Fantasmic Dinner

[Candy30]

Hi Everyone!
I want to do the Fantasmic Dinner during our trip in September. I would like to do it on the first night we arrive.

In the past they would have seats set aside to for those who have the dinner and let you in early before the major crowds. Is this the same? I am asking because a "friend of a friend" went a few weeks ago and said that they were not let in early or in a side door. They had to try and make it through the crowd to get to the DC Member to show special passes. The doors were open and they barely got a seat. Has anyone heard anything different?

If it is like that then it would not be worth the Dining Package! That to me is the best part of it. Not having to wait in line with little kids and older ones too! Has anyone experienced this? Any insight?

I will have a total of 12 people.

 

[RMulieri]

I have heard the same things from others here and a friend that just went and came back. I am thinking that things have changed and it is probably crazy with the reduced schedule.Hopefully someone that has been there recently can chime in( not that I don't trust my friend, but she is not a dis'er)

 

[TDC Nala]

You are not let into the theater early and there is apparently no longer a separate entrance for package users. There is a section set aside (not individual seats) for preferred seating for those with passes given out at the dinner. About a half hour before showtime they will open that section up for general seating, so you need to go in and get your seats before that. (I have seen recommendations that you enter the theater at least 45 minutes prior to showtime if you have the Fantasmic package.)

The Fantasmic package does not permit you to wander in a few minutes before showtime and get a seat, but it does mean you probably won't have to wait for an extra hour standing in the crowd prior to opening of the theater.

 

[catne]

Hi Everyone!
I want to do the Fantasmic Dinner during our trip in September. I would like to do it on the first night we arrive.

In the past they would have seats set aside to for those who have the dinner and let you in early before the major crowds. Is this the same? I am asking because a "friend of a friend" went a few weeks ago and said that they were not let in early or in a side door. They had to try and make it through the crowd to get to the DC Member to show special passes. The doors were open and they barely got a seat. Has anyone heard anything different?

If it is like that then it would not be worth the Dining Package! That to me is the best part of it. Not having to wait in line with little kids and older ones too! Has anyone experienced this? Any insight?

I will have a total of 12 people.

Just wanted to point out they will probably only be doing Fantasmic twice a week in September, like they were doing before the Easter/Spring break crowds. I would expect them to cut back to fewer shows again soon after the Easter break is over. I'm sure they won't be running every night in September when attendance is so much lower...so unless you are arriving on one of those two nights, your plan may not work anyway. I think it's been running on Sunday and Thursday nights.

 

[irunnoft]

My family has done the Fantasmic package almost every time we go to WDW. It's really been wonderful. This past December, we dined at the Hollywood Brown Derby and when the waitress asked if we knew about how the package worked, I told her "Yes" because I thought things were the same. I was wrong.

In the past, we would go to the special entrance beside Oscar's and we never felt rushed to be there. Many times we showed up 20-15 minutes before the show. We never had any problems just walking up and the great thing was that the walk ended right near the reserved seating section. It was perfect!

This December, we made our way to the gate by Oscar's only to find it shut and with no cast member standing outside. That was the first bad sign. When nobody came after I knocked on the gate (yeah. . . I felt stupid!), I took the time to read the voucher from the restaurant and saw where it said to go to the front entrance of Fantasmic! Yikes! We really had to hustle to get there and with a full stomach from a three course meal at Brown Derby, that wasn't fun. When we got there, the lines were already moving into the arena and people were filling up the reserved seating section. It was chaotic, but we got our seats and enjoyed the show.

For me, the old package was a win-win proposition. We loved eating at Mama Melrose's or Brown Derby. We also loved the ability to not have to rush to the show or stand around in a huge line. The seating at the show is still the same. The process to get to that seat just got screwed up completely!

I'm not sure when this change was implemented, but it was in effect when we went in early December. If this is the way it will be in the future, then our days of doing that dinner package are through.

 

[tlenzendorf]

Can you do use a DDP TS for Mama Melrose and get the fantasmic package? Not sure how that whole thing works?

 

[TDC Nala]

Can you do use a DDP TS for Mama Melrose and get the fantasmic package? Not sure how that whole thing works?

Yes. For Mama Melrose it's 1 TS. You will still need to give a credit card number to guarantee you won't skip the reservation without cancelling within the cancellation period.

 

[SPOERLX3]

That makes me wonder................my husband is in a wheelchair and eventhough we had to wait in line, they did allow us to go in first, so we weren't trampled and there were wheelchair area's at the top. If they aren't going to make special arrangements for those that made special arrangements at certain restaraunts, what changes are they making for those in a wheelchair?
I did notice the last time we were there, they had taken away alot of wheelchair accessible area's at the shows. I realize some people abuse it but it sure makes it hard for those of us that don't.

 

[aubriee]

Can you do use a DDP TS for Mama Melrose and get the fantasmic package? Not sure how that whole thing works?

Yes. For Mama Melrose it's 1 TS. You will still need to give a credit card number to guarantee you won't skip the reservation without cancelling within the cancellation period.

Plus if you get the Fantasmic pkg at either Mama Melrose or Brown Derby you will also get to choose an appetizer even on the basic DDP. Mama Melrose will be one credit and Brown Derby will be 2 credits, of course.

 

[marylouwho]

Plus if you get the Fantasmic pkg at either Mama Melrose or Brown Derby you will also get to choose an appetizer even on the basic DDP. Mama Melrose will be one credit and Brown Derby will be 2 credits, of course.

I had a CM on the dining line tell me that we weren't entitled to the free appy since we were on the DDP. We'll see....

 

[Candy30]

I really liked the fantasmic package! I hope we can get to see it with all the changes. I can understand not running it as often but that must mean the times they have it are PACKED!!!! Oh Boy! Well we may have to make a few changes. Thanks for the input.

 

[tink1957]

When we went last Sept on Free Dining the app was included at Mama Melrose, although that could have changed too since we were let in at Oscar's. Why do they have to mess with a good thing?

 

[schoonersky]

I would have been standing at Oscar's in August, wondering what was going on. Disappointed about this, it really made the F! package worth it IMHO.