My HS TP is still giving me trouble, and tomorrow is it’s 30 day mark, so I know any FPP adjustments need to be done today. I have a couple of questions please.
1: Can I experience the Sci Fi dinner if I only have a drink at the bar? Can I still see the movies?
2: If you could only do 1 of Tuskers, Y&Y or Coral Reef which would you do? and which would you recomend for a first timer? It would suit my plans to drop Coral Reef but I really want to go there as the setting is so unique, though it would be nice to have a TS meal on our AK afternoon as it’s my birthday. We already have lots of loud character meals which makes Tuskers less appealing, but Y&Y isn’t offering anything I can’t get elsewhere.
3: This which ADR to drop dilemma is caused by me now planning to do both H&V breakfast and Mama Melrose Fantasmic on our HS day. MM was never on my must do list it’s all about the Fantasmic seat. However I’m not sure we need it. It’s 14th Dec CL6, Fantasmic and JBJB clash so shouldn’t that mean the stadium won’t be full?
4: Depending on the JBJB reviews we might do that instead. I’ve heard that we can use our Fantasmic ticket on a different night, we are in EP on Mon 19th and could hop over to see the 8pm Fantasmic. I think this is unlikely, but I can’t help thinking about it. Would you agree that the boat ride between EP and HS is likely to be enjoyable?
5: HS on Mon 19th currently lists Fantasmic at 8 & 9:30pm, and JBJB at 9pm. Do you think they might add an earlier Fantasmic showing at 6:30 or 7pm?
6: The gap between the 14th and 19th is 5 days but 6 nights. If my ticket says valid for 5 days will this be problem?
I was really hoping for a ROL announcement as that would make me flexible on whether we saw any of HS’s evening entertainment. I’m working on the basis that it’s easier to move a FPP later than earlier, and trying to keep everything flexible.
We go to Sci Fi every trip, and I don’t think they have a bar. They do at 50’s though. We love this place for the atmosphere, you won’t get that unless you sit in a car with a regular reservation. I assume you would go there on a different day then you have MM and H&V? My friends are there right now for their first trip and ate at Sci Fi for lunch yesterday at my suggestion. She texted me that they absolutely loved it.
I have been to all 3, though Coral Reef was about 20 years ago so not sure that is relevant. I don’t hear great things about their food though, and the aquarium can be experienced inside The Seas pavilion easily. We eat at Y&Y most trips and really enjoy it. It was my favorite AK restaurant until this year when Tiffins opened. Tuskers is good, but it is a buffet and more characters, so if you have other meals that are similar I would drop it. I’m going with keep Yak & Yeti. Have the pineapple wonton dessert for your birthday, it’s amazing.
We have always had the Mama Melrose Fantasmic package as the seats (and little waiting) cannot be beat, even on low to moderate crowd days. I have not been to Fantasmic since they added fireworks to HS, so can’t speak to if that makes it less crowded. Personally I would keep MM and drop H&V, but that’s a personal choice as I am not a huge fan of the overpriced buffet food. What would dinner be if you don’t eat at MM?
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I’ve heard that we can use our Fantasmic ticket on a different night,
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Do not count on this. This occasionally happens when the show is cancelled for weather, not just because you didn’t go to the show.
The boat ride to me is slow and long, especially when you are in a hurry. Hopping seems to take a long time to me, however you will be able to see both night shows if you spend 2 evenings in HS, so is probably worth it.
5. If there are already 2 shows scheduled, I would not expect a third. Maybe if it was the week between Christmas and New Years, but probably not this week.
6. I am not sure I understand this. Which ticket is good for 5 days?
Sci fi would be instead of MM. H&V is a must do because of the characters, our girls are 5 & 7, I have an 8:15am & 1pm Fantasmic, but I’m favouring the pre rope drop as we’d like to sign up for Jedi training, it’s our first day at WDW, and the time difference will have us up early.
What do you think about the quick service at Y&Y, it will be 3ish on a CL3 day?
Have you always had a good experience at MM?
4.I was hoping the boat between EP & HS might feel like a ride while we checked out the resorts from a distance, but if it feels long that would be another reason to limit ourselves to only 1 HS evening show.
For the Fantasmic seat.
A Sci Fi pre rope drop would make things perfect. We’ll have a great time regardless of where we eat, it’s fun and frustrating trying to sort my HS plan.
