Fantasmic question

[Punkin's Mom]

Are you allowed to eat in the Fantasmic theater? I didn't opt for the dinner package, so I'd really like to take advantage of the hour I'll be waiting by eating dinner.

Thanks!

 

[Wooden Eye]

Punkin, eating is allowed in the 'theater'. In fact, there's a snack bar (limited eats) at the top of the arena.

 

[lovetoscrap]

We usually grab burgers or something from the fast food (Counter Service) area right outside the theater and ask for bags to put it in and then take it in and eat while we wait. The fries get a little cold, but they usually weren't that good to begin with! I think the stand inside of the theater sells hotdogs but I am not sure since we have never bought anything other than snacks. I know they do have popcorn and ice cream and drinks!

 

[tchrrx]

We would also like to do the Fantasmic show w/o using the dining plan. How early will I need to arrive to get seats in June?

Also, can one member of our party go grab food/snacks while the rest of us save a seat? What are the chances that the theater will get full in the time they are gone & if that happens, will they be allowed to enter?

 

[JulielovesDisney]

We would also like to do the Fantasmic show w/o using the dining plan. How early will I need to arrive to get seats in June?

Also, can one member of our party go grab food/snacks while the rest of us save a seat? What are the chances that the theater will get full in the time they are gone & if that happens, will they be allowed to enter?

Definitely get one or two of the members of your party to go get the food, while the rest save seats. Fantasmic is a fairly small theater, so it does fill up fast, especially during busy months. Also the lines at the snack bar in the ampitheater are VERY long. We usually eat before Fantasmic, so I don't know how fast they move, but they are looong.

 

[LucyR]

Yes, I'd like the answer to that one too.

 

[bytheblood]

We have taken a corn dog or burgers in....nobody will say a word.

 

[byoung]

Yes you can.

 

[Robo]

Fantasmic is a fairly small theater...

If you consider seating 10,000 guests "fairly small."

Its by far the largest theater in WDW.

But yes, the show is so popular it can (and usually does) fill up.

 

[Robo]

We would also like to do the Fantasmic show w/o using the dining plan. How early will I need to arrive to get seats in June?

Also, can one member of our party go grab food/snacks while the rest of us save a seat? What are the chances that the theater will get full in the time they are gone & if that happens, will they be allowed to enter?

No one can predict EXACTLY how large the crowds will be or how early you should go to find a seat for Fantasmic! on any given day.
It has totally to do with the whim of the crowd at MGM on that day, and the general crowd LEVELS.
How much time you wish to "invest" in waiting is a personal decision. We never do the formal Dinner Package, and have always seen the show (dozens of times).

(Take all of these as "average" numbers, sometimes the crowd will be MUCH greater and the theater can fill up much sooner.)

VERY Busy days:
If you go to the first show of the evening (or "only" show that evening), if you arrive about 75-120 minutes before show-time, you can sit just about anywhere.
45-60 minutes before: Good seats
20-40 Minutes: will vary between seats at edges and rear of theater to SRO or even "closed" to further guests.

Busy days:
If you go to the first show of the evening (or "only" show that evening), if you arrive about 50-60 minutes before show-time, you can sit just about anywhere.
40 minutes before: Good seats
25-35 Minutes: will vary between seats at edges and rear of theater to SRO or even "closed" to further guests. (The crowd of "last-minute" arrivals can be slow to get seated before show-time.)

Off-Season (not busy days):
You should be OK to enter by 10-20 minutes before, but you'll likely be seated to the outer edges, and/or way at the back.

If you do the Fantasmic! Dinner Pkg. you still must enter by AT LEAST 35 minutes (safer at 45 minutes) before show-time and still be guaranteed "pretty good" seats (not my "first choice" area, but fine), regardless of crowd-levels.

If there are TWO Fantasmic! shows in one evening, the second one will have lower crowd level than the first one. You can arrive a bit later and still find a seat.

Be aware that the second show waiting area will LOOK like the show is "too crowded".
That's because they HOLD the 2nd crowd outside the theater while the CMs CLEAN it after the first crowd has exited.

Then, they will let those waiting together in that big group IN... all at once, and there will be PLENTY of room.

(The theater holds 10,000 guests!)

We like to eat our evening meal while waiting for Fantasmic! to start.
You can bring in items from the counter-service places in MGM, or they DO have concession stands at the rear of the theater serving "baseball stadium-type" food and drinks. Yes, even beer, sold strictly ONE-at-a-time, one-only-to-a-person, so a single person can't go and buy beer for other members of a group... all guests wanting to buy a beer must be present in-person at the counter.
We have a hot dog, maybe a pretzel, later some popcorn or cotton candy (Disney Health Food).

 

[Punkin's Mom]

Thanks everybody. That's exactly what I needed to know. Now if I can just get my 5 year old to sit through the show, I'll be all set! (We left when the evil queen came out last time.)

 

[INdisneyfamily]

If there are TWO Fantasmic! shows in one evening, the second one will have lower crowd level than the first one. You can arrive a bit later and still find a seat.

Be aware that the second show waiting area will LOOK like the show is "too crowded".
That's because they HOLD the 2nd crowd outside the theater while the CMs CLEAN it after the first crowd has exited.

Then, they will let those waiting together in that big group IN... all at once, and there will be PLENTY of room.

We did this one time and it was a nightmare! There were so many rude people pushing in hopes of getting the best seats. We were desperately trying to hold on to our kids so they did not get separated from us! It is frightening to think some guests have no regard for others and the lack of common courtesy they show.