Fantasmic Package - Not Happy

[grover]

Actually I was told that if you go and Fantasmic is cancelled and you haven't eaten yet that you would be creditted back what you paid. Of course if you eat you would not be creditted back anything. So it really isn't any different than before -if you didn't eat then you didn't pay,if you ate and it was cancelled you paid because you ate!!

I am glad they have it, we booked, we have to eat anyways -it is only a couple dollars more at H&V-which we like and being Canadians we get shafted on the exchange anyways so it is not like a few bucks is going to make a big difference in our budget!!!

Ohhh I can't wait to go! Love Fantasmic

Grover in Winnipeg

 

[KathyK]

OK - here's my 2cents:
When DH and I dine at BD for dinner, we typically spend about $100 including tip. So, getting off withg paying ~$85 incl tax & gratuity sounds like it isn't such a bad deal. However, if my favorite dishes from the regular menu are not on their special menu, i would probably cry. I've gotta have that grapefruit cake.

On this trip, we were planning to do the FDP with our extended family. SInce my SIL says that her kids are not ready for the BD, we would either be going to H&V or Mama Melrose. H&V sounds like the best deal of the three, but I wasn't so crazy about their buffet, so I was leaning toward MM. Well, I absolutely *hate* tiramisu (and you can bet that if I am paying a fixed price, i will eat all of the courses), so now that it is out of the question too.

I also don't like the idea of charging my credit card today for a meal that I won't be eating for another 2 months. Plus, if my SIL or MIL decides to bail out at the last minute, I will be out of luck.

So, if it were just DH and myself, I'd book it for the BD and not really complain - it doesn't seem so bad to me. But since I have other people involved, I've got mixed emotions. I'm going to present the information to my SIL and MIL and see what they think. If they're wishy washy, then we just won't do it this time.

-Kathy

 

[kdibattista]

I just got off the phone with a CM to book the Fantasmic Dinner Package - as much as I don't like it - I figure.... I have the Discovery Magic Package and I know you can use one of your wishes so it really won't matter..... right? They STILL wanted to charge my credit card. What???? How does THAT work??? I told him to forget it and I would just book the regular priority seating and chance it with the seats - how bad can it be offseason? We went last Sept and the Sept before that & did the package because we figured "what the heck". When we got to Fantasmic, there was really no need to even sit in the reserved section because there were still plenty of good seats left.

I think Disney really, really needs to rethink this whole thing!!!! Hopefully it will NOT last past the testing phase.

Sorry so long!!

 

[KathyK]

I found the following website which states that *alcoholic* beverages are not included with the packages (but non-alcoholic ones are). This seems to make sense, because it really didn't make sense to me that they would charge each person a couple of dollars to order a soda when everything else was prepaid (considering how cheap it is for them to serve soda).

http://www.mgmstudios.org/food/fantasmic.html#new

Of course, it seems like every tidbit of informaiton we have conflicts with someplace else, so who knows.

 

[erica_mutterer]

This looks like a rip off for folks like us! We dinned at the Brown derby in August with the old fantasmic dinner passes and did not spend close to $40.00 per person on entree's. We were allowed to get the "larger Lunch size" cobb salid as our entree. A few of us ordered appitizers but none of us are big on deserts. The kids were allowed to split a kids mac and cheese (which did not cost $10.00) and we all received the passes. We do enjoy our cocktails which brings our bill up but drinks are not encluded in this $40.00 prie they are charging. We'll go back to "hot dog night" getting to our seets early playing games and eating hot dogs and icecream in the stands.

 

[Hadjii]

We did the H&V package for Fantasmic last year. I must admit we were very satisfied with the buffet and thought the price was reasonable. However, we were really disappointed in the reserved seating section we were offered. It was way over to the right of the stadium. The people who had waited in the regular line (non-dinner package guests) had a much better view of the show. We were going to try Brown Derby this October but NOT at those prices with the same old seating plan. Uh-uh. Here's another vote to pass on the package and get in line with everyone else. Besides, we hated eating dinner so early. And we still had to wait forever for the show to start.......

 

[Eeyore2U]

Originally posted by DBMagic
Eeyore2U

The difference is that before, if it was raining, you didn't have to go to the restaurant because you hadn't paid anything. Now, everything is prepaid, so if they cancel Fantasmic, you still have to go eat at the inflated prices.

I'm sorry I don't think you get screwed if Fantasmic gets cancelled and you eat at the BD. There are too many variables on any given day. I think we just don't like being dictated to.

For the record, I think this package idea sucks.

 

[Luv2Roam]

KathyK -- My understanding from other sites was that no beverages were included. (Except I think the kid's drinks at H&V).
Not that $4 is going to be that big of a deal either way. (What we paid for two ice teas last May at BD).
DH and I aren't big eaters. But we ate what we wanted and didn't walk out miserable from over eating. We paid less than $50 at BD, including tax and tip!
For some reason, at almost every restaurant, I like the cheapest thing on the menu. (Not a big steak/seafood eater. I usually order chicken or no meat at all.)