World of Color Preferred Viewing Dining Reviews: Ariel's vs. WCT!

[lulubelle]

Wow Alison, I am sorry to hear that.
I do think for the $$ spent on AG or WCT, we should be basically "guaranteed" a good view. Not primo or perfect, but unobstucted and decent. We did get such a view, but so many have not.

I am going again with a friend with a toddler in July (dining at WCT) and again in August with DD23 (doing the picnic) and I think after that I will either stick with whatever I can get or like Alison - enjoy from either the viewing deck or my balcony at the villas.

 

[disney777]

http://i424.photobucket.com/albums/pp326/bkm1966/WOCColorMapPic.jpg[/IMG]

We stood in the blue section, furthest lamp post to the right of the photo, up against the fence. There was a staircase just below us on the lower level. We are all short, so a main concern was not to be blocked. We initially stood by the middle lamp post on that same level, but felt the angle wouldn't work for us. The thing not shown in this photo are the poles that come up out of those wooden boxes. One of those blocked our view by the middle lamp, so we moved over. We viewed the show at somewhat of an angle, and missed some stuff that was happening to the right of the ferris wheel.
But, overall I was happy with the location. I ordered the picnic online a couple days before, this was a spur of the moment event.
But from this location, we weren't blocked and I could see what was happening low on the water. There were times I found myself leaning over the fencing a little, looking to the right. If I didn't lean, I'd be looking at my neighbor's head.
It wasn't crowded behind us, there was actually a lot of space. This was the 2nd night of the show. I think it is more crowded now than it was back then. It wasn't too stressful to be there. The most irritating thing was the guy next to me constantly bumping me with his backpack. Seriously, we're here for a couple of hours. Put it down by your feet. Can you not feel it every time you bump me? I ended up hooking my rainbow popcorn bucket on the fence. It made a good buffer.
We are curious about the orange section, what the viewing is like on the bridge. It didn't seem too bad, but hard to tell until you actually experience it.
We're eating at AG tomorrow, so I will see if I can get a good view in the preferred viewing section.

 

[vpalmer]

We reserved premium dining for the 6-23 9:00 show. We dined at WCT at 5:30. We were seated immediately in the indoor downstairs dining area. The red meat selection was called a beef tenderloin that evening instead of the "New York" I was expecting. My DH and I both ordered it. I enjoyed both the salad and the meal. At $140 including tip, tax and two glasses of wine for 2 adults and 1 child it was overpriced.

We finished dinner about 6:40 and made our way to the WOC arena. About five minutes later everyone was escorted out of the walkway behind the viewing area and made to stand behind barriers on either side of the viewing area. Shortly after 7:00 we were let in and I made my way to the green premium dining area. We were at the front railing right in the center. Just to clarify, we were told this was not a wet zone and that we may get misted but not soaked. We were slightly misted and that's it. Our view was fantastic including the view for my 7 year old.

I will say this about the green section. There aren't a lot of great seats. At least with the blue and yellow sections, you have multiple rails but in the green section there is one rail and that's it. There are also the stairs but with a small child, the drop of a stair may not make enough of a difference if
standing behind an adult.

I recommend being at the viewing area about 6:50 and trying to get to a railing in your respective viewing area. We had a fantastic experience and great view and would recommend the show.

 

[brenda1966]

I will say this about the green section. There aren't a lot of great seats. At least with the blue and yellow sections, you have multiple rails but in the green section there is one rail and that's it. There are also the stairs but with a small child, the drop of a stair may not make enough of a difference if
standing behind an adult.

.

Thanks for the review! You have confirmed my fear. I've booked a picnic now and will cancel my dinner if the picnic goes well.

Glad you had a good time and your child could see! Yes, that seems very pricey for dinner for 3.

 

[disney777]

Did the AG dining & WOC package on July 2. I was happy enough with the meal, didn't have high expectations. First thing we were told when seated was that we had 60 minutes to complete our meal. (This was from the hostess who sat us....expected her to turn an hourglass over on our table.) I'm a slow eater, so this stressed me a bit. We had a 5:00 reservation. In the end, the server didn't pressure us to get moving. But they did serve the courses quickly.
There were 2 of us. We chose the grilled veggie appetizer. Although the menu mentions artichoke hearts, and endive cups, we had only one of each. The endive cup was pretty flavorless. I thought the appie overall was fine. We really enjoyed the bread that came first, and the salad dressing was very good.
I ordered the tri tip, and my friend got the chicken. Her chicken was very good. My tri tip was ok, would have preferred it a little rarer. The waiter never asked how I wanted it cooked. We were both happy with our entrees.
Looking around, tri tip looked like a popular choice. The pasta had a generous portion, and the cioppino looked good, with a lobster claw sticking out of the bowl.
Our dessert sampler looked exactly like the one pictured earlier in this post, but we got half the amount of items. We cut everything in half except the macaroons. It was a pretty display. I wonder what they give you if there are 3 people?

