Will we have any trouble getting to F! with 6:45 dinner?

[disprincess2213]

At Minnie Holiday and Dine dinner? We will plan to head straight there afterwords for the 8:30 show. Thoughts? Or are we cutting it close?

 

[kmb584]

We had a 7:25 ADR on 11-15 and weren't seated until 7:50. We left at 9:15 and still hadn't seen Donald. If you just eat and leave you should be fine, but the characters were slow there!

 

[Alesia]

What is the exact date you're talking about? That makes a huge difference between probably not making it and definitely not making it. Regardless, I'd put your chances at less than 50%.

 

[DebbieB]

Is 8:30 the second show? Those are less crowded.

 

[italian alps]

There was only 1 F! Friday night and we were in line 45 minutes before the show started and got limited seeing seats.

 

[LisaCM614]

At Minnie Holiday and Dine dinner? We will plan to head straight there afterwords for the 8:30 show. Thoughts? Or are we cutting it close?

I don't think you'll make it. If you were seated at 6:45PM you would likely be done by 8:15PM. Plan on 90 minutes for any meal involving characters. The later your meal the more likely you'll be seated a bit later than your ADR time. Plan for F! another night and just enjoy your fun dinner! If it works out then go but I wouldn't plan on it.

 

[ny0090]

I think you are cutting it pretty close. I had dinner reservations at 6:20PM and thought i had time to finish eating, see the Osborne Lights and still make it in time for Fantasmic! After eating, we raced to the Streets of America, stayed for barely a minute and rushed to get seats for Fantasmic. Our seats were in Jafar (because we had FP) and the stand-by area was filling into the Ursula section.

I'm not sure if cast members allow you to enter the arena after the show starts. But if you don't mind sitting at the far ends and missing the very beginning of the show, then there were still lots of seats available when we were there. There was not a single person sitting in the two rows in front of us or behind us. Hades and Beast and Witch sections were completely empty.

 

[ktlm]

You would have to be really lucky to make it (no wait for dinner, characters start getting to your table soon after you are seated, etc.). If I had to make a choice though, for me I would pick Minnie's Holiday and Dine hands down. Then, I would just figure, if I made it to Fantasmic, great and if not we would just go hang out at the Osborne lights the rest of the evening!

 

[disprincess2213]

Oh wow!! I thought we would have plenty of time so good thing I asked! It is on Thursday Dec 10, second fantasmic showing, if that makes a difference

 

[Alesia]

Oh wow!! I thought we would have plenty of time so good thing I asked! It is on Thursday Dec 10, second fantasmic showing, if that makes a difference

It does make a difference. Since it'a before the Christmas crowds and it's the second show, you might have a chance, but it's still a long shot. I would put your chances at about 40%, assuming you can move pretty quickly. Even if everything goes perfectly, it's going to be pretty tight.

 

[ktlm]

Oh wow!! I thought we would have plenty of time so good thing I asked! It is on Thursday Dec 10, second fantasmic showing, if that makes a difference

WDW characters meals are typically an hour and a half experience. Sometimes you can get done earlier than that (sometimes later), but that is fairly standard. The quickest we have ever had was 45 minutes at Crystal Palace. That time we were seated immediately, and as we sat down the first character was arriving at our table- we had to rush to get the camera and autograph books out. That has only happened once. Other than that, an hour is what we consider a pretty fast pace at a character meal.

With it being the second showing and not in the thick of the Christmas masses after school is out, you do have a shot at getting in Fantasmic. As long as you don't have much of a wait, you will probably get done in time to book it over there and see if there are any empty spots left. You might try showing up 20 minutes early for your ADR. I don't know about Minnie's, but I know that some of the character meals won't let you check in any earlier than that. I'm more optimistic than Alesia. With it being the second show, I would give you about a 60% or even 65% chance of making it and still getting a spot on the edge or near the back. DH would say I'm the optimist- I don't know how many times at WDW or DLR he has insisted we can't make it somewhere in time or someplace will be full by the time we get there, and I have made him try it anyway and it has worked out. Last summer at DLR in July, he insisted there was absolutely no way we could get from the front row wet zone at World of Color in California Adventure and get any kind of spot for the late showing of the new Paint the Night Parade at Disneyland- he didn't even want to try it- he grumbled and was ready to say I told you so right up until I sat him down in a prime spot on Main Street only 10 or 15 minutes before the parade was starting. You never know unless you try!

 

[cassie58]

It will be tight, with most character meals taking at least an hr., and people posting that they have been seated well after their ADR time at this meal. I would keep trying to get an earlier ADR, but if you can't, as PP mentioned show up early to check in, pay your bill/scan bands at the beginning of the meal, and if you are waiting for a character to make their way to your table, ask a waiter for help. With 2nd show during a less crazy week, you have a shot, but it would be nicer if you didn't have to rush and try to get seats at the last minute.