Hi there Jennifer, and welcome back to planDisney! I love hearing that this will be the first trip for your little Mouseketeers, how exciting!
Jennifer I would say it depends on how much of a priority
Fantasmic! is for your family. For us, it is our favorite nighttime spectacular, and we actually took my son before he was 2 years old! The convenience of not having to save a spot to watch the show an hour or so in advance is always worth it to us to book the dining package. It's hard to get our kids to sit still for that long when they're waiting for the show to start! The access to the reserved viewing area is always the reason we book one of the
Fantasmic! Dining Packages. Plus, you usually get a fantastic dining experience as a bonus!
We love to book the Fantasmic! Dining Package at
Blue Bayou Restaurant. You simply cannot beat the ambiance as well as the boats from the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction floating by. However, if you do want a little more flexibility for your meal time, you might want to consider the
Fantasmic! On-the-Go Package at
Hungry Bear Restaurant. You'll still receive a voucher for entry into a reserved viewing area, but you will have a several hour window to pick-up your meal, and can enjoy the meal then at the restaurant or take it with you. We love to eat at Hungry Bear Restaurant, it is usually pretty calm, and there are tons of tables and shade to relax and get off your feet.
If you are looking for an alternative spot for dinner, the
Downtown Disney District has some great options that are away from the hustle and bustle of the parks. We love to get the pepperoni pizza from
Naples Ristorante e Bar and we also have been known to grab a burger and milkshake from
Black Tap Craft Burgers & Shakes on our way back to our hotel!
I hope this helps with your trip planning Jennifer, and if you have any other questions, please don't hesitate to
come back and ask!
Have a magical day!
Melissa