I like Sci Fi better, but I like the F! seating so this is a hard decision. Are you paying out of pocket, or on dining plan? MM is a much better use of the dining plan as you get an appetizer, entree, dessert, and a drink with the Fantasmic package. Sci Fi is a cheaper restaurant for us, we would spend less out of pocket so that is usually our lunch (with MM dinner). Wait, do you have a H&V Fantasmic ADR? If so I would do the H&V Fantasmic package and then Sci fi. I would only do MM if you want/need to Fantasmic package.
I have never eaten the quick service Y&Y, but I hear the fried rice is good, I don’t think it is the same food as Y&Y sit down though.
We had an excellent experience there in April 2014, the food was great as was the service. In April 2015, I found the food to be good and the service to be good. I was not as impressed as the previous year. We will still go again next April, mainly for the F! tickets.
It will definitely save your feet from walking, and may very well feel like a ride/break. Just be willing to give yourselves twice as long as you think you need.
I don’t know. I have only heard of people getting these tickets when rained out.
Yak and Yeti CS is my “go to” meal at AK. I love it! The food is always so fresh! In the summer the seating can be brutal but during your visit it should be lovely. The seating area is on the side and extends to the back. Not as pretty as Flame Tree seating but very well themed.
The boat ride from Epcot to Hollywood takes just under 30 minutes dock to dock. Don’t let that fool you, however. If you just miss a boat, and one doesn’t come for 15 minutes… At times, I’ve seen them running pretty quickly behind each other - like 5 minutes apart. One other thing about these, don’t underestimate your time to walk through Epcot. If you’re in FW, at your last attraction before the boat, You’ll still have to hike to the International Gateway for the boat. Epcot is a pretty big place. We underestimated a little. Just throwing that out there.
One other thing. Fantasmic is seated viewing. JBJB will be standing, unless you work something else out. Even the Dessert party will be standing if I’m remembering correctly. I’m gonna guess that unless you score a great viewing spot for JBJB, your little girls are going to have some sort of viewing obstruction, it’s just how it is. At Fantasmic - they should have a great view of everything. If you’ve never seen either, I’d say that Fantasmic would be a higher priority.
We are on the DDP, H&V lunch and Sci Fi early dinner was the plan, then I thought we might be too tired to stay that long. Now I’m not feeling so confident about ROL starting I’m trying to put Fantasmic back in. I do have a Dessert party but plan to cancel it. Will definitely see Wishes, but Illuminations is only a maybe.
I think CS in AK might be a good idea for us. Flame tree if we arrive in time for a early lunch or Y&Y CS for a late one.
I was thinking the same, that my girls won’t be able to see JBJB without a dessert party. Chances are this will be our only opportunity to see JBJB, but I agree that if we are only doing 1, we should choose Fantasmic. Especially as we are on the DDP.
I managed to pick up a 4:30pm Sci Fi last night, and I actually tried to see if we could do 3 TS in one day, but I can’t use that many credits on our first day.
You can always pay out of pocket for Sci-Fi. It’s a burgers/sandwiches kind of place, drink water and don’t have dessert and you are looking at an inexpensive meal. 3 TS a day is a lot though. You won’t want to eat the next day as you will still be full!
I wouldn’t try 3 TS in 1 day - unless you were just doing dessert at one or splitting meals so you were eating real light maybe. Three full meals is too much, especially with one of them a buffet. Mama Melrose’s has better food, but SciFi has a totally unique environment. Tough call on which to choose there - taste or experience? If Fantasmic! is a must do, I’d lean that way, although if you’re undecided on Fantasmic! still then I’d likely go SciFi as there are lots of places to get good food, but not many places you can eat at a Faux Drive-In movie theater playing 50’s B Move classics. You will probably remember the environment longer than the food…
Thanks for all your thoughts. I had decided to drop Sci Fi and do H&V at 8am followed by MM at 2:55pm. But you’re right Sci Fi is unique. We could go straight from MM to Sci Fi and only have drinks, but that seems wrong? If the choice is Sci Fi or Fantasmic, I presume you’d choose the later? I won’t cancel anything yet. I’m interested to hear the reviews on JBJB, I think tonight is the first night, and whether Fantasmic performances that clash don’t get full. When I started my Disney research Sci Fi, Coral Reef, and Sanaa were at the top of my list, followed by Boma, the signatures and a few others in EP. All that is left is Coral Reef. However I am determined that this will not be a one off trip, so I will just have lots of things to look forward to. Assuming there are no ROL dinner packages, I think we will only CS in AK, and hopefully make it to both Flame tree and Y&Y food court.