Fantasmic question

[coinkc]

Is there an alternate entrance to this show? Last year we waited in the regular line to get in and my friend's son who is in a wheelchair just about got trampled on. people were in such a hurry to get in and they were literally running and pushing. Also, it was a mess while we were waiting...you could hardly move. He was very agitated and people kept bumping into his chair. Is there an alternate area we can wait in? We don't mind waiting...just don't want to be in the same situation...it was very uncomfortable.

 

[SueM in MN]

No there isn't an alternate way to get in. The trick is to not get into the line until it starts moving.
People start lining up about 1/2 hour before they open the chain to let people into the amphitheater area. if you get into the line then, when the line starts moving, everyone wants to be first in and you end up with what you experienced.
We have been there mostly during Spring break and Easter (when it's really busy). If you wait until the first "wave" of people go in, the crowds are much less and it's not bad at all. In March, we went in with more of a trickle of people than a rush.
For leaving after the show, we wait until most of the crowd is out. That way, the crowd will get ahead of you and the people who are waiting are usually the more "mellow" group.

Another way to avoid a wait and crowds is to use one of the Fantasmic Dinner Deals. You eat at a specific Studio restaurant for supper and get seating in a reserved area of the theater. That allows you to arrive 1/2 hour early at an entry reserved for the dinner program people. We have not done the dinner deal, but quite a few people have, so you should be able to get a lot of input about it.

 

[Selket]

We have done the dinner package and I highly recommend it if you go during a busy time. You pay a bit more but get a nice meal - our favorite is Mama Melrose. They give you a ticket or card or something which you take to Oscar's garage about 30 mins before the show starts. They are VERY specific about being there before a certain time or you can lose your seats.

The Oscar's entrance is different than the one everyone else uses for Fantasmic and it is not crowded at all. You don't get an assigned specific seat but a whole section of the theater is reserved for FDP holders. After a certain point though they will let anyone sit in that section (towards the start of Fantasmic) so you can't show up literally last minute and expect a seat. There are many spots to accomodate wheelchairs from what I've seen - the person in the wheelchair uses the Oscar's entrance with the rest of the party.

In any case - if the dinner package appeals to you it is a great way to save time and hassle getting into Fantastmic