WOC package... worth it?

[Albytaps]

When it comes to WOC, as you have learned the viewing area is flawed. So I recommend basketball style. Think TSMM at DHS running of the bulls first thing in the morning!

Nooooooooooo!

LOL

 

[BadRomance]

Just booked the carthay circle woc lunch, so I hope it's worth it! We wanted to eat there anyway and it will be less expensive to do the woc package. The preferred viewing will be just a perk, I hope.

Question though- and I hope this doesn't take the thread off topic but now with all the running of the bulls stuff I'm worried about claustrophobia. If we end up at a rail spot, will the people behind us respect our space or are we going to be jammed in like sardines (at the preferred viewing areas)?

 

[BayGirl22]

My experience has been that the FP sections are much more running of the bulls while the dining package reserved section is more "escort you down in small groups" style. The FP sections have a corral of people waiting. They don't even allow a line in front of reserved, they just tell you to come back at x time when they will start accommodating people. If you want to wait you kind of hover around near the entrance but since there's a traffic flow people are kind of dispersed. I hovered close and chatted with a CM and was maybe the 4th person down, so had my choice along the rail.

As for being crowded in, I'm sure it depends on the season but I feel like people are fairly spread out during the waiting time. At the rail I sat on the ground maybe 2 feet back with my legs extended and kids on my lap during the hour of waiting. Its outdoors and strollers are allowed, and we've not had a problem with people packing against us tightly. Its not really about being closer to the show but about having a clear line of site. So people aren't pushing forward as much as maneuvering for their view. If that makes sense. Just my experience though. I've seen it 3 times now, 2 in reserved one in blue, all in lowish crowd times.

 

[Midnightred]

We saw WOC with the dining package at in the middle of July, and we did not have a stampede at all. As a matter of fact, we sat on the stairs for a while, then moved to the rail about 20-30 min before the show started. It was the highlight of our trip! Glad I didn't listen to our server at Ariel's who said to get to the area 10 min prior to the show!

Midnightred

 

[HydroGuy]

My experience has been that the FP sections are much more running of the bulls while the dining package reserved section is more "escort you down in small groups" style. The FP sections have a corral of people waiting. They don't even allow a line in front of reserved, they just tell you to come back at x time when they will start accommodating people. If you want to wait you kind of hover around near the entrance but since there's a traffic flow people are kind of dispersed. I hovered close and chatted with a CM and was maybe the 4th person down, so had my choice along the rail.

As for being crowded in, I'm sure it depends on the season but I feel like people are fairly spread out during the waiting time. At the rail I sat on the ground maybe 2 feet back with my legs extended and kids on my lap during the hour of waiting. Its outdoors and strollers are allowed, and we've not had a problem with people packing against us tightly. Its not really about being closer to the show but about having a clear line of site. So people aren't pushing forward as much as maneuvering for their view. If that makes sense. Just my experience though. I've seen it 3 times now, 2 in reserved one in blue, all in lowish crowd times.

My experience has been different after five times in reserved dining and six or seven in regular FP. The regular FP queue is well defined and you can just walk to where you want to go once they take your FPs. The reserved dining queue has never from the beginning been very well defined and is always a challenge to get position and to keep it. Last August we definitely had to use basketball techniques to get near the front even though we were the second group to arrive. I do not get why Disney refuses to establish an actual queue for the dining section. They have hundreds of queues everywhere else and are queue experts for heaven's sake!

 

[BayGirl22]

My experience has been different after five times in reserved dining and six or seven in regular FP. The regular FP queue is well defined and you can just walk to where you want to go once they take your FPs. The reserved dining queue has never from the beginning been very well defined and is always a challenge to get position and to keep it. Last August we definitely had to use basketball techniques to get near the front even though we were the second group to arrive. I do not get why Disney refuses to establish an actual queue for the dining section. They have hundreds of queues everywhere else and are queue experts for heaven's sake!

I suspect our differences in experience mostly have to do with how crowded the park is. I know you go during the busy season, I go during the low season. Like I said in my other post the reserved area was fairly light for me last week, but still plenty of people in the blue and yellow sections. So although there was no queue I was able to position myself and get in easily. I hovered from about 6:55 to 7:15 when they opened the line and let me in. I can see how if the area and park in general had been very crowded this would have been harder to do. I was totally prepared to jockey my way to a spot if needed after my bad view earlier in the week.

I don't understand why they don't have a queue for reserved either. Its ridiculous. Or why waitstaff continue to tell people to show up 15 minutes before. (Probably to give the impression of more value for the dining package) Or really, why after 4 (?) years they still haven't improved the viewing area so everyone attending gets a good view. It frustrates me because its an amazing show and underappreciated by those who can't see the full effect.

