Would you be willing to share where your favourite spot is? Do you find good seating just by going standby? Curious to know, because I'm trying to squeeze Fantasmic in to our plans, but have read some comments about the FP+ seating area being actually not good. I'm not super excited about any of the restaurant options for the Fantasmic dining package, either, plus they're all very expensive paying OOP. So, considering just going standby, but I have no idea how hard it is to get seating going standby ...
If you go here, and scroll down a bit, you'll see a map of the amphitheater. It'll make it easier to see what I'm talking about:
https://www.disboards.com/threads/maps-of-wdw-by-robo-65-maps-more.3545729/#post-56460953
We get the dining package. We always do a table service meal, anyway, as that's our way to take a nice long relaxing break. So, we sit in "Mickey." We like sitting about 7 rows back. First few rows are too low, I think, and you have to look up a bit, which is less comfortable. Around row 7, you really can see the characters on the boats really well, and as close as possible to the action on the island stage.
Without a package, you can see from the map, FP and stand by really makes no difference in terms of the view you get. But, FP guarantees you a seat in the section.
Where you want to sit is in front of the water screens, as opposed to between two screens - which would give you an angled view of both, and not ideal. The water screens also hide the set changes, so seeing between them kills some of the illusion.
So, you would want to sit close to the isle between Witch and Ursala in stand by, or near the isle between Jafar and Hades on the FP side. You can see the water screen projection machinery in the maps. Of course, by the isle close to Mickey, on either side, works best, as that will put you in front of the center screen. But, those seats are the hardest to get. Still about 7 rows back either way.
I would get there about 45 min before show time.
