Fantasmic Preferred Seats Reported as Obstructed View?

[Cass]

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.

Thanks, I guess the site I saw had some outdated information.

 

[Mommy2PrincessAbby]

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

they did in october... and she kinda pointed as the seats were being set up, so I could see what I was looking at...

--Lisa

 

[cherylclt]

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.

My family and I just did this last night and everything that was written here is completely accurate. After 14 hours of walking in the parks (we got in at 7am) it was worth every penny I spent to have seats to enjoy the show especially with as crowded as the parks are this weekend. People started reserving spots to sit at 3:00 in the afternoon. I couldn't believe it. I would highly recommend the preferred seating.

 

[avalon451]

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

Yup, they show you the seating chart and recommend which seats are the best of those that are available.

 

[quest4dl]

It seems to me that alot of time isn't saved by getting Fantasmic Preferred Seating. First, you need to be on the ball to book the package, then you line up to check-in and have your seat assigned and then you line up again to get your ticket and of course, you don't wait until the last minute to get to your seats. If you add it all up, you're really not saving time as much as purchasing a seat. And I like desserts but could never eat that much! The WDW Fantasmic package is definitely far superior!

 

[party-five]

It seems to me that alot of time isn't saved by getting Fantasmic Preferred Seating. First, you need to be on the ball to book the package, then you line up to check-in and have your seat assigned and then you line up again to get your ticket and of course, you don't wait until the last minute to get to your seats. If you add it all up, you're really not saving time as much as purchasing a seat. And I like desserts but could never eat that much! The WDW Fantasmic package is definitely far superior!

We did it for the first time several weeks ago - and I will NEVER go back to sitting on the ground getting stepped on! Truly, I only stood in line for 20 minutes waiting to check in, then we we came back, there was no line, we walked directly to our section. In the time I WOULD have spent sitting on the cold hard gound getting irratated by all the rude people around me crunching my fingers and inching closer and closer to me as the time got shorter, we rode Haunted Mansion, Pirates, Splash, Pooh AND had dinner! Well worth the $250 I paid for my group of 5!

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i would get the tickets on the way back to the hotle. takes a min last time i went for our tour it was so fast. Then I would stand in line at 630-7 and let my fionce and son go soem where while i waited get my seat set up and then we would probley just go sit some where and wait or go get food befor the deserts.

After all ive been reading lately this sounds better and better even tho its high price (I wounder if I could request another choclate straburry) thats only thing that has me worried..last year they showed the boxs had 2 lol

 

[ironpig70]

for me and my family(5 of us) at $60 a person this is something we'll pass on. what we have done in the past and has worked well is we set out a blanket and have dinner while we wait. figure if you are waiting why not kill 2 birds with 1 stone.

 

[ozvisiter]

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!

Hi there, We are also going around Spring Break time in 2009 (such a long wait!!!) Did you have trouble getting the reserved seats ??? We are in Australia and I have been told to ring 30 days in advance. This is going to be so expensive and I am not sure of time differences etc. I really want to view Fantasmic this way as I will be on my own with 3 girls under 11, so we can't do the 'some hold the place while others get food' thing and I thought this would be a safe way to get good seats with minimum hassle. Let's face it this is likely to be a once in a lifetime trip for my girls and me...

 

[avalon451]

Hi there, We are also going around Spring Break time in 2009 (such a long wait!!!) Did you have trouble getting the reserved seats ??? We are in Australia and I have been told to ring 30 days in advance. This is going to be so expensive and I am not sure of time differences etc. I really want to view Fantasmic this way as I will be on my own with 3 girls under 11, so we can't do the 'some hold the place while others get food' thing and I thought this would be a safe way to get good seats with minimum hassle. Let's face it this is likely to be a once in a lifetime trip for my girls and me...

Hi, Oz, I was worried about missing the 30-days-in-advance thing. I ended up calling 27 days, but they still had seats available for both shows. I think you'll probably be fine if you call around the 30 day mark, I would doubt that they'll be sold out, if you don't call exactly at 8 a.m. Pacific time.

 

[ozvisiter]

Hi, Oz, I was worried about missing the 30-days-in-advance thing. I ended up calling 27 days, but they still had seats available for both shows. I think you'll probably be fine if you call around the 30 day mark, I would doubt that they'll be sold out, if you don't call exactly at 8 a.m. Pacific time.

Great, I have a while to wait yet. I guess I will just have to learn to relax!!!

Thanks for the help...

 

[Laralyn]

I just booked a couple days at DL, mostly because I want to make sure I get to see the current fireworks show in case they change it out. I'd also like to have good seats to hear/see the fireworks.

I was thinking the view of the fireworks from the Fantasmic seating... but is the view very good from there? I saw Fantasmic once from the balcony seating, and couldn't see much of the fireworks... but I wasn't sure if the view is better from the riverside seating?

If we're around Main Street after the fireworks, can we get all the way through the crowd (against traffic) to the 10:30 Fantasmic seating? It sounds like they start checking people in earlier in the evening, even for the 10:30 show? If so, it sounds like we could check in early for Fantasmic, then go grab go good seats for fireworks, then work our way back through the crowd to Fantasmic?

Thanks for any info you can pass along!

 

[quest4dl]

Don't have first hand experience but I understand that there are special lighting effects on the castle that are not visible from the F! seating area. If you don't have any other days to see fireworks, then your plan to do late seating sounds like a good one as long as you are not going against the flow of the crowd. I would guess that many guests would also like to see F! after fireworks so they likely facilitate flow in that direction.

 

[avalon451]

I just booked a couple days at DL, mostly because I want to make sure I get to see the current fireworks show in case they change it out. I'd also like to have good seats to hear/see the fireworks.

I was thinking the view of the fireworks from the Fantasmic seating... but is the view very good from there? I saw Fantasmic once from the balcony seating, and couldn't see much of the fireworks... but I wasn't sure if the view is better from the riverside seating?

If we're around Main Street after the fireworks, can we get all the way through the crowd (against traffic) to the 10:30 Fantasmic seating? It sounds like they start checking people in earlier in the evening, even for the 10:30 show? If so, it sounds like we could check in early for Fantasmic, then go grab go good seats for fireworks, then work our way back through the crowd to Fantasmic?

Thanks for any info you can pass along!

Here's a thread that talks about strategies for seeing what is affectionately known on the DIS boards as the "trifecta"... the Electrical Parade in California Adventure, then the DL fireworks, then the 10:30 Fantasmic. Look at post #14. It's not for the faint of heart!
http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=1805499

 

[granmaz]

We have a dinner reservation for 6pm If I book the late Fantasmic package I think I will be a bit late for checking in to choose seats. It could be 8pm. Do you think it would still be worth it to be able to view Fantasmic on a busy evening.

This will probably be our only ever chance to see it.

 

[wmp.dll]

Old bump, I know

Im just wondering, where you can buy these 'prefered seat packages'?

 

[avalon451]

Old bump, I know

Im just wondering, where you can buy these 'prefered seat packages'?

same number as Disney Dining

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

The direct number to ticket reservations (Fantasmic, tours, etc) is (714) 781-4400.

My son & his girlfriend just went to the Fantasmic Dessert Buffet last night, and both really enjoyed it. He said they got a dessert box and the food in it was really good. They had grapes, cheese, crackers, and sweets. He said that the view was good, and much better than when we went there a few years ago.

 

[kesharn81]

thanks for the info - useful thread...

this seems useful information...thanks for sharing...