WOC for the cranky

[mommaU4]

I'm starting to think maybe we should just hold off on WoC until the crowd control issues are ironed out.

Just wanted to comment on that part of your reply...

I was just there for my birthday last Sunday and won't be back in Disneyland or DCA until 2012, so I thought long and hard if I wanted to see WoC and decided against it.

I've just heard too many negative reviews and didn't want to deal with long waits, pushy people, or huge crowds. I also really do not like the idea of standing for the show. I can walk all day long at Disney, but for some reason standing in one spot just kills my legs! I just don't understand why seating of some sort wasn't put in.

Anyway, I don't regret my decision not to see it. I know it will still be there in 2012 when I go back and hopefully by then they will have all the kinks worked out and it will be a smooth, fun experience.

 

[DSNY4ever]

We went on Saturday and the experience was interesting...a little crazy. The picnic meal was fine. We bought it on the same day as we knew we only wanted to see the second show (hoping it would be less crowded). We had to take our meal with us on the spot, but it was lunch time and we were hungry.

We both thought our meal was fine. I had the American and my husband had the European Antipasto. They were good. Nothing thrilling, but typical Disney counter service type food. I was content with the price paid and the food.

The viewing was insane. We were in blue. The lines at every section (regular fastpass, picnic, and sitdown meals) were all very crowded about 2 hours before the show. It was hectic when they let everyone into the viewing area. We went for a railing spot a little farther back to avoid the rush (and then at least we were still against a railing).

About half way through the show a lot of people behind us just ended up leaving because they couldn't see anything and I think they were getting bored/frustrated. I probably would have done the same, but we lucked out with our spot. We both liked the show, but I prefer Fantasmic still.

 

[FlameGirl]

I know it will still be there in 2012 when I go back and hopefully by then they will have all the kinks worked out and it will be a smooth, fun experience.

Thanks Beth...this is the direction I'm starting to lean in, to be honest. I haven't seen F! since 2004 and while it would have been nice to see it the last few trips, it didn't detract from our trip.

We went on Saturday and the experience was interesting...a little crazy. The picnic meal was fine. We bought it on the same day as we knew we only wanted to see the second show (hoping it would be less crowded). We had to take our meal with us on the spot, but it was lunch time and we were hungry.

We both thought our meal was fine. I had the American and my husband had the European Antipasto. They were good. Nothing thrilling, but typical Disney counter service type food. I was content with the price paid and the food.

The viewing was insane. We were in blue. The lines at every section (regular fastpass, picnic, and sitdown meals) were all very crowded about 2 hours before the show. It was hectic when they let everyone into the viewing area. We went for a railing spot a little farther back to avoid the rush (and then at least we were still against a railing).

About half way through the show a lot of people behind us just ended up leaving because they couldn't see anything and I think they were getting bored/frustrated. I probably would have done the same, but we lucked out with our spot. We both liked the show, but I prefer Fantasmic still.

This is exactly why I started this thread. If I pay $150 for a mediocre dinner, have to wait in line for 2 hours for a spot and I still can't see the show? That WILL detract from our trip. I'm really starting to think we may just skip it and wait until next year.

Thanks for all the responses so far!

 

[shmedly123]

Thanks Beth...this is the direction I'm starting to lean in, to be honest. I haven't seen F! since 2004 and while it would have been nice to see it the last few trips, it didn't detract from our trip.



This is exactly why I started this thread. If I pay $150 for a mediocre dinner, have to wait in line for 2 hours for a spot and I still can't see the show? That WILL detract from our trip. I'm really starting to think we may just skip it and wait until next year.

Thanks for all the responses so far!

You already know my opinion since I was the OP of the other thread

For the poster that wondered if they had ironed out the issues with a giant herd of people being funneled into each section, we visited on Oct 18th so unless something has changed in the past week I would say no the crowd control has not been worked out.

I have heard other people reporting that they had a better experience at the later show times...unfortunately for us we were there when there where no later showings.

I also wanted to be clear about one other thing, please don't think i am a downer when it comes to stuff like this. If you look at my posts they are almost always positive so to write something this negative about a show really pained me but I felt the need to let others know.

