How to dine before Fantasmic?

[conmama]

Well, all the Fantasmic Dining Packages are booked up when we'll be there. We will be going to MGM that afternoon when we arrive in town. I was wanting go to Mama Melrose's, and have a 4:30 PS before the 7:00 show.

My concern is that since we won't be getting to MGM until between 2-3 p.m, I don't want to waste 1 or more hours at a restaurant, then sitting 1 or more hours to watch fantasmic. What a waste of our money for 1/2 day at WDW.

I have read that people buy their dinners at the counter service, then take them into wait for the show. I think that is what I may do.

Do you think that is a better idea? Also, do you think getting there 60 minutes prior to the show (1st week of April) is soon enough to get a seat?

Thanks.....

conmama

 

[Bellefan66]

good question. BUMP!

 

[luvsgrumpy]

I'll bump again. This is a great question, we are in a similiar situation the third week in April. Taking a counter service meal with us might keep the kids (DD4, DS8, DS10) occupied for a little. Not looking forward to waiting for the show but want to see it.

Thanks,

 

[Princess Wannabe]

When we went in August 2003, we bought a counter service meal (I believe it was Rosie's All-American Cafe...right across from the entrance to Fantasmic). We took it inside to wait. I think we got there 30 minutes before the show, and there was PLENTY of seats available. It really didn't start filling up until about 20-25 minutes before showtime.

I would say, get the counter service meal, go in, spread open a poncho or plastic tablecloth, and have a 'picnic' on the seats while waiting for the show! Take some Uno cards or something and make a game of it!

 

[rhiansmom]

Well, all the Fantasmic Dining Packages are booked up when we'll be there. We will be going to MGM that afternoon when we arrive in town. I was wanting go to Mama Melrose's, and have a 4:30 PS before the 7:00 show.

My concern is that since we won't be getting to MGM until between 2-3 p.m, I don't want to waste 1 or more hours at a restaurant, then sitting 1 or more hours to watch fantasmic. What a waste of our money for 1/2 day at WDW.

I have read that people buy their dinners at the counter service, then take them into wait for the show. I think that is what I may do.

Do you think that is a better idea? Also, do you think getting there 60 minutes prior to the show (1st week of April) is soon enough to get a seat?

Thanks.....

conmama

I say try calling 24 and then again 48 hours out... that is when people with reservations have to cancel in order to not get partially charged. It's mighty possible you can get a dinner package

 

[conmama]

Thanks for the name of the restaurant right across from it. I have decided that doing it this way is what we want to do. My boys are 11 and 8 and they'll be fine waiting an hour if we have dinner at the same time we are waiting.

By the way, my dh had lunch with a friend of his who went with his family to WDW 3 years ago. He said that Fantasmic was wonderful and that they actually went twice. So, I think it will be worth the wait.

conmama

 

[Sadie]

We're going in June. Does anybody know which restaurants are available with the Fantasmic Pkg? Can the MYW Dining option be used with the package?

 

[vicb]

We have done Fantas. twice, once with pkg. and once without. I doubt we would do the dining pkg. again. We were there during Mardi Gras in '04, the night we originally planned to do Fantas. it was rained out so we had to squeeze it in another night. We were worried it would be real crowded with the holiday and the rain out so we got there plenty early. We went to the last Beauty and Beast show. Then bought fresh fruit cups from Anneheim Produce and walked in about 1 hour prior to show time. We got awesome seats, right in the middle. DH and DD went up and bought hot dogs and big pretzels to suppliment our fruit. We ate dinner while we waited. Took turns going to the bathroom, kids played gameboys, chatted with all the nice people around us and planned our next day's activities. Time went very fast. I should have mentioned that we had spend most of that day at Epcot and had eaten a good lunch at Le Cellier so we didn't mind the hot dogs and fruit dinner. Afterward we took the boat to the BW and bought dessert at the bakery.

 

[aubriee]

We're going in June. Does anybody know which restaurants are available with the Fantasmic Pkg? Can the MYW Dining option be used with the package?

Hollywood & Vine, Mama Melrose, and Hollywood Brown Derby. They say you can't use any other discount packages with the Fantasmic Pkg. However when I went in January they accepted my letter for the DDE. I've since read where some people have been able to use the DDE and some haven't. I don't know about the MYW Dining Option. Sorry!

 

[Ilovestitch]

We always go see Fantasmic without the package. We walk in about 20-30 minutes before it starts and get some snacks at the snack bar in the theatre- they have stuff like soft pretzels, hot dogs, frozen lemonades. There's no way I would sit on those hard benches waiting for over an hour, that's crazy! Sitting towards the back is better anyways- you get a better overall perspective of the show vs. just looking at one side of it AND you get to leave the theatre first when it's over, so you don't get stuck in huge crowds. -Steph

 

[skiptomypooh]

We're having a similar problem, trying to find dining before Fantasmic without eating at 4:30 (DS's nap 2-4p, without fail, then eat dinner around 5:30 or 6). Rosie's sounds good to me too. Is it open all afternoon until the show starts?

We might scoot over from the room after naps, watch the parade, try a show and get dinner. Then we'll see how we're all doing.

Thanks for starting the thread and all the suggestions.

 

[MrsJ Henry]

We went the week before Thanksgiving and did not get the Package. I will say that we went in one hour before and it was filling up quick. We were on the left side of the middle section. We got quite good seats but there was nothing left in the middle section one hour prior. If I were you I would make sure I got there 1 hour before.
The wait really is not that bad. We sat and ate and did the wave and actually had a good time waiting.
We really enjoyed the show. Hope you do also.