Planned Dates - HS vs. EP input please!

I’m in a dilemma, hoping for some guidance. I was expecting Frozen Fireworks to be at 9:45pm like they were last year, but it appears that the last bit of August and September, they are at 9:00pm. I have two scenarios, one is how I currently have it, and one is what I could switch to. Let me know what you think is the better option please!

SCENARIO 1 (Current)
Sept 7 - Scheduled as EP day (crowds 4/10 - hours 9a-9p). Dinner at Teppan Edo at 7:20pm, and was planning to finish dinner and boat down to HS to catch the Frozen Fireworks (also crowds 4/10 - hours 9a-9:30p + eve EMH).
Sept 12 - Scheduled HS day (crowds 2/10 - hours morn EMH + 9a-8p). Dinner at 50’s PT at 6:30pm, planning to finish dinner and see Fantasmic! at 8:30pm (only 1 F! that day)

SCENARIO 2 (Potential)
Sept 7 - Make it the HS day (crowds 4/10 - hours 9a-9:30p + eve EMH). Grabbed a 50’s PT dinner at 7:50pm, could finish dinner and step right out in front to see the Frozen Fireworks ***(is this enough time to eat??)***. After Frozen Fireworks, could head over to see second Fantasmic! at 10pm (is there enough time to get from Fireworks viewing to F! theatre??)
Sept 12 - Make it the EP day (crowds 2/10 - hours 9a-9p). Grabbed a Teppan Edo dinner at 8pm, not intending to see Illuminations as we have that on another evening.

I’m leaning towards Scenario 2, I just hope there’s enough time to see everything on that HS day!

So, my concern with option two is that you might not get to Fantasmic in time. There’ll be a big crush of folks leaving the park after the fireworks, and you’ll be trying to get around/through all of that. Have you thought about shifting your dinner ADR in scenario one? If you could move it to 6:30, that might work.

The only other time at TE on the 7th is 4:50, which is way too early. That’ll feel like 2:50pm to me, and 1:50pm to mom.

ETA: Touring Plans says the Fireworks are 15 minutes. That would give us 35 minutes to maneuver over to F! to make it 10 min prior to showtime. You don’t think that would be enough time?

We’ve always been served very quickly at 50’s but I would keep trying for a slightly earlier time and would also try to at least get across Hollywood Blvd to watch the fireworks. That way you won’t have to fight the leaving crowds to cross to Sunset Blvd. We were at HS on Labor Day last year, also the supposed last day of Frozen stuff and it was PACKED!!!

I would do option 2, but try to get an earlier supper if possible. We had quite a long wait for a LATE lunch last year and our service was incredibly slow. Heard such great reviews of the Diner that I won’t cross it off our list forever, but spent 2 hours in there from arrival to departure…we did get free PBJ milkshakes though :smile: and like I said we had a late lunch, your dinner is smack dab in the middle of supper rush.

Oh no! That’s a really long time! So I guess aim in the direction of option 2, but don’t give up the TE just yet until I find a slightly earlier 50’s?

I think you also may be able to get an earlier TE in scenario 1 if you keep trying. So maybe that’s an option. (Or maybe do it for lunch instead, and QS dinner at HS)

I’m an anxious person, so I’d be on edge. If you’re better at rolling with the punches and not worrying, you’ll almost certainly be fine. 35 minutes should definitely be enough time, and as I recall, there aren’t really bad seats at Fantasmic.

Getting from the FW to F! should not be a problem. I did the exact same thing on a SWW one time; got to the F! arena 20 min before show time, and it was less than 2/3 full. - And that was when the FW were at 9:45 and F! was at 10:30…

I would be more concerned with the time between your ADR and the FW. I’ve gone from sitting to walking out the door there in less than an hour, so yes, you could do it. But if you were 15 min late in getting seated, you would be cutting it VERY close.

Have you considered trying for a very early dinner (say, between 3:00 and 4:00)? This would completely clear you for PM activities, and you could “snack” for lunch and then maybe grab another “snack” later in the evening. That’s what I did the day I saw both the FW and F!..

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The thing with an early dinner is that it feels SIGNIFICANTLY earlier for us (I’m on Mountain Time and mom is on Pacific Time). If we ate at 4pm, it would feel pretty much like lunch. Last year, DBF and I had BOG dinner at 4:55, and we were starving again by 9:30, meaning more money spent on food.

We have a 1pm lunch booked at B&C, which will create our afternoon break, so I don’t want to give that up. I’m not opposed to looking for a slightly earlier 50’s (6:30/7pm), and can continue to look for one, but I don’t think an early dinner will work for us.