World of Color Superthread

[Houstonmouse]

Okay, I've read the first post and quite a bit of this thread. It sounds like dining packages are "eh" as far as WOC advantages are concerned. However, we arrive Christmas day for 5 nights and I wonder if dining packages will become much more valuable given the crowds and potential wait time for Blue or Yellow sections. We are a group of 7, the oldest being my parents in their 70s. Given this, does the dining package become much more valuable to us this time of year? Would the line up time be significantly less? Which restaurant would you recommend for 3 teenagers, 2 adults and 2 seniors? I am leaning towards Carthay Circle, but am I understanding correctly that those sections aren't as great for viewing as Ariels or WCT? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks everyone!
Tracey

 

[HydroGuy]

Just want to let you know about our experience last week with World of Color. We got blue fastpasses and were planning to watch the show from the very front and center of the boardwalk, which on the map is red, #16, and says it is a "mixed viewing area open to all guests". We had three young grandchildren with us on their first visit to DLR and thought this would be a fun place for them to see the show and feel immersed in it. (We brought ponchos for them to keep them dry.) We got there plenty early and were toward the front of the line. When they let us in, we immediately went down to the boardwalk and over to that section, only to find it roped off with a cast member telling us it was reserved for those who purchased dining packages from WCT or Ariels. So we were stuck at the place on the map where the green star is in the blue section right next to the red section. (All the people coming in behind us took the other blue railing spots.) I disagree with that spot having a star for being a "best" viewing location! It was terrible! If you look at the map, you can see that from that position you have to look over and through a lot of people in that red corner. Looking straight out, you only see the far left of the show. To see the main water screen, you have to look through people on the same level as you are. My grandchildren could not see anything but the top of the tall water fountains, and after awhile they got so bored they just sat down on the boardwalk. I felt really bad since this was supposed to be the grand finale of their first ever visit to DLR. So two things we learned that night: that red area is not open to all guests, and the blue area next to it shouldn't have a star for being a "best" viewing location; it isn't even "good".

My husband and I were staying for a few more days, so two nights later, after our DS and his family had gone home, we had yellow fastpasses and went down to the boardwalk again, this time on the yellow side. In the map, it shows the yellow going into the curved section at the front. Again, the entire front curved section was roped off for those who had purchased the dining packages at WCT and Ariels. However, we did get a spot on the rail close to the curved section. It was so much better! We were about where the green star is next to the yellow star. Those yellow star viewing locations are much better that the green star locations in the blue section.

The cast members told us that sometimes that front area is opened to blue and yellow, but it depends on how many people buy dining packages to WCT and Ariels that day, and they have no way of knowing that earlier in the day. I would like to note, however, that we went on a Tuesday and Thursday the first week of November and the parks were definitely not busy. So if they sold enough dining packages on those less busy days, I would imagine that they would sell enough on more busy days, so I would think that front section may be roped off most of the time.

I hope this might help someone avoid the disappointment we experienced with our grandchildren.

Thanks for your feedback! I have heard of your experience happening recently. While I try to make the OP as accurate as possible, I have never viewed WOC from the exact spot you are referring to in blue and made some judgments based on seeing it from near that spot. I am not a fan of the blue section and think yellow has many more good spots.

 

[HydroGuy]

Okay, I've read the first post and quite a bit of this thread. It sounds like dining packages are "eh" as far as WOC advantages are concerned. However, we arrive Christmas day for 5 nights and I wonder if dining packages will become much more valuable given the crowds and potential wait time for Blue or Yellow sections. We are a group of 7, the oldest being my parents in their 70s. Given this, does the dining package become much more valuable to us this time of year? Would the line up time be significantly less? Which restaurant would you recommend for 3 teenagers, 2 adults and 2 seniors? I am leaning towards Carthay Circle, but am I understanding correctly that those sections aren't as great for viewing as Ariels or WCT? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks everyone!
Tracey

I just do not see dining making that big of a difference. Unless you have no time to get FPs for WOC (which are easily obtained these days) then maybe dining is worth it. Otherwise it does not save much time.

 

[Shinji4u]

We watched WOC 2 weeks ago with a Lunch at the WCT. We were at the entrance to the reserved spots at maybe an hour befor the show and were at the 6th position. When they let us in, we walked straight to the green area, and get spots at the railing (green stars)...the place was perfect and it was awsome to see the show from there. So taking the Lunch and getting these reserved tickets was the best we could do

 

[czmom]

We watched WOC 2 weeks ago with a Lunch at the WCT. We were at the entrance to the reserved spots at maybe an hour befor the show and were at the 6th position. When they let us in, we walked straight to the green area, and get spots at the railing (green stars)...the place was perfect and it was awsome to see the show from there. So taking the Lunch and getting these reserved tickets was the best we could do

Was there an actual queue to line up for the reserved dining? I thought they didn't have one.

 

[Shinji4u]

Was there an actual queue to line up for the reserved dining? I thought they didn't have one.

Yes, a mini queue in front of Ariel...just a few minutes before they opend the entrances to the WOC area.

 

[HydroGuy]

Yes, a mini queue in front of Ariel...just a few minutes before they opend the entrances to the WOC area.

In my experience and that of others, it is not a mini-queue at all but more of a mob where you are not allowed to get to the front of any queue. People who show up later than you can easily step in front. I think that was the thinking behind the PP's question.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

In my experience and that of others, it is not a mini-queue at all but more of a mob where you are not allowed to get to the front of any queue. People who show up later than you can easily step in front. I think that was the thinking behind the PP's question.

