Fantasmic Arrival

[tjkraz]

Can anyone share recent experiences with Fantasmic?

We're hoping to go on a Wednesday night, which is the night AFTER the MGM EMH. The last time we went to Fantasmic around this time of year (cool temps, low crowds), the theater didn't even fill up before the show started. The furthest section was empty and the second-to-last was about half full.

Do you think we can get away with arriving about 45 minutes before showtime?

Doing the Fantasmic Dinner Package is not an option. Between paying for food we wouldn't eat and losing our 20% DDE discount on the food we WILL eat, it would have cost us $30 more to book the package. IMO, that's just not a fair price to pay to save a few minutes. And I also think the dinner package seating is terrible. Put the dinner package section in the middle of the stadium and THEN they'll be on to something.

[AmyBeth68]

We just went to Fantasmic in January. We did it on an "off" night as well....I think we went on the night of another park EMH, may have been MK's night. Anyway, we arrived 45 min prior and had absolutely no problem getting a really great seat, center about 1/2 way up. You should be ok IMHO....we've actually never arrived an hour before and never had to stand. We've booked the package and didn't need to twice now.

[PoohsPal]

We went at a low crowd time, but it was EMH. We did the dinner pck and showed up 30 min in advance and were way at the top.

It may have been due to EMH, but I was shocked that it was so full when we had the dinner pck and teh park was not that crowded.

Don't know if this helps, but that's my story for January.

[lllovell]

My take on Fantasmic is that they have three "screens" and while it is nice to be center stage for the activity on the mountain, it is not a big enough deal to arrive too early and have to deal with little ones with ants in their pants for an hour.

So, we have seen the show 3-4 times in the stage right area by arriving 30 minutes before hand. We have also seen it several times near the center in "off" times like you are discussing by arriving at the same time.

It isn't worth it to me to get there earlier (even though we love this show).

Laura

[Colorado Belle]

For what it's worth:

I tend to be much more laid back about these things.
I can't stand waiting in lines and I like TOT and RnR, so I tend to try to get both of these in just prior to walking into Fantamic.

I only missed getting in the gate once, when I decided I HAD to have ice cream. It was in summer and the place was full...but the gate CM told me that if I left to get ice cream he didn't think we'd get back in. My bad.


I was there on Dec 5 ...a Friday night. Not too cold. I walked in and they were telling people 'far left' or 'standing room only. It was 10 minutes before the show. I stood in line to buy food for 5 of those minutes, then took my food and walked down the center aisle and found a seat (with room on either side) about 10 rows back. Watched the show. I wish they hadn't changed it: the amorphous creatures in the water screen don't do it for me and the pocahontas stuff is just silly. I've always liked Fantasmic at DL better, but since they changed Fantasmic at the World, it just doesn't thrill as it used to. (I loved Ursula growing , growing, growning!)

I don't usually leave before the ending. But I had to meet up with some people at Illuminations, so right when the end fireworks started, I got up and walked out without any line, went to my car and drove to the BW and walked into Epcot.

I think gtting there 1/2 hour ahead will be fine, BUT you can usually ask the CMs and they will give you a head's up on the conservative side. And if the line isn't stretching out the door and wrapped around the side (near the ice cream shop), then I think you'll have no problems! Enjoy.

[CRSNDSNY]

No matter the season (we usually go in either January, May, or September) we usually get there about an hour to 45 minutes prior to show time. The only exception to this was the one time we did the Fantasmic dinner package where we got there about 15 minutes prior.

We like to hang out, eat popcorn, veg out and enjoy the entertainment (people -- lol) around us prior to the show. :p

[tjkraz]

Since I started the thread, I'll add my experience.

We hit our seats about 40 minutes before the show and the theater was 1/3 empty (the two or three furthest sections on both the left and the right.) I was very happy with our seats, and glad that I didn't push it much any longer.

I guess I was a little scared off by our experiences last year. We visited in early May during the Happiest Celebration kick-off. If memory serves, at least one of the two Fantasmic showings the previous night had been cancelled due to rain. That may have contributed to the crowds. But we arrived around 45 minutes ahead and BARELY got seats. And when I say "barely", I mean it practically came down to a foot race to get to the seats we did.

Overall our crowds were very low during that trip, but the Fantasmic experience scared me a bit. It may have just been the early week cancellations that drove up demand that night.

Judging by our kids' reactions, we probably won't do Fantasmic for a couple years. DD had her head buried in my chest during the villain part and even DS doesn't care for portions of the show. We'll probably skip it for the next trip or two in favor of other opportunities.

[CRSNDSNY]

Glad you got good seats! But sorry to hear the kiddos are done with it for a while -- this is my favorite night show. :goodvibes

Now get over to your AK thread :teleport: and tell us what happened!!! :p

[DVCerLee]

At DLR there is NO seating for fantasmic, except for the cement below your feet!:violinist A lot of people sit on the ground for at least an hour, and then the rest of us stand behind them, hoping to be near short people! We'd love, love love to have any seating, even right-smack-dab-in-the-middle-of-the-two-screens seating.
We love fantasmic anyway, but we chuckle to read complaints about "bad" seating, hee hee hee!

Lee

[pouncingpluto]

At DLR there is NO seating for fantasmic, except for the cement below your feet!:violinist A lot of people sit on the ground for at least an hour, and then the rest of us stand behind them, hoping to be near short people! We'd love, love love to have any seating, even right-smack-dab-in-the-middle-of-the-two-screens seating.
We love fantasmic anyway, but we chuckle to read complaints about "bad" seating, hee hee hee!

Lee


Yes, but at least you guys have the opportunity to buy tickets to the fabulous Fantasmic dessert buffet!