Fantasmic Preferred Seats Reported as Obstructed View?

[quest4dl]

I have been considering the Fantasmic Dessert preferred seating. I just pulled off this description of the seats from allears:

Unfortunately the seats are located between two of the water screens, and the view is somewhat obstructed by light poles and the railing in front of the seating area. Those in the back row may have trouble seeing over the people in front of them.

For $59, I would have expected the best seats, not an obstructed view and if my 7 yo can't see over the people in front of him, it's also not worth it. Is this description accurate?

 

[audrabolster]

I have personally always just chosen the "secret" seats. I think $60 is highway robbery!

 

[quest4dl]

Thanks for the input!

 

[avalon451]

We went last week. The seats are on the raised promenade above the riverside area, between the stairs. (below you, you can see those people who are on the lower promenade. They have generally been there for 2-3 hours holding their places; at least, they were when we were there on Spring break.) There are 2 different sections. One of them, and the seats that go the quickest when you check in and choose your seats, seem to be pretty close to the front of the water screen that is on the right as you face the island. The other set of seats is more in between the two water screens, but you can still see the projections just fine. We were in the second row, and although we had a big guy sitting in front of us along with his wife and two small kids, my daughters declined to switch places with me: "I can see just fine, Mom, I just have to lean a fraction once in a while." The railings don't block (they have tweaked the seating arrangements a lot, it seems, since they started riverside seating) and the show is absolutely fabulous from this vantage point, in my opinion.

When I first heard about riverside seating, I thought it was highway robbery, too. But, I decided to splurge for our first trip and pay for it myself as a surprise for my family. I am so glad I did! Here's my reasons: 1. We have early-to-bed kinda kids, especially the 5 y.o. DD. She would never make it to the 10:30 show and still be able to get up in the morning in time to make it to park opening. 2. The mobs are UN-BE-LIEVABLE! You can't even move around the area when it gets close to Fantasmic time. There is no way we could have gotten a decent place where my little ones could see anything except the high fireworks unless we'd staked out spots 2 hours before. It was insane. Granted this was Spring break, but I've heard it's always nuts. 3. I was paying for the privelege of just showing up at 7, picking out our seats, then showing up 20 minutes before the show started and getting shown to a chair and plied with a huge box of YUMMY snacks and my choice of hot chocolate, coffee, water, soft drinks several times during the show-- including getting a really nice comfy spot to watch the fireworks afterward. Yes, it cost a lot. But since we had never been to Disneyland before and likely won't go again for a long time, it was so special to do this. In my opinion, it was WELL worth it. We loved it.

Just my 2 cents!

 

[Cass]

avalon, your view was good too?


.

 

[farmfresh]

We have done this twice (or is it three times?) We have never had a problem with viewing, and once we were absolutely the last to arrive, so we got the back row. It is most enjoyable. If you want to spend the money, you will be glad you did.

 

[cccdisney]

We went last week. The seats are on the raised promenade above the riverside area, between the stairs. (below you, you can see those people who are on the lower promenade. They have generally been there for 2-3 hours holding their places; at least, they were when we were there on Spring break.) There are 2 different sections. One of them, and the seats that go the quickest when you check in and choose your seats, seem to be pretty close to the front of the water screen that is on the right as you face the island. The other set of seats is more in between the two water screens, but you can still see the projections just fine. We were in the second row, and although we had a big guy sitting in front of us along with his wife and two small kids, my daughters declined to switch places with me: "I can see just fine, Mom, I just have to lean a fraction once in a while." The railings don't block (they have tweaked the seating arrangements a lot, it seems, since they started riverside seating) and the show is absolutely fabulous from this vantage point, in my opinion.


When I first heard about riverside seating, I thought it was highway robbery, too. But, I decided to splurge for our first trip and pay for it myself as a surprise for my family. I am so glad I did! Here's my reasons: 1. We have early-to-bed kinda kids, especially the 5 y.o. DD. She would never make it to the 10:30 show and still be able to get up in the morning in time to make it to park opening. 2. The mobs are UN-BE-LIEVABLE! You can't even move around the area when it gets close to Fantasmic time. There is no way we could have gotten a decent place where my little ones could see anything except the high fireworks unless we'd staked out spots 2 hours before. It was insane. Granted this was Spring break, but I've heard it's always nuts. 3. I was paying for the privelege of just showing up at 7, picking out our seats, then showing up 20 minutes before the show started and getting shown to a chair and plied with a huge box of YUMMY snacks and my choice of hot chocolate, coffee, water, soft drinks several times during the show-- including getting a really nice comfy spot to watch the fireworks afterward. Yes, it cost a lot. But since we had never been to Disneyland before and likely won't go again for a long time, it was so special to do this. In my opinion, it was WELL worth it. We loved it.

