Is Fantasmic too much work?

[jasper]

I have read all the great reviews for Fantasmic, but wonder if you all feel it is worth the effort to hang around late for the show.

On our past trips to WDW, we generally make it a point to get to the parks at opening, and leave by late afternoon or early evening.

Last Thanksgiving weekend when we stayed at the Swan, we went back to the hotel around dinner time and then went back to Epcot for Illuminations, which none of us were overly impressed with - in fact it was almost boring, so I wonder if they had cut back on the show that night. In hindsight, we all wished we hadn't bothered making the trek back to Epcot and waiting an hour for Iluminations (which started 20 minutes late that night).

Well we'll be at the Swan again in late-April and are wondering if we would really be missing out by skipping Fantasmic, which we have never seen. If we're all tired late in the day, maybe it would be more relaxing to hang out by the Groto pool than to make our way back to MGM and wait in line for Fantasmic, or to head back for a PS as part of the Fantasmic dinner package.

So, would we be missing out on a memorable show, or would you agree that the several hours Fantasmic can eat up out of an evening at WDW could be better spent relaxing, especially after a long day of touring the park?

 

[Lucky4me]

Personally I think it's worth it, but you can only decide that for yourself.

Maybe one day you can switch it up. Sleep in, relax by the pool and go to MGM in the late afternoon or early evening. Then if you hate it at least you won't be exhausted. You should be able to get in some pool time after Fantasmic too.

 

[JABEAR]

For our family, it is worth any trouble that we have to endure. It is a spectactular show. I would say you should do it at least once. Sit as close to an exit as possible. And get up and leave when you see the boat full of characters.

 

[slo]

We absolutly love Fantasmic!!!

When we went I didn't find the wait and the crowd that terrible to deal with. Our DD was 4yrs old at the time and she was find with waiting also.

This year we didn't go because we had our 13 month old with us, and the thought of sitting there for an hour with her was not my idea of fun.

But....when we return next year, we are definitly going to go to Fantasmic again. The show is great and the music is wonderful - true Disney magic!!!

 

[kilee]

I know not everyone will agree with me on this. However, I think Fantasmic far surpasses Illuminations as a truly incredible show!!! To me it is amazing, and I can sit through it over and over again!

 

[jctwizzer]

"Illuminations, which none of us were overly impressed with - in fact it was almost boring, so I wonder if they had cut back on the show that night."

If you thought Illuminations was boring, you might as well skip Fantasmic....and Wishes too for that matter.
]

 

[dcmbshafe]

Hmmm...very tough to advise you on this one...as jctwizzer observed, if you didn't like Illuminations then you may not like Fantasmic even though it is a completely different show. I liked them both for different reasons, though as you say it is generally a lot more work to view Fantasmic than Illuminations. Not sure what the crowds will be like in late-April, so I'm not sure whether you can expect that there would be two showings of Fantasmic any of the nights you are there. If there are, the second show is not as much work b/c you don't have to wait around for hours to get a good seat. This might be an option, as might be the dinner package if you are so inclined. Sorry, but I'm really mixed as to what to suggest...

 

[FOV]

We just got back from Disney tonight and on the way home I was asking my kids about their favorite thing this trip and Fantasmic was in the top 5. It is my mothers #1 favorite WDW attraction.

We think it is a fabulous show. We saw it a few days ago and we didn't get to the theater until about 25 minutes before showtime and we still had great seats. This is a very slow time of year but - like another poster mentioned - I am not sure how busy it will be in late April.

If you decide to go make sure you don't sit too close to the front or you may not have a good view of the the water screens (the picture will be blurry.) I ended up standing up in the back because my 4 y/o was afraid of the dragon and we had a GREAT view, no problems seeing anything. The screens were crystal clear.

Try it once - if you don't like it you don't have to do it again but you won't have to wonder if you are missing something really great.

 

[WaltD4Me]

I haven't seen Fantasmic yet....but I will in 20 more days!

I will tell you that a friend of mine went with her somewhat jaded "Non-Disney" Hubby to WDW and while he wasn't all that impressed with Illuminations he LOVED Fantasmic and she told me if she could only recommend one thing not to miss at Disney it would be Fantasmic.

Lisa

 

[CadiesMom]

If you have children in your party, I definitely wouldn't miss it! My sister and her family just returned from their 1st trip to WDW and Fantasmic was the highlight for her children, age 5 and 9. We have Fantasmic down on our short list of "must do's" for our upcoming trip! We wouldn't miss it!

