Fantasmic dining?

They just opened up a Fantasmic dining for our trip next month. Should we book a dining package, or just hope to get Fast Pass?

Also, thoughts on 1st or 2nd show?

First trip to DL - want to make the most of it!

Oops - disregard. I was reading this as WDW not Disneyland

If you can swing it, I suggest the dining package. I did the premium one a RIverbelle terrace (we got to stay at the table and enjoy coffee and dessert during the show) for my birthday, but there are some reasonable options as well. If you do not have little ones, I would do the 2nd show.

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Thanks! We always do dining package at WDW, but wasn’t sure if it was “needed” at Disneyland. I figured this may be a once in a lifetime trip (or at least once in a long time), so all about splurging a bit.

Definitely do a dining package and, if you can swing it, do the one where you can watch from your table at Riverbelle. Sitting on the ground is too uncomfortable for me. :grin:

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Dining package all the way! It is the best use of splurge money out of any of the extras/dining packages at DL.

If you aren’t opposed to sitting on the ground: Blue Bayou, River Belle (non-premium) and Hungry Bear on the Go each have a dining package with reserved sections at the front of the Fantastmic viewing are (which is just along the areas of the Rivers of America, so no designated seats or a stadium like at DHS). The cobblestones in some areas are uneven & can be quite uncomfortable but you can bring padding in the form of a blanket or in the case of Blue Bayou, your package comes with a cushion to sit on to provide some padding.

Blue Bayou is considered the primo choice & has the most center location in the viewing area, plus you get the beautiful ambiance of Blue Bayou and they have a surf & turf option which is quite tasty, not to mention the Sorcerer Mickey Dessert which I haven’t been able to try yet but just looks so cute. And of course there’s the seat cushion mentioned above.

At a slightly lower price, River Belle’s section is just to the right of Blue Bayou’s and the seats bordering (on the ground for the non-premium package) are just as good as the Blue Bayou’s view and no matter where you are in the section you’re still up front, even is slightly skewed to the right (which is the better to be both for seeing the show & if you plan to stay to watch fireworks after from this area). The food at River Belle is also all great, the ribs being our favorite & we just LOVED the Maleficent dragon dessert that is a choice for the dining packages. There’s also as has been mentioned the Premium River Belle package which is only done for the early show & where you eat dinner an hour before the show on the River Belle patio that looks out towards the Rivers of America. There will be a walkway area in front of the patio with CMs directing park traffic, but the patio is elevated slightly above it & the show is loud enough that there is very little concern with any noise pollution from the passing traffic. Even though it is not a bad view at all, it’s also not my favorite view as it’s not as up close & personal as the other dining packages get you to really feel the awesomeness of some of the effects. The whole eat from your seat while sipping on coffee & enjoying your dessert is a very awesome feature of it though & the 1 time we have done this package we truly felt waited on hand & foot.

Lastly, if you’re on a budget the Hungry Bear On-the-Go package is not to be overlooked. It’s a QS meal that they pack up for you to eat wherever you’d like, but Hungry Bear does have ample seating that borders the Rivers of America (from the side and almost the back so not quite where you watch the F! show but still a great view watching the train and any of the river boat attractions passing by). If the selections on the On-the-Go package menu don’t appeal to you you you can also order off their regular menu for the same price & still get the package. The section in the viewing area also borders Blue Bayou’s but from the left & again the space just bordering Blue Bayou’s is just as great a view & so that makes this a FANTASTIC deal.

NOTE: For the 2nd show, because it is less attended, the 3 dining sections do tend to be mixed into one large hodge-podge of a section. That makes the Hungry Bear even more of a deal, but may not be as desirable if you’ve selected the Blue Bayou dinner for the 2nd show. If the 2nd show will be more crowded (i.e. peak times) then they’ll keep the 3 sections segregated so you can be sure that if you paid good money for Blue Bayou you won’t have to compete amongst other packages as well as those in your own package when the viewing areas will be more crowded.

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Thank you so much for the details! I just booked the dining package - I appreciate your insight and helpfulness! I mean, how can you say no to Maleficent dragon dessert?

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Awesome! Which one did you go with???

This just confirmed my choice for the Blue Bayou package for my trip in May! Thank you for all the details!!

We went with Blue Bayou. My kids are huge Pirates fans and I think they will love the ambiance there. Plus my DD is a lobster girl, so hopefully surf and turf will still be on the menu. But turning down that Maleficent dragon dessert at River Belle makes me sad! Oh the things we do for our kids! :wink:

Thank you again for your help! Truly appreciated!

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Oh but the Sorcerer Mickey dessert should more than make up for it! Plus you’ll get the butt cushions for everyone (and they are SUPER cute if you haven’t already seen a pic of them here ya go).

But I know all about the sacrifices we make for our kids, especially on a Disney trip. :yum::laughing:

This may be a dumb question, but do you get to keep the seat cushions?

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You sure do!

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Woo hoo!

We were one and done with BB, however having said that, I truly feel that it is must do for everyone at least once. The ambience is truly unique. When you check in, let them know that you are willing to wait for a water side table. As for the Malificent dessert, it is gorgeous, but my son couldn’t eat it. It has a hot spice in the center, which he felt was inedible. It was great for pics though!

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@lolabear_la Between the two, World of Color dessert party and Fantasmic Dining package, which would you choose?
I’ve already purchased WOC dessert party…so it’s too late for me. There’s no way I can do both…but i’m starting to regret not going in this direction…

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The WOC is a great option :wink:

If I had to pick 1 though, I would probably pick F! as getting a spot using the free FP for WOC is a lot less of a hassle than it is for F! I believe you can still cancel the dessert party for a full refund up to 24 or 48 hrs before. If you really like the idea of a WOC dessert party still, look into the Hungry Bear on-the-go option for F!. It’s not pricy & gives you a great low-stress section to sit in (I consider all the dining pacakages low stress vs. the FP sections crammed-to-the-gills-of-a-sardine-can stressful).

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