When should we line up for Fantasmic?

[bookgirl2632]

Sadly, it's been a while since we were in Disneyworld. If I don't have the Fantasmic Dining Package, how soon would you suggest we line up for Fantasmic? As of now, there is one show the evening we are going. It's at 8pm and there are evening EMH hours, if that matters.

 

[Dan Murphy]

30-40 minutes. Remember, with the triple water screen, all the seats are good seats, except possibly the upfront rows where you may get wet/soaked from the water, depending on the direction and speed of the wind.

 

[CAS239]

45min-1 hour prior to showtime. You could also try for a 4th FP and get Fantasmic. Still I'd recommend about an hour ahead of show time if you want to have full pick of your seats.

We usually have a FP for it and we like to sit front and center (right next to the dining area), so we arrive an hour ahead. It sucks having to sit there and wait about 45-50 min for the show to start, but I'd rather have seats of our choosing vs taking what's left over

 

[innoculation]

I agree with 45min - 1 hour. We have lined up later than that and been fine, but we have also lined up later than that and missed getting seating. One hour is the sweet spot.

 

[bookgirl2632]

Thanks! I seem to recall that we lined up an hour beforehand, but I wanted to be sure.

 

[TheDisneyNurse]

If it's the first show, an hour. Maybe even earlier if it's peak times.

If it's the second show, 30 minutes is the earliest you can go in. You can literally walk in 5 minutes before it starts and still get a good spot.

Since there's only one showing that night, 1 hr early should do it

 

[Robo]

Get a FastPass for F!
There is a very good chance that you can get a FP+ for F! as a 4th or 5th FP of the day because they
issue SO MANY of them (enough to cover nearly the entire left half of the seating.)
On many nights, it is possible that you can gat a FP+ for F! as you are walking to the theater.

What a FP+ for F! offers is more CHOICE in seating.

If you DO get a F! FP+, you can choose to sit in either the FP section (virtually the entire left half of the theater)

or the Standby section (virtually the entire right half of the theater.)

So, whatever section has the better seating at the time you arrive, you can go there.



Without a FP, you can only choose a seat in the Standby section.

As to when to arrive at the theater, I'd get to there 45-60 minutes before the show-time.

Even with a FP or Dining Pkg. reservation, don't wait too late.

On busy nights, the CMs can stop holding the reserved sections within 20-30 minutes before show-time,

and turn over any available seats to waiting walk-in guests.

There is a "pre-show" (such as it is) that can help pass the last 30 minutes before show time.

-------------------------------------------------------------------



Map Below-

Arrows indicate the center of the seating.

Shaded areas:

(First or Only F! performance of the evening)

Cyan= Standby (walk-in) seating

Red= Dining Package Reserved

Blue= FP+ Reserved

Purple= Can be either FP+ or Dining Plan Reserved, depending on needs.



(Second or Third F! performance of the evening)

Cyan= Standby (walk-in) seating

Red, Purple, Blue= FP+ Reserved

(Although much of the outer Blue will likely be used for Standby.)

 

[3DisneyFanz]

When we were down in Sept they weren't letting people without FP+ in at about 45 prior to show time.

 

[TianaPrincess]

When I was there with my parents 2 years ago we lined up 45 minutes before the show and we got fantastic seats in the Pocahontas section.

 

[Robo]

When we were down in Sept they weren't letting people without FP+ in at about 45 prior to show time.

That's not a normal procedure and is not generally the case.
I'd not expect that to happen again when you are there.