When to arrive w/ Fantasmic Dining Package

[SleepyHollow]

Hi everyone - I am working on my touring plan for Hollywood studios. We have a Fantasmic dining package. I've read some recommendations that suggest dining package guests should still plan to arrive at the theater 45-60 minutes before the show starts. We have a fast pass for another attraction that would let us get to the theater about 30 minutes early but probably not sooner than that. Any opinions on whether arriving 30 minutes early would severely limit seating options in the dining pkg section? I can ditch the fast pass and just get to the theater 60 minutes early if will make a big difference. Not sure what to do. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Robo]

45-60 minutes before the show starts.

If you arrive 30 minutes before, you are simply taking a chance.
It might work just fine on some nights... not so much on other nights.

Remember that (depending on the crowd-level) it can actually take about 5-10 minutes (or more)
before you finally reach the SEATING AREA
after arriving at the GATE. It is a very long pathway.

The rule of arrivals at WDW is-
If seeing a particular performance is important to you, it is much better to arrive
far too early, than to arrive one minute too late.

 

[Biff13]

Hi everyone - I am working on my touring plan for Hollywood studios. We have a Fantasmic dining package. I've read some recommendations that suggest dining package guests should still plan to arrive at the theater 45-60 minutes before the show starts. We have a fast pass for another attraction that would let us get to the theater about 30 minutes early but probably not sooner than that. Any opinions on whether arriving 30 minutes early would severely limit seating options in the dining pkg section? I can ditch the fast pass and just get to the theater 60 minutes early if will make a big difference. Not sure what to do. Any thoughts are appreciated. Thanks!

I am here now or at the parks (Epcot actually) and entered 30 mins before the show. My wife and I got seats (really a bench) in the VIP section. You will enter right in the middle (by Mickey) and get a fantastic spot. We both loved the show! Have fun.

 

[CAS239]

Dining section will be about half full to 3/4th full 30 min prior on an average night. Earlier you get there the better chance you have of having a better pick of seats.

 

[sharonabe]

At what time do they open the dining section to everyone? Isn't that around the 30 min mark or do they keep it roped off completely?

 

[Robo]

At what time do they open the dining section to everyone? Isn't that around the 30 min mark or do they keep it roped off completely?

It absolutely depends on how BUSY the show is that performance.
That's why I was so specific about how long it takes to get to the seating from the gates,
and why I emphasize that guest's timing is so dependent on the crowd level that night.
Since that can't be easily determined in advance, the guest who decides to arrive closer to show-time
is simply taking a chance that there will be available seating.

Sometimes it is no problem.
Sometimes it can be a BIG problem.

What happened on "X date" is no indication of what will happen on YOUR date.

Again:
If seeing a particular performance is important to you, it is much better to arrive
far too early, than to arrive one minute too late.

 

[sharonabe]

It absolutely depends on how BUSY the show is that performance.

Thanks, Robo. That is very helpful.

So, in general, buying a specific show dinner package does not necessarily mean you don't have to wait as long. It does mean you have a guaranteed seat at what may be a "sold out" theater as long as you show up to said show WELL before the show begins.

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

I had the Fantasmic Dining Package last night. My family and I always get there an hour early. It's always a nice wait, because they have nice music playing and the crowd sometimes gets into it. We did the same last night, and we basically had any choice of seat. About 30 minutes prior, people with big families were struggling to find enough seats in the dining package area for their family.

 

[Pang223]

Is the fantasmic package seating sectioned off? And if you don't like that section, is there any reason you can't just pick a seat somewhere you prefer before or at the same time they start letting others in? Is it the best seating?

 

[AMusicLifeForMe]

Is the fantasmic package seating sectioned off? And if you don't like that section, is there any reason you can't just pick a seat somewhere you prefer before or at the same time they start letting others in? Is it the best seating?

The Fantasmic Dining package puts you in the center of the theater. This is the best area in the theater. You are dead center with the stage and the water screen. Every other location makes you look to the side for the water screen, or has a view of the side of the stage. There are three water screens though. Two on the sides and one in the middle. I would say the Fantasmic Dining Package is the best seating in the theater. Now, my family always sits towards the top of the seating, because one time we sat towards the bottom and the mist from the water screens literally made it hard to see because we wear glasses, so it literally got our lens wet during the whole show. We also got soaked by the end. It made it for an unpleasant experience trying to watch the show. I have no idea if our experience was due to the wind going towards the theater that night, or if it happens every show. So, I would recommend either in the middle or towards the top of the seating if you don't like to get wet.

 

[Dan Murphy]

Is the fantasmic package seating sectioned off? And if you don't like that section, is there any reason you can't just pick a seat somewhere you prefer before or at the same time they start letting others in? Is it the best seating?

Keep in mind that almost all of the seating at Fantasmic is good. There are 3 identical water screens, for left, center and right side viewing. The only poorer seating would be the first half dozen rows, and especially the front 2 or 3 rows. They can get pretty wet at times, depending on the direction of the wind. Might feel nice in July, not so much in December.

 

[Robo]

1. Is the fantasmic package seating sectioned off?
2. And if you don't like that section, is there any reason you can't just pick a seat somewhere you prefer before or at the same time they start letting others in?
3. Is it the best seating?

1.Yes.
2. You can go anywhere else that still has open seats.
3. It's the centermost section.

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.)

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

 

[Pang223]

1.Yes.
2. You can go anywhere else that still has open seats.
3. It's the centermost section.

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.)

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

Wow! Thank you!

 

[SleepyHollow]

If you arrive 30 minutes before, you are simply taking a chance.
It might work just fine on some nights... not so much on other nights.

Remember that (depending on the crowd-level) it can actually take about 5-10 minutes (or more)
before you finally reach the SEATING AREA
after arriving at the GATE. It is a very long pathway.

The rule of arrivals at WDW is-
If seeing a particular performance is important to you, it is much better to arrive
far too early, than to arrive one minute too late.

Thanks to all. This information is very helpful to our planning. We are a small family and don't mind waiting for the show as long as necessary. We can easily adjust our fast pass situation to arrive earlier. Do all guests (dining package vouchers, FP, standby) enter through the same gate at the same time and then get directed to their section upon arrival at the theater?

 

[Robo]

Do all guests (dining package vouchers, FP, standby) enter through the same gate at the same time and then get directed to their section upon arrival at the theater?

Yes.
That's why, if the show is busy and you arrive in the midst of the crowd, it can take quite awhile to get from the theater gates to the seating area.