Fantasmic dining

First let me say that the Fantasmic show at Hollywood Studios is an incredible experience. It may be the best thing in any park goes as far as over the top theatrics. The Fantasmic show may even be a little too much for small children but it is worth the price of admission if you do not see anything else there. The show is in the amphitheater and holds thousands of people so it is super crowded. Right now with tourism down a little they have gone to only doing this show twice a week so get a schedule and work it in.

The biggest obstacle to this show especially since it is only shown twice a week is the long line and wait to get in. Many times you will see people begin lining up two hours for show time and this causes panic and then everyone lines up. So you run the risk of spending up to two hours in line instead of having fun in the park. The sad thing is that the amphitheater is so large that everyone could fit in there it's just that everyone wants the front row. There is not really a bad seat in the place so don't be too concerned about that.

Now here is the secret to avoiding all of this in the first place. The Fantasmic Dining Dinner Package is available in limited quantities so make your reservations early. This is done by calling Disneyworld Dining and asking for reservations to the Fantasmic dinner package and tell them the day and restaurant you would like. The choices are Hollywood and Vine, Mama Melrose, or for a 2 table service meal Brown Derby and yes it is available with the basic Disney dining plan. You schedule your dinner but it has to be before 5 pm at one of the above Disney restaurants and you get reserved seating for the Fantasmic show. You come in a separate entrance about 45 minutes before show time and you get to sit in an area roped off as reserved. Less wait time and reserved seating close to the exit also ensures a quicker exit form the park if you wish. The two keys you have to remember is you must make these reservations in advance and you must request the Fantasmic dinner package or you will not receive the reserved seating vouchers!!!!!

The three Disney restaurants listed are all OK but we have only done Hollywood and Vine and Mama Melrose. Hollywood and Vine is a traditional Disney buffet so the kids will probably eat better but the buffet is decent for adults as well. Mama Melrose is an Italian restaurant and is very hit or miss. We have been a couple of times and the meal was average and the service lousy and also been a couple of times when the whole experience was fantastic. We do tend to have better luck dining here when we are on the Fantasmic Dinner package so that might help with the decision making process.