Fantasmic Dining Package

[baldburke]

Has anyone done the Fantasmic Dining Package recently? Is it worth it? I have a reservation for two weeks from today. Neither of the menus for Mama Melrose or Hollywood and Vine seems well suited for my children. Plus there isn't really a bad seat in the ampitheater. Is it worth the effort for the preferred seating? Is it nice to be able to stroll in just before the show and still get a seat? Maybe we could squeeze in a few more attractions ahead of the show?

[Strmchsr]

The "preferred" seating really isn't a big deal. The only thing nice about the dining package is knowing you'll have a seat without waiting in a 90 min - 2 hour line. It's not always that bad, but it is some days and it seems to be hit and miss on which days are the worst. I've always liked Mama Melrose, though. Not so much with H&V.

[NJGIRL]

I have done both places several times in the past. Mama Melrose is just OK IMO.

I actually like Hollywood and Vine. I thought the food was hot and fresh. They had something for everyone in the family.
The one thing that bothers me is how they handle the tip there.

That being said, I probably wont do the package again. The seats that they hold for you aren't the best seats. I personally have never been turned away when going without the package ( we do not go last minute maybe about 30 mins early).

[Jennifer_and_Chris]

We haven't done the Fantasmic Package in about 4 years. The seats just aren't worth being tied to a restaurant you may not like. We do not stay in the long line for Fantasmic either. We usually walk up about 30-45 minutes before the show and have always gotten good seats. If you aren't in the first 20ish rows up front, then it's almost better to be up high as it seems to be a whole different show from further away.

Eat where you want! :thumbsup:

[Cinderelley]

I love the convenience of the package. I'm pretty sure the restaurants will accommodate the kids, and it is nice to be able to do other things instead of standing in line.

[DisneyDawgette]

We did it this weekend and opted for Mama Melrose. Service was somewhat slow, but our waitress was a hoot and the food was great! We realized that $35.99 was more than worth it when we turned down Sunset at about 7 to see that the line to get into Fantasmic was more than halfway down that blasted bottle-necked street in the blazing sun. And it was about 95 degrees and humid. I would pay $100 to not have to do that.

And the seating is awesome. Right in the middle. Makes it even better.

[Jen1984]

I have just done this at H&V tonight. It was fine, but nothing great. We did feel that it was expensive for what we received (exactly the same price as our character lunch at Tusker House where we were raving about the food.) The atmosphere was also far more chaotic. The seats for Fantasmic were good, but luckily we still arrived 40 minutes early as the reserved section filled up fast- we had seats 4 rows back and right in the middle.

The buffet offered the ususal salads, meats etc- they did have a create your own pasta section which may be handy for your children. Everything was reasonably well cooked, stocked well and clean.Tbh if we bothered doing this again, I would probably pay the extra to do Brown Derby and enjoy a nicer atmosphere and better food. None of my family really commented on the meal afterwards which is never a good sign. Our server (Bing) was very friendly and attentive, even though none of us understood a word he was saying! :blush:

[Keneva]

We did it in 2012. We did H & V which reminded me of a busy Golden Corral. I'm sure your kids will find something in there that they like. We walked into the show without any waiting and the seats were fine. For me it was worth it to avoid standing in line....:)