Wanted to know if the Fantasmic dining package worth it. I see that it recommends that you still arrive early to get good seating within the reserved section. How early do I have to arrive? Is it the same amount of time required to secure a seat in the other sections?
They will suggest showing up 30 minutes before the show if you have a F! Package ticket.
Depending on crowd levels, all of the Disneyphiles I worked with told me emphatically before I went:
DO THE F! PACKAGE.
It can be a massive timesaver, and if you’re planning on eating and seeing F! anyway, you kill at least three birds with one stone:
Best seats in the house
A meal
A break
No waiting in line for seats.
No worries about having to hold a fastpass.
3 Likes
We ALWAYS do it. I’m not sure it’s necessary but I love being close. We usually arrive about 30 minutes or more before show time but we’re usually done by then anyways. Fantasmic is my favorite show at WDW so I’m probably a little biased. That being said, I really don’t think there’s a “bad” seat in the theater.
2 Likes
How early do you have to show up if you don’t have the dining package ticket?
The only reason why i’m debating doing this is because my kids could get tired and fall asleep before we even make it to the show. Not sure if I want to pay extra and things don’t go as planned, which is highly possible with a 2 and 4 year old lol.
I think you need to be there about 20 minutes prior to the show. But you don’t have to stand, you can enter and grab a seat.
2 Likes
If you’re afraid you might not make it, I’m not sure I would pay the extra money to chance it. I think if the kids are able to make it, you’ll be able to snag a good seat about 30-45 minutes before show time. They have a snack stand where you could grab some goodies to keep the little ones entertained until show time.
I think 15 minutes before show time is the latest they’ll let people show up but I may be wrong.
1 Like
A dining package is the only way I’ll see F! anymore. It’s actually pleasant to walk in 20 min prior to show time and go directly to a seat vice standing around in a cattle pen for an hour followed by sitting on a hard bench for another 30 min waiting for the show to start.
If you don’t have the dining package would you get a fastpass?
I don’t know how long you need to show up with a fastpass, maybe 30 minutes? With the dining package we showed up about 25 minutes ahead and got good seats, in the centre blocks.
Having queued before to see it without a fastpass, we waited for an hour and even then it wasn’t clear we would get in. They stopped the line a bit behind us, but only after everyone had already been waiting.
I would not be able to get a fastpass for this show. I might just go with the package and risk missing it, if the wait can be an hour. Thanks for the help!
If you’re on the dining plan, it’s no extra cost for the Fantasmic! package - plus you get a free appetizer. If you’re on the dining plan, I think it’s a no-brainer to do as there’s no real downside if you have to bail due to the kids. If you’re not on the dining plan, then there’s some financial risk and you’ll have to way if it’s worth it to you or not…
2 Likes
Without a doubt, the Fantasmic package is the best way to go. As has been stated, you don’t have to deal with the long lines and you know you will have a good seat to watch it.
I’m leaning towards getting the dining package. Do any of you know if I can keep my reservation time, if I remove the fantasmic part right before my trip?
You can not. There is a way around it, but it is tricky. You can cancel your dining package, and then quickly book the restaurant for that time before someone else does. Once again it’s tricky and I wouldn’t do it if you really want to eat there.
1 Like
I am bringing a 4 y/o and a 3 month baby in 2 weeks. We definitely decided to do the F! dining package. its an amazing idea. Due to the nature of hollywood studios you can be out of the park with everything done by 3 or 4. So we opted for lunch package at hollywood vine. The great part is that if you decide to leave the park at 3 or 4 you can get your LOs to take a nap or at least wind down for a bit at your resort room. We are staying for 9 days so we have a 2-4 hour break scheduled every day. I highly suggest it!
If you want to just do the dining and not the F! then just keep the reservation. noone said you have to use your fastpass lol plus it does not count against you for 1 of your 3
I would think carefully about your kids enjoying this show. The seats are benches (no backs). You have to sit there a long time before the show starts. The show itself could be scary for really young kids. My DD would have been frightened even at age 5. (At age 10, she thought it was funny that Mickey blew up. He didn’t really, but the effects make it look like he did). We went for the first time in April. DD and I did the MM lunch package. The package is a lot of food! Appetizer, main course and dessert. Neither one of us ate everything. We didn’t heed the warnings to get there 30 minutes before show time, and the section of reserved seating was very full when we arrived. We sat down front, close the splash zone (we each got a bit wet).
Agreeing on your point of the amt of food at MM:
I am a self proclaimed, total pig.
I could barely move after the mm package, and I didn’t even touch the dessert. I ordered the steak on purpose, assuming that it would be a smaller portion. Seriously, I am a total pig, and usually, I’m a bottomless pit. MM stuffed me to the gills, and the food was WAY better than I thought it would be. I WANTED to eat it all, but I was past the point of Thanksgiving full. MM’s F! pkg is going to be a must-do on our return. EASILY!
1 Like