Fantasmic! w/ my 6 yo special needs son

[momtomany]

Hi folks

all I've been reading here has been of great help.

we are going to Dinsey world in a couple of weeks (before Feb vacation) to miss the crowds. we went a couple of years ago in late January and my son with an expressive language disorder and SI issues did great. the lines were short and not alot of people so he could move around without bugging others.

hears my concern, we're planning of going to MGM and want to see Fantasmic! but there is no way he could handle waiting in a line for the 45-90min wait people have mentioned, nor sitting in the theater for a long time waiting for the show. if that was are only choice we jsut won't see the show.

I know we can go to guest services and speak to them but I was looking from people who have been there.

the only thing close we did last time was the AK lion king show. and because it was pretty quiet, we were kinda able to spread out in the line up area to give him room to move a bit without bothering others, and seating wise we were able to get the end of a row so he could move around until the show started.(as an aside we happened to be sitting near the sign language interpreters (sp?) they were beautiful to watch, they did a great job.) he was also much smaller then. we also did the tarzan show but there was NO line and the theater was only 30% full

right now my plan is to go to the early show on Saturday, hoping that with the second show with keep the # of people down. and go to the guest services for assitance. I'm also hoping we can get seating near the back incase it's too loud

any other tips?

 

[LMC]

When we did Fantsmic! we did not use our GAC. We chose to get there after they let the masses enter so we didn't have to stand in line. We usually get there 45 min - 60 min in advance and I think they start letting people in 90 min in advance. If you have a GAC you can ask what the procedure is for you. They did have a roped off area to the LEFT of the entrance area that I am assuming you would use. Once we have our seats, my DH will usually take the kids (sometimes one at at time to kill time) to the concessions and they always have some type of souvie that they have purchased to keep them entertained. Enjoy!

 

[SueM in MN]

First, I'd suggest you may want to look into using a stroller for your child on some days. Not for mobility, but because it gives kind of a personal zone where no one will get to close to him. I didn't see how old he is (EDITED: DUH, it's in the heading! SORRY), but the WDW rental strollers are big enough for up to a small 12 year old. And a lot of kids like the firm (not really hard) plastic they are made from. The firm pressure is comforting to a lot of kids with SI (Sensorty Integration) and autism spectrum. The solid sides also cut down on stimulation. For an older child, a double stroller might be more comfortable than a single.

Except for right around President's Day, you should find sparce crowds, so waiting is probably not going to be that much of a problem for him.

A lot of people hear 45-90 minutes in line and also that long waiting for Fantasmic and think "we can't do that". We thought that too, but it really is not as bad as it sounds.
I think going to the first show is a good idea because if there are 2 shows, they start letting people into the theater at least 1 hour before (but could be as long as 90 minutes) the first show starts. The people for the second show have to stand in the line and wait until the theater empties before they can come in. So, you would probably stand in line for the 45-90 minutes if you were going to the second show.
Before they start letting people in (whether for the first or second show), the line is long and extends quite a ways. Once they start letting people in, the line thins out quickly and becomes a continuously moving line of people going in and getting seated. So, it's not just standing there, it's moving along. If you see a line of people just standing there, wait in the area a while and join the line once it starts moving. Once you get past the "gate" to the area, there is nothing to keep you tightly packed in line. The area is a pretty wide open path leading into the amphitheater. The theater itself is a series of steps with benches in a semicircle around the stage (which includes a sort of mountain area with a wide river of water separating the stage from the audience.
An hour waiting in your seats sounds long, but there is Disney music playing, people start doing things like "the wave", strolling CMs are selling pop and popcorn and we are always surprised how fast the time passes. The other thing is that you don't have to stay in your seats while you wait. There is a snack bar that sells things like hot dogs in the rear of the amphitheater and there are nice restrooms a bit away from the seating area. If you need to get your DS out of the seating area, just make sure some of your party stays to save your seats (and make sure to pay careful attention to where they are sitting, since it sort of all starts to look alike).

There are speakers all over, so sitting in the back won't really help that much with sound. Fantasmic is a good place for earplugs. If you really want to get away from the show area once it has started, head to the bathroom. (The immediate theater area will be dark, so keep that in mind). You can go inside and avoid a lot of the noise. Just make sure that your party has a firm plan for where to meet after the show. The theater holds close to 10,000 people and you will have a hard time meeting up without a firm plan. (Cell phones are good for that too).

Another way to avoid waiting is to use one of the Fantasmic Dinner Packages. You eat at a selected Studio restaurant and get seating in a reserved area of the amphitheater with a much shorter wait.

 

[MadisonMom]

When we did Fantasmic! with my son with autism spectrum disorder, we did the dinner package that has special seating and no waiting in line. We did have to wait for the show to begin, so we brought his Gameboy to keep him entertained while he waited (it also helped in the restaurant, too).

-Molly

 

[LisaBi]

I thought the same thing, and did ask at guest relations and they really said was get there early. (We were there when it wasn't so busy - early November). We got to the theater AFTER they let in the masses and were still able to get a seat without a problem. The wait inside was a little long, but not too bad. He could get up and run a bit, we got popcorn, etc. Also, folks where very friendly about saving our seats if we both got up (it was just me and DS12).

LisaB

 

[luvmyeor]

I've seen Fantasmic the second week of December for the past two years. This is the week that the Pop Warner cheerleaders are there. The stadium does start to fill up but I have never seen it completely full. We always get there an hour before the show because we have people confined to wheelchairs and we want to make sure we can get enough seats together. We always manage to get the back two rows in the center of the stadium. It is very loud and very dark. I would think with a GAC you could have seats in the back row. The castmember that monitored our handicapped viewing area for the parade said she would keep an eye out for us when we got to the stadium. Sure enough, she was there waiting and made sure our seats were acceptable. If you enter about an hour early and get seats maybe someone in your party could stay there while you and your son walk around the area.

 

[michelle9343]

I would also suggest the fantasmic dinner package. We have done the dinner package many times. We arrive at the theater 30min prior to the show (seperate enterence for FDP)and by the time we are seated we only have about 20 min to entertain our DD. With all that is going on around the theater that is not to hard to do.

 

[mlwear]

Which restaurants feature the dinner package? How far in advance should one book?

 

[michelle9343]

Last I checked it was Hollywood and Vine(buffet) and the Brown Derby. I know that it can be different. I would call 407-wdw-dine and ask them which restaurants and how far out.