Very busy Fantasmic shows with reduced performances

[Master Yoda]

So let me get this straight. The Fantasmic Dinner Package allows you the privilege of not having to line up early so that the people who did line up early will get the priority seating that you didn't get because you didn't line up early?

That makes perfect sense.

Well it is Disney after all.

I am trying to get some conformation on what the actual policy is. This is just guessing but there has to be some sort of time frame where F! dinner package guests can get in before the general public is let in. Providing you are there before this cutoff you should be fine. However, if you arrive after that time you are taking a chance of not getting in.

 

[NewfieFan]

Well it is Disney after all.

I am trying to get some conformation on what the actual policy is. This is just guessing but there has to be some sort of time frame where F! dinner package guests can get in before the general public is let in. Providing you are there before this cutoff you should be fine. However, if you arrive after that time you are taking a chance of not getting in.

I thought you had to show up a 1/2 before show time for the reserved seating!?! So, if you're not there a 1/2 hour before... they start giving those seats to the regular guests!?!:shrug: I was there in Sept. and used the F! dinner package.

 

[Master Yoda]

I thought you had to show up a 1/2 before show time for the reserved seating!?! So, if you're not there a 1/2 hour before... they start giving those seats to the regular guests!?!:shrug: I was there in Sept. and used the F! dinner package.

Right now that 1/2 hour is what I am hearing. I would love some conformation from a DHS cast member though because no one at Disney has a clue.

 

[joanna71985]

Hi Everyone, I was at Fantasmic last Thursay. We were there an hour early and were VERY lucky to find bench seating. It filled up, and from a few angry comments I heard, people were turned away from the show all together. There was some seating in the handicap section open though all through the show.

None the less, I enjoyed it thoroughly, and I STRONGLY suggest that you show up 1 1/2 hours early for the show if you want bench seating. The park wasn't even busy on Thursday. I was shocked at the turnout for Fantasmic.....Also, don't try to sit in the handicap sections unless you have a "guest assistance card" ?? because people who didn't have one were being removed from the handicap sections and told to stand.

Cheers!

It has always been like that. The handicap seating is reserved for wheelchair parties, and for guests with a GAC.

 

[MousDad]

I thought you had to show up a 1/2 before show time for the reserved seating!?! So, if you're not there a 1/2 hour before... they start giving those seats to the regular guests!?!:shrug: I was there in Sept. and used the F! dinner package.

That's how I thought it worked too. You miss the deadline, you miss your reserved seats. So where does the "seats are not guaranteed" fit in with this?

 

[bgraham34]

The 2nd show for tomorrow has been taken off the schedule. I got a call from scheduling informing of this around 1:30 this afternoon. They didnt say anything about it possibly being added back to the schedule. I edited my first post to remove the info about the 2nd show. If I hear anything about it being added I'll let everyone know.

Please let me know. I am planning to see the show next Thursday. I don't want to have to show up 3 hours before the show starts to get a seat. We are taking my In Laws and brother in law and there 2 kids who are 3 and 1. They can't sit for 3 hours.

 

[Tinkrbell]

Please let me know. I am planning to see the show next Thursday. I don't want to have to show up 3 hours before the show starts to get a seat. We are taking my In Laws and brother in law and there 2 kids who are 3 and 1. They can't sit for 3 hours.

The theater only opens to guests an hour & a half before the show. People start lining up outside the theater (kind of next to the Beauty & the Beast theater) about an hour & 45 minutes to 2 hours before the show.

 

[Master Yoda]

The theater only opens to guests an hour & a half before the show. People start lining up outside the theater (kind of next to the Beauty & the Beast theater) about an hour & 45 minutes to 2 hours before the show.

Are dining package guests allowed in prior to this half hour?