Anyway, I think the bottom line is get there early and be prepared to have at least one person in your party fight crowds if needed.

 

[Albytaps]

Can they possibly build stadium seating there? Or would that obstruct anything that's already in place?

 

[HydroGuy]

Can they possibly build stadium seating there? Or would that obstruct anything that's already in place?

They can't without obstructing the view of the lagoon during non-WOC times. I am sure this is on Disney's radar as complaints have been many.

 

[GeneralTso]

The Carthay Circle VIP section is awesome. Well worth it.

 

[BayGirl22]

They can't without obstructing the view of the lagoon during non-WOC times. I am sure this is on Disney's radar as complaints have been many.

The times I've been there that area is so underutilized during non-show times. Maybe 1-2 people hanging out but that's it. Maybe when its more crowded its in use? And the view from Ariel's is nice but not the best angle, I think most people would prefer a better WOC view.

I went for Chinese NY and expected the events to be in that area where there's all that space, but they were crowded in the back corner between Garden Grill and Goofy's. Are there any events that utilize that space during the day?

 

[HydroGuy]

The times I've been there that area is so underutilized during non-show times. Maybe 1-2 people hanging out but that's it. Maybe when its more crowded its in use? And the view from Ariel's is nice but not the best angle, I think most people would prefer a better WOC view.

I went for Chinese NY and expected the events to be in that area where there's all that space, but they were crowded in the back corner between Garden Grill and Goofy's. Are there any events that utilize that space during the day?

Disney cycles a lot of events there but nothing all that great. Last time I saw Goofy's Just Add Water show in the day.

The issue though is that when walks towards the lagoon either from the CarsLand direction or GRR direction, they emerge into an area that opens up to the lagoon and the whole Paradise Pier view. To put up stadium seating would mean the view of PP by the person approaching would be the back of stadium seating. That will never fly. They need to keep the view open of the lagoon, CA Screamin, Mickey's Fun Wheel and the whole PP area there.

 

[allsaintsatx]

Or really, why after 4 (?) years they still haven't improved the viewing area so everyone attending gets a good view. It frustrates me because its an amazing show and underappreciated by those who can't see the full effect.

This is why we've never seen WOC. I don't mind the wait, but it's the wait coupled with the fact that there's no guarantee that my DS9 and 5'2" DW won't have to stare at the back of someone's head instead of the show.

We loved the Fantasmic! dessert package but from what I've read on the boards in multiple threads is it just seems like you get "lucky" if you can see the show unobstructed from the fast pass sections or the meal package sections.

Plus, you know that feeling you get, when you go to see a movie you've been dying to see and arrive 20 minutes early, get a great seat right in the middle, but 10 minutes after the movie starts some 6' 7" dude meanders into the theatre and sits in the one open seat directly in front of you and you have to spend the next 80 minutes looking at the movie over the back of his hairline? That's what I'm afraid WOC will be like!!

 

[HydroGuy]

This is why we've never seen WOC. I don't mind the wait, but it's the wait coupled with the fact that there's no guarantee that my DS9 and 5'2" DW won't have to stare at the back of someone's head instead of the show.

We loved the Fantasmic! dessert package but from what I've read on the boards in multiple threads is it just seems like you get "lucky" if you can see the show unobstructed from the fast pass sections or the meal package sections.

Plus, you know that feeling you get, when you go to see a movie you've been dying to see and arrive 20 minutes early, get a great seat right in the middle, but 10 minutes after the movie starts some 6' 7" dude meanders into the theatre and sits in the one open seat directly in front of you and you have to spend the next 80 minutes looking at the movie over the back of his hairline? That's what I'm afraid WOC will be like!!

If you arrive early enough you can see WOC. You have to know where you are going. It is not completely like a movie theater. In a movie theater the front row is not considered a good seat. At WOC it is. If you get a "front row" viewing spot at WOC then no one will block your view. That is the key.

 

[JadeDarkstar]

i thought i read something last year or year before that they were going to build some seating or something there? It really doesn't take long or much money to use benches, and wouldn't obstruct the view to much if they did it right. I thought they had a plan in order to fix this and kinda hoped by nov it would be fixed lol.

Also i heard last year had a winter woc show? about when did that start does any one remember?

 

[BayGirl22]

Disney cycles a lot of events there but nothing all that great. Last time I saw Goofy's Just Add Water show in the day.

