Fast pass for Fantasmic and Illuminations

[Lago]

I have 3 young kids and I was thinking about using the 4th fastpass for seating at Fantasmic and Illuminations to eliminate standing in line for Fantasmic or reserving a standing spot at EPCOT. How do fast passes for these shows work? Are there designated seating areas for fast passes? How soon before the show starts do you have to arrive to get seated if you have a fast pass? Do you have to stand in the long line for Fantasmic? Is the view at the fast pass reserved areas good for younger kids?

 

[CAS239]

Recommend 45min-1 hour in advance for F! for best choice of seats. @Robo has a great map. You can show up later than that, but you'll have less choice in seats and the FP area might be full of you show up too close to showtime.

Illuminations FP is pointless imo

 

[Robo]

Guests don't really wait in line for the first (or only) F! performance of the evening.

The CMs open the theater an hour or more before show-time.

Guests at that time will simply walk slowly through the very long pathways to the theater and file in to find a seat.



What a FP+ for F! offers is more CHOICE in seating.



If you DO get a F! FP+, you can choose to sit in either the FP section (virtually the entire left half of the theater) or the Standby section (virtually the entire right half of the theater.)

So, whatever section has the better seating at the time you arrive, you can go there.

Without a FP, you can only choose a seat in the Standby section.



There is a very good chance that you can get a FP+ for F! as a 4th or 5th FP of the day because they issue SO MANY of them (enough to cover nearly the entire left half of the seating.) On many nights, it is possible that you can gat a FP+ for F! as you are walking to the theater.



As to when to arrive at the theater, I'd get to there 45-60 minutes before the show-time.

Even with a FP or Dining Pkg. reservation, don't wait too late.



On busy nights, the CMs can stop holding the reserved sections within 20-30 minutes before show-time, and turn over any available seats to waiting walk-in guests.



There is sometimes a "pre-show" (such as it is) that can help pass the last 30 minutes before show time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------



Map Below-

Arrows indicate the center of the seating.

Shaded areas:

(First or Only F! performance of the evening)

Cyan= Standby (walk-in) seating

Red= Dining Package Reserved

Blue= FP+ Reserved

Purple= Can be either FP+ or Dining Plan Reserved, depending on needs.



(Second or Third F! performance of the evening)

Cyan= Standby (walk-in) seating

Red, Purple, Blue= FP+ Reserved

(Although much of the outer Blue will likely be used for Standby.)

--------------------------------------

 

[yaya74]

Guests don't really wait in line for the first (or only) F! performance of the evening.

The CMs open the theater an hour or more before show-time.

Guests at that time will simply walk slowly through the very long pathways to the theater and file in to find a seat.



What a FP+ for F! offers is more CHOICE in seating.



If you DO get a F! FP+, you can choose to sit in either the FP section (virtually the entire left half of the theater) or the Standby section (virtually the entire right half of the theater.)

So, whatever section has the better seating at the time you arrive, you can go there.

Without a FP, you can only choose a seat in the Standby section.



There is a very good chance that you can get a FP+ for F! as a 4th or 5th FP of the day because they issue SO MANY of them (enough to cover nearly the entire left half of the seating.) On many nights, it is possible that you can gat a FP+ for F! as you are walking to the theater.



As to when to arrive at the theater, I'd get to there 45-60 minutes before the show-time.

Even with a FP or Dining Pkg. reservation, don't wait too late.



On busy nights, the CMs can stop holding the reserved sections within 20-30 minutes before show-time, and turn over any available seats to waiting walk-in guests.



There is sometimes a "pre-show" (such as it is) that can help pass the last 30 minutes before show time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------



Map Below-

Arrows indicate the center of the seating.

Shaded areas:

(First or Only F! performance of the evening)

Cyan= Standby (walk-in) seating

Red= Dining Package Reserved

Blue= FP+ Reserved

Purple= Can be either FP+ or Dining Plan Reserved, depending on needs.



(Second or Third F! performance of the evening)

Cyan= Standby (walk-in) seating

Red, Purple, Blue= FP+ Reserved

(Although much of the outer Blue will likely be used for Standby.)

--------------------------------------

This is awesome information... It should be pinned!

 

[acpalmer]

I have 3 young kids and I was thinking about using the 4th fastpass for seating at Fantasmic and Illuminations to eliminate standing in line for Fantasmic or reserving a standing spot at EPCOT. How do fast passes for these shows work? Are there designated seating areas for fast passes? How soon before the show starts do you have to arrive to get seated if you have a fast pass? Do you have to stand in the long line for Fantasmic? Is the view at the fast pass reserved areas good for younger kids?

I'm not sure what time of year you are going, but we always go in late May/early June and I have never seen Illuminations available as a 4th FP option--it is usually gone well before the day of, so if you are going in a relatively busy time of year and you really want an Illuminations FP, you should book it ahead of time. I was looking at stuff yesterday and Illuminations is already gone for our entire trip (May 26-June 3) and that has been the case for awhile, so I imagine they go fairly quickly after the 30 window opens up.

Fantasmic, on the other hand, almost always has availability as a 4th FP when we have been there--even into the late afternoon and evening, so I think you are fine to plan on that for an option for a 4th (or even a 5th or 6th--we've had it as a 6th FP before when we've been there).