WC, fantasmic and a big group!

[tammydel]

Trying to think of the short version of my story - not so good at short versions!
I will be down for Thanksgiving week with my family (11 people) including my 83 year old grandmother who will be in a wheelchair. I have a 3:35 pm fantasmic dinner reservation on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving. 3:35 is very early and it is our arrival day (Yikes!) There is a 4:25 available - at the moment but not with the package.
I'm wondering what effect the wheelchair will have on our package, will we sit near the handicap seating anyway? How many of us can sit near my gram? Could I take the 4:25 and hope to get in to the 2nd show (8pm) without the package because we will directed to handicap seating area? Or should I just be happy I have something!!!
I've done the Fantasmic Package before but never with a wheelchair or such a big group.
Any info, past experiences or advice welcome.
Thanks in advance,
Tammy

 

[KPeveler]

Most people with a wheelchair do not use the dinner package (although i do)... you can sit 2 or 3 people on a bench next to the wheelchair and everyone else will sit in front of you.

Someone else can tell you about getting into fantasmic with a wheelchair in the regular line - we havent done it. i will say thanksgiving week is VERY crazy and i would suggest the dinner package even if you have a wheelchair with you - you don't want to get stuck if all the wheelchair spots are taken.

 

[SueM in MN]

The back row of the whole amphitheater (including the Fantasmic Package area) is reserved for people using wheelchairs and/or ECVs.
The arrangement is a few empty spots for a wheelchair/ECV to park, then a seat for one person to sit next to the guest in the wheelchair/ECV. The rest of your party will be sitting in the 2 rows ahead of the back row - sort of directly in front of the person using the wheelchair/ECV. A usual party is considered to be 6 (5 plus the person with a disability). They may or may not let your whole party stay together since it is about twice as large as a 'usual' wheelchair party. In any case, you will be sitting in 2-3 rows (or more) right in front of each other.

If you are not using the package, you enter the area with all the other guests and stay in the regular line until about where strollers are pulled off for parking. At that point, a CM will get your party and lead you to seats (since there is only wheelchair/ECV seating at the specific areas, they make sure your party is shown where to sit).
We have been to WDW in some very busy times - including Spring break. You may see a line forming about 2 hours before the show is to start. There is no need to get into that line and stand waiting. Once the gates are opened to start letting people in, the line disappears quickly as those people get in and get seats.
We usually get into the line soon after the gates open for the line to start moving into the amphitheater (about 1-1.5 hours before the show starts). We have gotten there as late as 15 minutes before the show and still gotten a place and gotten there as far ahead as 45 minutes and got one of the last places. General busy-ness in the parks doesn't always translate into busy for people using wheelchairs and ECVs.

The Fantasmic Dinner package seating is the far right section, as you face the stage. The show includes some some portions that are movies on screens made of water mist. There are 3 of these, so each section of the amphitheater has one that is directed toward it. The action does take place all over the stage and there are also portions that take place on boats, which start off stage at the right and going around the water to off stage at the left, so they pass by every section of the seating.
The wheelchair accessible seating for the whole amphitheater of Fantasmic is the same - it's the whole back row. There are empty spaces where people with wheelchairs and ECVs can park intersperced with seats There is one seat next to each wheelchair space , so that one person can sit next to the person using a wheelchair. The rest of your party will be seated right in front of the wheelchair in the 2 rows in front of the back row.
I don't know if they reserve a wheelchair seat if you are using a package, since we have never used a package ourselves.

 

[tammydel]

Hmmm....
So it sounds like there is a reasonable chance that we could go to the 8pm show about an hour before without the package and get seats - in front of each other in a couple (few rows). Of course I'd like us all to be as near to my grandmother as possible, this trip is about our family being there with her, but it sounds like package or no package we will need to sit in a certain rows and be there early enough so that there are still wheelchair seats available.
Still unsure of what to do.
Your info was great though thank you very much. Guess there is no clear answer to the "package and eat at 3:30 or no package and eat at 4:30; with a wheelchair and 11 people question!
Thanks again to the quick answers, Disers are the best!!!
Tammy

 

[KPeveler]

We used the dinner package last time and we love it. we like eating at hollywood and vine anyway, so it works out.

We actually were taken across the whole back row, and I sat right in the middle of the back row of the theatre. they will take up as many seats for "reserved" wheelchairs as they need, so i guess if a whole lot of people with WCs get the package, that could use up a lot of the seats.

 

[mechurchlady]

If this was the last week of September then maybe the dinner and no package would be fine. You are going at one of the peak seasons. People will be camping out to get a good spot including wheelchair users. It is better to get the package with guaranteed seating. It they let in only 5 of your party then have them spread way out and reserve seats for the rest of the party. Kid can sit in laps for example. I have seen 2 people stake out spots at Disneyland Fantasmic and taht was for large groups.

The important thing is that granny gets a wheelchair spot and some of her loved ones with her. Also is anyone else in your group disabled because you could then get a second GAC and use that to get the whole group together. Also try talking to CMs as they do not bite and ofter are very helpful.