Fantasmic! Seating Question

[tng123]

I know we need to get in line for Fantasmic! about an hour early, but was wondering if you have to stand in line for that hour or do they let you find a seat and wait inside? Also, can we bring food in (let's say from Pizza Planet) and eat while we wait? Thanks!

 

[Robo]

I know we need to get in line for Fantasmic! about an hour early, but was


1- wondering if you have to stand in line for that hour or

2- do they let you find a seat and wait inside? Also,

3- can we bring food in (let's say from Pizza Planet) and eat while we wait? Thanks!

1- Nope.
2- Yes.
3- Yes.
There are also concession stands inside the theater for food and drinks.

More-

Note:*
Rumors say that Fantasmic! will be one of the choices when the new FP+ comes on line.
We do not know if that's the case, nor do we know when the new FP+ will come on line.
We do know that they tested using a FP for Fantasmic! several weeks ago. We don't know if the test
was considered successful.
---------------------------------------------------------
Otherwise (without FP)-*

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 DHS on that day, and the general crowd levels.
How much time you wish to "invest" in waiting is a personal decision. We have never done the F! 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: Outside seats likely still available.
30-40 Minutes: will vary between seats at edges and rear of theater to SRO or even "closed" to further guests.

Yes, the lines can start forming over 2 hours before the show-time on a very busy day.

At about 90-120 min. before show-time, they will open the gates and begin allowing guests in line to approach the theater seating.

(See my maps. It is a very long ramp.)

They will continue with the lines of guests walking in until the theater is completely filled or the show begins, whichever comes first.

They will "hold open" the Dining Pkg. seating area ONLY for guests who have the Dining Pkg. voucher.

BUT, if the theater is over-crowded
then, at about 30-35 min. before show-time,*
the CM's will cease holding the DP area open for DP voucher guests*
and, at that time, begin to allow ANYONE*
who still needs a seat to sit in (any seats left) the DP area.


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.
60 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 30-50 minutes before, but you'll likely be seated to the outer edges, and/or way at the back.

Dining Package:*
New Dining Pkg. Entrance was added in mid-Sept. 2009.
If you do the Fantasmic! Dinner Pkg. you still SHOULD enter by AT LEAST 35-45 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. Remember, the DP is only valid for the first show of the evening, if there are 2 or more. If you do have DP and you spy some seats outside the DP "reserved" area, you are free to choose to sit anywhere outside that area you like, no problem.

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 (generally, 45-60 minutes) and still find a seat.*
(Some say less advance time will be needed, but I'm cautious.)


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 seats over 7,000 guests.)

When you enter the theater, there will be CMs along the way directing the flow of traffic, but you may (if you are early enough to have a choice) simply choose any open seats in the theater to be your own.*
If you want to exit more quickly, choose a seat farther back and to towards audience-right.
If you want to be immersed in the show (and sometimes, immersed in water-mist, if the wind is blowing "in") choose a seat towards the front.

We like to eat our evening meal while waiting for Fantasmic! to start.
You can bring in items from the counter-service places in DHS, 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).
http://www.allearsnet.com/menu/menu_fan.htm
Click above for the "menu."

But, nothing ALWAYS happens the same way at WDW.
I would be cautious about assuming anything, as WDW has been experiencing*
unpredictable (sometimes record-breaking) crowds even over the past couple of years.

If its IMPORTANT to see a particular show, arriving a bit too early will be better than arriving a bit late.

If its not a really big deal to see a particular show, you may certainly arrive closer to show-time and just see if you get lucky.*
Many folks do.

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[MattRyan]

And if you want to be sitting in one of the middle sections like Mickey, Scar, or Pocahontas, expect to wait a while before they even let people in to be seated to wait even more.

 

[Robo]

And if you want to be sitting in one of the middle sections like Mickey, Scar, or Pocahontas, expect to wait a while before they even let people in to be seated to wait even more.

 

[tng123]

Thank you for the info! It's been helpful. We are going the week before Thanksgiving (during free dining) --I know that week is typically slow, but not sure what to expect with crowds now that free dining is that week.

 

[Mommy2Jameson]

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]

Can I just say THANK YOU for these maps Robo! Your maps are always the best! We're doing the dining package for the first time this trip, and I was wondering if there was a seperate entrance!

 

[>Ash<]

Hi O.P

you can bring food in, there are food carts inside the Fantasmic! arena. you can buy hotdogs, beer,drinks, popcorn, cottoncandy,
there are restrooms within the area too.

have a fun trip

 

[meachell13]

Would you say that you have to be close to be able to see it well or sitting more in the back is still good enough to see the show (don't really care about getting wet )

 

[4kids4karen]

I do not think there are any bad seats. Actually we tend to sit closer to the back just so we can be closer to the front getting out. LoL.

What we usually do is find our seats, then DH and usually 1 kid goes to the concession stand. (Kid helps him bring back drinks and popcorn, etc.)

 

[Vertical]

I have FP+ reservations for Fantasmic tonight. So it's not a rumor.

 

[tng123]

Can you use snack credits from the dining plan for the concessions inside the seating area?

 

[Mr. Pig]

Can you use snack credits from the dining plan for the concessions inside the seating area?

On some items. Of course not beer and I don't think a hot dog is on the list but there are many other items.

There are vendors that walk around but they don't take credits. There is a stand jn back that does.