doing much about it.

This is the same behavior I saw with the disability section! What's going on? I hope I don't have to see it in the reserved section at our January trip! I guess we'll be showing up earlier than expected...

 

[rogermerkle]

We went in May and we had to eat really early and when we got our seats at the arena, there was tons of open spots, it was not really worth getting the package from the seating perspective. Although, for the set price for dinner, we probably did save a few dollars there.

 

[justplaingoofy]

If we have the dining plan then we do the package..it also comes with an appetizer even thought the basic plan does not....

If we don't have the dining plan we skip it because it is a little pricey for us.