It's no secret that my family's least favorite park at Disney World is Hollywood Studios, but one thing Hollywood Studios has going for it is Fantasmic, the outdoor nightime show.
Fantasmic is much more that just "a fireworks show." (Although it does have fireworks.) Rather, it takes place in an amphitheater at the back of the park and includes over 40 onstage performers, projections, music, pyrotechnics, and music.
Related Article: Does Disney Cancel Fireworks When It Rains?
Unfortunately, one downside to Fantasmic is that, in order to get a good seat (or sometimes just any seat at all), you sometimes need to show up 60 to 90 minutes before the show begins.
If that sounds like an annoying pain, you're not alone -- and Disney has come up with an alternative for folks like you, known as the Fantasmic Dining Package,
There are 3 different restaurants at Hollywood Studios that particpate in this package:
1. Hollywood & Vine (character buffet)
2. Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano (sit-down Italian)
3. Hollywood Brown Derby (definitely the most expensive, and 2 Table Service Credits if you're on the Disney Dining Plan)
Related Article: Hollywood & Vine Menu, Prices, and Characters
Here's how the Fantasmic Dining Package works:
1. Make a reservation specifically for the package.
2. Receive a voucher at your meal for Dining Package seating at Fantasmic for that evening.
3. Show up 20-30 minutes before the show and choose a seat in the reserved area in the center of the amphitheater.
So notice a couple things here:
1. You have to reserve the Fantasmic Dining Package specifically and not just make an Advance Dining Reservation at one of the participating restaurants.
2. You do not get reserved seats; just the priviledge of the best seating area. Even with the Dining Package Voucher, you still can't waltz in and sit down 3 minutes before the show begins. Sorry.
3. Last I heard (I think this has changed, but I'm not positive), you can get a Rain Check for the next night's Fantasmic show if the show in canceled due to weather.
But! You have to have a park ticket for that next day as well.
In other words, you can't just strut in at 6:00pm and say, "Hey, I have a Rain Check from yesterday, so I'm heading straight to Fantasmic."
Again, sorry.
So that means you have to either:
1. Have Park Hopper tickets;
2. Commit to an entire second day at Hollywood Studios, forgoing the other parks. (No thank you)
3. Be bummed about not being able to see Fantasmic, even though you bought the Dining Package.
Yes, life isn't always perfect, even at Disney World.
I've never used the Fantasmic Dining Package (or, for that matter, ever eaten at any of the 3 particpating restaurants), but from what I've heard, most people have had a good experience with it. If you were planning on having a Table Service meal at your day at Hollywood Studios anyway, it's definitely worth considering.
(Although, unfortunately, 50's Prime Time Cafe isn't an option, so if you had your heart on eating there, you might have some tough choices to make.)
Related Post: Fantasmic Dining Package Menus and Prices 2019
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