Hi, Christina!
So great to see you here at planDisney; thanks for asking about options for your upcoming visit to
Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The
Fantasmic! Dining Package is a great way to enjoy a delicious fixed-price meal partnered with priority seating for one of the two evening showtimes of this spectacular event at the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater. I can understand wanting flexibility in your plans, so let’s think through some possibilities together.
If you have a dining reservation at one of the five restaurants offering a dining package, you may ask upon check-in if an upgrade to this package is available. These are limited by design to allow for priority seating in the amphitheater. I just checked for reservations today as an experiment and there were dining package openings for meals a few hours from now, so same-day availability is possible! You can be like Merida and see where the fates lead you, and perhaps some pixie dust will follow.
Another option is to change your lunch reservation now to a Fantasmic! Dining Package (breakfast and lunch are offered) if available and cancel the regular reservation. Aside from priority seating, the package includes an entrée and appetizer or dessert, plus a non-alcoholic beverage for your set price – every restaurant offering this package has a fun theme and delicious dishes! I encourage you to review the menus, as this combination may be a good value for your family whether you choose to attend the show or not. There is no penalty for not attending
Fantasmic! but you’ll have the flexibility until your specified showtime if you purchase the package.
Please know that if Fantasmic! is cancelled due to weather, there are no refunds on the package. Should you decide to cancel the reservation, you may do so until two hours before your mealtime without penalty.
If you don’t purchase the dining package and decide to hop back to Disney's Hollywood Studios later in the day, you can always use those rope drop skills to get your choice of seats earlier in the evening. The Walt Disney World website shows that seating opens 90 minutes in advance, but a Cast Member could not confirm that it’s truly available that early for both showtimes. Some of my panel pals advised that 45-60 minutes before showtime is a realistic arrival time for General Admission. Of course, the closer to showtime you arrive you may be seated near the far ends of the amphitheater. No matter where you sit, you will be dazzled by the storytelling and appearances of so many favorite characters throughout the show.
Please note that
Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster will be closed for refurbishment during your visit, but I know you’ll have a day full of thrills with so much to explore at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. One of my family’s favorite hidden gems is
Vacation Fun – An Original Animated Short with Mickey & Minnie, located in a small theatre near Echo Lake. If you enjoy the newer animated Mickey shorts on Disney+, you’ll love this one unique to Disney Parks! It’s a great place out of the sun for a cool seated break and some laughs on a busy theme park day.
Let us know if you have any further questions to help make the most of this special vacation, Christina!
See ya real soon,
Amy