Fantasmic pkg in May? Necessary?

[chilihead]

We will be at WDW May 8-16. I currently have a Fantasmic dining package for May 11 at 4:10 (HV). I don't particularly want to eat here, but I thought we should get the package so we have seats. My question: do we really NEED the package? Or is it possible this early in May to get decent seats without waiting for an hour outside the gates? If we don't wait outside the gates and just come in before the show, how poor will the seats be that are left? My family has seen the show, but we are taking my dad and his wife and it will be there first time. And, really, my kids don't remember that much about it so I guess this is really their first time again.

We currently have lunch PS at Sci-Fi for 12:05. I would rather change those to around 2:00 for a late lunch and skip the HV totally.

Ahhhhh! I'm so confused! Help me, Please! I have just about everything else nailed down, but I just can't seem to make the final decision on this thing.

Thanks.

Chilihead

 

[HBKFan75]

You'll get better seats by showing up early to the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater (at least an hour and a half before for the better ones). If it's a Tuesday or Saturday, however (or any other time there is a 10:30 Fantasmic!), you'd be much better off just waiting for the late show. You can show up virtually any time after 10:00 (which is when the park closes anyway) and get the Mickey section (the center section).

But if you don't do the package, the (9:00) show tends to fill up in the summer by an hour before starting time. So you can show up any time with the dinner package because you're guaranteed seating. The drawback would be that you'll be off to the right side (which is a decent view, as it is everywhere, but not the best). And the later you get there, the further to the right your seats will be. And the further to the right (or the left, for that matter) you are, the worse your view gets. But it's never unbearable.

So I guess my recommendation would be seeing a 10:30 show on a late night. If you can't do that, I won't even suggest what to do because they're about equal. But it's either (a) show up really early for great seats or (b) get the dinner package and show up whenever for okay (at best) seats.

Hope that helps!

 

[HBKFan75]

Oh, I just realized that you are going on a Tuesday, but they don't start the late Fantasmic!s until later in the month, so you won't have that option available to you.

 

[sm4987]

It depends. DO you normally have dinner in the parks or just pick up something really quick? I have done the dinner package, and found it worth it as it was easy to just show a ticket and walk right in. It's hard to stand in line for so long waiting for the rope drop. However, if that's your thing, then be prepared to stand in line.

 

[chilihead]

It sounds like even though I'm going at the beginning of May when crowds are slower that I need to go ahead and get the package. Waiting in line for that long just isn't how any of us want to spend our time. I was hoping that with lighter crowds in May we could just skip the package. Oh well! Extra food!

Chilihead

 

[d96j97]

We're going the exact same week and don't plan on any Fantasmic Package. We did one three years ago didn't feel like it was much worth it. The seats were clear on the right hand side and although it was still viewable, we would have rather waited at the gates and had better seats.

Here's to a great week...maybe we'll see you there.

 

[Skinsfan]

Nah....we did one last May....waste of $$$. The pkg people were shuffled off to one side....we would've been better off eating cheaper and walking in later....

 

[abline]

We're going to be going at the same time and I made the dinner package reservations to be safe. We're going to have a 6,5,4,4 and 3 year old with us and I really don't want to stand their with them for an hour when you have to eat anyway. Besides you are on vacation. My only recomendation is if you get the dinner package plan your attractions out properly because almost every attraction is closed by 8:00 PM anyway. (except Muppets 3D and Star Tours). We found this out the hard way and found ourselves sitting in the rain for 45 minutes in our preferred viewing seats instead of doing something else. Of course the rain is the other issue. If the show is rained out you don't get a credit for another day. Luckily for us the rain stopped just before 9:00. 39 more days I just can't wait.

 

[threeboysmom]

I would NOT book a Fantasmic package for May! Sorry! We've gone to WDW the past 4-5 Mays and have never booked a package for Fantasmic. We walk into the ampitheatre about 45 minutes before the 8:30 showing and have always sat in the Mickey section (center). There have been a couple of times where we went into the theatre and then chose to stand in the back and wait an additional 10 minutes before being seated because they were still filling in the front rows (ie., the "splash" zone). We just stand until the crowds fill up the first half of the Mickey section and then we wander down and get our "perfect" seats. I cannot imagine it being so crowded in early May that you need to book a dinner package. I say get there 45-60 minutes ahead of time, grab your seats, and then send someone in your party to get dinner/snacks for all of you. Now maybe it's different if you go to MGM on an early entry day, but we never do.