 

[FlameGirl]

I also wanted to be clear about one other thing, please don't think i am a downer when it comes to stuff like this. If you look at my posts they are almost always positive so try write something this negative about a show really pained me but I felt the need to let others know.

I for one, certainly don't think that. I very much appreciate your candid thoughts on your experience, and you may have just saved my family a huge headache (and the price of dinner at AG).

I forwarded my husband a bunch of the comments and he said it sounds like the running of the bulls at Pamplona. We go to DLR when we go to avoid heavy crowds, so this sounds like something we should definitely take a pass on, for this year anyway.

 

[GoofItUp]

We will be there at the end of Jan - myself, DH, my cousin and his wife - along with 4 kids ages 2-5. I'm getting nervous about how to see WoC. And since we don't know when we'll be back to DL, I'd really like to see it. My thought is to send my DH and cousin sprinting with 2 strollers into the crazy herd to get good spots, and we'll squirm our way through to meet up with them when things settle down a bit. I'm hoping late Jan won't be too crowded, anyway. And we're coming in on a Wed, so if we watch the show that night or the next maybe it won't be so bad. Another thought I've had....I thought I had read about a viewing area for DVC at VGC. Is there one? We'll be staying at VGC and we might just try that. Even if the views aren't great, it may still be better than what you could end up with in the show viewing areas. Especially since I'm short and we'll have 4 little kids we'd have to hold up.

 

[skiingfast]

Another thought I've had....I thought I had read about a viewing area for DVC at VGC. Is there one? We'll be staying at VGC and we might just try that. Even if the views aren't great, it may still be better than what you could end up with in the show viewing areas. Especially since I'm short and we'll have 4 little kids we'd have to hold up.

Is there a veiwing area at the GCV, Yes. Is it an alternative to getting a FP and watching from Paradise Park, Yes. Is it like a handful of dry cheerios is an alternative to the Bacon, Eggs, packages, fruit, coffee and juice you wanted for breakfast, yes.

It would be better so employ some strategy to get a good view and minimize the wait.

 

[HydroGuy]

This is exactly why I started this thread. If I pay $150 for a mediocre dinner, have to wait in line for 2 hours for a spot and I still can't see the show? That WILL detract from our trip. I'm really starting to think we may just skip it and wait until next year.

Thanks for all the responses so far!

You may want to skip it but this thread I think has slanted too far to the negative.

We ate at Ariel's Grotto for the WOC Preferred Viewing and the food was excellent. Better than we expected. We had seven in our group and the orders ranged from tri-tip, fish, lobster and pasta. We all liked our plates a lot. We liked the appetizers. We liked the desserts. For Disney and their prices, it was not overpriced in our opinion - although the tab for a group of seven was pretty big.

As for viewing the show, if you are:

1. Willing to study the WOC traffic patterns and identify good viewing spots (see WOC Viewing Chart)
2. Get an early AG reservation so you can be free to get in line for WOC preferred viewing
3. Get in line when you need to - roughly two hours ahead of time
4. Spend the time waiting in the line to get into WOC

then WOC can be a great if not jaw-dropping experience.

We did all of the above and were all overwhelmed by WOC (see HydroGuy's World of Color Review). I have since seen WOC three more times from different locations and it still overwhelms me.

Yes, the viewing area design is flawed. Yes there are many poor and mediocre views. Yes it is tiring to wait so long for a show. Yes it is hard to stand. Yes it is frustrating to be behind tall people and/or have younger kids who cannot see. There are spots where kids can see WOC and if you get them there the payoff will be huge.

I am still uncertain what to make of World of Color's poor feedback from some fans (see Remember Dreams Come True, Fantasmic or World of Color? Which is your favorite?). I speculated here that the majority of the negative reviews are from people who had a poor view or saw a really late show and were overly tired. There are some I know who did have a good view and still not care for WOC. Those people exist but I think are fewer in numbers.

Webmaster Pete (the founder of DIS) had a similar positive reaction to us. See his review here.

I am not trying to change your mind but to get this perspective into this thread so others who read it in the future will not be scared away prematurely.

Good luck in your decision!

