Fantasmic- Yay or Nay?

[Dawnlight]

I'm trying to figure out whether it's worth it to see Fantasmic during our visit. My mother, who has treated us to the trip, saw it about 8 years ago and said it was hokey and didn't understand the hype. Has it changed since then, or is she being a Disney Scrooge?

There will be showings at 6:30, 8, and 10 during our visit, and I'm assuming the last show will be a better option as far as crowds.

We'll be eating at 50sPT at either 4:10 or 8:15, so if we want the last show we'd have to choose the first reservation time.

Will lines be just as long - I see suggestions of lining up an hour before- even if there are 3 shows?

Is there anything additional or different during the show for the holidays?

Thanks for your help.

 

[wdw4rfam]

We have gone to Disney every year since 2002, and we saw it the first year, and just saw it in September for the second time. I don't understand the hype at all. It, in my opinion, is not worth the hassle. Nobody in our group thought it was that good, and we all felt we wasted an ADR because we did the dinner package. But I am sure, judging by the amount of people there, that this is not the popular opinion.

 

[buzzrelly]

Definitely go! It is better than Illuminations, in my opinion!

 

[wdwjeffc37]

I voted "Other" and here's why. If you have never seen it I would suggest that you try it. What some people think is "hokey" others might love. The theater is huge. It seats over 8000 people. People line up early because they want the absolute best seats. I have never seen anyone turned away for capacity. We have seen it several times. It is not a "must do" for us on every trip but if we are close and a show is about to start we will go. We prefer to be up at the top so that we can get out of the theater quicker. I say give it a try at least once. You might like it. Have fun!!!!

 

[OurLaughingPlace]

Totally agree with wdwjeff. We like the show, but not a must do every trip. We try to get to it every 3-4 trips. It's nice because there are so many characters in the show. We also sit in the back to get out quickly. If you haven't seen it, I'd say go for it.

 

[L&Lfan]

I agree with much of what's been said. It's worth seeing at least once but it's definitely not a must do for us every visit. We actually prefer DL's version of the show but DHS's venue. The show could use some "freshening", imo.

 

[willowsnn3]

I voted other. If you have never seen it then you should do it. It is not a must do for my family and I wouldn't care if I ever saw it again, lol, but if we have a family member with us that has never seen it then we will go so they can experience it.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Good show to see, certainly if you have never seen before. We have seen it many times, but not every trip.

Do keep in mind that all the seating is good, except maybe the rows down close to the stage and water. When breezy, or worse, windy, you may get wet/soaked from the spray from the water screens. And with three identical water screens, left, right or center seating are all about equal. Just sit far enough back so you don;t get soaked, especially in the cooler/colder months.

 

[typhoonlagooner]

Everyone should see it at least once...

I agree with other posters, not a must do every trip for me, I don't understand the hype at all...and was hesitant to go on my last trip. Since I was traveling with a 'first timer' I made sure it was on the itinerary.

We lined up for the show nearly an hour beforehand to ensure nice seats. We ended up in a section close to center, end seats, halfway back... worked out well. I, again, was less than impressed... but he absolutely loved it!

The earlier you arrive for any seating... the better... I'd still expect all 3 shows to be near or at capacity... even the 10pm. If they're offering 3 showings... the crowds warrant it.

The wait really wasn't 'that' bad... we chatted with line neighbors enjoyed the crowd atmosphere in the theater and overall didn't 'regret' our decision to wait.

 

[Frozen2014]

We went first time in October and quite enjoyed it. It's a mix of different things (I.e. As opposed to just being a fireworks show). I can't say if we'd go again on our next trip since it was the same show.
I can't comment about FP, but we did dinner package and had seats right in the centre (but I'd stick to the restaurant you picked if that's where you want to go).

 

[Badamon]

We like the show, however, we never wait in line to get in. We're not picky on seating for four. I like the idea of sitting toward the back to make a speedy exit and will try that during our upcoming visit. That being said, we'll also consider skipping it if the park is super crowded and take advantage of shorter lines at some of the bigger rides (ToT, RRR, TSM).

 

[prudence64]

You should see it at least once, but if you can stay for the late show you won't need to do the dining package for it.

 

[PoohsFan1]

I'm with the others that said if you haven't seen it then do it, but for our family we tend to skip it. This isn't because we don't like the show, it is because ever since we saw the version at DLR (June 2012), the WDW's version can't compare. We will more then likely return to see it at some point, but for right now, we would much rather go on rides and do other things then watch it.

 

[Art 1]

It's easy for me to say no since I've seen it 3 or 4 times. But I won't ever see it again. I would have to say no it is not worth it. Another waste of time is Illuminations.

 

[DebbieB]

It's good to see once. I saw it last month for the first time in probably 8 years, just because I didn't have anything planned for that night. I used FP+ and got there at the designated time and ended up all the way on the left.

 

[ougrad86]

Worth a least one time. I saw it once, liked it, but no need to go again. Not worth a FP+, since they don't do anything special for you. Do the donner package, they put us in a special section (that was 2006, not surevifvitvworjs the same). You might need to wait a bit to go in, but it is a fun show.

For some reason my tablet is acting wonky - it won't let me vote - I would have chosen Other.

 

[think-like-tink]

We love it. I have to agree no fast pass is needed.

 

[nluvwithdisney]

We love it but have never used a fastpass for it. We tend to like sitting near the back to avoid getting wet. I personally feel it is one of the better shows to catch when we are there.

 

[DavidNYC]

If you're not giving anything up to go see it - go! It's not an every year thing for us but we like it every other year. A late show should be OK to see without having a major wait.

 

[BuzzinDownToDisney]

Sounds like I'm in the minority here, but a Fantasmic refurb would cause us to cancel a trip. For us it's the single best show in all of WDW.