Fantasmic for 4yo

[Ratpack]

We are taking our DD 4 for her first WDW experience in July. My question is, should we worry about Fantasmic with her? I have heard it is great but perhaps scary to small children. Any advice?

 

[Jordan's MOM]

We love fantasmic! Our Ds is a little older but we saw lots of families with very young children there and they all seemed to be having a great time. There were some babies, under 2, that were scared of the noise. I say go for it. Consider the fantasmic package to cut down on wait time with your little one.


Jordan's mom

 

[ABCMom]

My kiddos (6, 4 and 2) loved it.... All depends on the kids. I suppose it might be frightening to some, but good wins in the end

 

[KP2]

My DS had just turned 4 years old when we took him in June. He absolutely LOVED it!

My advice...don't miss it. The entire family loved it.

 

[BevS97]

we are NOT taking my 4 year old - We have seen a snippet of it on the disney planning video and there is no way she could cope with all those villans and the dragon - but then she is very sensitive to scary characters.

We didn't see it last year either, and I really want to see it, so this year I've booked her into the kids club at the Beach Club for the evening- she's going to have fun there and we are going to see Fantasmic.

It really depends on your child - some kids are brave and some are not!

bev

 

[sconstantz]

Our DS was 3 1/2 and very sensitive to the villians. Wouldn't even go near Captain Hook. We talked with him about Fantismic AlOT before going to WDW and before the show. I just knew if he was there he would love it. We did the dinner package (helped keep his mind off it by not standing in line), then we took our seats. He was ok for about 10 minutes (before the show), then told me we had to leave. He did not want to see the dragon. It was too scary. We got up and walked to the back. We took seats there by the exit. We told him if it was too scary we would leave, no questions asked.

He was ok with that, and watched the show. And LOVED it. It was all he talked about from that point on. We are going back in one week, and he wants to see that old dragon get beat by Mickey!!

I say it is really up to you. You really know your kids. It is a gut feeling, and you child may respond well to the feeling of control, the option of leaving, if she needs to. Or you may feel next time is better.

Have fun, Shelly

 

[sha_lyn]

Our DD was 2 1/2 and loved the show. Of course who know what her reactio nwil lbe at 4 1/2 but she even wants to ride ToT

 

[BuzzLightYear3]

We took 3 kids last June (DS-just turned 8, DD--just turned 4, DS--21 months), and they all did fine. They were all the kind of kids who were scared by fireworks, 'scary' parts of Disney movies, etc......youngest one still is. The oldest actually has his share of fears as well.....particularly storms and fire....and at one point they set the water on fire. Despite the fireworks and fire though, they actually did quite well....I was watching them pretty closely, and saw some minor signs of nervousness at a couple points because I was watching for problems, but there were lots and lots of parts that they really enjoyed. We were seated pretty high up and in the second section from the right because of the Fantasmic Dinner Package. I think that actually worked out pretty well....felt a little more removed; they could see all the other people, and since it's an outdoor ampitheatre, I don't think it's as scary. I therefore say 'go for it!' The kids seemed to talk most about the parts that they really liked (e.g. 4 year old talked a lot about seeing the Princesses on the barges) and ignored the other parts. It's the kind of show that the whole family can enjoy.

 

[Bouncy]

We took my DS wen he was three and he loved it.He wasn't scared at all.In fact he was talking about it yesterday, on his 5th birthday so it was memorable without being scary!

 

[phoebusII]

My 5 yr old DD was very scared of the villians, but my 2yr old DS loved Fantasmic. I saw many young children there who were just fine. It all depends on the individual child.

 

[Chance's Mom]

We took our DS to see Fantasmic 2 years ago when he was 4. He made it through okay, but did not like the dragon at all. Last year at age 5, he would not go! He said, "Too scary!". I think it is really up to the individual child. Mine happens to be afraid of the dark!

The scariest part for me was trying to get out of Fantasmic after the show!

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

I have a 4-year old and was planning to wait, but he saw the dragon on the Travel Channel special the other night and now wants to see it! Question: what exactly is the Fantasmic "Package?" How does it shorten wait time? Thanks.

Lori

 

[phoebusII]

The Fantasmic priority seating package works like this. You make a PS reservations at one of several participating MGM restaurants. The Brown Derby, Hollywood & Vine, 50s Prime Time Cafe, and I'm not sure which others participate. Then they give you a ticket for PS at Fantasmic. You have to order an entree at the restaurant, so you can't just go there for drinks or an appetizer and still get FP. Usually, depending on the crowds you have to get to Fantasmic 1-2 hours before the show starts to get a seat. With PS you go to a special entrance !/2 hour before the show starts, so it really saves you a lot of time and you can spend the extra time going on other rides or doing something besides just sitting at Fantasmic. We did it this last trip and it was well worth it.

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

Hmmm. If DS decides it's a must-see, then I'd better add one of those to my PS list! Thanks a lot.

Lori

 

[sha_lyn]

No you can not make a regular PS for the fantasmic dinner package. It must be done 7 days proir (or less) and be made in person or through guest services on site over the phone. It must be booked as a fantasmic dinner package.

 

[MickeyMonstersMom]

Thanks for the tip.

Lori

 

[B3LM]

On our last visit, our kids were 8, 5, and 2. They all loved it. In fact, we saw both shows in one night.

 

[Emilys_Dad]

We took Emily when she was 4 1/2. We talked to her about it beforehand, telling her it was scary but it was a show, just like Beauty and the Beast and the Lion King show. We told her that it would be loud, dark, late, and scary, but that she would be safe, nothing would happen to her, and she would enjoy it. We also made sure she got a little nap in that afternoon.

We did the dinner package (more information is available on the Restaurants board), enjoyed the buffet and Hollywood and Vine, explored the park and shopped for a bit, then went in the back way, found some good seats, and waited about 35 minutes for the show to start. That was the roughest part of it for her.

The verdict: not only did she love it, (covering her ears when it got loud, leaning into me when it got scary, then pushing me away when it was OK, and finally jumping up and down, laughing, cheering and clapping at the end when Mickey wins out), but the couple behind us told us that they had been watching her as much as the show and that she was their favorite part of the show!

Again, a little preparation never hurts. Let them know what to expect. In fact, reassuring her on this issue and dealing with her fears of the furry characters led me to what is now my Disney Mantra: "Everything at DisneyWorld is pretend, EXCEPT THE MONEY!"

I think that expresses it pretty well.