Timing of Fantasmic Dinner Package?

[Alinasan]

Does anyone have any advice about what time to try to eat dinner for the Fantasmic Dinner Package? I want to be sure to get the first show for the fast passes, but also do not want to put dinner too late for the kids (7 and 2) or too early for DH! We thought we might try to go back to the hotel for a nap in the early afternoon (around 2?) and so I tentatively am looking at 4:30 but that's right when the Mickey Soundational Parade runs. I could go later, around 6 but then I worry we might get the 2nd show and that's probably too late for us.

I've heard the Blue Bayou is slightly better but more expensive, but we can only get an 8:40 reservation so that puts us at the 10 pm show. There is more choice with River Belle seating options.

Would it be hard to be trying to get back into the park around 4 with parade traffic?

Thanks in advance for any thoughts on what time would be better.

(Edit to add the time and venue choices I have)

 

[calilou]

If your reservation is 6:00 or earlier you'll get the first show. I wouldn't do anything earlier than 5:30 though - you will be running into parade traffic. Your kids are younger than mine (9 and 7) but we did an 8:40 reservation at Blue Bayou last month, had a nice leisurely dinner then walked right to our fantastic viewing area for Fantasmic. We all really enjoyed our meal. This gave my girls time to take a nap earlier and have a late afternoon snack. They weren't tired at all - we even did several rides after the show and the crowds were very light by then.

 

[Alinasan]

Thanks! I'm tempted to take the later dinner and show but I do worry the 2 year old can't make it that late even with a nap (and not sure he would nap in a strange place, with change to the routine).

I'm also trying to gauge if the extra $ for BB is worth it versus RB as reviews seem to vary a bit.

 

[figment_jii]

If you get back into the park before 4:00 pm, you'll be ahead of Soundsational (which steps off at 4:30 pm), so you can still use Main Street to move into the park. The parade ran from Main Street to IaSW (on Sat & Sun this weekend), so as long as you get into the parks before the parade starts, I think you'll be okay to get to BB. If you wait until 4:30 pm, when the parade has started, you'll have a harder time, but I still think you can get around as long as you're patient.

 

[elaine amj]

I booked 4pm so I can hope for a water table. not sure if it is the best strategy but figure it is worth a try. We'll just do lunch early at 11am that day.

 

[Alinasan]

From what I read, it sounded like the parade is about 15 minutes to view it? I suppose the traffic moves pretty fast once it gets going.

Good luck getting the water table Elain amj! When we ate at the BB our last trip, we were so far from the part where you could see the riders and water, that we lost a lot of the ambiance factor. The more central seating and cushion thing, plus the food choices tempt me to BB, but the late hour/price and the generally more crowded state of that area around BB make me think I should consider RB more.

Anyone know how the RB compares if you sit outside, can you see the big riverboats moving on the lake/pond or is it just wall to wall people in the late afternoon (around 5 or 4 or something)?

 

[figment_jii]

Soundsational takes between 20 to 23 minutes to clear anyone location (according to DisneyWiki and Allears.net). You can start using Main Street or the parade route as soon as the parade clears that location. The prime viewing locations for the route itself aren't clearing at this point, because a number of guests are actually waiting to see PtN (at 8:50 pm), but it's not enough that it makes moving down the parade route difficult.

In terms of the Blue Bayou, if you request a water side table, the CMs will usually tell you the wait is about 45 minutes. Most guests (but not all) have said the wait was considerably less than that, so I would just risk it because it makes a big difference in terms of the ambiance and experience. Like Alinasan, I've also been seated close to the entrance and it's not the same experience as being near the water.

I haven't dined at RBT in the afternoon, but I have sat at the tables in the adjacent seating are (near the Stage Door) and you will be able to see the Mark Twain sail by. The RBT/Stage Door tables are slightly elevated compared to the walkway, so you can see the Mark Twain (and Columbia if it's running) on the Rivers of America.

