Who else isn't thrilled with Fantasmic?

[laceemouse]

We love Fantasmic, it is our favorite night time show at WDW. It is so much more than just fireworks, or a character show. We went last week for the 3rd time and still loved it, and my kids have never been scared of it (even as young as 2 years old.) We went to MNSSHP last week and while it was enjoyable we did not LOVE it so I guess to each his own.

 

[laceemouse]

Also, we don't sit and wait any more. We do the dinner package. Last week we did H&V which was superb. Loved the buffet as we have so many different tastes to please. I highly recommend it!

 

[iceskatejen]

I think they used carbon dioxide when the show first started, but I guess it is natural gas now (still not anything to get grossed out over as it all burns away and if it didn't it just goes out into the air, not onto anyone).

Anyway--here's why the DL version is so much better:
Fewer villians--just the Queen from Snow White, Ursula, Chernabog and Maleficent/Dragon.

You know that part of the MGM version where you see the characters faces in the bubbles on the mist screen? (I think after the monkeys and before Jiminy/Monstro) DL has a lot going on during that portion of the show--Pink Elephants and Pinnochio, and not all just on the mist screens.

Peter Pan rocks so much more than Pocahontas. I love watching the stunts they do on that ship (plus you get to see it more close up).

DL's snake is Kaa and he comes out with the Monkeys. It's so cool that his eyes light up on just the right note of music and go across the crowd.

Mark Twain versus Steamboat Willie: The Mark Twain is bigger and can hold a whole bunch of characters. We still have Steamboat Willie Mickey on it, but at DL he has all his friends with him.

 

[jkovick]

We weren't that thrilled with Fantasmic either. It was ok, but I am in no hurry to go back. I'd take Wishes or Illuminations over it anyday!

 

[LeftCoaster]

Originally posted by iceskatejen
I think they used carbon dioxide when the show first started, but I guess it is natural gas now (still not anything to get grossed out over as it all burns away and if it didn't it just goes out into the air, not onto anyone).

Anyway--here's why the DL version is so much better:
Fewer villians--just the Queen from Snow White, Ursula, Chernabog and Maleficent/Dragon.


Peter Pan rocks so much more than Pocahontas. I love watching the stunts they do on that ship (plus you get to see it more close up).

DL's snake is Kaa and he comes out with the Monkeys. It's so cool that his eyes light up on just the right note of music and go across the crowd.

Mark Twain versus Steamboat Willie: The Mark Twain is bigger and can hold a whole bunch of characters. We still have Steamboat Willie Mickey on it, but at DL he has all his friends with him.

Having fewer villains also really helps out with the pacing of the show.
Also, with the monkeys and also on the Mark Twain, the performers are more disciplined with the choreography instead of just doing what they feel like. This had been pointed out to me and made a subtle but big difference.

Also at the end when Mickey slays the dragon, in DL's version, Mickey doesn't parade around on stage like at MGM. It got to the point where I wanted to root for the dragon. haha

 

[wdwoldtimer]

Yeah, I say lose the long drawn out and boring Pocahontas section. I think the mountain is too far away from the seating area. Plus you get soaked if you sit in the first several rows and the wind is blowing at you. It's like a once every 4 or 5 visits thing for us.

 

[underdesea]

Wow, glad to see I'm not alone in this feeling. It's not so much that I don't like Fantasmic, but it just eats up so much time. The line to get in, the waiting, the show, the "great millennium walk" to get out...there are so many other things to do with that huge hunk of time. The last time my DH and I tried to see the show, we were waiting in the SRO section, and a thunderstorm came in out of nowhere. We were caught. A few of us moved away from the fleeing crowds and tried to put up umbrellas and wait until the herd thundered out. The Disney CMs said no umbrellas allowed. Which I understand if you're in the masses, but we were up by ourselves, away from trees and other people. I know, it's a safety issue, but annoying. Anyway, by the time we made it out and back to the bus stop, we were totally drenched, and I said "Never again." That was several years ago, and we haven't been back to Fantasmic. I'm glad I saw the show once, but that will probably be it for me, unless I can walk up on a beautiful, clear night and easily get a seat--nice dream, huh?

 

[Eeyore2003]

Seen it once and don't need to see it again. We only go if we area going with someone "new". DH and DS would rather ride TOT and RNR with no lines during the show.

The same thing happened to me with La Nouba. People built it up to be such an "unbelievable", "not to be missed", "extraordinary" wonder, that when I saw it I was so disappointed. It was good, but not "unbeleivable"!!! I try not to build things up to people. I'd rather have them be surprised than disappointed.

 

[CarolinaBlue]

Thank you, thank you! I thought that my family and I were the only ones that weren't impressed with Fantasmic. Good to know that we are not alone. Like another poster said: Seen it , now we don't have to again!

 

[Pig Pen]

It's my favorite show. We love it.