 

[jakeman]

Hey Disney. Our family of 5 is SKIPPING our usual few days in the parks this year on our trip to Florida. Yes SKIPPING. One reason is that we couldn't make the schedule to hit Fantasmic on a day that it's being shown. It's not the only reason, but probably the nail in the coffin since we never miss the show. You should know that we haven't missed a year in 12 years of driving through Florida to see my parents. We typically drop a couple of grand a year on our trip. Some years way more. We are on personal strike until smarter heads provail. To us, Fantasmic is a family tradition. So this family, who has spent many thousands of dollars at the resort over the years, is very irritated at this stupid move. What's next? Shutting down Splash Mountain due to the cost of water? I completely understand cost cutting in todays world, and don't hold any anger about shorter park hours, missing character meals (we can book a different location), or smaller portions on meals, but cutting the best WDW show? We are on strike.

This is a very valid issue. I certainly hope you shared this with Disney and are not just hoping they see it on a fan site.

It probably wouldn't take too many of these for them to re-evaluate the situation.

 

[Rob562]

Are dining package guests allowed in prior to this half hour?

It's been a while since I've seen Fantasmic, and I've never done the package, but it was my understanding/observation that the section or two to the far right was roped off for the Guests on the dining package.
Package guests are told that they have to be there 30 minutes before showtime to guarantee admission.

If the regular theater seating fills up and it's less than 30 minutes before showtime, they'll then open up the reserved seating to everyone. (Kind of like how you have to be on a plane 10 minutes before takeoff, otherwise they start giving seats away to Standby passengers)

From the reports I'm reading, the theater was filling up so quickly that many, many non-package guests who were denied seating were hopping the ropes and sitting in the semi-empty Package seating before the 30-minute cutoff point. So then Package guests who were arriving close to the cut-off time were finding that there were no seats left in their section.

A better way to handle the crowds (if I were in charge) might be to stop admitting non-package guests when the regular seating area fills up. Keep the Package seating roped off until the 30-minute mark. Then take down the ropes and start letting the people who were held-back into the theater to fill in the remaining Package seating, and then Standing Room when all of that is gone.
The problem was stemming from people who were being told they'd have to stand when there were visibly open seats in the Package section and taking matters into their own hands. If you keep people from being in that situation, you eliminate the rope-jumpers.

-Rob

 

[bgraham34]

The theater only opens to guests an hour & a half before the show. People start lining up outside the theater (kind of next to the Beauty & the Beast theater) about an hour & 45 minutes to 2 hours before the show.

That I know but I am certainly not going to wait by the theatre only to have to wait longer to see the show. Its a waste of my time and the family, not too mention when are we going to eat. The Fantasmic dinner is sold out.

 

[NX2I85]

When F! has become a three hour time commitment, it is officially out of consideration for me. In fact, I wouldn't commit three hours to view anything unless it was the second coming of baby Jesus or the Super Bowl.

 

[Carebee21]

That I know but I am certainly not going to wait by the theatre only to have to wait longer to see the show. Its a waste of my time and the family, not too mention when are we going to eat. The Fantasmic dinner is sold out.

This is the problem I'm having. It just seems like such a waste to have to stand around for a few hours to "hopefully" get a seat to watch a show. We have 5 people one of who is 5 and won't stand still that long and both of my parents who are older and my mom has fibromyalgia and gets achy so I don't think she'll even be able to stand that long in line. And I have a feeling even the park benches in the area are going to be filled up with waiting people. I just don't know if it's even worth it at this point in time to plan on seeing the show.

This really sucks though because we don't have park hoppers (we're there for 10 days and figure we can see everything we need to without hopping from park to park) and I've already made all my plans and dinner reservations to accomodate a show being shown on that day at that park. I can understand if weather or something uncontrollable happened, but they are aware of the situation and are still not changing anything for the next couple of weeks. I'm very disappointed.

 

[Christi22222]

When F! has become a three hour time commitment, it is officially out of consideration for me. In fact, I wouldn't commit three hours to view anything unless it was the second coming of baby Jesus or the Super Bowl.