The issue though is that when walks towards the lagoon either from the CarsLand direction or GRR direction, they emerge into an area that opens up to the lagoon and the whole Paradise Pier view. To put up stadium seating would mean the view of PP by the person approaching would be the back of stadium seating. That will never fly. They need to keep the view open of the lagoon, CA Screamin, Mickey's Fun Wheel and the whole PP area there.

I agree, it would totally change that approaching view. They could do something behind the stadium seating but that may encroach on the walkway area. IDK the right solution, just wish they would do something.

This is why we've never seen WOC. I don't mind the wait, but it's the wait coupled with the fact that there's no guarantee that my DS9 and 5'2" DW won't have to stare at the back of someone's head instead of the show.

We loved the Fantasmic! dessert package but from what I've read on the boards in multiple threads is it just seems like you get "lucky" if you can see the show unobstructed from the fast pass sections or the meal package sections.

Plus, you know that feeling you get, when you go to see a movie you've been dying to see and arrive 20 minutes early, get a great seat right in the middle, but 10 minutes after the movie starts some 6' 7" dude meanders into the theatre and sits in the one open seat directly in front of you and you have to spend the next 80 minutes looking at the movie over the back of his hairline? That's what I'm afraid WOC will be like!!

You're missing out IMO. Get there very early, snag a rail, and you're golden. I totally know that movie theatre feeling, I had 3 kids on shoulders in front of me. But the times I've gotten the rail (2 of 3 tries) even my 4 year old had an amazing view. To me its worth the extra effort and wait and I advise anyone going to DLR to see it.

 

[Albytaps]

Ok so here's an idea....

You know how in high school gyms they have retractable stadium seating benches that come out from the wall? Maybe some day Disney will spend the money to come up with a stadium seating system that comes out from the ground. I'm sure it would cost a pretty penny, I'm not sure if they even have that anywhere or if it's even possible (danger of malfunction or something) but it's worth a look into if the show is as good as people say. That way the view would be unobstructed during the day and then during WOC everyone would have a good or decent view (you would still have to worry about that 6'7 guy sitting in front of your kid.)

 

[HydroGuy]

Ok so here's an idea....

You know how in high school gyms they have retractable stadium seating benches that come out from the wall? Maybe some day Disney will spend the money to come up with a stadium seating system that comes out from the ground. I'm sure it would cost a pretty penny, I'm not sure if they even have that anywhere or if it's even possible (danger of malfunction or something) but it's worth a look into if the show is as good as people say. That way the view would be unobstructed during the day and then during WOC everyone would have a good or decent view (you would still have to worry about that 6'7 guy sitting in front of your kid.)

That type of idea was debated around here a lot in 2010 when WOC first opened and it became clear that Disney dropped the ball on the WOC viewing area design. Once you get there and walk around Paradise Gardens (the WOC viewing area) during the day you will see how much of a challenge that would be. It is not like the F! theater at DHS which is off to the side. The WOC viewing area is right smack in the center of PP.

What you are suggesting is sort of like trying to build some kind of stadium seating or retractable viewing structure at the entrance to say TomorrowLand at MK or in front of the Mickey wizard hat stage area at DHS. Could it be done? Yes. Would it be an eyesore and damage the feeling of openness at the parks? Yes for sure.

Any type of vertical structure at PP to see WOC could improve the view of the show - but make the feeling of entering PP and seeing the lagoon, CA Screamin coaster, Mickey's Fun Wheel, all feel limited and blocked. Even if the structure was retractable it would still have to be employed several hours a night for the show. And during that time anyone entering PP would see the back of a structure and not the lagoon waters and all the rides lit up and inviting.

As I said, once you are there you will see what I mean. And, as I said, all of these ideas were debated in 2010 at length because so many people were so disappointed with WOC. And it got a bit of a bad rap because people said the show was not very good. The fact is that the show is brilliant. The best Disney show ever IMO. If you can see it from the right location. Otherwise I agree the show is not all that good.

A bad view at WOC - of which 50-80% of the spots are bad depending on your height - is like watching Star Wars or Avatar from the front row of the movie theater off to the far end of the row. You just can't see the screen and your enjoyment of the movie is impaired no matter how good the movie is.

What you probably do not know is that the current viewing area was designed to hold 9,000 guests per show. That is about what the F! viewing area holds at DL. However, once they built it and got people in there they realized they could only hold 4,000 and not 9,000. That put a huge strain on each show because demand was so much higher than supply.

So WOC has a checkered past. Disney designed a fabulous show with a poor viewing area. They are supposed to be good at this kind of thing but they messed up on this one.

My two cents! Heck, my two hundred cents!