Just my 2 cents!

I am glad to hear this!
My DH and I decided to splurge on this for our upcoming trip later this month when we are going without our kids! We have always wanted to do it!
So Disney said we need to check in with Guest Relations before 5 pm. Then what happens? We can pick our seats and then leave again?

 

[PixiePowered]

I couldn't agree with avalon451 more! My family has done Fantasmic! Riverside seating 3 times and it's SOOOOO worth the higway robbery-ish prices to be able to stroll up an hour before the show, check in and come back 20 minutes prior to its start to grab your seats, goodies and drinks and ENJOY the show. There's NO WAY my kids (or DH ) would sit for 2-3 hours "holding" seats for the show! The convenience and ease of the riverside seating, to me, FAR outweighs the cost!

Just my 2 cents...

 

[JenDisneylandlver]

We seriously considered doing this for our next trip. But it would be $180, for the 3 of us. That's just too much for me, you just don't get enough for that price. Not to mention I would not be happy if someone tall sat in front of me. For that price I want front row!

So we'll just stick to our plan of going to the second show, and grab front seats the minute the people from the first show get up. Free, front row seats that we don't wait 3-5 hours for!

$60 a person is the same price we're paying per night at the Hojo! So basically for $180 we'd get three more nights at the hotel! Yikes!

 

[bonita_babe232]

I feel the same way as you! There is just so much more i could do with all that money..... Maybe if I win big at bingo before then i will put that on my list.... or even if my hubby and me were to go back for a him and me only trip!

 

[nunzia]

We did it once when it was just the 2 of us. The chairs were worth the price of admission. The food was great! (we had the buffet at that time) The railing is fairly high, but really not a distraction That said, we had tall people in front of us, and being on the short side, my friend and I chose to stand at the back of the viewing area during the actual show, and it was great. I love this show, and schedule my visits to include one weekend night just to see it.
I was even thinking about doing this for our group this time, but after having sprung for the trip, GC, BB and Ariels' Grotto the over 500 it would cost for us is just ridiculous. So..I'll try to be able to see it somewhere..

 

[sunking]

My wife and I did this on Wednesday, March 26th. I called about 2 weeks before our trip and was able to get a seating for the 10:30pm show.

You pick up your passes at the Guest Relations windows to the left of the California Adventure park entrance anytime during the day of your seating.

I asked several different people where and when to check in and nobody (even the person distributing the tickets) seemed to know. We were wandering thru at around 6:00 when they were beginning the setup for Fantasmic and I asked one of the cast members and they told me where to go. For those who don't know, we were able to check in beginning at about 6:30pm at a podium near the Churro stands near the Haunted Mansion. Please note that there was a line for checkin even before the podium came out.

I was second to check in for the 10:30pm show. We were seated in the front row of the section to the right (facing Tom Sawyer Island) and had no problem with the view. We were able to wander around the park and show up about 15 minutes before the show began. We were promptly seated and given our "dessert box" and offered drinks thru the wait time and the show.

We had the people in the general seating area in front of us asking how we got to sit here. It is clear that Disney doesn't do a good job of letting the general public know that this is available.

Yep...it is a bit expensive but I think it was absolutely worth it. Given the cost of a day at the park it was a small fraction of what we spent.

Have a good time!
Sunking

 

[Cass]

The give you a dessert box? I thought it was a dessert buffet where you help yourself?

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

We did this in Oct, and will do it again next month... I will say i was trying harder to get front row then the best section, and when I checked in (7:30 for the 9 pm--couldn't find check in for the life of me!!) the only front row was the furthest left seat, I wouldn't recommend that seat! There was a tree just to the left of it--not in front of me, but as things went on down the river to the left, we couldn't see them anymore...

Ended up standing up, setting dd on the garbage can top (even farther to the left--but still in the seating area) and watching from there... Hopefully I will get something closer to the middle or even the right side this time...

--Lisa

 

[quest4dl]

It seems to be that if every one of the $59 seats isn't close to fabulous then it's a pretty steep price for a 25 minute show.