 

[Alinasan]

Soundsational takes between 20 to 23 minutes to clear anyone location (according to DisneyWiki and Allears.net). You can start using Main Street or the parade route as soon as the parade clears that location. The prime viewing locations for the route itself aren't clearing at this point, because a number of guests are actually waiting to see PtN (at 8:50 pm), but it's not enough that it makes moving down the parade route difficult.

Thanks for the timing on the parade routes and the information on the dining ambiance for RB and BB!

I'm seeing people post that the dates we'll be there might be packed with it being the last week for passholders, so does anyone have an opinion on whether it is better to plan to watch the fireworks with a dinner reservation on a day that's blocked versus not ? I'm thinking if the park is crowded that's a better day to have a reservation rather than trying to get on rides, or would it not make too much difference?

 

[figment_jii]

Sorry, just to clarify...the dining packages only provide viewing for Fantasmic!. There are no dining packages (at this point) that provide reserved viewing for Disneyland Forever (the fireworks show) or Paint the Night (the parade).

In terms of dining reservation, if you are planning on being in the parks on a weekend day (Fri to Sun) and want to have a TS meal, I would make a reservation rather than hope to get a walk-up. My guess is that the parks are going to be very busy the remaining weekends before the SoCal and SoCal Select AP blockouts go into effect (and thereafter because it's summer), so hoping to get a TS meal walk-up might be difficult. I think this is going to be true on blockout and non-blockout weekend days. DLR blocks out APs on days when they figure "tourist" (i.e., non-AP crowds) will be high enough, so I wouldn't expect the parks to be "empty" on Saturdays either.

 

[Alinasan]

Oops, I didn't mean a reserved spot for Fireworks viewing or parades, but I meant in terms of trying to juggle which nights its better to tie ourselves up with a reserved dinner and then watch Fantasmic, and possibly catch some of the late night entertainment like the parade and fireworks as we're walking to/from that dinner reservation OR the reserved viewing spots. If we weren't trying to stay to watch a late night show like that, I think we'd just escape the park and crowds anyway. So it sounds like it probably won't make much difference which day, it will all just be crowded.

 

[Alinasan]

So just to update what we did, we wound up with a 6:10 reservation time at BB, went about 20 minutes early to check in so we could get a table by the water (so we were seated about 6:20) and saw the first show. They gave us an extra cushion for our 2 year old, and we sat down in the area after 8 mainly because we were just so tired and wanted to rest, rather than run around and potentially be stuck in the back. We wound up 1 row back from the gate, but I think 2 rows probably has just as good sight lines if not better because of the gate.

We started to try to leave after Fantasmic, but the castmembers said if we stayed there are projections that go with the Fireworks, which were fun and even though not the full-on view one gets in front of the castle, it was actually really special watching it from there. Had we not been so tired, we could have easily grabbed a spot somewhere for PTN parade too. Not the best ones, but it looked like there were spots to stand behind people sitting.

 

[elaine amj]

Thanks so much for the update! It was very helpful.

 

[Angrose]

Yes, thank you for reporting your experience! That is pretty much our plan as well, except we will do RBT because BB is all booked up. I think the F! view and fireworks will be just as good because RBT section is right next to the BB section.

Question: how bad was it trying to get out after the fireworks? Did they have the corridors open along Main St.?

Does your 7yo nap? I always try to get DS7 to nap when I know we'll be up late but he never does!

 

[Alinasan]

Far as I could tell they did not even rope the RBT folks off from BB, it was just one big area, with a sign including both. The people next to us did not have the cushions. Lots had blankets too, and they let kids sit in strollers in the back row. We had to fold ours but they let us leave it next to us, creating open space between us and the people behind us.

My DD does not nap either and I knew better than to try, but she did lie down before the show on the pavement and cushions. Getting out the CMs did a great job moving the crowd and it was cleared out in ten minutes more or less with corridors roped off to channel traffic.
Definitely bring thick blankets for sitting, either in stroller or put in a locker. I saw a woman trying to bring a collapsible wagon in the front gate as her stroller but she was told she could not. One way or another though, it does help to have something on those cobblestones.