Just my opinion about the Orlando Fatasmic

[weluvdizknee]

We make a visit to Disneyland in Aneheim California at least once a year. Fantasmic is without a doubt the one of the best things at Disneyland Resort. The show there is the most spectacular show in all of California! Some nights we even stay after the first showing to see the second showing. If you've ever been to Fantasmic in Aneheim, you know how difficult the good seats are to get! There isn't a stadium in Aneheim to sit in, it's a first come first serve seat on the ground all the way around Tom's Island, some spots on the pirates bridge, and roped off areas for standing. (the roped off areas are no good for children, can't see over the adults) Basically, on the 1-10 scale, the seating arrangements for Aneheim Fantastic are a -3!

So when we planned our first trip to Disney Word, Florida, the Fatasmic dinner show was the first thing on our agenda! We made reservations at Hollywood and Vine. I couldn't wait to get "reserved seating in a stadium" to see Fantasmic.

The food at Hollywood & Vine was great. A buffet stye with great service and lots of choices. We only had to wait 30 minutes, after picking our seats, for the show to start. And we had excellent seats, right in the middle, only four rows from the water.

Let me just warn any of you who have ever seen the Fantasmic show in Aneheim, that you may be greatly disappointed with the show in Orlando!!!!! The Orlando show is a scaled down version of Aneheim's show, with more fireworks and less story line, without the beautiful floats, no Peter Pan - Hook spectacular, and the finale is a corny little boat with very few characters (nothing like the big beautiful Mark Twain Ship finale at Disneyland.) The only thing that's better about Orlando's Fantasmic is the seating!!!! You won't walk away feeling that Disney excitement like you do when you leave Disneyland's Fatasmic show! Instead, by the time you leave, the stadium is filled with smoke from the fireworks. I guess our expectations were just to high, I mean getting to see Fantasmic in a sit down stadium was one of my Disney dreams come true.

If you've never seen The Fantasmic show in California, I say make the dinner show reservations in Orlando. The stadium there is great, and the little show is like a little free bonus with dinner.

But that's just my opinion!

 

[Chuck S]

I like both shows, I think the CA version does have a little more "Wow" factor, simply because it does use the Columbia and Mark Twain, as well as the "up close and personal" seating. But, the Orlando show has other advantages, like you mentioned, the seating the better fireworks and story based on more modern Disney features.

Most shows are not duplicated exactly between the two parks. WDW has a more "East Coast" glitzy style. Compare the Beauty and Beast show at WDW to the one that used to show in CA. CA was a traditional "Disney" storytelling musical show, WDW is more Broadway, and it is all a matter of personal preference.

 

[princesstommi]

I think even the setting makes a huge difference. In CA, you are in the middle of Disneyland. I think Fantasmic would have a much different feeling if it were in the middle of MK, instead of a theater at MGM.

I haven't seen the DL show, but I would love to!

 

[meeko_33785]

I think that Chuck S hit the nail on the head. Disney-MGM Studios' Fantasmic is not meant to be an exact duplicate of Disneyland's show. Of course, Disneyland's is meant to be classic and traditional Disney. After all, it takes place in Walt's original Magic Kingdom. As a part, however, Disney-MGM Studios has a completly different atmosphere than any of the Magic Kingdoms, so changes needed to be made. The more fanciful Peter Pan segment and elegant ship were replaced with a more contemporary scene from Pocahontas and an homage to Mickey's show-biz debut. Changes like these (and others) were meant to reflect the park the show resides in. If you were expecting it to have a Magic Kingdom sort of feel, I can definatly see how you could be greatly disappointed, but if you went there to enjoy an MGM style show, it's really a lot of fun. (Also just my oppinion. )

 

[Aimeedyan]

We saw the DL version first and were sorely disappointed in the WDW version - we almost always skip it now.

 

[BethR]

You won't walk away feeling that Disney excitement like you do when you leave Disneyland's Fatasmic show!

I know that you post was directed to those who have seen the Disneyland version of Fantasmic.
But please allow me to say that for me and my family - who have never seen the DL version - we REALLY feel the Disney Excitment when we leave DW's Fantasmic. I agree that it IS disjointed - but the crux if the story is there - Mickey triumphs over Evil! For us, Fantasmic is right up there with Spectromagic and Wishes (or Fantasy in the Sky when it was there) and we have made it our tradition to make our last night one of these night time shows so that we end our Disney vacation with that Disney MAGIC!

I hope to see the DL version someday. And perhaps after that, I will be a bit disappointed with DW's version. But until that time I will still get shivers whenever Mickey reappears at the top of that mountain.