We got our FPs, and it said to show up 8:00-8:30. I just didn't trust this, so we hovered around observing what was going on. They opened up the "floodgates" around 7:00! Glad I trusted my gut. At this point, we were too far back in the mob to get a spot by the fence, but staked out the top of the stairs. I was against the middle handrail. At least here, we were able to comfortable sit down on the hard ground for about 2 hrs. It didn't get too crowded in this area, and I had a pretty good view once the show began. No one was standing on the 2 steps below me. Things were pretty civilized. Since my last viewing was on a far end of Blue (with Picnic), it was nice to be more up front AND not be blocked. My friend didn't have as good a view since a large man was standing somewhat in front of her.
We got a bit misted at this location. The people on the fence were really misted. The yellow section down by the water really did get wet. We looked after the show, and there were puddles.

Earlier in the day, they made an announcement in the park that they added an 11:15 showing of WOC. We decided to get a FP, to see what section we would get. Of course we got Orange section, because that was the one area we were curious about. We had been at the parks since 8:00am, and I knew we'd be tired. But since you can't do anything to guarantee an Orange when doing the general public FP, we knew we had to do this to complete our research. (Actually, the last thing we want to do is see what it looks like from the side and behind. At least this doesn't take a lot of effort.)
So we saw the 9:00 show, took a bio break and rested a little bit, then decided to check out where near Ariel's Grotto we would need to line up. Well, it's to the side of the restaurant, and people were already lining up. We decided in order to get the spot we wanted for our "research", we needed to get in line. We were at a good spot, as there is a window looking into AG, and it's a great place to sit. So even though we lined up at 10:00 for the 11:15, we had comfortable seating. The 10:15 show started, and we could see a little of it through the window, on the other side of the reception area.
There are a ton of CMs monitoring this area. When we started moving to get our spots, a couple hopped into line, and the CM told them they had to go to the end of the line. Nice try. (They cut in somewhere close behind us, because we saw them near us really soon after they were told to go to the end of the line.) Another person slipped under the rope, and a CM immediatley asked him if he had a ticket. Sheesh.
We picked our spot, on the fence in the furthest bridge section from AG. Even though there were light poles in my view, this was my favorite view of the 3 times I've seen this. I saw things I didn't see the first 2 times, and enjoyed seeing the whole view. Each view had its charms, but I enjoyed seeing the panoramic view. The 11:15 show is definitely more relaxing and not as crowded.
I think I've had my fill of WOC for a while. I enjoyed all 3 experiences.

 

[PAL_1]

I have a 6:20 AG reservation for this coming Thursday. Now I'm concerned. If our meal takes the normal 60 minutes, where do you think we'll end up in the Preferred Dining section?

I'd switch to a picnic but online pre-sales are sold out.

EDIT: I was able to switch to a 5:20 reservation!

 

[brenda1966]

disney777 -- you have certainly earned your WoC guine pig merit badge! Thanks for the report!

 

[S. S. Columbia]

How did I miss this thread?

Thanks, lurkyloo. I liked both of your reviews.

WCT (link) and Ariel's (link)

 

[S. S. Columbia]

The food at WCT doesn't look too good (for the WOC Dining Package).

I had booked with WCT, but last night I changed it to Ariel's.

Thanks for the photos.

 

[brenda1966]

Last night I cancelled my Ariels for 2, July 18, 5pm. We are doing the picnic that day and hoping for the best!

 

[MeRSiamese]

Last night I cancelled my Ariels for 2, July 18, 5pm. We are doing the picnic that day and hoping for the best!

We also cancelled our preferred dining reservation and are doing the picnic option instead... Although, at the time of online purchase, I didn't realize we'd get stuck with the first viewing (which I've heard is the most crowded)...

I'm truly not thinking this is going to be more than a one-time thing anyways though... To have such a long wait time in line - even just to enter, then to have to "defend" your spot if you get a good one... and even then not be guaranteed a good, unobstructed view does not sound like what we want to do with our precious vacation hours...

Hopefully all the crowds will be at WoC while we are watching character interractions at Fantasmic!

 

[BensMom]

Now that we're on the subject...

I just got wind that if you're staying at a Disneyland resort, as we are (GC), you can get I guess for lack of a better word, fastpasses for WOC? I'm a rookie when it comes to DL. Living in the midst of Disneyworld and Harry Potter land, I am in no mood to stand in line, fight crowds or wait for much! What is the best course of action for us? I would make a priority seating at one of the restaurants and play that game, but we really want to eat at Napa Rose.

What time is this WOC every night? Do you think we could make a priority seating and eat lightly, catch WOC and then head back to Napa Rose for dinner? Help!

 

[lurkyloo]

Now that we're on the subject...

I just got wind that if you're staying at a Disneyland resort, as we are (GC), you can get I guess for lack of a better word, fastpasses for WOC?

ANYONE can get FASTPASSES for WOC. The advantage that hotel guests have is a private entrance into the park that's closer to the FP machines and about a 30-minute head start before the gate opens to day guests. However, it really doesn't matter when you get your passes because the section you are assigned is random. You could be first in line at the hotel gate and still pull a crummy Red section pass. The only reason you might want to pull an FP right at opening is to ensure you get a pass for the very first show.

