Fantasmic dinner packages

[Patty]

Hi everyone,

Greetings from a very wet London!, I am new to the board and have enjoyed reading the messages on the boards.

I am visiting WDW in December and would love to see the Fantasmic show in MGM. I know that there are long queues, but I have heard that you can book a Dinner package that enables you to have prefered seating for Fantasmic. Is this right and if so which package would you recommend.

Many thanks in advance for your replies.

Patty:wave:

 

[Marijil]

Hi Patty

Fantasmic is a spectacular show. The dinner packages, are revamped. They now are a pre paid type deal, kind of like the Candlelight Processional packages. I never used the package but my understanding has been that the reserved seats associated with the package are not the greatest. They are close to the show (too close?) and off to the side.

Of course you save about an hour of waiting time. My experience has been that you need to invest over an hour of waiting to get a truly good seat.

Hope that this helps!

 

[BJones]

Patty,

We used the dinner package for Fantasmic! at Mama Melrose's back in 2001. The food was really very good and they gave you a "ticket" that allowed you entrance into a separate area for the reserved section. I remember having difficulty trying to find this entrance, but there are CM's posted there to direct you. The seats were okay - yes it's in the far right section - but we had no problems seeing anything. And it does save you a lot of time. In fact, if you have very small children, you may want to sit farther back because parts of the show are pretty intense for little ones. The show however, is absolutely amazing and I highly recommend seeing it. Be prepared, though, for the stampede of people heading for busses and their cars at the end. It helps to sit at the end of an aisle or toward the top so you can make a fast exit. Hope this helps!

 

[DVCgirl49]

We too did the Fantasmic Dinner package. We went to the Hollywood and Vine for dinner, as I recall they only had certain seating times that are for the dinner package. At the dinner you got a ticked that had how many people were in your party and your name on it that was the admission to the side entrance for the reserved seating at the show. The seats were pretty far back and kinda off to the right, but you could see everything just fine. It definitely saved us time....We were busily eating and having desert while masses of people were lining up waiting to get seats.

 

[NADisney]

We also got the dinner package in sept 2002 ,at hollywood and vine.You must pay ahead for the dinner and tickets now
.They have had problems where guest would not show up to eat , but go to the show only. or vice versa.Make reservations ahead of time at the disney resort or at the hollywood info / dinning booth on the corner of hollywood and sunset blvd.

 

[CAPTAIN HOOK]

I'm afraid that I've only read poor reviews of the Fantasmic Dinner Package - so much so that we decided not to book when we visit next year.
1) As you look at the stage seating is in the far right section.
2) The seats are not reserved. So this means you still have to arrive ahead of your fellow diners to get seats with a decent view.
3) The show is best from the middle sections - from the sides you see elements of the show before they are illuminated and before their music is played.
4) The CMs will not stop others from ducking under the ropes into the reserved section - so if you arrive at the last moment don't expect seats for you, in fact you may have to stand.

My recommendation - If you haven't seen the show before, get an early meal and queue up with the others. At rope drop head for one of the 5 sections in the centre (centre aisle and 2 outers on each side). Don't go out any further.
The wait in line is a pain in the a**e !! BUT the show is well worth it

 

[wannabeBelle]

Hi There, I have to tell you I wasnt terribly impressed with the food at Mama Melrose. The calamari I ordered for an appetizer was so GREASY and the food all has this wood burning smoky flavor to it. Definitely not to my liking. I much prefer the Hollywood Brown Derby. A bit pricey but worth it. My all time favorite restaurant for this park is still the 50's Prime Time Cafe but it is not part of the package. As far as the dinner packages, my friend Lilo had a thread about this. The dinner times are so far off for what most people would want for dinner. I think they told her something stupid like she had to eat dinner at 4 pm to get into the 6 pm show!! Call Disney dining and find out if the times they offer are OK for you!! The number is 1-407- WDW-DINE good luck. Belle

 

[Lilo]

Unless they changed their arrangements, The Fantasmic Dinner package is only for the 6 p.m. showing. That means either eat at 4 p.m. or eat later that evening. Call them up. I ran a thread about this before, so you can do a search about what others said.
What I am doing is I did a PS at Brown Derby for 5:30 and I will wait in line (like everyone else) for the 8 p.m show. Hopefully since it will be a Tuesday (kids are still in school) it won't be that crowded. Have fun whenever you go:wave:

 

[conntom]

Hi Patty welcome I will be at WDW Dec 8-14 and Fantasmic
I like the one from mama Melrose the food is very good.
the Prime time cafe is a little better?:sohappy:

 

[Hochmania]

IMHO, if you can avoid the Dinner Package and just eat dinner and get your own seats, do it. The Dinner Package isn't anything spectacular.