Fantasmic! FASTPASS Testing-NOW (April 22-27)

[buzzCMlightyear]

Ifmitnhas FP what is the point of DP? Would it be reasonable to think the DP will be phased out. Hmm...we go in November and will be interesting to see if I need my DP package or not...it shifts where I eat dinner

DP will NEVER EVER be phased out. Way too much money being made.

 

[Cyrano]

Combining the Fantasmic FP threads so that the information and comments during this test are grouped helpfully together.

 

[patty57]

Guests don't "stand" for an hour or so for the first (or only) show of the night.

The theater is opened for seating 60-120 minutes before show-time and early-arriving guests just walk to the theater and find a seat.

They spend the rest of the time seated awaiting the show.

Actually, I know this. I had a little brain cramp while posting. I should have said that I don't want to wait (sitting or standing) for over an hour for any attraction.

 

[Robo]

You're going to kill me with all the changes they are making.

April 22 thru 27 Disney is testing Fantasmic! FastPasses.
(testing how the operation of Fantasmic! will handle fastpass+)

1. This fastpass+ test will not require RFID tickets and will not use RFID touch points.

2. Fastpass tickets will be given out inside the park at noon or maybe earlier.
Location of distribution will be near the Tip Board at the junction of Hollywood and Sunset Blvds.
Holding a FP for Fantasmic! will not prevent obtaining another FP for another attraction.

3. Dining package will still have separate reserved sections.
FP and Standby Guests will sit in their own separate sections of in the theater.
FP guests will be given priority over Standby guests for entry as the theater fills.

These temporary FastPass TEST maps were created April 25, 2013, PM.

(Prepared with help from buzzCMlightyear.)



Please keep me in the loop as to how they keep changing things, both now and in the future.

For sure, let me know when and how they revert (or not) to the previous routes
when the FP tests are over.

Thanks for your input. It's invaluable!

 

[Liza111577]

Having the standby guests walk past the dining pkg seating seems like trouble to me. There are already so many people sneaking into that section. (Although moving the section over a bit is nice...)

I may make some changes to the maps, but I think I should wait until they shake things out to "finalize" (HAH!) them.

As they stand now, they are "accurate enough" so that guests
know where to go to make their entrance to the line(s) to enter the theater, in general.

Please keep me in the loop as to how they keep changing things, both now and in the future.

For sure, let me know when and how they revert (or not) to the previous routes
when the FP tests are over.

Thanks for your input. It's invaluable!

I'm really confused as to why they would have standby walk through the package seating area?? Doesn't seem functional, but who am I to question Disney??
I do have to say that last year, with the package, we were given bracelets and the whole area was fenced off with CMs standing at each opening, so it was impossible for non package people to enter the area.

Still it doesn't seem like it flows the new way.

 

[Robo]

-Revised info in other posts-

 

[chessie]

I'll be watching this thread to see how it works out for the stand by guests. I'm hoping I don't have to change my basic plan as we are planning on hopping to DHS just for Fantasmic one evening. Getting there just in time to line up for the show. Maybe they won't FP the second show and keep it up for grabs.

 

[Goofy127]

So are you saying that if we dont' get a fastpass to the show, we have a chance of not getting in if we try to get seated about 30 minutes before the show starts?

 

[Liza111577]

They send the "standby guests" around the outside of the seating area.

Here are the revised, revised, revised, revised maps.

Thanks Robo! That makes a lot more sense now.

 

[Robo]

So are you saying that if we dont' get a fastpass to the show, we have a chance of not getting in if we try to get seated about 30 minutes before the show starts?

That's a real possibility.

It can vary every single performance.

 

[herprettiness]

Will be arriving in about 4 hours an we are scheduled for fantasmic tomorrow night. Really excited to report back on how this works.

 

[wallskm]

The fastpass table was supposed to be set up at noon. I showed up at 5 til at the tips board where my fastpasses were handed to me. There was no wait despite the fact that availability was listed on the Times flyer. We entered the gate on the left with the dinner package folks and were ushered to our seats. We showed up at 8:00 pm and by that time we were seated in the Hades section on the far left. Our fastpass said to arrive between 7:50 and 8:20.

