Fantasmic Pkg - necessary for beginning of june?

[Iluvpooh&mickey]

I would like to schedule seeing Fantasmic! on Sun June 4th (or maybe Tuesday June 6th) It will be a busy time....touring plans list both days as crowd level 8. I wanted to do the Fantasmic Dinner Pkg but the latest ADR I can get is at 4:00. Doing this would result in no rest time for two 6 y/o and I don't think they can handle being in the park all day w/o a break. So if I decided to forgo the package ADR....how early will I have to get in line w/o the package? Anybody been recently or at around the same time last year and can share their experiences, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

 

[Robo]

I would like to schedule seeing Fantasmic! on Sun June 4th (or maybe Tuesday June 6th) It will be a busy time....touring plans list both days as crowd level 8. I wanted to do the Fantasmic Dinner Pkg but the latest ADR I can get is at 4:00. Doing this would result in no rest time for two 6 y/o and I don't think they can handle being in the park all day w/o a break. So if I decided to forgo the package ADR....how early will I have to get in line w/o the package? Anybody been recently or at around the same time last year and can share their experiences, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

No one can predict EXACTLY what will happen on any given day.
It has totally to do with how much time you wish to invest, and the general crowd levels.

Busy days:
If you go to the first show of the evening (or "only" show that evening), if you arrive about 60-70 minutes before showtime, you can sit just about anywhere.
45 minutes before: Good seats
20-30 Minutes: will vary between seats at edges and rear of theater to SRO or even "closed" to further guests.

Off-Season (not busy days):
You should be OK to enter by 15 minutes before, but you'll likely be seated to the outer edges, and/or way at the back.

If you do the dinner pkg. you can enter 30 minutes before (or a bit later) and still be guaranteed pretty good seats, regardless of crowd-levels.

If there are TWO Fantasmic! shows in one evening, the second one will have lower crowd level than the first one. You can arrive a bit later and still find a seat.

Be aware that the second show waiting area will LOOK like the show is too crowded.
Thats's because they HOLD the 2nd crowd outside the theater while the CMs CLEAN it after the first crowd has exited.

Then, they will let those waiting together in that big group IN... all at once, and there will be PLENTY of room.

(The theater holds 10,000 guests!)

We always plan to eat our evening "meal" IN the Fantasmic! theater.
They have "baseball staduim"-type concession stands IN the theater.
We have a hot dog and a giant pretzel and some soft drinks in our seats as we wait. (There's even beer, sold strictly one-at-a-time, one-to-an-adult).
Just outside the theater entrance is the large "food court".
You are allowed to carry in food from there as well, but remember that its a LONG WAY up the sidewalk from there to the theater itself.

 

[mybgirl]

I would like to schedule seeing Fantasmic! on Sun June 4th (or maybe Tuesday June 6th) It will be a busy time....touring plans list both days as crowd level 8. I wanted to do the Fantasmic Dinner Pkg but the latest ADR I can get is at 4:00. Doing this would result in no rest time for two 6 y/o and I don't think they can handle being in the park all day w/o a break. So if I decided to forgo the package ADR....how early will I have to get in line w/o the package? Anybody been recently or at around the same time last year and can share their experiences, I would really appreciate it. Thanks!

We had the pk for dinner time at 4'30 PM AND 3;45 PM JUNE 11TH 2005 JUNE 13TH 2004

VERY happy we did , you will be happy also

have a great trip

God bless

MARY

 

[Iluvpooh&mickey]

Busy days:
If you go to the first show of the evening (or "only" show that evening), if you arrive about 60-70 minutes before showtime, you can sit just about anywhere.
45 minutes before: Good seats
20-30 Minutes: will vary between seats at edges and rear of theater to SRO or even "closed" to further guests.

If you do the dinner pkg. you can enter 30 minutes before (or a bit later) and still be guaranteed pretty good seats, regardless of crowd-levels.

Thanks for all the info. I forgot that they sold some food in the theater...eating then is a good idea.

Just another question for you. I have 6 y/o twin boys who will be pretty tired by that time of day so I am trying to gauge how long we would be standing waiting outside the theater. When do they start letting the regular crowd (non FDP) into the theater to find seats?

Thanks again Robo.

 

[Razorback Rumblers]

Robo, I have another fantasmic question. We have fantamic dining pkg reservations for Saturday, Jun 10 (Star Wars weekend). Per WDW website, fantasmic with show twice, 9:00 & 10:30. Can we use the VIP passes for either show?

 

[Iluvpooh&mickey]

Robo, I have another fantasmic question. We have fantamic dining pkg reservations for Saturday, Jun 10 (Star Wars weekend). Per WDW website, fantasmic with show twice, 9:00 & 10:30. Can we use the VIP passes for either show?

