I Need Help With FANTASMIC Dinner Package!!!

[MickeyEars]

This is my 1st time booking this so I want to make sure I understand this completely before I call for PS's on Monday morning. If these questions have been asked a zillion times please forgive me.

1. What is the latest time Disney will allow us to make the PS for the evening
we dine?

2. How do they know what time FANTASMIC is being presented for June when
the hours haven't been released yet?

3. Let's say it's presented at 9:00 that night are they going to make us dine
at 4:30?

4. If I book it now and am given a rediciously early PS can I call back closer
to time and change it to a later time?

5. Can you book a regular PS now and change it to the Package later? If so,
should I do that?

I apologize for all the questions. I really appreciate any info that anyone would like to give.

Thanks!
Carla

 

[beattyfamily]

This is what I do. I call at 90 days and book the latest package PS time, which is always quite early, around 4:30p, just so I have something.

Then I call back starting at 30 days out to get a later time and for me the last 2 times more later times were released at 25 days.

I wouldn't book a regular PS and try to switch it as they'll just make you cancel and rebook. You can not switch a regular PS into a package PS.

The CMs have a good idea of what times to give based on past year's hours. if you call back at about 25 days they'll probably open up times around 6:00p-6:30p.

 

[MickeyEars]

Thanks so much beattyfamily. These boards make life so much easier!!! Gotta love the DIS and all it's wonderful members.

Thanks again!
Carla

 

[missypie]

There is a very long FAQ on the restaurants page about the FDP. I called right at 7 am yesterday morning with no hold time for the FDP for Brown Derby on Memorial Day. I got a 4 pm time, which they told me was the latest they gave out. Fantasmic is being shown at 9 pm but still they say 4 pm is the latest. I still made a regular PS for 6 pm that I'm going to try to tie in later on. The CM I talked to yesterday told me that there will never be a PS for the FDP later than 4 pm. But there are posts on the FAQ to the contrary.

 

[beattyfamily]

Thanks so much beattyfamily. These boards make life so much easier!!! Gotta love the DIS and all it's wonderful members.

Thanks again!
Carla

You are very welcome!

 

[JennSaint]

I haven't had time to post reviews yet but we just got back on Friday from WDW.

We did the fantasmic dinner pkg at Mama Melrose and all I can say is make sure you are at the special entrance on time. We arrived at 6:40pm (10 minutes late and there were at least 8 other people who arrived late too) and they had given our seats away. They said all that was left was standing room only. So we decided to walk up and check it out. Well people were standing in the back about 10 people deep! There was no place for us to stand. So needless to say we didn't stay. My boys wouldn't have been able to see so it wasn't worth it. We went to guest relations and he said you have to be sitting in your seats by 6:30pm. That's not what the waitress said. Anyway just make sure you get there in plenty of time. Our whole reasoning for booking the pkg was that we'd have reserved seating and wouldn't have to get there really early to just sit and wait. But I guess you still need to show up about 40 minutes prior to show time.

Also guest relations said they only do the pkg for the first showing(if there are 2 that night). He said they don't do pkgs for the later show and don't do any reserve seating for it.

Hope this is helpful to someone!

 

[beattyfamily]

Sorry that happened to you.

For our last 3 packages, they told us to report there 45 minutes prior.

You are still saving yourself the time waiting in the regular line. Then you just have to wait in your seat for about 40 - 45 minutes which is still less then the other people who waited in the regular line.

 

[Kanga1]

I just booked this yesterday for the one and only 9:00 show on Memorial Day. The latest seating they could give me (at Brown Derby) was 4:00. I, too, thought how ridiculously early this was, but now I LOVE that time! We can have a nice meal and then stoll on out to watch the 5:00 "Stars and Motor Cars" parade. After that, we can tour MGM, people watch, or shop. I think it will make for a relaxing, stress free evening with no worry of standing in line for 2 hours to get seats.

 

[disneydee+3]

We did the Brown Derbe last week and it was the best! The waiter was very good at expailing that we needed to be at the special entrance by 6:30 or they would give our seats away.He advised us to be there a between 6:00 and 6:15 He was so right! we had great seats but saw many seats given away and people standing. We loved the 3:30 time we had, we were actually able to go back to our room real quick and change for the rest of the evening. I highly recommend the Brown Derby and the package!

 

[MickeyEars]

Thanks everyone for all the wonderful tips. I can't wait until Monday to make our PS!!!

Carla