Fantasmic Preferred Seating??

[RonH]

I've heard that eating at certain restaurants in MGM is accompanied by preferred seating for the Fantasmic show that night. Is this true? If so, can someone please share additional details. Are there only certains restaurants and times? Is the Fantasmic seating truly reserved? etc??

Thanks!

 

[Laralyn]

You can find info, pricing, etc. right here:

http://allearsnet.com/din/fantdin1.htm

Hope it helps!

 

[RonH]

Thanks Laralyn!

 

[ncbyrne]

Preferred is a relative word. The seating available for the Fantasmic Dinner Pkg. is the section to the far right. The advantage to these seats is that you do not have to scope out you seats an hour or more ahead of the show. You will be able to enter and be guaranteed a seat about 1/2 hour out or even less.

 

[Lori S.]

I'm totally confused. Do you have to go into the ampitheater to have good seats? Do you have to purchase these packages to get the PS? Help!!

 

[disneydiz]

People start to line-up for Fantasmic at least an hour ahead of the show. The amphitheatre holds about 9,500 people, but at crowded times it can be filled. The majority of the seats are great! During busy times of the year, WDW will have two shows of Fantasmic (during Easter week people line-up more than an hour ahead for the first show). The preferred seating is only for those that purchase a dinner package at one of the restaurants.

 

[DizBelle]

The first time we wen to Fantasmic, during one of the slowest times of the year - the first week of December, there was only one show and only standing room available at the back. I believe we arrived at the show about 45 min before showtime. We stood there for a while and then decided to leave a come back later in the trip but come back much, much earlier to get a good seat. When we came back a few days later, we arrived 2 hours ahead of time to claim our seats.

As long as the Fantasmic dinner package is available, this is the way I will see Fantasmic no matter what time of year it is. I don't want to burn valuable park time sitting on bleachers.

You have to make a priority seating arrangement for the package and guarantee it with a credit card. Call 407-WDW-DINE. You can cancel up to 48 hours in advance with no penalty. If you are a no-show for your priority seating, your card will be charged $10 per person.

The package is fixed price with a different price for each restaurant. The restaurant choices (in order of most expensive to least expensive) are the Brown Derby, Mama Melorse's, and Hollywood & Vine.

 

[a_sly_fox]

We saw Fantasmic on 10/3. We had priority seating at Hollywood and Vine for 6 PM and when we entered the stadium, we were able to obtain seats any where we wanted in the "reserved" section. We choose the row third from the back as far to the center as we could. They were excellant. We watched as the "reserved" area filled as well as the other parts of the stadium. As far as we could tell, the stadium was sold out.

The show was excellent, (we saw it first in '99) and I think some parts were changed from what we saw before.

Be advised that everyone leaves at once and small children should be carefully kept in hand. The crowd is quite large and everyone seems to be rushing for the gate. We chose to go out the same enterance we used to enter as part of the Fantasmic and had little problem in getting out. Since we were staying at the Dolphin, we rode a boat back to our hotel.

 

[BethR]

Originally posted by Lori S.
I'm totally confused. Do you have to go into the ampitheater to have good seats?

Lori, the show takes place on stage in an amphitheater. You must be in the ampitheater to see the show.

Do you have to purchase these packages to get the PS? Help!!

You must have the Fantasmic Dinner Package in order to sit in the special reserved seating area. The seating area would not really be called "preferred" since it is not considered the BEST in the house since it is not center stage. But saying that, it is FINE seating - think right center.
We have seen Fantasmic every time that we have been at WDW since Fantasmic has opened and we really love it. But the last three times, we have used the FDP eating at Hollywood and Vine. Since it is a buffet, we skip lunch and have dinner as early as we can. Then we still have a little time to do a few things between dinner and the show.
As ncbyrne mentioned, the seating is not the selling point on the FDP. It is the savings in time. A 30-45 minute wait vs and 90-120 minute wait.
I hope that this has cleared up some things for you.


,