 

[Carrie in AZ]

I greatly appreciate everyone's responses and views on WoC. We are going over Thanksgiving. I wish I could say I am excited to experience WoC, but I am not. We're planning on going because DH really wants to see it. I've purchased the picnics, we have the color coded map, and we'll plan some sort of strategy and, hopefully, we'll be overwhelmed with the show like many others here.

However, I feel totally irked by this whole thing. The last thing I ned in my life, especially while on vacation, is a lot of hassle. Why oh why couldn't this be planned out to provide guests with a seamless, "like clockwork" type of experience? No seating, needing a FP, dining options thrown in...what a mess. When I told my husband that everyone needs a FP to get into the show, he looked at me like I had three heads and replied "what do you mean everyone needs a FP?" The whole thing is just plain weird. Just saying.

Yes, of course it is our option to choose not to participate so I shouldn't be whining before we even step foot there. I hope it goes better than I think it's going to......

Thanks again for sharing, everyone.

 

[dreamerliz]

Yet once again I'm asking for help

I hate line-ups, waiting & crowds but I am going to WOC

Would my chances be better on Nov 4th when there is only one showing or waiting til Fri or Sunday when there is 2 shows and Fantasmic running at the same time. I'm thinking maybe Sunday - last show!?!?! Thoughts?????

Thanks!

 

[dreamerliz]

Carrie In Arizona - I totally agree with you!!!! All of us who are on here are totally in love with Disney
BUT! Something about WOC feels like a total money grab to me. I would love to see it of course!

 

[Funball]

Yet once again I'm asking for help

I hate line-ups, waiting & crowds but I am going to WOC

Would my chances be better on Nov 4th when there is only one showing or waiting til Fri or Sunday when there is 2 shows and Fantasmic running at the same time. I'm thinking maybe Sunday - last show!?!?! Thoughts?????

Thanks!

for you i'd suggest the picnic meals.. no wait in lines and depending on the ticket type you get, you can get a nice spot!

 

[JustAKid]

I just wanted to thank you, OP, for posting this thread. DH and I took a good, hard look at whether or not we wanted to do WoC and decided that yes, we definately do but we're not shelling out all that cash for it. We'll be doing picnics instead so that we can atleast avoid one line, still get a meal, and not feel like we spent all that money for a "maybe" spot.

Thanks again, OP! You rock.

 

[FlameGirl]

I just wanted to thank you, OP, for posting this thread. DH and I took a good, hard look at whether or not we wanted to do WoC and decided that yes, we definately do but we're not shelling out all that cash for it. We'll be doing picnics instead so that we can atleast avoid one line, still get a meal, and not feel like we spent all that money for a "maybe" spot.

Thanks again, OP! You rock.

I'm so glad that the information that surfaced in this thread was valuable to you!

And the intent here was not to start a lynching mob, but to get some candid, first-hand experience from other DIS'ers. We've thought it out and we are most definitely not the kind of family that will wait for 2 hours, give or take, after we've just supposedly paid for preferred seating, or however else you want to look at it. So, we'll skip it.

Good luck JustAKid - I really hope your experience is smooth sailing. Hopefully by this time next year, we'll give it a shot too.

 

[momrek06]

I have a question re: WOC ... as we were waiting for WOC to start and were already inside the gated area standing ... we could see all the rides closing down, the swings, California Screamin' etc etc. As the WOC started, DH pointed out quite a few people standing over by California Screamin' ... does Disney allow that throughout all of WOC ... there sure was ALLOT of people standing watching from THAT side? IDK, maybe they could not see what we could???

ANYONE?


Hope it was ok to post that question here even though it was not about food.

 

[HydroGuy]

I have a question re: WOC ... as we were waiting for WOC to start and were already inside the gated area standing ... we could see all the rides closing down, the swings, California Screamin' etc etc. As the WOC started, DH pointed out quite a few people standing over by California Screamin' ... does Disney allow that throughout all of WOC ... there sure was ALLOT of people standing watching from THAT side? IDK, maybe they could not see what we could???

ANYONE?


Hope it was ok to post that question here even though it was not about food.

