Fantasmic! Preferred Viewing

[ocmsma]

Has anyone experienced the new "preferred viewing" for Fantasmic! We have always done the dessert priority seating which they discontinued last year in favor of World of Color type of viewing - do you need to arrive early to ensure a good spot in "your area" or is there some type of "assigned space" - do you know if the meal package affects where you actually get to view from ... not sure we are going to like this but have to go with the flow ... any responses are welcome

ma

[leaveittobeavs]

I have not purchased a meal package for Fantasmic! but have obsereved the new Fastpass system...

The dining package "preferred viewing" section is the main front and center section that people used to wait 5 hours for. I do not know if Blue Bayou guests get the front of that section with everyone else behind, or if it is just all dining package folks in that same area. I do believe that the Blue Bayou guests get a souvenir seat cushion as everyone sits in that area. The other two options are the River Belle (a three course meal) or Aladdin's Grab and Go.

If you do not go the meal package route, then you head to the area just behind Big Thunder Mountain on the path towards the Big Thunder Ranch and you get a Fastpass, just as you would get one by Grizzly River Run for World of Color. It is the same system where they give out all of the passes for the first show and then move on to the second show if there is one. The difference from World of Color is that it isn't a free-for-all once you arrive and are allowed in. Rather than folks walking quickly to try and get their own spot, the cast members fill everyone in to specific sections and then once that is full, they move on to the next. They fill the front, side portions (think the areas that would be viewing the side screens) and then move on to the rear areas. The interesting thing is that if you time it right (give it about 15 minutes) you can actually get seated in the mid, center sections, right by the tech booth where the Stage Manager calls the show from. This is the area that used to be the highly coveted VIP catered meal areas (and the best viewing spot, in my opinion) and is right next to the center lighting tower. Once those areas are filled, they move on to the rear sections. They do say that there are limited "standby" spots for folks who didn't get a Fastpass and I think that includes showing up to the Mark Twain/Columbia dock at a certain time and then getting filled into the extreme sides.

Hope this provides some insight!

[ocmsma]

Thanks - give us a heads up on what we need to do - not sure which show we got for our viewing night - will check with my dtr - we do have a meal package at River Belle as Blue Bayou was already sold out - so hope we get a cushion if we have to sit on the concrete ... I agree that middle section where the dessert seating used to be is the best - I always stood in line for several hours to get our seats assigned front center and am so going to miss my chair, hot chocolate and wonderful desserts - we will see - thanks again