Fantasmic Seating

[GatorChris]

I've been trying to look into this on this board and elsewhere and can't seem to find what I'm looking for. With limited weekend shows of F! (c'mon Disneyland, show it all week!), I'll have to catch it on Friday of our trip in November.

I'm curious what the seating looks like these days. Before it went down, the dining packages had elevated seating behind the FP sections that were on the waterfront. Is that still the same way? I've heard that DL now has the dining plans sitting on the cement and taking up the entire front section, leaving FP folks to stand behind them. Is that the case now?

 

[figment_jii]

This is one of the only maps I've seen. It fits pretty well with what I saw in August. My guess is that the RBT viewing area will now be the Cafe Orleans area and there is no more RBT Premium view.
https://www.disboards.com/threads/f...scussion-thread.3617335/page-15#post-58016240

The PotC bridge is also standby viewing (once the ropes go up).

 

[GatorChris]

Wow. Well....can I say that this map TOTALLY SUCKS! Basically, if you want to have a good view and sit down, time to cash in the kid's college accounts. What a money grab. Really missing the WDW F! arena.

Never thought I'd say this: Time to bring back the blanket city and just let us grab seats 4 hours before the show. BUT, Disney can't make a ton of cash off of that, can they. I liked the way it was before. Get a dining package, and get a chair for the show. Let the rest of us poor guests at least have a good seat on the cold hard ground.

 

[Butterfly123]

Wow. Well....can I say that this map TOTALLY SUCKS! Basically, if you want to have a good view and sit down, time to cash in the kid's college accounts. What a money grab. Really missing the WDW F! arena.

Never thought I'd say this: Time to bring back the blanket city and just let us grab seats 4 hours before the show. BUT, Disney can't make a ton of cash off of that, can they. I liked the way it was before. Get a dining package, and get a chair for the show. Let the rest of us poor guests at least have a good seat on the cold hard ground.

I miss the old way, too. The new way is stressful if you don't get a dining package. FYI we were able to get in to that blue seated square section on the map with a regular fp this past August by showing up a little before 7:15 for the early show. Very near the railing, too. It might have been even easier for the second show. So it's possible without spending $. Hope that helps.

 

[GatorChris]

I miss the old way, too. The new way is stressful if you don't get a dining package. FYI we were able to get in to that blue seated square section on the map with a regular fp this past August by showing up a little before 7:15 for the early show. Very near the railing, too. It might have been even easier for the second show. So it's possible without spending $. Hope that helps.

It does. My worry is that with all the racers there that weekend, they may be buying up all the packages and filling in that seated area. I hate leaving anything to chance and hope, but it sounds like that's what I'll need to do here.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

I have also got the regular fastpass, and been there early - if it's the same, you might be able to sit, or stand right behind the ones sitting down, but still need to get there a little early (I'm thinking 6:30/7pm) with the regular fastpass.

 

[Butterfly123]

It does. My worry is that with all the racers there that weekend, they may be buying up all the packages and filling in that seated area. I hate leaving anything to chance and hope, but it sounds like that's what I'll need to do here.

That blue area is only used by the regular fp people, at least that's the way it was when we were there. Nobody with a package was seated in that area. There were barriers up separating the area where we were allowed to sit, and the area where the people who had a package were sitting. No intermingling was allowed!! Are you thinking they may sell so many packages they'd use it for overflow? That would surprise me. It was jammed with people when we saw it as Fantasmic had just opened up a few weeks earlier, and that wasn't happening.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

The Hungry Bear To Go Dining Package is the most affordable of all the dining options and the seating area is just to the left (facing the water) of the BB section. If you get to the area early, you will be able to sit (!) right next to the BB guests (literally just to the left of the tape line) for considerably less money. For the second show, we were just inches from the BB section (imagine yourself sitting front row, furthest to the right in section 2 on the map) and had a great view. Just another option for you...

 

[Curlyxz]

Yeah, it's a shame that with the return of Fantasmic they ridiculously increased the amount of dining package seating. There's also only one regular FP section now.

 

[Malcon10t]

I've been trying to look into this on this board and elsewhere and can't seem to find what I'm looking for. With limited weekend shows of F! (c'mon Disneyland, show it all week!), I'll have to catch it on Friday of our trip in November.

I'm curious what the seating looks like these days. Before it went down, the dining packages had elevated seating behind the FP sections that were on the waterfront. Is that still the same way? I've heard that DL now has the dining plans sitting on the cement and taking up the entire front section, leaving FP folks to stand behind them. Is that the case now?

Just to clarify, the seating for dining for the prior Fantasmic! was not in the elevated area. That area was for VIP tours and guests. Blue Bayou dining previously received seat cushions and were seated on the stone area, in the center, just as it is now. FP then was also standing areas.

Just so you can have a little piece of mind, most runners are not interested in seeing Fantasmic! on those nights. For us, since it is now a 5am start, meaning we have to be up at 330-4am, we are back to the hotel by 730p. Sunday night you might have competition. But we will have left town.

 

[figment_jii]

When I compared the old dining package viewing area and the new one, it's some what deceptive about how much of the viewing area was given over to the dining package. I overlaid Curlyxz's new areas on the old map I had made (prior to the refurbishment - I know things changed a little over time, but this is for general reference). The new areas are in grey (2, 3, 4 refer to the dining packages).

