Here is one thing we have done in the past, I don't know if it would work for you or not but here was the situation. We were with some friends whose youngest child in a w/c & is autistic. The mom had a GAC for alternative entrance, etc... Also in our group was my DH who is deaf and needs the reflective captioning and my DS who has a GAC for the same needs above. The other mom and dad waited with their DD and my DS in a "safe" spot near the entrance but away from the line. DH & I approached a CM to let them know that not only did we need the reflective captioning but that we wanted to sit with our friends who needed the W/C seating.
After a bit of a wait (10-15 mins) we were told to gather the group & they let us in in order to seat us all in the appropriate area. The CM that ended helping us was a mgmt staffer that the line CM went to speak with & explained our situation. Sometimes I wonder if some CMs don't know that there can be accommodations made (when appropriate).
Again not sure if it would help to have a placeholder in line to see if they can procure the spot or not. If I am way off base please don't lambaste me folks, I'm not saying that the line could be avoided but just made a more comfortable experience for everyone involved.
If this was more than 2 years ago, it may not be the same anymore.
Im reposting something I wrote on another board about Fantasmic.
Fantasmic used to be presented every night and some nights, there were 2 shows. The crowds were much smaller and it was very possible to get a seat arriving 30 minutes before the show; in fact we actually were able to come less than 10 minutes before the show began sometimes and there were still seats left. In fact, I have some pictures which show the amphitheater with still about 1/4 of the seats empty when the show began.
After they cut back on the number of shows, things changed dramatically. Most weeks, Fantasmic is only run 2 - 3 nights per week, so the crowds that were spread out in 7 nights are compressed into 2 or 3. I checked back for the schedule for 2010 and even during the busy summer months, they were only running shows 2-3 nights per week.
October 2010 was our last trip to Fantasmic and it was very, very crowded. When I asked about any accommodations for my daughters needs, the explanation we got was that it was too crowded to make special arrangements for anyone. We arrived to the front of the line between 7:10 and 7:15 and it was already standing room. DD has a wheelchair and she also had a GAC, which I held out in plain view.
At least 3 CMs saw the GAC and didnt even read it or look at which stamps it had, they just said it was too busy and to stay to the right and watch for a CM. This is similar to what other people have reported to me. Even when the show was held more nights per week, the CMs consistently told us there were no accommodations and GACs were not used at Fantasmic.
Once we got past the immediate entrance, it was not bad and the crowd was spread out so that we had lots of room between us and the next guests. Because of the wheelchair, we had to wait just past a souvenir stand that is just past the stroller drop off. It was very busy there with people coming and going. The line we were in crossed the path that people sitting in the dinner package area used to get to the souvenir stand, the food stands and the bathrooms. So, there was a pretty constant stream of people crossing the line we were waiting in.
We were told to stay in that line until a CM came to get us to show us to seats. Each person using a wheelchair or
ECV was asked whether or not they could transfer. My daughter cant get out of her wheelchair, so we were very luck that we got the next to last spot for someone not able to transfer.
When it was time for us to get seats, a CM led a group of 3 wheelchair/ECV parties, but we had to keep with the CM in the crowd of people walking in. That was probably the tightest and most difficult because we were walking against the people who already had seats and were coming to the restrooms or snack stand, as well as the people walking to get to the standing room only area. This was very tight with people and although the CM tried very hard to keep the group together, it was not easy and people do have problems with going thru that area to get to their seats.
CMs will not save a seat for you, but once you have been shown to seats, you can have part of your party stay in the seats to save them while the rest move around. This used to be much easier than when we went with standing room only. People who were part of the standing room only group frequently saw the empty seats and tried to bring their party over to sit there. We actually saw 2 semi-nasty confrontations, one of which was particularly nasty and involved a CM telling a group to get out of the disabilities area or they would be ejected since they kept trying to sit there without disabilities.
I left our group to get something from the food stand. It was very busy trying to get to that area and I had to work my way through the crowd both going and coming. I would not recommend moving once you are sitting down (this used to be possible before, but in my experience, it is too busy now that the shows are less frequent). So, bring things to do if your child will need to be distracted.
When we came out after our show, we waited until most guests had already left so that we could leave in a small group of people rather than the mob going out. The walk out the guests for the 2nd show were already waiting in a very tight line about 15 feet wide with a chain across the front of the line at a point not far behind the stroller drop off point. That line stretched all the way from there back outside the attraction all the way up Sunset Blvd to almost the end. Half of the street was blocked off for the line and it was about 15 feet wide and very well packed.
If you cant manage in the crowds, rather than take a chance that a CM might allow you in, I would suggest the dinner package.
And, as was pointed out already, guests in the past could come as long as 30 minutes before the show began, but now guests are told to arrive at least 45 minutes prior to the start.
At that point, the dinner show area is open to other guests and guests with the dinner package are not guaranteed a seat.