 

[i like stitch]

We've been home almost 2 weeks from staying at S/D. After taking a late afternoon break and getting a quick dinner at the hotel, we took the boat to MGM just to watch Fantasmic one evening. It was very crowded and we sat for a little over an hour in our seats. We did take some snacks and Pal Mickey entertained us during the wait.

Despite the wait, we all enjoyed the show, and the boat ride to and from MGM was so relaxing. While we enjoyed Illuminations, Fantasmic was better. (Really, the 2 shows are hard to compare because they are different types of entertainment.)

 

[Shutterbug]

Be a dissenting voice here. I did the whole arrive an hour early thing, watched the show and afterwords said that was it?
I waited an hour for this? I'm not saying its bad, I think its a good show but not worth spending a whole hour waiting for.

 

[SusanDK]

I think Fantasmic is a great show and should be seen at least once. I've seen it twice and plan to see it again in December. But then I like all the nighttime fireworks shows.

I suggest, however, you plan it for a day where you come later to the parks so you aren't exhausted and annoyed by the wait. Or do another park in the morning, take a mid-day break, and head to MGM in the evening.

I've never done the Fantasmic dinner show, but that sounds like an option that could be more relaxing for you, and avoids a long wait time.

Susan

 

[CamColt]

Originally posted by kilee
I know not everyone will agree with me on this. However, I think Fantasmic far surpasses Illuminations as a truly incredible show!!! To me it is amazing, and I can sit through it over and over again!

I totally agree with you, Kilee! Ive seen Illuminations a few times now and I just dont get what all the fuss is about. Yes, its nice... a nice fireworks display. I really do think I am missing something though, because from how people rave about it, I feel Im not getting it. But, Fantasmic on the other hand is just so DISNEY! Between the characters, music,and special effects, Im awed everytime I see it. FWIW, I really enjoy Wishes too.

IMO, it would be worth it to make a night of going to MGM for a nice dinner with the package and a leisurely stroll to the show. Yes, getting out can be a hassle, but if you are staying at the Swan, theres easy transportation home. Just hop a boat. If you have never seen it, I definitely think you should give it a shot.

 

[X_Wing_Pilot]

is it the exact same show at WDW as I see at DL?? They show ours over the river.

 

[jasper]

jctwizzer..................... I wouldn't assume that we wouldn't like other shows like Wishes just because we weren't impressed by Illuminations. Like I said, maybe it was an off night as it was delayed for 20 minutes at the start. The show was slow, there were times when little was going on, and the number and size of the fireworks weren't all that impressive. On the other hand, the video I saw of Wishes looked spectacular, so I can imagine what the "real thing" must be like.

Seems like I have seen other people comment that they coldn't figure out what all the fuss was over Illuminations so I'm not the only one. And of course, everyone is entitled to their own opinion.

I was really just looking for tips on Fantasmic which it sounds like we'd like to do, so maybe hitting MGM at opening, taking a mid-day break, and heading back early evening is a good plan. I don't really want a sit down meal though so still decinding on the pros and cons of the dinner package.

 

[VAN]

We've seen Fantasmic a couple of times. If you are there during a slower period, I wouldn't think you'd have to wait a whole hour. Having said that though, do plan on either bringing in some snacks are visiting the concession stand to make the time go faster. Also, both times, the crowd was doing the WAVE to pass the time (and stay warm).

I think Fantasmic is very Disney. Also, how many of us have ended up waiting 30+ minutes for a ride. We do this routinely when we visit amusement parks and many times at Disney even when we have a fastpass!!!

All in all, I think taking the time to see Fantasmic is totally worth it!!

 

[Disney Ella]

We saw it for the first time a few weeks ago and it is definitely worth waiting for. We did the Fantasmic dinner package. I know some people don't like it that the seats are over to the side, but we saw everything fine and it was nice to walk in and sit down 1/2 hour before the show started. We all liked Fantasmic better than Illuminations (which we also like).

 

[iceskatejen]

Originally posted by X_Wing_Pilot
is it the exact same show at WDW as I see at DL?? They show ours over the river.

No--DL's version is far superior. I probably wouldn't wait to see the MGM version again (especially dealing with the crowds getting out of there--I saw it in late-April, btw), but will gladly wait 4+ hours for the DL version--it's that much better.

 

[X_Wing_Pilot]

well im glad to here that, i was hoping i wouldnt have to travel to the east coast to see the "real" show, although i do want to go anyway