World of Color no wait??

[Dan Bee]

If we go the FastPass option (i.e. not a dining package or dessert party) and arrive just before the show is due to start what can we expect? I presume standing right at the back? Would we still get in or could it be full despite us having FastPasses?

Apologies if this is a dumb or obvious Q but we’ll be visiting from Australia and have never been to DLR before. Everything we’ve read talks about lining up nearly 2hrs before the show which we aren’t very keen on (time better spent on rides)!!

 

[ImDMous]

You will get in to the viewing area if you have FastPasses. Depending on how crowded it is that night, you could be in the back of the section your pass is for. Viewing is standing only so if you're short, you probably won't be able to see much.
I'm short, so if we go to WOC, we have to get there early so I can find a spot at a railing or the top of some stairs or something or I can't see a thing.

 

[LCoulter]

How early do you recommending getting there to use fastpasses and end up at a railing or stairs?

 

[HydroGuy]

If we go the FastPass option (i.e. not a dining package or dessert party) and arrive just before the show is due to start what can we expect? I presume standing right at the back? Would we still get in or could it be full despite us having FastPasses?

Apologies if this is a dumb or obvious Q but we’ll be visiting from Australia and have never been to DLR before. Everything we’ve read talks about lining up nearly 2hrs before the show which we aren’t very keen on (time better spent on rides)!!

Being realistic here but WOC has a flawed viewing area. Not your fault. But it is not worth attending the show if you aren’t able to see it. And you won’t be able to. It is best to skip it rather that arrive at the last minute. Use your time in a better way.

A woman who works for me did something similar and her kids were literally in tears.

 

[Dan Bee]

It’s a tough call. We’ve looked at the dessert party but we are a family of 5 and simply can’t justify the cost. We’re also looking at WCT or Carthay Circle but have read that even for their reserved viewing areas you need to be lining up nearly 2hrs beforehand? We’re doing the Blue Bayou Fantasmic! package so we’re hoping to be able to just FastPass this one. But if one of the WOC dining packages was considered far superior to the FastPass we would do it. Just doesn’t seem like it from what we’ve been reading?

 

[ImDMous]

I don't think the type of FastPass (regular or dining package) you have really impacts how long you have to line up beforehand. It's still a matter of if you want to be in the front of your section or the back of your section. If you are in the front of any of the sections, you'll have a decent or better view. If you are in the back, you probably won't, even if it is the back of one of the dining package sections.
The viewing area is terraced, so if you are at the railing of even the very back section, you should be able to see above the people in front of you, but the railings obviously get taken first and then you are lined up behind people.

Now, this all depends on how crowded it will be also. We've gone a few times where the sections never got full, so even if you showed up right before the show, you'd have at most maybe four rows in front of you and you could find a direction to lean to see between. I'm not sure how often that happens though.

 

[Dan Bee]

Just in terms of how crowded it would be... we’ll be at DLR from 23 June so are expecting capacity due to the possible SWGE launch the week prior (we didn’t plan on being there for the opening - that’s just how our travel dates worked out!)

 

[agamble]

I suggest going to the second show.

Will you be there multiple days? If so I would say try for the late show and get there about 15 min early. See if you cand find a good viewing spot. If not then you know and another night you can arrive earlier.

The first time we went it was a second showing and we ended up right in the front even though we dis not show up early. It was a cool June evening. But that was also about 6 years ago and Disney is just much busier.

The last time we went we actually took a tip from the board that suggested we stand further back because then you can actually see the entire show. So we did. We stood in front of a planter towards the back of the viewing and it was a good view.

I like WOC and I like Fantasmic, but seeing them is a PAIN.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Keep checking the entertainment schedule to see if a second WOC show is added. Basically, there is no way to see WOC with a good-to-great view without investing some-to-much wait time. The more wait time you are willing to invest to get a viewing spot, the better your spot will be. If you are tall, you won't need to wait so long because you'll still be able to see over other people from the back rows. If you are short, you had best be willing to wait for a front row spot or you won't be seeing much of the show. OP, read the WOC Superthread -- especially the first post -- for great information. There is good-to-great viewing in all sections (free FP, dining packages, Dessert Party) and there is the risk of bad-to-very-bad viewing in all sections (free FP, dining packages, Dessert Party). It all depends on your expectations and how much time and/or money you are willing to invest.

 

[wareagle57]

I often see people suggest viewing areas outside of the fastpass and reserved viewing, like back towards Little Mermaid. Some say it even gives you a more clear view of the projections. Would this be an option for OP or do all of those spots need to be staked out well in advance?

 

[ChrissyLou]

We've only done regular fast pass for WOC, but make sure to get there early (earlier than the pass tells you to and earlier than a CM will tell you to). Especially in summer if SWGE has opened, I am sure crowds in both parks will be affected. Be in the vicinity at least an hour before the fastpass tells you to and you can jump in the line when it starts to form (it's pretty obvious). As other posters have said the viewing areas are terraced with stairs and railings, we make a point of staking out our spot at the very front of a terraced (staired) section so if anyone ends up in front of us they are down a step and we can see still see, if you can't see this show it is not worth seeing. But if you put forth a little effort and planning you should be able to get a good viewing spot using regular standby fastpass.

 

[cmwade77]

Technically you give up the FP space 15 minutes prior to the start of the show as that is when they will let anyone take those spaces, they will try to get you in, but there are no guarantees.

 

[jbh275]

we are a family of 5 and simply can’t justify the cost.

If you have small kids, then you'll want to arrive early. If you get there kind of late, it's really hard to see over the crowds.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

I often see people suggest viewing areas outside of the fastpass and reserved viewing, like back towards Little Mermaid. Some say it even gives you a more clear view of the projections. Would this be an option for OP or do all of those spots need to be staked out well in advance?

We viewed from in front of LM once and found it to be poor viewing. Yes, it was relatively easy and did not require a FP. But it was surprisingly crowded (lots of kids, lots of shoving for the front) and the view was not good. There were people walking in front of us throughout the show (CMs cannot block the walkway between the main viewing area and the LM ride). We could not see over all the heads and kids on shoulders in the main viewing area. The projections were not "more clear," but were more obstructed. There is absolutely no view of the water surface (which is the view that makes being up front so fun.) Maybe if the OP is very tall and all his family members are also very tall this could work. The LM area is good for getting a taste of the show, e.g. "will my family even like WOC before I plunk down tons of money and wait time for this experience?" I wouldn't really recommend it for a true experience of WOC, especially for a first time/only time viewing.