Fantasmic seating & waiting time

[Taylor'sMom]

Above all else, I am most lloking forward to attending Fantasmic @ MGM on our March trip. I plan to be there at least an hour early. I have a few questions:
1-What is the seating like? Are there actual "seats," or just flat concrete tiers so you can bring a blanket and lie down? If there ARE seats, do they have backs or are they like bleachers?
2-Any suggestion (given the seating and crowd constraints) for entertaining a 3, 4 and 5 year old for the hour+ wait. I already have glow necklaces and a fuzzy picture with markers for each. I just dread this 60-90 minute wait at night when the kids are tired and fussy.
3-Any suggestions as to where to sit. I've heard/read that the crowds exiting the theater are HORRIBLE, so is near the back and near an exit the best place??? (No, we don't want to get wet & we'll have 3 toddlers with us)
Also, we're not really interested in a dinner package, as we're on a tight budget and already have a character meal @ Hollywood & Vine for breakfast that day.
Thanks everyone!!!!

 

[crzyred]

best way to describe seating....bleacher style. like those wonderful aluminum benches at football stadiums. i don't think there are backs to them, but i don't remember.

 

[Sleeping Becca]

No backs on the bleachers.

I don't think you need to get there 1 hour early during your visit. I don't think you are visiting during a busy time, you won't have a problem finding a seat if you arrive 30 min (maybe even less) before show time. I could be wrong.

Someone who has visited Fantasmic in March please post. Is Fantasmic ALWAYS packed even during slower times of the year?

 

[Taylor'sMom]

We'll be there Thursday March 29th. I researched quite a lot before making this decision. I figured it was a good day for MGM since it's not a EMH evening there and Thurs. is (theoretically) one of the slower days for that park, plus it's not the week immediately preceeding Easter, so I am hoping it won't be TOO busy with Spring Breakers. I also searched on-line for school vacations for the surrounding Florida counties and no one was off that week. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Thanks for your help!

 

[Robo]

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 SHOULD enter by AT LEAST 35 minutes (much "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 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 about 7,000 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).

 

[Taylor'sMom]

Thanks Robo!!! Is there anything you DON'T have figured out??!! haha

 

[Robo]

Thanks Robo!!! Is there anything you DON'T have figured out??!! haha

Oh, don't take me too seriously...
I just make this stuff up!






(You're welcome, BTW.)



.

 

[cornflkgrl]

We were there in March and we arrived an hour beforehand (I think we got there about 10 minutes before they opened the gate to let people go up to the area with the seats) and we sat in the front row. We did this two nights in a row.
But, this was two adults and I"ll admit, we ran to the seats when they opened the gate. I know we probably looked so silly but we really wanted to sit in the front row.
Have fun. We loved fantasmic!

Oh, and if you want to avoid getting wet or feeling heat from the "firey" parts of the show, sit a few rows back. Don't sit in the front row.

 

[Robo]

We were there in March and we arrived an hour beforehand (I think we got there about 10 minutes before they opened the gate to let people go up to the area with the seats) and we sat in the front row. We did this two nights in a row.
But, this was two adults and I"ll admit, we ran to the seats when they opened the gate. I know we probably looked so silly but we really wanted to sit in the front row.
Have fun. We loved fantasmic!

Oh, and if you want to avoid getting wet or feeling heat from the "firey" parts of the show, sit a few rows back. Don't sit in the front row.

GOOD FOR YOU!

My wife and I are FRONT-ROW-CENTER sitters, too.
We don't care a whit about "getting out fast" at the end of the show (we just stay seated for 10-15 extra minutes and let the throngs clear-out... then we leave.)

We DO care about seeing this show with everything happening up-close and even towering ABOVE us.

We always take our ponchos so if the wind is blowing IN, we can weather the incoming "waterworks."

We have seen Fantasmic! literally DOZENS of times (at Disneyland as well as WDW) and have been seated in all areas of the MGM amphitheater.

Its a wonderful show... but even WONDERFULLER from the very, very, very front row.

So if anyone wonders who those crazy folks are who are seated down front,
you now know a few of them!

 

[disneyfav4ever]

If you want to exit quickly, sit near the back, there are good views almost anywhere in the theater, though I like to be closer to the middle then in one of the side sections. The seats are bleachers, with no backs. An hour should be more then enough time to get a decent seat.

 

[Jalva22]

So Robo, I'm guessing that a Fri in June (June 8 to be exact) that is a morning EMH and a SWW would fall under the category of "Very Busy Day"?

 

[dobtia]

So Robo, I'm guessing that a Fri in June (June 8 to be exact) that is a morning EMH and a SWW would fall under the category of "Very Busy Day"?

We are going to be in MGM on this same day. I have been throwing around should we go Friday night too. We have one other option as we are also going to MGM on Sunday the 3rd. I am really leaning towards Sunday night. In two trips we have never seen this show. I really want to see it.

HMMMMM....wonder way we might be in MGM for two different weekend days...LOL......Star Wars.

 

[Robo]

So Robo, I'm guessing that a Fri in June (June 8 to be exact) that is a morning EMH and a SWW would fall under the category of "Very Busy Day"?

Likely all summertime days will be busy.
Assume Fantasmic! will fill virtually every night.

If there is a second show, I'd pick that one to be less full.

 

[Plau]

We will be there in March as well. We have reservations for Monday, March 26th. We ARE expecting crowds therefore we have the Dinner Package. The last week is a SPRING BREAK Week in Illinois! The later you go in March the greater the chance of school's being out for Spring Break. We were there a few years back and the crowds were quite large. Just something to consider and adjust your wait time.

 

[Jalva22]

Likely all summertime days will be busy.
Assume Fantasmic! will fill virtually every night.

If there is a second show, I'd pick that one to be less full.

Thanks! That's pretty much what I expected. We have young kids and I don't want any really late nights in the parks though, so the second show is out for us. Guess we'll line up really early!

 

[Taylor'sMom]

Thanks for everyone's input, I'll plan accordingly!

 

[2Pirates_1Princess]

Can someone tell me where the best seats are and explain about getting wet? We are going in June and plan to see the show Wednesday, June 6th. I am sure it will be busy and we will line up early, but I really don't want to get wet. Of course that might change when it is 90 degrees out all day instead of the current 28 degrees and freezing rain.

 

[janette]

There are water effects that the 1st couple of rows do get pretty wet, need to be about 10 rows up to not get wet at all.

We've sat in the front once when we got there late and couldn't find seats anywhere else. It's a great place to watch the show but very wet.

I'd say the best seats are in the middle abut 10rows up. You just need a clear view of the mountain. There are a few beams that you don't want to be behind. There are better seats but very few bad seats in the theatre.

 

[MiniGirl]

The theatre is divided into sections. When you get to the end of that long walk way and enter the theatre, you are not at the center. The Mickey section is the actual center and that is probably where you will find the best seats. Have a great time.