Forget Showpass - Call it World of Color Fastpass

[Sherry E]

FWIW, just a reminder that those of you who want to "avoid the madness" at DCA this summer and "wait until things calm down" will be waiting a long time. With LMAUA opening in May 2011, and Cars Land in early 2012, plus all the other new stuff, DCA will be madness until 2013!
Don't get me wrong. I am not encouraging any of you to see WOC this year! I hope lots of people put it off for awhile to make crowds more manageable. But alas crowds at DCA will be unbelievable this summer.

Some people view this as a negative. But heck, when was the last time you heard anyone say "avoid DCA at night - it is way too crowded!"? Let me guess... how about... NEVER!

I think the enormous crowds will be a fun experience. To be there and be part of something really novel and unprecented sounds like fun. I am looking forward to it. But I will be listening closely to all of the guinea pigs - uh, I mean, DCA guests - who see WOC in June and early July to find a way to make the most of the experience.

I'm not avoiding madness in terms of general crowds in DCA, necessarily. The madness I want to avoid is the specific WoC madness, meaning the viewing set-up, the initial crowds who show up because of hype and who may swarm into DCA at night, etc. Everything dies down after a while and settles in. It didn't take TSMM too long (just a few months) to settle down from all-day huge lines to somewhat manageable lines at certain points of the day. So I expect there will be an initial buzz swirling around WoC that will create more madness than at other times after it has settled in for a while, and then it will taper off after a bit.

I know that DCA will totally change in terms of crowds levels in general in the next couple of years, but they will all be kind of spread out in the different areas, and not necessarily all focused in one spot. I think the Little Mermaid ride is long overdue (and, honestly, better suited to DL than to DCA, I think), so that will certainly see huge lines for a while during that new/hype phase, but they will die down eventually.

 

[HydroGuy]

Will there be a wheelchair or GAC entrance for this show? Or even a quiet waiting area?

I have heard there will be a wheelchair area in one of the colored grid areas. Not sure how quiet though!

 

[3BoysRDisneyFreaks]

I am going to be one of the crazies going in that first week. We are visiting 6/13-6/20. This might be our only trip to DL so I want to see as much as I can of the things that are not at WDW and WOC is one of them. I will have a laptop and will be checking in as the trip goes along.
We will not be doing any sort of package unless the prices are decent. We will just go the fast pass route. Most likely we will hit the last show of the night.
Should be a learning experience!

 

[mommyof2boys1girl]

I'm hoping we can catch a "soft opening" sometime during our trip - I will attempt at that time to document all I can from a "spectator" point of view. We will arrive in the parks on May 17th and depart on the 26th. it will be interesting to see if the GRR FP's will be open...

 

[kelmac284]

I have the same dilemma. We are going in June and have NO other plans to go back any time after that. Prob won't be till sometime in 11. I would REALLY like my girls to see it while we are there since I don't know WHEN we will go back BUT I am not looking forward to the chaos either. Plus my mom is going in June and can't stand OR sit for long periods of time (on the ground) SOOOOO I don't know how THAT is going to work.

I am with the others that am more than willing to buy a dinning package if it guarantees us a seat or spot or whatever. I just wish they would release the details since our trip is a month from next Friday (the 21st) and if we ARE going to do something like that I would like to get ressies before they are gone!

 

[samkj]

I wonder how many of our DIS-ers are actually going to deal with WoC right away and how many are going to avoid it at all costs for a long time. I am sure that once I saw it I would think it was really cool, but I am not much a show/fireworks person to begin with. I've seen Fantasmic once or twice in my life and that was enough. If I happen to catch some fireworks when they are happening, awesome! But I am not going to stand and wait for them, most likely. I think I would be the same with WoC - if I happened to see it once, great, but otherwise the whole set-up of it sounds like a mess and something that I have no interest in dealing with for a long, long time...like way down the road, after everyone else has seen WoC and it's no longer the new sensation at DCA.

Right now, I think the idea of WoC is turning me off more than it is luring me in...but I am very curious to see how WoC impacts the crowds in both parks and what the new patterns seem to be when it begins.

We'll be there for a short trip June 16-19 and will be skipping it (only shows on Friday anyway due to Grad nights) until our December trip. Its just not worth dealing with the crowds and we don't want the expense of premium seating (but will definitely do that in Dec!)

 

[nunzia]

The whole thing is daunting. We leave tomorrow to go to DLR, so hoping for a soft opening. If not, I'll do a premium something when we go back in January. I'm bummed the DVC viewing area seems to have such a lousy view as was hoping maybe to see it up there.

 

[elliefusmom]

I think the enormous crowds will be a fun experience. To be there and be part of something really novel and unprecented sounds like fun. I am looking forward to it. But I will be listening closely to all of the guinea pigs - uh, I mean, DCA guests - who see WOC in June and early July to find a way to make the most of the experience.

