Fantasmic Strategy with Two Toddlers

[dis1010]

Hi all,

We'll be in WDW in a few weeks with our twin toddlers (they'll be about 20 months). We plan, tentatively, to see Fantasmic on a Wednesday evening. We're coming from the west coast and plan to keep them on west coast time (unless that doesn't work...who knows). So, it's possible they may be able to stay up late for Fantasmic. That Wednesday will also be our mostly non-park day - we will be staying at our resort all day until early evening, when we will go to DHS for dinner (50s Prime Time), maybe one ride, and Fantasmic.

Right now, we have a FP+ for Fantasmic. It's not a concern that it's sort of a waste of a FP+ on a normal day because we aren't using other FP+ allotments that day.

But we're just trying to evaluate the best way to see Fantasmic: FP+ or Fantasmic Dessert Party (or something else)? We don't want to do the Fantasmic Dining Package.

Our concerns:

1) We want to minimize the amount of time we are sitting at our seats before the show. They can't sit still for an hour or more waiting for a show to start.

2) We want them to be able to see the show, though doesn't have to be the best seats.

3) We may need to depart early if they meltdown. So, we'd like to be able to exit without causing a disturbance to others, as best as possible.

4) Not waiting in huge lines when we depart is always nice, if we make it to the end of the show. But we are staying at BCV. So, we can always just walk back to the hotel, with the twins in their stroller. So, I'm not worried about bus lines.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

David

 

[MinnieMom85]

We did Fantasmic FP with our 3 kids after leaving the park for dinner. They were 7, 4, and 2.

1. The FP window opens WAY before the show time. All the seats are pretty great. I would see about just entering the theater later. Bring in some snacks like popcorn and fruit snacks while they want. I think bathrooms are pretty far if I remember.

2. Our FP seats were just fine. They were about mid way down. I dont think being any closer would have made much of a difference.

3. Just find a seat towards the end of a row.

4. We were sitting mid way down. It was a MESS to leave when the show was over. Just to get up the stairs and out of the theater. It honestly almost felt like a safety hazard that they only could exit out one side of the back of the theater. I'm sure others may have a better strategy. Our kids dont love loud fireworks so we should have left before the end.

 

[DavidNYC]

Leaving is a mess. I'd strongly recommend sitting in the top third of the theater, close to aisle towards the right side of the theater. If you're not familiar with the exit route, just ask a cast member when you enter to show you where the exit will be and then you'll be able to see where to best sit for a [comparatively] easy escape. If you really want an easy escape and don't mind missing the last 30 seconds or so, watch a video on you tube and you'll be able to see when to start heading out (when you see Sorcerer Mickey is often when we'll head up the aisle and watch the last minute from the back). But if you're seated near the exit, even staying to the end won't be terrible.

The FP will let you avoid a lot of the crowd getting in but it does fill up. Ignore the FP section if it's far from the exit. They'll allow you to move to any section other than a dinner package section. Until relatively close to showtime, people are often sitting fairly spread out so you can likely find 4 seats (or 2 and 2 right behind each other) but I'd still try to get there 30 minutes early - dessert was very useful to pass the time!

 

[Robo]

We did Fantasmic FP with our 3 kids after leaving the park for dinner. They were 7, 4, and 2.
- I think bathrooms are pretty far if I remember.

Some of the largest and nicest restrooms at WDW are located right there inside the Fantasmic! theater.
(Seen upper-left in image below.)
--------------------
Seating layout-
Arrows indicate the center of the seating.
Shaded areas:
(First or Only F! performance of the evening)
Cyan= Standby (walk-in) seating
Red= Dining Package Reserved
Blue= FP+ Reserved
Purple= Can be either FP+ or Dining Plan Reserved, depending on needs.

(Second or Third F! performance of the evening)
Cyan= Standby (walk-in) seating
Red, Purple, Blue= FP+ Reserved
(Although much of the outer Blue will likely be used for Standby.)

 

[jbehr12]

Hi all,

We'll be in WDW in a few weeks with our twin toddlers (they'll be about 20 months). We plan, tentatively, to see Fantasmic on a Wednesday evening. We're coming from the west coast and plan to keep them on west coast time (unless that doesn't work...who knows). So, it's possible they may be able to stay up late for Fantasmic. That Wednesday will also be our mostly non-park day - we will be staying at our resort all day until early evening, when we will go to DHS for dinner (50s Prime Time), maybe one ride, and Fantasmic.

Right now, we have a FP+ for Fantasmic. It's not a concern that it's sort of a waste of a FP+ on a normal day because we aren't using other FP+ allotments that day.

But we're just trying to evaluate the best way to see Fantasmic: FP+ or Fantasmic Dessert Party (or something else)? We don't want to do the Fantasmic Dining Package.

Our concerns:

1) We want to minimize the amount of time we are sitting at our seats before the show. They can't sit still for an hour or more waiting for a show to start.

2) We want them to be able to see the show, though doesn't have to be the best seats.

3) We may need to depart early if they meltdown. So, we'd like to be able to exit without causing a disturbance to others, as best as possible.

4) Not waiting in huge lines when we depart is always nice, if we make it to the end of the show. But we are staying at BCV. So, we can always just walk back to the hotel, with the twins in their stroller. So, I'm not worried about bus lines.

Any thoughts?

Thanks!

David

If you’ve seen the show before and are not worried about your children seeing the very tail end then try and make a dash to the exit two or three minutes before the show ends. It’ll get you a big jump start on the wave of people who then all leave at once.

 

[LSUmiss]

Also, I know it’s not the same, but I tried to keep DS (7 mos & 14 mos) on central time (even though I know it’s just an hr), but it didn’t work. By the first full days of both trips, he was on the eastern time zone version of his schedule. Every kid is different though.

 

[CapnJacksGirl]

When our kids and my nephew were small, we would get the Kids Power Pack from Catalina Eddie's before we went into the amphitheater. It contains a small bottled smoothie, apple wedges, carrot sticks, cheese crackers, apple-cinnamon snack bar and choice of small milk or bottled water. We always found the variety to be a real lifesaver when killing time.

Also, we learned very, very early to never underestimate the power of glow sticks and a bottle of bubbles. We always brought tons of glow sticks and let our boys share with kids around them. It was a good way to pass the time and it was fun to watch them with other kids too. (A further note on the bubbles.....we usually did the bubble-blowing ourselves, or at least policed it closely, after a couple of encounters with people who just let their kids sling bubble solution all over everyone around them. )