* Remember to give yourself plenty of time to get seats, especially in the summer or on holidays. During high season, get your seats to Fantasmic! 45-60 minutes early; during off-season, 30-45 minutes.
* If you hate walking in a mob of people, you can beat the rush of the crowd if you leave in the few minutes before Fantasmic! ends. By leaving Fantasmic! as early as 2-5 minutes before the show officially ends, you can avoid huge crowds and can be especially helpful if you plan on going to another park that night.
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Description: For quite a while, the Studios were without any nightime
fireworks bonanza. The Magic Kingdom and Epcot had their wildly successful
night shows and MGM was labeled a day only park. Enter Fantasmic!
Staged in a large ampitheater, which houses 10,000 people(6,900 seated,
3000 standing) right in back of the Tower of Terror. Disney set the
theater around a lagoon which, like Illuminations in Epcot, uses the
lagoon to make the show that much better.
Fantasmic! stars none other than Mickey Mouse, who is in his Sorcerer's Apprentice character from the film Fantasia. Using a slew of advanced laser and fireworks and sound, you the guest are part of a huge spectacular that will leave you amazed. Although the plot of Fantasmic! is the overused good versus evil, nonetheless, Fantasmic! is spectacular.
Comments: Fantasmic! is much different than Illuminations or the evening parade at the Magic Kingdom. Rather than just razzle, dazzle the crowd with how great Disney lighting is, there is a loose story and a general storyline to Fantasmic! that someone who is not intimately familiar with the progressions can follow.
Albeit, Fantasmic! is a bit over-zealous when it comes to the villains of the story. Using loud theme music to help "sell" the villains to the audience, many younger viewers may find it a bit frightening. To the rest of us, it's merely getting the idea that Mickey is in big trouble along. However, many feel that it's too big on the villains and not on the "good guys".
Another problem with Fantasmic! is that it's tough to get a good seat. Although the ampitheater holds roughly 10,000 guests, if you arrive anytime before half an hour before the show, you'll either be sitting in horrible seats or standing.
To be honest, you'll need anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes to get good seats, especially during high season. Sitting in one place for that long with no entertainment just stinks. Disney has sort of addressed the problem by allowing guests who dine at the Studio's finer
dining places, Mama Melrose's Ristorante, Hollywood & Vine, and the Hollywood Brown Derby, to get reserved
seats. However, many guest complain the seats they get
are at the extreme sides of the theater and have a limited
view.
These issues aside, Fantasmic! is a wonderful show and should not be missed. If there are multiple shows of Fantasmic! in one evening(which is the case in high seasons and during the warmer months) try for the second or third showings as they are not as heavily packed. If you're going during low season, grab a seat 30-45 minutes before.
