Fantasmic FP or dinner package?

[PrincessX]

Hi, DH and I are taking my mother and DS18months to Disneyworld at the end if this month. DH wants to take DS to Fantasmic for the 1st time. He loves Pirates of the Caribbean and other arguably scary rides, so we think he will be okay with the theatrics of the show. The issue is how to go about doing this as painlessly as possible. DS does not have the patience to wait in a huge line and the standby line terrifies me. So, should we fast pass it or do the dinner + show? I know there are better things to fastpass but not with an 18-month-old in tow, so were okay fastpassing it if necessary. I already have reservations for the dinner/show but I'm not in love with the restaurant we have the reservations for so I wouldn't mind canceling those reservations and scheduling something better if a fast pass is the best way to reserve seats with the best view for the least amount of wait time. Prior experiences with either or both are welcomed. Thanks!

 

[cakebaker]

Your son may do fine, you know him better than anyone, but let me tell you our experience.

My grandson is 2.5. He loves roller coasters and we haven't found a ride he can get on that he won't get on. Except Fantasmic.

He's been once at 6 months ( ended up in the bathroom with him), at 18 months ( this time at the top of the stairs) and a week ago at 2.5. This time he started crying before they ever turned the lights off. He remembered going a year ago I guess. He kept saying, no like this ride, no like this ride. I told him if he really didn't like it when it started, I would take him out and that calmed him some. Thankfully we went to the 2nd show and he fell asleep before it started or I would've been taking him out again. I don't know why, but it terrifies him when absolutely nothing else does. He slept like a rock thru the entire show.

That said, we used fp and were very glad we did. I think it must be 2nd showing only, but we got our choice of any of the Mickey sections. I think normally, fp will get you close to center, but not quite. Still, it's perfectly good seating and you don't have to get there early.

Personally, I wouldn't spend the money to get the dinner package. There isn't that much at HS that needs a FP anyway!

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

We did the Dinner Package at Brown Derby and loved every aspect of it. From a food quality standpoint it was our best meal of our entire vacation (and we ate at signatures). Then we walked right up to Fantasmic! a half hour early, walked right in, grabbed some treats at the snack stand, and sat down about 10 rows back, right in the center. We had a 3.5 year old in tow and the whole process made it very easy.