Fantasmic! PKG - New entrance?

[Verolovesdisney]

Hello, I read a little while back that Fantasmic! Dinner Pkg participents no longer had their own entrance, and had to go in with the masses? Not sure if this was a temporary thing or not, could someone who's done the pkg recently let me know the status.

Thanks!

 

[habg1]

Thanksgiving week we had to go in with "crowd."

 

[thesupersmartguy]

It's true, I was there last week and went in with the masses.

 

[La2kw]

What is the point of the package, if you have to enter with everyone else? The seat location (if it's still in the same area) is certainly worse than if you just walked in 60 minutes ahead of time.

 

[Pumbaa_]

without the back entrance there is less of a reason IMO to get htepackage. But with reduced Fantasmic! offerings, it may stillbe beneficial

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

I don't really understand this either. . . With the package we usually go to the package entrance about 45 minutes prior to the show time. I would think that if we went to the regular entrance 45 minutes prior to the show it would be pretty crowded and hard to get in. . .

 

[sdteacher]

I booked the Fantasmic dinner package for our trip in Jan. for the Hollywood and Vine. If we don't get a separate entrance and reserved seating, should I cancel the package? I would rather eat somewhere else and only booked it so we would be guaranteed a seat for the 7:00 performance. What would you do/

 

[dahirsh]

The reserved seating is still there, just not the back entrance. I don't really see the problem.

 

[drew64]

It was very easy to go in the front entrance and off to the side to the reserved seatig area- sma earea as always. We did it twice the week after Thanksgiving.
We walked in 35 min before showtime and had great seats at the far left of the reserved seating as you face the stage which puts you close to center. Those without reserved seating were at the farthest end to the far left, and standing room by then.

 

[Cricket2]

In my experience, the main value of the reserved seating is proximity to the exit and not the view that makes it worthwhile.

 

[kellyg403]

We just did this last week. No special entrance, just went with the crowds. We did go about 1 hour early. Our server at the Brown Derby explained that we needed to keep our pass out, stay to the right of the line and continue walking to the end. There wasn't even a line for regular Fantasmic yet that evening (12/8) and once we got to the entrance there was a sign and a CM for package entrance. Very easy to maneuver if there is no line. Now, a long line not sure how it would work. You have to stay to the right in between the ropes in the normal line. There is not a roped off section to the right if that makes any sense?

Kelly

 

[Doctor P]

In my experience, the main value of the reserved seating is proximity to the exit and not the view that makes it worthwhile.

In my experience, the main value of the package was the separate entrance that allowed you to avoid the crowds and avoid waiting in line. Take that away, and I'm not sure the package has that much value. The seating is nothing special (though I agree that its proximity to the back exit is a plus) and the theater is so large that getting some seat is usually not an issue.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

We just did this last week. No special entrance, just went with the crowds. We did go about 1 hour early. Our server at the Brown Derby explained that we needed to keep our pass out, stay to the right of the line and continue walking to the end. There wasn't even a line for regular Fantasmic yet that evening (12/8) and once we got to the entrance there was a sign and a CM for package entrance. Very easy to maneuver if there is no line. Now, a long line not sure how it would work. You have to stay to the right in between the ropes in the normal line. There is not a roped off section to the right if that makes any sense?

Kelly

Thanks, that is very helpful info!

Can you still exit out the back exit?

 

[kellyg403]

Thanks, that is very helpful info!

Can you still exit out the back exit?

Yes, that is the exit we inadvertantly took so it is still there.

 

[Momof2Disneyboys]

Yes, that is the exit we inadvertantly took so it is still there.

Great, thanks!

 

[kellyg403]

In my experience, the main value of the package was the separate entrance that allowed you to avoid the crowds and avoid waiting in line. Take that away, and I'm not sure the package has that much value. The seating is nothing special (though I agree that its proximity to the back exit is a plus) and the theater is so large that getting some seat is usually not an issue.

I would agree on this with my limited experience. There was still seating all the way until the moment Fantasmic started on this particular night. Our server was adamant in explaining to us several times that we should get to the gate 45 minutes or earlier before showtime. So, I would imagine on a night when the crowds are larger and the lines are longer...getting to the gate through the line to the right would be a 45 minute experience at best. Now, it would be possible I imagine for them to have a separate right side during those busy times of the year. I guess that according to the crowd level there was no need to have an actual separate line.

I will say that I probably won't make it a special mission to do the Fantasmic package like I did this year. Nothing special about the seating, all the seating is fine, Disney does a great job of making sure that you can see plenty from every seat in the house etc.

Kelly

 

[dahirsh]

Maybe I'm missing something, but I'm confused about all this talk of having to wait in line now that the package entrance has been moved. I've seen Fantasmic about 10 times over the years. Three times with the package. I only remember waiting on something that might me called a line once. And that was because I showed up for the second show of the evening before they opened the theater. Every other time, no matter how busy, it's simply been a walk in and a wait until the show began.

The package guarantees you a seat up until a specific time before the show starts, no matter how busy it is. I don't care which path they ask me to walk up as long as the seat is waiting. And with the drop to two shows a week, I'm glad the package is there.

 

[MyDogStitch]

The seperate entrance would be better but we had no problems entering through the main entry and going off to the right with the package participants. I think most all of the seats have decent views. The best advantage was probably the ease of exiting from that section. Of course, it was not a big decision - I mean we were going to eat somewhere anyhow!