Fantasmic! affect DHS crowds?

Disnamic Duo · #1 10-01-2009, 09:17 AM

I've got a couple days scheduled to go to DHS on our upcoming trip. On both days, Fantasmic is showing. Does this impact the crowds much? Would we be better off going to DHS another day? We're not interested in going to F! - I was thinking we might use that time for otherwise crowded rides (like TSM). Do you think TSM would have shorter lines during F!?

mshomeschoolmom · #2 10-01-2009, 12:30 PM

I don't know about the crowds while Fantasmic is going on, but when we went last year, we saw the Lights, Motor and Action show and the show was packed full of people. When it was all over I noticed that all the other areas of the park seemed empty. We will be there next week and our plans are to ride while this show is going on as we did not like it well enough to see it again.

sacandjac · #3 10-02-2009, 04:18 PM

If you can go another day I would. We went at the end of January and visited DHS on a day Fantasmic was scheduled and the park was crazy busy!

Maleficent's Dad · #4 10-03-2009, 10:04 AM

With the new (and limited) Fantasmic! schedule, we've noticed a change - mainly that DHS is much more crowded on Fantasmic! days than those when the show is not put on.

That was definitely our experience in August!

Speedy1998 · #5 10-03-2009, 02:07 PM

Went in March, on a Fantasmic day. It was so crowded the line to get a Toy Story Mania fastpass was blocking the entrance to Voyage of the Little Mermaid. A CM told us that the park was empty the day before, when Fantasmic was not showing.

Giselle · #6 10-03-2009, 02:39 PM

Sounds like this could be a good way to plan on going for shorter lines on non-fantasmic days.

Greenlawler · #7 10-04-2009, 12:53 AM

I can attest to this. We were there last week. On Tuesday Fantasmic night we arrived at our customery hour before the 8:00 Fantasmic to see the show. It was already standing room only! We have never seen this before. Both shows were packed.

On the flipside during the 9:30 late show most people who went to the early show left and the park was empty from 8:30 to close.

We definatly notied DHS was half as crowded on non Fantasmic nights.

Mrs Bus Driver · #8 10-04-2009, 10:47 AM

This thread helped me decide to skip Fantasmic. Not that I don't like it I do, but DH would be put off by the Micky theme. We will concentrate on Wishes and Illuminations and go to DHS when fantasmic isn't showing. Maybe we can get more then 1 ride on TSM.

CaptSmee · #9 10-04-2009, 02:05 PM

Fantasmic days are of course more crowded due to it's limited show nature. when it ran 7 days a week, it didn't make a difference but now it does.

WDWCrazyKaren · #10 10-08-2009, 08:35 AM

Skip DHS that day if you aren't going to Fantasmic! Last week was so crowded on the one day they were showing it that we couldn't move. Fastpasses for TSM were gone by about 10:30 in the morning, and the restaurants were so crowded that we waited over an hour beyond our ADR time. Folks with day passes or non-park hopper tickets will spend the day there on Fantasmic! nights.

Disnamic Duo · #11 10-08-2009, 02:35 PM

WOW! Thanks for all the great feedback everybody. I'm so glad I asked this question. DHS is our favorite park, and it would have been a bummer to have both our days there crowded and having to wait in long lines. We've seen F! before, and although we like it a lot, we don't really need to see it again this year, and definately feel it is not worth being in a crowded park for.

I went ahead and totally rearranged our schedule for the week. I had to get all new ADR's and cancel our existing ones. It took a little while, but it worked out great. I was able to get ALL the same restaurants we wanted - AMAZING!

Thanks again for the help! Intercot is GREAT!

Dsnygirl · #12 10-09-2009, 09:32 AM

Boy am I glad I found this thread... looks like I'll be re-arranging our "schedule" a bit to make sure we're nowhere near DHS on a Fantasmic night! We have no interest in going again, and the day we were going to hit the park for a full day just happened to be a Fantasmic night, but we were going to be skipping it to go on a Haunted Carriage ride. So now, I'm thinking I'd better re-think that day, or we'll never get on anything!!

justice11 · #13 10-09-2009, 12:51 PM

how do i find out what days in december that fantasmic is running?

Gator · #14 10-09-2009, 03:57 PM

Wow! With everyone saying they're changing plans, maybe I'll go to DHS on one of those days.

"Nobody goes there anymore - it's too crowded."