Trying to understand Fantasmic!

[mickeymom22]

I need help wrapping my brain around what the viewing areas are like for Fantasmic! If you get a fastpass are you seated on the ground? If you are stand-by are you standing up?

If I get a fastpass first thing in the morning, it doesn't affect my ability to get other fastpasses for earlier in the day does it?

Thanks everyone!

 

[FCDub]

If I get a fastpass first thing in the morning, it doesn't affect my ability to get other fastpasses for earlier in the day does it?

Thanks everyone!

Nope, it does not affect that.

 

[pharmama]

I need help wrapping my brain around what the viewing areas are like for Fantasmic! If you get a fastpass are you seated on the ground? If you are stand-by are you standing up?

FP and walk-up viewing for F! are standing. Viewing areas for the dining packages are seated on the ground. The dining packages have the best view and, IMO, are well worth it. If we want to see F! we do the Hungry Bear package as its the most affordable. If you're planning to go to Blue Bayou anyway or you want a splurge then do the F! package there. Personally I don't love River Belle. The food and service have been very 'meh' and the viewing isn't any better than HB. BB has the prime viewing section in the middle of the dining package area which is a straight on center view of the stage and center water screen. HB is the section to the left of that and RBT is to the right.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

The only way to have a seated view is to get a dining package. You will be sitting on the ground, except that with the Blue Bayou package they also give you a padded cushion, which I found to be much more comfortable than the ground. I think that there is technically some seating at tables available at River Belle Terrace if you do that dining package, but I've heard that the view is not ideal.

The whole thing can be confusing because if you walk by before the show starts, you'll see that those in the FP section (no dining package) are sitting down. However, just minutes before the show starts, the CMs ask everyone in those sections to stand up and squish together.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

If you get a free FP or want to try stand by viewing for F!, you will need to invest a lot of time waiting to be in the front of your viewing area or be very tall or risk not seeing very much because of taller people in front of you or people putting kids on shoulders in front of you. If you don't want to invest the hour+ wait for the front (much more if you want the front row of the bridge by POTC), then the Dining Packages are a very good investment. All viewing in the HB, BB, RBT (seated in that order by the water) is ground seating (no standing -- so no one standing in front of you and no kids on shoulders) and all viewing is good-to-great with the least amount of wait time.

 

[planningjollyholiday]

If you go to the second showing of Fantasmic you will likely have better luck getting a decent view with minimal wait with a fastpass. Admittedly the view will not be as perfect as a dining package view, but you also don't have to spend extra money to get it.

 

[RemainSeatedPlease]

If you get a free FP or want to try stand by viewing for F!, you will need to invest a lot of time waiting to be in the front of your viewing area or be very tall or risk not seeing very much because of taller people in front of you or people putting kids on shoulders in front of you. If you don't want to invest the hour+ wait for the front (much more if you want the front row of the bridge by POTC), then the Dining Packages are a very good investment. All viewing in the HB, BB, RBT (seated in that order by the water) is ground seating (no standing -- so no one standing in front of you and no kids on shoulders) and all viewing is good-to-great with the least amount of wait time.

Yes, basically you have to decide what you'd rather invest to get a good view - time or money. It's not a perfect system, but I guess it makes sense.

I remember when I was younger and my family would wait for hours on our blanket to get a good spot right up against the railing. In those days you had to invest significant time just sitting around holding a spot. We would factor it into our touring schedule that we'd basically be losing a whole evening to it. But, it was free. I guess I do prefer the new system, where it costs more to get the same prime viewing spots I used to enjoy as a child, but the wait is much shorter. I think I showed up about 30 minutes before show time for the Blue Bayou area and was in the second "row" from the railing, right in the center.