Having a hard time deciding...4-year-old and 7-year-old, WOC?

[erinbharris]

We leave home in 3 weeks and I am having a really hard time deciding on whether or not we should do WOC. If we do then I'm going to order the picnics, we'll be in DL in 29 days so I can order them now if I'm going to. I don't want to spend the $60 for them if my kids won't be able to see though...and don't want to stand in a line for 2 hours to get a spot.

So...can it be done without waiting in a 2 hour line up? Do you think kids this age would enjoy it? Is it really loud?

Thanks!

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

Get the picnics and go see the show the kids will like it our 5 yr old liked it a lot.

 

[erinbharris]

Thanks!

 

[3Minnies1Mickey]

Get the picnics and go see the show the kids will like it our 5 yr old liked it a lot.

Agreed

 

[Lissame]

I don't know--we got picnics and didn't have the best experience with it. The waiting is LONG--you have to get there 2 hours before the first show to get a decent spot, so make sure to take something for your kids to do during the time. My 10 and 11 year olds were horribly bored waiting.

 

[erinbharris]

That's what I was wondering...do you HAVE to wait for 2 hours though? If we show up at 8 will we be able to see? I don't need the best spot, as long as my kids can see. Also...do we have to all go together or could I go and get us a spot and my husband come later with the kids?

 

[Lissame]

In my experience--if you do the picnic option you definitely need to get there 2 hours early to get a spot where your kids can see. And even then it's not really guaranteed unless you want to be in the wet zone. It would be nearly impossible for him to save that many spots unless you have a blanket or something, but people really cram the area shoulder to shoulder.

 

[cypressmom]

My kids just turned 4 & 7 and I had the same concerns. We got the picnic because I figured we had to eat anyway, even if we didn't stay for the show. We did get there at 7:30 and got a spot along the rail in the Blue section. The kids ate ice cream and entertained each other. The wait wasn't terrible, but they were so, so tired by the time the show started. They enjoyed but were happy to get back to the hotel when it was over.

 

[erinbharris]

Cypressmom...because your kids are the same age as mine and you've done it--would you do it if you were me, or would you skip it?

 

[bluegrizzlies1]

The question is do you guys go to disneyland a lot?

If not I would go to the show

If you get there at 7:30pm then your wait is like an hour because they do the preshow also that is a lot of fun.

Im not a big waiter either but with the show being so new there really is no choice unless your not going.

Our 5 yr old really wants to see it again when we go again.

Are you going to see the fireworks? How long will you be waiting for them we like to go over to small world and watch them we go about 10 min before it starts. No you dont get to see tink or dumbo but you get a projection show on small world its a lot of fun and no waiting. If you want to see tink dumbo you can go about when it starts and stand back in mainstreet and can see them.

We have done fantasmic paid seating 2 times really enjoyed not fighting the crowds and waiting around. Best way for fantasmic is wait for first show to get over with then get a spot for the 2nd show. Id stay on the splash mountain side when the first show is about to get over.

Aladdin show same thing dont wait go when they start letting people in or right before. my parents waited an hour for seats on ground level and they got towards the back. We came when they started to let people in got the 2nd level and 2nd row way good seats.

 

[egritz]

We had kids 2, 5, 9, & 11 with us and they liked it, but weren't super excited about it (and we got to our viewing area around 7:45...we did preferred dining). We brought stuff for them to do, but they were whining & tired (and this was after a 4 hour afternoon break where everyone took naps).

Two nights later I had planned to go see Fantasmic! I told the kids that it was more fun than WOC with a story line, characters, big boats, etc. and they had no interest so they stayed at the hotel while my mom & I went to Fantasmic! I think had they not seen WOC they may have been interested in Fantasmic!.....so I don't think they really liked it all that much.

My thoughts...like you said you're going to need to eat anyway, so I'd do the Picnic Lunch package and then if you kids are too tired (or end up not enjoying it very much, or you don't have the best viewing spot) you won't feel like you just wasted $40 per adult & $20 per kid.

 

[erinbharris]

Thanks for all of the input. I booked the picnics today. We won't be back to Disneyland for a long time, and I may kick myself if we don't do it...plus, like the pp suggested, we need to eat anyway so we might as well make this our dinner! I'm wondering...it says you can pick them up until 8:00 pm. Is this correct? I'm thinking we'll pick them up around 6:30 or 7:00 for dinner and then head to the viewing area after we eat.

 

[50sjayne]

You really only regret the stuff you didn't do.

 

[erinbharris]

So true, right?

 

[specialks]

Do some of the picnic people eat their meals while waiting for WOC?

 

[vpalmer]

We did WOC with a 7 YO and had a fantastic experience. But yes, you do have to wait. In order for a small child to see, you HAVE to be by the rails. The only way to ensure you get one of those spots is to get there as soon as you are let into the viewing area. Luckily, nobody is let into the area until about 7:00 and the preshow begins at 8:30. If you get there by 6:45 you should be one of the first into your section.

We had the premium dining package and there is only one railing there which we were lucky enough to get, thank goodness! In the picnic sections (blue and yellow) there is actually more railing space so honestly, I would do the picnic option if we go back.

The wait goes by quickly though. You can sit and we entertained my DD with the WOC popcorn and a glow sword.

Make sure your group is together because the people who sent one person had a terrible time finding each other in the mass because there is no getting into the area until shortly after 7:00 so it's not like Fantasmic where you can set your blanket down at 4:00 and have one person camp out for five hours as everyone else comes and goes. Plus once you get there, it's not easy to save extra spots by the railing.

 

[disneymum58]

We booked the dinner package at Ariel's Grotto and I figured we would have a great spot to see WOC. We arrived at 7:20 having just got off TSMM and they had already let in a lot of people. Unfortunately all the railing spots were taken. I stood our group at the top of the stairs. There was a family sitting there but I figured once they stood up we would still be able to see over their kids heads. When the preshow started they stood up at the very top, pushing us back further. The dad was very tall. I am 5'3". So we moved in front of them on the bottom stair but the mom acted like she owned the entire steps, blocking empty spaces with her purse etc. My DS7 and DS10 kept saying they couldn't see. I think they liked the show but to me it wasn't really worth the extra money we paid for a "premier viewing location". It was actually very crowded in our section and I'm sure that kids further back did have trouble seeing as there was no more elevated viewing spots.