Amen to that!! (pun fully intended)

Would love to see the show when we go at the beginning of February, but I can't see spending that kind of time! Might be the visitor who takes the opportunity to visit TM.....

 

[IlikeDW]

Right now that 1/2 hour is what I am hearing. I would love some conformation from a DHS cast member though because no one at Disney has a clue.

We did the Fantasmic dinner package in Dec, Our server told us that we were only guaranteed a seat if we were there 45 min prior. I am not 100% sure but I think it said the same on the ticket. Usually was never an issue because it did not fill up until about 15 min prior.

 

[jpm46]

Hi Everyone,

We were at Fantasmic! on Thursday night...little did I know there was such back and forth drama regarding a second show being added, but that was much needed. The park was noticeably more crowded during the day, and although we go there at about 5:30 for the 7:00 show (when they began letting people in) the amphitheater appeared to be at capacity by 6:15.

One HUGE factor was the infamous Brazilian tour groups that I read so much about on these boards but have never encountered until this week. They were brutal...very ignorant, standing up waving Brazilian flag, singing I guess their anthem in unison. Just obnoxious...carrying those stupid flags EVERYWHERE! And why do they have to walk the park in groups of 20?! Why can't they all go off individually and meet back periodically or at the end of the day? I've got a lot of venting to do about them.

So it was bad but probably wouldn't have been as bad if it wasn't for the Brazilians. Lots at HS on Thursday.

 

[bgraham34]

I am going to see if I can make the show on Thursday. I dont mind getting there around 5:45 but earlier the kids are going to freak.

 

[lynnie5150]

Hi Everyone,

We were at Fantasmic! on Thursday night...little did I know there was such back and forth drama regarding a second show being added, but that was much needed. The park was noticeably more crowded during the day, and although we go there at about 5:30 for the 7:00 show (when they began letting people in) the amphitheater appeared to be at capacity by 6:15.

One HUGE factor was the infamous Brazilian tour groups that I read so much about on these boards but have never encountered until this week. They were brutal...very ignorant, standing up waving Brazilian flag, singing I guess their anthem in unison. Just obnoxious...carrying those stupid flags EVERYWHERE! And why do they have to walk the park in groups of 20?! Why can't they all go off individually and meet back periodically or at the end of the day? I've got a lot of venting to do about them.

So it was bad but probably wouldn't have been as bad if it wasn't for the Brazilians. Lots at HS on Thursday.

Atleast you didn't have to encounter them in the summer. They are just as loud and the smell is over powering.

 

[disney4life2008]

I was at Hollywood Studios on the 12th and let me tell you the real story behind FANTASMIC on this fateful night. The crowds this day were high but not super high (the longest wait was for TSM at 120 minutes). The other waits were 30 minutes or less. The problem on this day was the BRAZILLIAN TOUR GROUPS - THEY WERE EVERYWHERE!!!!! My boyfriend and I were coming out of Hollywood Tower of Terror at 430pm when all the tour groups headed to the Fantasmic Theater to meet and regroup. 90 minutes before show time - the tour groups had taken up a good portion of the theater - that on top of the guests of the park - it was a MESS!!! Parents were irate, children were crying and I was upset. People went to guest relations to complain (including me) but no one cared. The tour groups took up the seats. The reduced scheduale is horrible, I only got to see my favorite show once.

BEWARE OF THE TOUR GROUPS!!!!

 

[Tom Morrow]

My boyfriend and I were coming out of Hollywood Tower of Terror

Such a place does not exist

People went to guest relations to complain (including me) but no one cared.

They care, but there is nothing they can do about it.

The tour groups took up the seats.

If they were in the park, they would have taken up the seats regardless of what schedule Fantasmic was on. The tour groups planned ahead and took the time out to get their seats, thats all that happened here. The theater is still first-come, first-serve.

The reduced scheduale is horrible, I only got to see my favorite show once.

Some people will never be able to see it in their entire life.