 

[houseful of boys]

I don't get it. So the only difference between fastpass and standby is the pathway? I don't understand the advantage to having the fp? Am I just being dense here? If you came at 8:20 for an 8:30 show and the stands were all filled with stand by and fp guests. Where does that leave you? With standing room only seats in the back? Even though you have a fp and it said you could return as late as 8:20?

 

[Illinistifler]

The fastpass table was supposed to be set up at noon. I showed up at 5 til at the tips board where my fastpasses were handed to me. There was no wait despite the fact that availability was listed on the Times flyer. We entered the gate on the left with the dinner package folks and were ushered to our seats. We showed up at 8:00 pm and by that time we were seated in the Hades section on the far left. Our fastpass said to arrive between 7:50 and 8:20.

Was it a CM handing out the FP?

 

[clareita]

I don't really understand why people wait for hours to see Fantasmic. We saw it last week and while it was a great show, we walked in at 8:15 and got seats in the far left section up at the top and they were fine. Would we have had better seats if we had lined up at 6:30? Probably, but instead we had dinner at the Hollywood Brown Derby at 6:40 and used a FP on RnR at 8. I wouldn't wait more than 30 minutes for it, tops.

 

[FortForever]

I went last night and didn't see the advantage of FP. Since I'm just reading this tonight, I had no idea that FP existed for Fantasmic.

I was shocked when I got in line (fairly last minute) and CMs came up the line telling everyone it was for FP and dining package only. The line was the white line up the middle of the road and was stretched all the way to Hollywood Blvd.

They told us standby people to head up and get in line on the right. Turned out the line for me started all the way up past the entrance. It was way shorter than FP line and I walked right in with the line never stopping.

I couldn't help but think those poor FP and dining plan people were still a block away.

 

[mom2rtk]

I went last night and didn't see the advantage of FP. Since I'm just reading this tonight, I had no idea that FP existed for Fantasmic.

I was shocked when I got in line (fairly last minute) and CMs came up the line telling everyone it was for FP and dining package only. The line was the white line up the middle of the road and was stretched all the way to Hollywood Blvd.

They told us standby people to head up and get in line on the right. Turned out the line for me started all the way up past the entrance. It was way shorter than FP line and I walked right in with the line never stopping.

I couldn't help but think those poor FP and dining plan people were still a block away.

Now that's seriously funny. Sounds like they have some tweaking left to do with this.

 

[Tara8595]

So once they tweak it, and eventually probably give priority to FPs, if you are park hopping somewhere else and just coming for the show at night, you are screwed.

Why does Disney have to fix something that isn't broken?

 

[chessie]

So once they tweak it, and eventually probably give priority to FPs, if you are park hopping somewhere else and just coming for the show at night, you are screwed.

Why does Disney have to fix something that isn't broken?

That was my thoughts exactly. We spend mornings in one park and after our break we hop to a different park for the night time show. So now, what's the advantage of paying the extra money for the hopper. It sounds like a good idea on the surface but it only works if you stay in DHS for the day.

 

[Angel Ariel]

So once they tweak it, and eventually probably give priority to FPs, if you are park hopping somewhere else and just coming for the show at night, you are screwed.

Why does Disney have to fix something that isn't broken?

I would imagine that they are working this in with FP+, and a Fantasmic FP would be able to be reserved remotely (either on your computer at home/hotel, or on a smartphone). If that's the case, you should be able to reserve a FP and park hop without a problem.

The downside to that, from what we know at the moment, is that you wouldn't be able to advance FP anything at the park you were at in the morning (whether or not there will be same day FP available on top of those you can reserve is unknown). You can only hold advance FP+ at one park/day, according to the terms and conditions. So if you wanted to FP Fantasmic, you'd have to schedule your other advance FPs at DHS as well.