Fantasmic Seating - anyone disappointed?

[HGD24]

My husband and I did the Fantasmic Dining thing back when it first started and acutally by accident. We were dining at the Brown Derby and overheard a family at the table next to us ask our waitress if there were any tickets left for Fantasmic, so we asked her what it was all about. She explained that she could give us tickets that would allow us seating in a roped off section of the theater and entrance through a separate entrance with no waiting in line. There was no extra charge so we said "sure!" When we arrived in the theater however, we were really disappointed in the seating location. We were seated to very far right of the theatre.

Is this still the section used for the Dining Package or have they moved it to more of a center-stage location?

Thanks!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

Yes, but I went early so I could sit in the middle.

 

[goofy4tink]

I really think the 'center' of the theater is overrated. We ended up sitting one row over from the far left side, at the very top on a handicapped bench a year ago. I had no issue with that seat at all...well, except it was made for one, maybe two people and there were three of us squished onto it (a CM put us there!!). I have been seated in the dead center, towards the front and I didn't see much difference to be honest with you. The really great thing about those far right side seats is the ease of exiting!!! There really aren't any seats that are all that awful. But, most people prefer the center sections.

 

[vellamint]

I was definitely disappointed!! But many do post that center seats are not any better and it was much nicer being able to get out faster.

 

[Sorcerer Figment]

Honestly, I think it's just "center envy." Those middle sections do look far more desirable when sitting to the right. However, the view from them isn't really that much better. For me, the minimal difference just isn't enough to justify standing in line the hour or more for it. I much prefer to spend less time, and all of that sitting in the theater.

 

[skiwee1]

We've been to Fantasmic many times and really do think the center seats are the best. I would be very upset if I paid and got stuck with the side seats. We had seats once that were on the side and they were nowhere near as good as the front and center ones. On our last trip two weeks ago we had someone hand us a Fantasmic package seating ticket. It was for 4 people. It was that package everyone likes. This lady that gave them to me said her DD was sick and they couldn't use them as they were leaving. I thanked her and ended up giving them to some other family as I knew what seats we would be stuck with.

 

[HGD24]

I agree with the convenience of the seats for entry and exit, but we've watched Fantasmic from the center area as well and having been seated in both locations, we do prefer seats near the center, top rows. It seemed that by the time floats made thier way to the far right side where the dinner package seats are, the songs and skits were over.

 

[LiteBrite]

I've done both the far right package seating and the center top thing, and I think the far right gives you just as good a view as the center. About the floats, some of them come from the right and some from the left, so it all evens out. To me it's all about the ease of the exit - being at the far right puts you in front of most of that huge crowd leaving, which is a big advantage in my book - enough to make it worth buying the package (which is not that big a deal, since you're going to be eating dinner anyway, right?)

 

[KCMiller]

You want disappointing seating, try seeing Fantasmic at Disneyland. There IS no seating. For those of you who haven't been, imagine trying to watch Fantasmic being performed where the Riverboat sails. NO seating of any kind, just walkways which are split into walking and non walking with roping, and some small areas next to high railings (so if you sit there, you can't see anything low down!). Well, there are tables and chairs at restaurants ringing the area the show is in, but they are behind the walkway (where the CM's keep people moving in front of you the whole time), the small areas where people are sitting on the ground in front of the high railings they can't see over, and oh, yeah, TREES. Lots of lovely trees. So if you sit there, your view is of dark bodies moving and talking in front of you, and oh, yeah, TREES with fireworks in the distance. Oh, the show is spectacular, but lord almighty, I would never do it again.

WDW wins hands down on this one, no matter WHERE you end up sitting.


KC

 

[maggs]

I thought it was only me who thought that! The seats werent just bad, they were really bad. We could see very little. We decided to do the package after having had to wait for an hour the year before. The seats were in the middle and the views were awesome. I disagree with the previous comments about them not being much better - they were miles better!!!!!!
I will never ever do the package again. Having an average meal in Mama Melrose, followed by the worst seats in the house meant I was very disappointed. I always go in August so its pretty hot sitting there waiting for the fun to begin! Still its worth it not to sit at the edge where the view is lousy.

Maggs

 

[Mom B]

We've done Fantasmic both with and without the dinner package and I don't think it made a huge difference...we don't care if we're in the center or on the side as long as we're close enough to GET WET! So we just aim for the first open seats on the front rail (even in January, and believe me that was WAY COOL (BRRR....) but we did it anyway). And my husband, who works in food service and is always the "food critic", thought Hollywood and Vine's buffet was great! I know there's other opinions out there, but we're going to do it again this January and try to repeat the experience.

 

[puffkin]

I think the package, and the reserved seats are ridiculously overrated.

I don't think the view is that much worse, but we have never had a problem getting seats, even in the middle of July. We usually head in to the theater about 45 minutes before showtime which is when you have to go back for the package anyway (they open up the package section at 30 minutes to everyone).

We did the package the first year when you just had to eat at a restaurant and order two entrees. Made sense since we planned on eating there anyway. Then they changed it to this fixed menu thing with the horrible ADR times and we haven't done it since.

 

[TinkOhio]

It's the Fantasmic Dinig package for us! This is DD7's favorite thing at WDW, and the first time we saw it, we waited an hour absolutely SQUISHED in a narrow waiting area. The pushing and shoving that happened when they finally let us in freaked our kids out! And it was adults doing it! Ever since then, we do the dining package.

Last Easter, the projector that shoots the movie part of the show onto the water screen broke and all you could see from the preferred seating area was a sliver of the screen from the middle section. DD was heartbroken! Even given that experience, we will always to the package!

 

[kaytieeldr]

Ah, but the Fantasmic! Dining Package has never been advertised as providing GREAT seats, just seating in a reserved area so you don't have to wait AS long as other Guests and you still get a seat.
You don't HAVE to sit in the FDP section, once you're in the theater you can sit anywhere there's available seating - although that almost-far-right section does get you out of the theater sooner.