HydroGuy, you have said a mouthful!!!!

MOB is exactly what we've experienced, when waiting under the King Triton sculpture, for the "line" to start!

 

[nerdboyrockstar]

Are the dining spots for Carthay Circle any better than just getting a Blue FastPass? We had an amazing spot last time with our Blue pass.. just up against the railing, center.. how could it be better than that?

I do want to eat at Carthay.. not sure if I need to be limited to a price-fixed menu though (that we ALL need to order from).

 

[czmom]

Thanks for clarifying! I had in my mind more of a mob-like scenario.

Just to make sure- on nights where there are 2 showings (like now the first week of December), there will still be an actual queue for each FP color, right?? For the second show that is....

 

[HydroGuy]

Are the dining spots for Carthay Circle any better than just getting a Blue FastPass? We had an amazing spot last time with our Blue pass.. just up against the railing, center.. how could it be better than that?

I do want to eat at Carthay.. not sure if I need to be limited to a price-fixed menu though (that we ALL need to order from).

They are a little better if you invest the time to get to them. But IMO not worth the dining expense - unless you want to dine there anyways.

 

[HydroGuy]

Thanks for clarifying! I had in my mind more of a mob-like scenario.

Just to make sure- on nights where there are 2 showings (like now the first week of December), there will still be an actual queue for each FP color, right?? For the second show that is....

For regular yellow and blue FPs there will be a normal queue, yes. Last I checked blue had two queues. One for the bridge and one for the main area.

 

[Mary484]

The reserved dining section isn't that crazy if you're there on a lower crowd day. An hour before the show, we walked up to the reserved area and there was no line. We were by ourselves in that section for about 15 min before anyone showed up. It did get pretty full, but I'm sure it wasn't as full as it could get. Nothing like how crammed you are watching fireworks.

 

[TahoeMom]

Are the dining spots for Carthay Circle any better than just getting a Blue FastPass? We had an amazing spot last time with our Blue pass.. just up against the railing, center.. how could it be better than that?

I do want to eat at Carthay.. not sure if I need to be limited to a price-fixed menu though (that we ALL need to order from).

Please see my post of a few weeks ago and another similar one from a few days ago - the blue fastpasses no longer will get you to the railing in the center in every case. Often you can only get part way down the boardwalk and the view is NOT good - on days when the reserved dining section is blocked off front and center. The yellow fastpasses still seem to be able to get you in the front on the railing. So no dining needed but yellow is a much better option than blue.

 

[Blue32]

Please see my post of a few weeks ago and another similar one from a few days ago - the blue fastpasses no longer will get you to the railing in the center in every case. Often you can only get part way down the boardwalk and the view is NOT good - on days when the reserved dining section is blocked off front and center. The yellow fastpasses still seem to be able to get you in the front on the railing. So no dining needed but yellow is a much better option than blue.

Interesting that Yellow seems to offer more locations with better viewing yet you have to wait until Blue is distributed first to get a Yellow FP. When we saw WOC last year you could get down to front and center with a Blue FP but I understand things are always changing. Just a little disappointed by this change.

 

[Cheshirecatty]

The reserved dining section isn't that crazy if you're there on a lower crowd day. An hour before the show, we walked up to the reserved area and there was no line. We were by ourselves in that section for about 15 min before anyone showed up. It did get pretty full, but I'm sure it wasn't as full as it could get. Nothing like how crammed you are watching fireworks.

We hope to someday, experience a nice, pleasant, civil situation like this! Your post gives us hope!

 

[Shinji4u]

HydroGuy, you have said a mouthful!!!!

MOB is exactly what we've experienced, when waiting under the King Triton sculpture, for the "line" to start!

Nope, we had a line...they told us to wait under the Triton Sculpture and form a line...there were 2 CMs watching that it works. Then they let the line walk to the entrance, and let the people in in the order they stood in line! Don't know if there was a mob then later behind us, but for us...and the handfull people/groups in front of us...it worked fine with the line ^^

 

[Athenaa]

Nope, we had a line...they told us to wait under the Triton Sculpture and form a line...there were 2 CMs watching that it works. Then they let the line walk to the entrance, and let the people in in the order they stood in line! Don't know if there was a mob then later behind us, but for us...and the handfull people/groups in front of us...it worked fine with the line ^^

Just out of curiosity, how early did you get there, and where were you in line? I a wondering if we need to get there earlier than is typical since it's a new show.

 

[HydroGuy]

Nope, we had a line...they told us to wait under the Triton Sculpture and form a line...there were 2 CMs watching that it works. Then they let the line walk to the entrance, and let the people in in the order they stood in line! Don't know if there was a mob then later behind us, but for us...and the handfull people/groups in front of us...it worked fine with the line ^^

If they have changed are now offering an actual queue for WOC reserved viewing - as they did with you that night - that would really be a huge improvement. Thanks for the heads up!

If others experience this or experience the old way let us know. I am planning to see WOC next week after TG but am not doing the dining. I will keep an eye out though.

 

[mom2rtk]

I would love to hear more current stories from how these queues (both FP and dining) are being handled. I'm still really lost on our best approach to this. I'd probably ante up for a dining package (if there are some still available) if I thought they had really changed to a queue system.