Waiting until August is killing me...but I really look forward to all of your posts.. Then I will decide if I will brave the crowds or wait for a future trip. We've done the Fantasmic dessert numerous times...I am definitely willing to pay to get to sit but to stand???....eating that dessert box sitting is a challenge..standing would be a nightmare!

 

[franandaj]

I have heard there will be a wheelchair area in one of the colored grid areas. Not sure how quiet though!

When I was there 10 days ago one of the CMs told me that they had not set where the accessible viewing area was yet because each night when they ran the testing someone was in an ECV watching from a different place each night. By now they may have figured it out, but they were trying to find the best spot for people in wheelchairs to view the show.

 

[mom2rtk]

We're trying hard to avoid it, and will be there right before the official opening. That's not to say I wouldn't go if there was a soft opening I could easily get into.... so I'll keep my ear to the ground...so to speak...

We also are using GAD vouchers for FP's on our park days. I'll be curious to see if GRR FP machines are being used for WOC, will they even be issuing BRR FP's? If not, will they have WOC as one of the options? The choices are already fairly limited.

I'll be watching and waiting........

 

[bjakmom]

I'll be there 6/7 & 8 - don't know if they will be doing any soft openings that close to opening, but if they do I'll be asking CMs lots of questions and checking it out. Hopefully we can piece together bits of info to help those going once it opens. Fingers crossed. . .

 

[Albort]

When I was there 10 days ago one of the CMs told me that they had not set where the accessible viewing area was yet because each night when they ran the testing someone was in an ECV watching from a different place each night. By now they may have figured it out, but they were trying to find the best spot for people in wheelchairs to view the show.

the whole pier wasnt geared toward ECV/wheelchairs. so i believe its been set at place where its fair to all guest and ECVers.

 

[disneynerd420]

Hey familiar faces, I've come out of hibernation to do a little posting! Mostly because I am in the process of planning three trips to DLR within the next 6 months. The AP Snowball strikes again!!!

I can't believe I am saying it but I just happen to have the friday before memorial day off so that means three words. FOUR... DAY... WEEKEND!!!! How could I pass up an oppurtunity to party with the mouse? But that means Memorial Day Weekend crowds !

I will also be visiting the parks with my mother in July.

Going during these times I am sure to see WOC at least during july if not a soft opening during memorial day weekend. (Methinks with all those holiday crowds they will be trying to spread them out as much as possible and a showing of WOC would be very helpful)

I'm intrigued by the chaos and terrified in the same respect. I look forward to seeing the show and how they manage to pull it off... but I am a man who is fairly off put the crowds at Fantasmic. Keep in mind, I will deal with it to watch the show, but looking at pictures of paradise park, I am pondering how they will pull it off.

Part of me wonders what would happen if the show was a flop. Not that, it doesn't look amazing, but what would happen if the average tourist was not impressed. It would be this Summer Nightastic's Murphy. I know the chances of this happening are minute, but the thought has crossed my mind for brief seconds.

I look forward to WOC and the new experience and nightlife it will bring to DCA, but I think it will take DCA Castmembers and management a little getting used to with their limited night time show experience.

 

[Sherry E]

Just wanted to say - Hi, Disneynerd420!!!

 

[disneynerd420]

Hi Sherry! I missed you!

 

[NMMickeymom]

We will be there for 6 days starting June 28. I'm glad we will have some wiggle room to negotiate the best viewing times. This WOC thing is really throwing my planning off and is eating up my time as it sends my Dis addiction into overload!! Please correct me if I am wrong but are Disney Resort guests allowed to enter CA 30 min early from the Grand Californian entrance? I thought I read that they let people head to Soaring before the park officially opens. Seems like that is a large advantage to getting to the Show/Fastpasses before the masses? I'm sure I've missed something but I'm plotting about sending the family to eat bkfst at WWS at the GC and walking/sprinting to the pass distribution while others eat?

 

[cooniez]

We'll be there for 5 nights (arriving June 17th & leaving sometime Tues., June 22nd). DH & I really want to take the girls to see WOC, but I'm getting stressed out just thinking of how it will be since we'll have a long wait with a 2-year-old. We're night owls, so I don't mind waiting for the last show. Hopefully we'll be able to see at least one show & I'll def. come back here to let you all know how it was.

 

[HydroGuy]

Please correct me if I am wrong but are Disney Resort guests allowed to enter CA 30 min early from the Grand Californian entrance? I thought I read that they let people head to Soaring before the park officially opens. Seems like that is a large advantage to getting to the Show/Fastpasses before the masses? I'm sure I've missed something but I'm plotting about sending the family to eat bkfst at WWS at the GC and walking/sprinting to the pass distribution while others eat?

Yes, you are correct. But 9:30AM is open to everyone thru the main entrance too. So no real advantage for WOC FP.

There have been some reports the GCH entrance lets in a little earlier (9:15?) but that seems to be either out-of-date info or something that is inconsistently allowed.

 

[rentayenta]

 

[3BoysRDisneyFreaks]

are the WOC FP going to be available all day or just after a certain time...like say 4pm?