The Fantasmic Dinner Package is only for the first showing of Fantasmic.

 

[dixipixi]

We have been to WDW in early June 4 of the last 5 years. The first two times we had no problem getting into Fantasmic by just standing in line (although we did stand in line for over an hour).

2 years ago, we had the dining package. We liked it and thought everything worked out great, but since we had never had a problem getting in before, we didn't really think it was necessary.

Wrong!!! Last year was an absolute nightmare. We went on 2 separate nights and got in line 90 minutes early both times (we were nowhere near the front of the line, either). Standing in line doesn't bother me...but the crowd started to get pretty unruly and when they did begin letting people in I was afraid of getting crushed. People were cutting line and pushing and shoving.

My teen boys wouldn't stay, so I can only imagine how it would affect little ones. I was so upset...Fantasmic! is our favorite and we never did get to see it.

Guess what? This year I've booked the package.

 

[Robo]

I am trying to gauge how long we would be standing waiting outside the theater. When do they start letting the regular crowd (non FDP) into the theater to find seats?

There is no "line" for Fantasmic! for the first show.

The theater is "opened" about 60-90 before show-time and guests can just walk into the theater and pick a seat.

If there's a SECOND show of the evening, if you arrive a hour early there WILL be a "line".
That's because they hold guests back from entering while the CMs clean the theater after the first show.
But don't worry, once they start letting guests enter, the theater will not be full by any means. The second show virtually never "sells out" even when the park is busy.

 

[Iluvpooh&mickey]

Wrong!!! Last year was an absolute nightmare. We went on 2 separate nights and got in line 90 minutes early both times (we were nowhere near the front of the line, either). Standing in line doesn't bother me...but the crowd started to get pretty unruly and when they did begin letting people in I was afraid of getting crushed. People were cutting line and pushing and shoving.

My teen boys wouldn't stay, so I can only imagine how it would affect little ones. I was so upset...Fantasmic! is our favorite and we never did get to see it.

Guess what? This year I've booked the package.

I really WANT to use the package too but I also know that my kids are going to need to rest in the afternoons so the 4:00ADRs are not good for me. That's why I am thinking of chancing the show w/o the package.

Just curious...was it the 1st or 2nd show that you were waiting in line for?

 

[Iluvpooh&mickey]

There is no "line" for Fantasmic! for the first show.

The theater is "opened" about 60-90 before show-time and guests can just walk into the theater and pick a seat.

If there's a SECOND show of the evening, if you arrive a hour early there WILL be a "line".
That's because they hold guests back from entering while the CMs clean the theater after the first show.
But don't worry, once they start letting guests enter, the theater will not be full by any means. The second show virtually never "sells out" even when the park is busy.

Let me make sure I understand this: So there is no set time for the theater to open for the first showing? I will have to wait in line for the first show if I get in line 90 minutes ahead and the theater doesn't open until 60 minutes ahead. Right?

 

[Robo]

Let me make sure I understand this: So there is no set time for the theater to open for the first showing? I will have to wait in line for the first show if I get in line 90 minutes ahead and the theater doesn't open until 60 minutes ahead. Right?

I wouldn't really call it a "line".
If the theater is not open, guests are held in the somewhat wide "area" between ToT and the Beauty and the Beast theater.

Ask a CM what time they intend to open the theater. If its a crowded day, they will likely open it 90 minutes or so earlier than the show-time of the first (or ONLY) show that evening.
Find a place to sit in that area and don't get into the "line" until they drop the rope to enter the walkway (its a long one) to the theater.

 

[Iluvpooh&mickey]

Robo,
Thanks for the info and advice!

 

[kcrew]

I wouldn't really call it a "line".
If the theater is not open, guests are held in the somewhat wide "area" between ToT and the Beauty and the Beast theater.

Ask a CM what time they intend to open the theater. If its a crowded day, they will likely open it 90 minutes or so earlier than the show-time of the first (or ONLY) show that evening.
Find a place to sit in that area and don't get into the "line" until they drop the rope to enter the walkway (its a long one) to the theater.

Thanks. This is great info that I hadn't heard anywhere else. If you are sitting instead of standing in line I guess waiting and hour plus isn't so horrible! If this is the case why such distress over getting a seat or being at the mercy of the Fantasmic package? Am I missing something?

 

[Robo]

Thanks. This is great info that I hadn't heard anywhere else. If you are sitting instead of standing in line I guess waiting and hour plus isn't so horrible! If this is the case why such distress over getting a seat or being at the mercy of the Fantasmic package? Am I missing something?

Most people simply don't understand the "system".

I call WDW my "briar patch".

While it seems like a tangled MESS of confusion to many folks... to me, its like being "home".