 

[dewdrinker19]

I have personally always just chosen the "secret" seats...

????

Am I missing something?

I usually just try to get as close as I can during the fireworks. Most of the people in that crowd are people that just got done watching the first showing of Fantasmic. The second the fireworks are over there are a ton of people leaving, I consistently get front row against the rail seats by doing this right in the middle! AND it makes me only have a 45ish minute wait.

 

[Lostgirlz]

The give you a dessert box? I thought it was a dessert buffet where you help yourself?

No, it's no longer a buffet since no more balcony seats. You will be served drinks, water, soda, hot chocolate, and given a box with 1 or 2 choco strawberries and a few other things, but is no longer help yourself.

 

[avalon451]

We did Fantasmic on Tuesday, March 25th. You go to Guest Services earlier in the day (I went on the way back to the hotel for our mid-day break, and there was no line) to pick up your tickets. Guest Services are on the left-hand side of the Disneyland gates as you are facing the turnstiles.

You check in at the riverside area where they are setting up. They pull out a podium right around 6:15-6:30. It is next to the churro cart in front of Haunted Mansion. When we were there, the line started at 6:30 when they pulled out the podium, but they did not start checking people in for the 9 p.m. show, until the stroke of 7 p.m. When you check in, they let you pick your seats, and it is first come, first served. They wrote our seat numbers on our tickets. Another guy with a clipboard was checking in guest for the 10:30 show and would periodically shout, "Anybody checking in for 10:30? Check in with me!"

Then you wander off and shop or ride a ride until about 8:30 p.m. You go back to where you checked in. At that point there is another line of people waiting to get seated. They take your tickets, look at the seat number on them, and escort you to your seats. There are cast members who are assigned to several rows each of guests, and they will quickly come over and bring you a LARGE dessert box (4 mini-desserts -we had a key lime tart, a chocolate decadence brownie, mini-cheesecake, and a big fat macaroon--, a HUGE choc. strawberry, 6 little mini-cheese packs, 3 packs water crackers, 2 truffles, fresh seedless red grapes) and ask what you want to drink. They'll check if you want refills just before the show starts. Then after the show they will ask again, before the fireworks start.

It was WELL worth it to us to be able to stroll up and have that kind of seats and service for the early show. No way would my little ones have been able to hold out for 10:30. If it were just adults, yeah, I'd do the late show and no special seating.

 

[avalon451]

Also, somebody posted a picture of the dessert box here http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1777106 . It is for the Electrical Parade preferred seating over in DCA, but the dessert box is identical for Fantasmic (except we got a special edible candy spoon done with white sugar). And of course you can't get wine over in Disneyland like you can in DCA! It's coffee, water, soft drinks, or hot chocolate.

 

[cccdisney]

We did Fantasmic on Tuesday, March 25th. You go to Guest Services earlier in the day (I went on the way back to the hotel for our mid-day break, and there was no line) to pick up your tickets. Guest Services are on the left-hand side of the Disneyland gates as you are facing the turnstiles.

You check in at the riverside area where they are setting up. They pull out a podium right around 6:15-6:30. It is next to the churro cart in front of Haunted Mansion. When we were there, the line started at 6:30 when they pulled out the podium, but they did not start checking people in for the 9 p.m. show, until the stroke of 7 p.m. When you check in, they let you pick your seats, and it is first come, first served. They wrote our seat numbers on our tickets. Another guy with a clipboard was checking in guest for the 10:30 show and would periodically shout, "Anybody checking in for 10:30? Check in with me!"

Then you wander off and shop or ride a ride until about 8:30 p.m. You go back to where you checked in. At that point there is another line of people waiting to get seated. They take your tickets, look at the seat number on them, and escort you to your seats. There are cast members who are assigned to several rows each of guests, and they will quickly come over and bring you a LARGE dessert box (4 mini-desserts -we had a key lime tart, a chocolate decadence brownie, mini-cheesecake, and a big fat macaroon--, a HUGE choc. strawberry, 6 little mini-cheese packs, 3 packs water crackers, 2 truffles, fresh seedless red grapes) and ask what you want to drink. They'll check if you want refills just before the show starts. Then after the show they will ask again, before the fireworks start.

It was WELL worth it to us to be able to stroll up and have that kind of seats and service for the early show. No way would my little ones have been able to hold out for 10:30. If it were just adults, yeah, I'd do the late show and no special seating.

Do they have some kind of seating chart for you to pick out your seats with?