Before the refurbishment, there were dining package areas for BB, HB, and RBT which took up much of the prime water front area. There were portions of the yellow/blue FP area to the left of the dining packages, which are now gone. While the dining package area did increase (especially on the left side), the biggest reduction is in the dedicated FP areas. If the FP is only confined to the area to the right of the dining packages, what is all of the area behind the dining packages considered? I know that the PotC bridge, which used to be FP, is now stand-by (after they put up the ropes). What about the areas behind the light towers that were once considered FP.

 

[azdisneylover]

Wow. Well....can I say that this map TOTALLY SUCKS! Basically, if you want to have a good view and sit down, time to cash in the kid's college accounts. What a money grab. Really missing the WDW F! arena.

Never thought I'd say this: Time to bring back the blanket city and just let us grab seats 4 hours before the show. BUT, Disney can't make a ton of cash off of that, can they. I liked the way it was before. Get a dining package, and get a chair for the show. Let the rest of us poor guests at least have a good seat on the cold hard ground.

They can sell blankets to make a ton of money!!

 

[Malcon10t]

I liked the way it was before. Get a dining package, and get a chair for the show. Let the rest of us poor guests at least have a good seat on the cold hard ground.

Dining packages NEVER included a chair for the show. From 2014 when the dining started... "Reserve a Fantasmic dinner package at the Blue Bayou The new Fantasmic dining package at the Blue Bayou is a 3-course prix fixe meal, with your choice of starter, entree and dessert. The package includes all of the entrees from the normal Blue Bayou dinner menu. Dinner service begins at 4 p.m. The restaurant will also accept regular (non Fantasmic dining) reservations.

This location can accommodate many dietary restrictions – be sure to note your restrictions when you make the reservation, and ask to speak with a manager or chef when you arrive to discuss specifics.

The cost is $61 for adults, $23 for ages 3-9. Tax and gratuity are not included. Premium and Premier passholders receive a 15% discount; all other passes receive a 10% discount.

Guests who book this package are expected to be assigned to the best viewing area, and are given a souvenir Fantasmic cushion to sit on during the show."

This said, seats are available thru VIP Tours. Now, you can find yourself in the VIP tour area with some significant VIPs, such as once we were sitting next to Donny Osmond at Fantasmic!, another Dick Van Dyke, we've been right in front of Kobe Bryant at fireworks, and once across an aisle from Nonsuch!

 

[Curlyxz]

When I compared the old dining package viewing area and the new one, it's some what deceptive about how much of the viewing area was given over to the dining package. I overlaid Curlyxz's new areas on the old map I had made (prior to the refurbishment - I know things changed a little over time, but this is for general reference). The new areas are in grey (2, 3, 4 refer to the dining packages).

Before the refurbishment, there were dining package areas for BB, HB, and RBT which took up much of the prime water front area. There were portions of the yellow/blue FP area to the left of the dining packages, which are now gone. While the dining package area did increase (especially on the left side), the biggest reduction is in the dedicated FP areas. If the FP is only confined to the area to the right of the dining packages, what is all of the area behind the dining packages considered? I know that the PotC bridge, which used to be FP, is now stand-by (after they put up the ropes). What about the areas behind the light towers that were once considered FP.

Since we only have the one confirmed regular FP area, we'd have to assume that anything else that isn't along the waterfront is stand-by. I haven't read anything up to this point to suggest otherwise.

 

[Malcon10t]

Since we only have the one confirmed regular FP area, we'd have to assume that anything else that isn't along the waterfront is stand-by. I haven't read anything up to this point to suggest otherwise.

It is my understanding (and someone can correct me if I am wrong) the Pirates bridge is standby, as is the area behind the planters behind the lighting towers. Such as the yellow area behind the center light tower in the map above.

 

[seesclubhouse]

so I did the BB fantasmic dining package I will say that the standyby area near haunted mansion in grey is actually where they line up all dinner package people and they split them into 3 groups. we arrived over 2 hours early for the first showing and they clear out the entire area and rope it all off so no one can squat 4 hours in advance or something lol. the line was pretty long by the time they started hearding the groups. I did like the fact that after they ushered us into the areas they kept the zones roped off so unless you had a ticket you had to sit in the general areas.

 

[julesann]

so I did the BB fantasmic dining package I will say that the standyby area near haunted mansion in grey is actually where they line up all dinner package people and they split them into 3 groups. we arrived over 2 hours early for the first showing and they clear out the entire area and rope it all off so no one can squat 4 hours in advance or something lol. the line was pretty long by the time they started hearding the groups. I did like the fact that after they ushered us into the areas they kept the zones roped off so unless you had a ticket you had to sit in the general areas.

Wow--2 hours is a long time to wait when you have the BB dining package. I'm going to be doing this package in early November and I am wondering what you liked (i.e. advantages) about waiting this long versus arriving 1 hour ahead of time. And I'm also curious about where and how you waited for a priority entrance when I thought lines weren't supposed to form until closer to 45 minutes before?

 

[Piglet001]

Huh, didn't expect lines to be that long, especially with a dining package...

 

[Malcon10t]

We were there Sept 3rd and while people did line up that early for the dining area, I also saw people walk up 10 mins prior to the show and there was plenty of space/views.

 

[Mysteryincorp]

Huh, didn't expect lines to be that long, especially with a dining package...

I have the done Fantasmic dining package twice and I showed up approx 20-30 minutes before the show both times and got great seats. It's a reserved area with a lot of room, unless you want the railing spot there is no need to show up 2 hours early.