Hi Jason, welcome to planDisney!
Nighttime spectaculars are exclamation points at the end of any Walt Disney World Resort park day. My favorite is
Happily Ever After at Magic Kingdom Park, and my elementary-aged kids fell in love with
Fantasmic! at Disney's Hollywood Studios when they saw it for the first time in April.
Theme park hours are typically posted
online and in the
My Disney Experience mobile app around 60 days in advance, along with showtimes for parades and nighttime spectaculars.
Advance reservations for dining can also be made 60 days in advance, which explains your desire to get a head start on picking a mealtime that is conducive to Fantasmic! viewing.
One planning strategy is to use past precedents to guide your itinerary. In February 2023, Fantasmic! had one showing at 8:00 p.m. on February 1-3 and 7-8, a couple of days with zero shows, and two showings at 8:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on February 4-6 and 11-28. Working backward, if you plan on arriving at the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater at 7:00 p.m. for an 8:00 p.m. show, you should plan on making a dinner reservation in Disney's Hollywood Studios between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. This gives you plenty of time to enjoy your meal and get to the theater.
Another strategy is to purchase a
Fantasmic! Dining Package, which guarantees a great seat for a designated showtime. My family loved our recent Fantasmic! Dining Package experience. We enjoyed a 1:00 p.m. lunch at
Mama Melrose's Ristorante Italiano, returned to our hotel for an afternoon swim, and used our seating vouchers to claim reserved seats in the middle of the center section when we arrived 45 minutes before the show.
Something to keep in mind is that Fantasmic! showtimes are subject to change even after they're published. Shows are also subject to cancellation due to weather. I hope the villainous weather stays away during your visit, Jason, though you choose to get wet if you happen to sit in the first few rows of the amphitheater!
Plan magic; planDisney.
Jennifer