What time is this WOC every night?

First show: 9pm

Second show: 10:15

Third show: 11:15 (every day they pretend that this has been added at the last minute, but the cast members and park hours have been scheduled at these hours for months!)

I'm not sure what to recommend in your situation because really, the only way to have a snowball's chance of a good view involves lines, waiting, etc. Can you eat at Napa Rose another night? Or buy the picnic dinner ticket package earlier in the day and eat it for lunch, then squeeze into Napa Rose after the first WOC show (if they're still serving)?

How did I miss this thread?

Thanks, lurkyloo. I liked both of your reviews.

WCT (link) and Ariel's (link)

Glad you enjoyed them! It's neat to see this thread become a repository of everyone's experiences.

 

[BensMom]

So, the picnic package, even though it's for lunch, will allow us to come back for the shows? Ooh, this may be an option. Since there are three shows, this will enable us to somehow squeeze in Napa Rose. We are only in town for two nights before we move up the coast to Pebble Beach, San Fran and then Napa. Our dance card is full, as it usually is when we come to Cali!!! I wish we could spend a month, truthfully.

 

[lurkyloo]

Yes! All the info is available on Disney's website, here:

http://disneyland.disney.go.com/dis.../specialEvents/detail?name=WorldOfColorDining

You would need to pre-order your picnics online in order to get tickets for the first show. You can pick them up as early as 11:30am.

You will still need to stand in a bit of a line when you get to the viewing area that matches your color, unless you go after it opens (seems to be around 7:15pm for every dining package except the $$$ ones at Ariel's and Wine Country), but then you're taking your chances at getting a spot along the railing.

Also, I'd double check that you can even get a reservation at Napa Rose that late. The show starts at 9, lasts 25 minutes, and takes, oh, 15 minutes to clear out? So I'd make one at 9:45 or later, if possible.

Hope this helps!

 

[BensMom]

Immensely! Thank you so much for your help. I am thinking Napa Rose will serve late because it is a weekend? I will check. Just checked. Hours are till 10, which usually means they will seat up till 10.

 

[HydroGuy]

Now that we're on the subject...

I just got wind that if you're staying at a Disneyland resort, as we are (GC), you can get I guess for lack of a better word, fastpasses for WOC? I'm a rookie when it comes to DL. Living in the midst of Disneyworld and Harry Potter land, I am in no mood to stand in line, fight crowds or wait for much! What is the best course of action for us? I would make a priority seating at one of the restaurants and play that game, but we really want to eat at Napa Rose.

What time is this WOC every night? Do you think we could make a priority seating and eat lightly, catch WOC and then head back to Napa Rose for dinner? Help!

Looks like you may go the picnic route, but if you decide to use FP it is not your typical FP situation. WOC is in extremely high demand right now and has limited capacity. So you could end up waiting 30-45 minutes to get your FP. Not exactly avoiding lines and avoiding fighting crowds.

And then when you use the FP - either from picnic or FP machines - you will fight crowds and lines again in the evening. No one likes it right now but it is what it is.

 

[BensMom]

Looks like you may go the picnic route, but if you decide to use FP it is not your typical FP situation. WOC is in extremely high demand right now and has limited capacity. So you could end up waiting 30-45 minutes to get your FP. Not exactly avoiding lines and avoiding fighting crowds.

And then when you use the FP - either from picnic or FP machines - you will fight crowds and lines again in the evening. No one likes it right now but it is what it is.

Okay, it is what it is then! LOL. I know every trick in the book here at Disneyworld to avoid those lines, that's for sure. I can't complain. I am lucky enough to be there, right?! I can't wait, and if it means standing in line, so be it. It's better than standing in line 11 hours the first day of Harry Potter in the steamy 90-degree heat! (no, I didn't).

 

[Koda]

Just my 2 cents worth on WOC: We were there on 6/25. Ate at AG (WOC package). The food was excellent (4 of us had the tri-tip, and my one DD had the pasta, which was a bit spicy, but tasty), as was the service. Portions were large, and we wound up leaving some on our plates. Even DH couldn't finish off everyone's Tri-tip! We ate at 5:00, and had time to ride Screamin' (with FPs), and MM before lining up around 7:00 for seats. We had a great spot (center, top of steps). We anticipated the wait, so we all brought a book to read to pass the time. The pre-show started around 8:30.

The show was spectacular! I am so glad we did the dining package since this was our first trip to DLR, however I would not do it again. Way too expensive for a family of 5. Next time, I will stand in line for FPs while DH and DDs visit attractions.

Enjoy the show!

 

[BensMom]

Yeah, well it looks like (after I perused the picnic meal pictures) we are paying $45 for tickets to the "special section" LOL! That's fine, whatever works. This will be a perfect appetizer for Napa Rose! After what we're spending on this vacation, $45 isn't going to put us over the perverbial edge.