Yes you can watch from over there but it is watching from the back side of the show. So you cannot see it very well from there. It was designed to be viewed from the front.

 

[skiingfast]

Yet once again I'm asking for help

I hate line-ups, waiting & crowds but I am going to WOC

Would my chances be better on Nov 4th when there is only one showing or waiting til Fri or Sunday when there is 2 shows and Fantasmic running at the same time. I'm thinking maybe Sunday - last show!?!?! Thoughts?????

Thanks!

It probably won't make a difference. The shows always get full and you will need a FP, you can't just walk in.

However when i was there on a late September Sunday they had FPs for the second show available at 6pm. Just keep in mind this was an exception not the rule though it has happened a couple other times.

 

[sacteach]

This whole experience sound like a dream!! You mind if I summerize what you've said for claification purposes?

You ate at AG with same day reservations, everyone got the tri-tip which they loved, then you were instructed to come back to a meeting area (where exactly was the meeting area? Back at the restaurant? Was it just AG people, or ALL preferred dining people? Do you know if they did this for all shows or just the later showing?), from there you all walked as a group to the PD section of WoC. During all of this there was no shoving, no frantic running, and everyone was well behaved AND you had an excellent view.

If I've got all this correct, perhaps they've got the dining situation figured out so that we don't have to wait in extensive lines and all. Has anyone else who recently did the WoC dining have this same experience (meaning the meeting area and all)?

I waited too long to make reservations, so I called at least twice a day Tuesday-Thursday. I was told that there might be last-minute cancellations and to just check at each restaurant (WTC and AG) on the day we wanted to go (Friday). We got to WTC around 2pm. They offered us a table for any time between 7:30 and 8:30 with the 10:15 (2nd) show. We then walked over to AG and they also had tables available at 7:10pm. After looking at both menus, we went with AG.

We arrived at 7:00, were seated promptly and were done with everything around 8:20ish. We were offered passes for the first show, but they had already let people into the area (we were sitting outside, so we watched the groups enter the viewing sections) so we stuck with the second show. We were given the passes and told where to meet. I wish I knew the exact name. It's the place right next to WTC where you pick up the picnic meals and do the wine tasting. It's elevated above "street level" and there are tables to sit at. There are maybe 3 or 4 steps you climb and the tables overlook the main path. (ETA: just found it - Sonoma Terrace!).

We were told to get there no later than 10 for the 10:15 show. We left the "elecTRONica" area around 9:40, got there a few minutes later, and passed the huge crowds waiting for the color sections. I asked a few CMs along the way and they said to just look for the break in the crowd and go up the steps. There were people just casually standing or sitting - no crowds, no lines, no stress. We waited maybe 10 minutes before the CMs came to escort us to the preferred dining area. We all walked over (yes, it was a bit crowded walking, but no pushing/shoving/running ahead, etc). We were able to find a good spot to stand (along the rope) and the show started about 15 minutes later.

I seriously was not expecting it to be that easy and I have no idea if we just lucked out. I loved not having to get in line hours early and not having to sit in the viewing area forever waiting for the show to start. When I went in July, we did the picnics and probably spent about 2 hours waiting for the show to start. We waited in the big mob first (there were no designated areas for the different colors), then when given the cue, people were running/pushing/shoving to get to the different areas. Then we had to camp out at our spot on the rail for at least an hour before the pre-show began. Friday's experience was SO different and so much more enjoyable.

 

[Diznygrl]

Wow, so it's confirmed then that this special waiting area for diners is a VERY new thing, then? Because either that or the CMs when I went were grossly misinformed. We double checked many times and SHOWED them our preferred viewing fastpasses and they continued to assure us that we were supposed to stand and wait along with the masses, not somewhere else. We thought it was ridiculous and a little suspicious, but what can you do? I really had no idea how the whole thing worked and was completely dependent upon the CMs for WoC protocol info. This was Monday, October 4th and there was only one show.

 

[garada3]

I have been wrestling with the same decision for months. Do we spend the time and money to see this show?

This thread has helped us make a final decision, along with these factors:

We have watched a video of the show on line.

We only have two days in the parks.



No WoC for us

Thanks OP!