 

[Minderbinder5]

A little off the subject, but....

How does Fantasmic! compare between WDW and DL? I have only seen the DL version, and love it everytime I see it. Just amazes me how they put every trick in the bag into one show. But, I have seen pictures of the one at WDW and it seems...umm, less fulfilling. Like the riverboat at the end is a cardboard cut-out compared to the Mark Twain at DL. Your thoughts?...

 

[iceskatejen]

It would have blown me away had I not seen the DL version, but since I have (at least 100 times), I was less than impressed. And it's not just the Steamboat Willie boat (though it isn't anywhere near as cool as the Mark Twain), but a lot of other elements just aren't as good. Next time I'm at WDW I'll probably skip it, though I can't go to DL and not see Fantasmic if it's playing (and I go to DL at least twice a month). Not only do I have to watch it, I have to be front row center, which usually entails a 4 hour wait, but in the case of the DL version, it's worth it.

 

[Ducky4Disney]

I saw it once and I'm glad I did. But I've been there, done that, now. The water screens were cool, but not for long. I am debating on whether or not to take my Dad to this on our upcoming trip. I think we will skip it this time. One of the reasons I didn't enjoy Fantasmic! was due to the overwhelming use of flash photography - wasn't there an announecement in several languages that said NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY?? I could have swore there was.

D4D

 

[sherry8253]

Sorry but I love Fantasmic. It is a must do for my DH and I each trip. But different opinions is what makes the world go around and each of us unique.

 

[fdecker]

I've seen the DL show also, but not the DW show. What's the difference? I remember being blown away the first time I saw it in DL. First of all, it's in the main area of the park, no theater to have to go sit in. About an hour before the show, people start trying to find spots to see it. It reminds me a lot of Epcot Illuminations.

I just remember layer on layer building and the dragon getting 50 feet tall and blasting fire. I thought that was enough but then these pirate ships come out of nowwhere from both sides of this narrow lagoon and have an all out battle with acrobats doing amazing things from the ropes of the ships.

Disney advertises that about half of the DW show is original, you would think they would improve on it or duplicated sucess.

Fred

 

[catsrule]

I love Fantasmic, but I don't line up for hours ahead of time to see it. I like being on the side up close, I like feeling the water splash.

 

[flyball]

We were always disappointed on past trips because we were never able to get around to seeing the show. We finally saw it this September, and my older DD (13) and I thought it was LAME!!! (My DH and younger DD (11) thought it was okay.) I thought the mister screens were cheesy; I can go anywhere to watch a movie! I am so glad we didn't do the Fantasmic package, because it was raining the night we went, right up until the show, and it could have been cancelled. We dined at Mama Melrose's (our worst meal of the trip), and walked right into the show afterwards without a wait. I also thought the noise level was very uncomfortable. We won't be doing this one again, but I'm glad we went, because we now know that we're not missing anything special. By the way, we also saw Wishes for the first time and LOVED it!!! It's so well choreographed! We think Illuminations is absoutely breathtaking. I'd definitely see those two shows over Fantasmic any day.

 

[Rhonna]

Although I'm not a huge fan of Fantasmic at WDW, I noticed a few people have mentioned the water screens that the movies are played on.

I have to say I have a higher opinion of them since I saw a program on TV that showcased the company that thought up and engineered this technology. It isn't a disney company and the water screen technology has been used in other places. I thought it was pretty impressive how they engineered this and fine tuned to get it just right.

It seems like a simple enough concept - like sticking your thumb on the end of a garden hose and getting it to spray out in a fan. But for these larger screens, to get a consistent, smooth surface it isn't so easy. If it wasn't smooth enough, the movies wouldn't look so good on them. Just like at a theater if the screen is damaged, it shows up on the film image and distracts you.

I find it more interesting if I have had the opportunity to learn a little "how do they do that" information. The TV program I saw was several years ago and I haven't seen it since.

 

[Ashes8380]

I really liked Fantasmic, but I also did not waste hours lining up early for good seats. We got there about a half hour early (granted, we were there in January), had seats about 3/4 of the way back, and were happy with them and the show!

 

[axavilez]

Although I don't think the MGM Fantasmic is a bad show, it cannot compare to the DL version. As already mentioned, the DL Fantasmic has the Mark Twain and Peter Pan pirate ship. These full size ships are much more impressive in scale than the small MGM Fantasmic boats. The choreographed battle in the Peter Pan scene is awesome. It really is a show highlight.

I think where the MGM Fantasmic goes wrong is when it strays from the story line. It seems to rely too much on the water mist screens, such as the long scene with the character bubbles. The Pocahontas scene also seems out of place. I also don't think all the villains are necessary. There were too many moments were I felt bored and thought "get on with it".

Anyway, I found a website with a video of the DL Fantasmic for anybody who is interested.

http://www.disneyforever.com/media/dl/index.htm