Touring Walt Disney World "Lazy" Style

Arriving at EPCOT after spending the day at Downtown Disney

Hot? Tired? Feet hurt?  If you answered “yes” to any of those questions, chances are you have experienced a full day of park touring at the Walt Disney World Resort.  We, too, have had our fair share of 16 hour plus days touring parks; trying to get the most out of our vacation time and park tickets.  Some refer to this as commando park touring.

On our trip in July, we discovered a lazy person’s way to tour Disney parks.  Yes, we still had a few long days of park touring, which were fine, it is just that we enjoyed our lazy days, too. 

On our way to Fantasmic after dinner at Mama Melrose

The topper on a long day of park touring is the nighttime spectacular at three out of the four parks—Wishes at Magic Kingdom, Fantasmic at Hollywood Studios, and Illuminations at EPCOT.  After standing and walking all day, another amount of standing is required for two of those nighttime shows—Wishes and Illuminations—Fantasmic just requires standing in line to get into the amphitheater. 

Of course, Disney recommends leaving the parks in the afternoon and returning for the nighttime festivities.  We have just never figured out how to do that plan specifically.  Why walk all the way to the park entrance/exit, take a bus to your resort, walk to your room, walk to the pool/arcade, etc, when you could just as easily find a spot to rest in the park?  And, we do find spots to sit and rest, particularly taking in various shows in the afternoon.

But our lazy way to tour Disney does include coming to the parks later AND no standing for the nighttime spectaculars at any of the parks.  Here’s what we discovered. . .

Being "Lazy" at Typhoon Lagoon

We discovered that mornings at water parks are fantastic.  Floating in lazy rivers along with various slides and swimming opportunities make for an enjoyable morning and day.  Once we had our fill, we would head back to our resort, clean-up, and make our way to a park.  This type of morning can also be had at Downtown Disney or at your resort.

Our seats for Wishes!

At Magic Kingdom, we discovered AAA’s Reserved Wishes viewing—click here to read more.  A lovely spot that includes CHAIRS is reserved for guests with reservations for this experience.  This is a must do for our next trip.

Our lagoon side table at Rose & Crown

Dessert came just as it was getting dark

Illuminations from our table!

At EPCOT, we have found that a 7:30 pm-7:45pm Advanced Dining Reservation (ADR) for Rose & Crown in the United Kingdom Pavilion works well for us.  We have now done this twice.  The first time, we had a table outside and then were graciously moved to the patio for dessert and Illuminations watching.  In July, we were placed at a patio table next to World Showcase Lagoon for our entire meal.  There’s nothing like dessert and Illuminations! 

As for Fantasmic, each time we have seen the show it was with the use of the Fantasmic Dining Package that includes a meal at various dining locations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and reserved seating for Fantasmic.  When we did this in July, the reserved seating area for Fantasmic had been moved to the middle of the amphitheater.  Bonus!

We still met characters arriving at the park later in the day

The lazy days, while much more relaxing, do have their downside.  We only get a few hours of park time for a day of the ticket, so it isn’t the best in terms of economic value.  We ride fewer rides and attractions.  But since we combine our lazy days with some longer park touring days, we did see/do most of the rides and attractions.

Another bonus of late arrival. . .

great photos at night!

Even the boy couldn't resist!

We are going with the lazy way to tour the parks on our next trip; well, at least for some of the days. 

Benefits of the Fantasmic Dining Package at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Fantasmic! is the night time spectacular held regularly at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  The schedule for Fantasmic! performances changes periodically, so if you are inclined to take in this 25 minute show of land, water, and fire features, check the Times Guide for specifics. (Click here to read about Fantasmic!)

Guests wishing to have a reserved seat in the Fantasmic! Amphitheater, can take advantage of a special dining opportunity known as the Fantasmic Dining Package.  We have done this twice and have a third time reserved for our upcoming trip.

Here’s how it works:

• Make an ADR for the Fantasmic Dining Package at one of the 3 restaurants featuring the package at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on a night when Fantasmic is being performed.
• The 3 restaurants are Hollywood Brown Derby, Hollywood and Vine, and Mama Melrose. 
• Hollywood Brown Derby and Mama Melrose offer the Fantasmic Dining Package for both lunch and dinner ADR’s.  Hollywood and Vine offer only dinner time ADR’s for the package, as they have character dining for breakfast and lunch.
• At the end of your meal, pick up your Reserved Seating Pass from your server.
• Head down Sunset Blvd. 30-45 minutes before the first showing of the evening, if there is more than one Fantasmic! performance that night, and turn right just before the Beauty and the Beast stage/theater.
• A Cast Member will be waiting.  They will check your pass and you will get to make the long and lonely walk through the “back door” so to speak of the Amphitheater. See video below:

• Find a seat in the reserved section.
• If you want a snack, be sure to have your reserved seating pass with you, as you won’t be allowed back into the reserved section without it.
• Enjoy the show.
• Use the main entrance to exit, as the way you came in will now be closed—this is especially important when thinking about strollers, etc.

You can make the Fantasmic Dining Package work to your advantage by knowing that there is a specific charge for the package.  The Walt Disney World web-site lists it at $60 per person, and it very well could be, unless you having the Disney Dining Plan.

We use one of our table service credits to purchase the Fantasmic Dining Package, and it works to our advantage, as normally, an appetizer isn’t included with the Dining Plan.  But, if we use the Dining Plan to eat at Mama Melrose with the Fantasmic Dining Package, we get an appetizer with our meal—as it comes with the package.  Get it?

If you are using the Dining Plan, and eat at Hollywood Brown Derby for your Fantasmic Dining Package, it will cost you 2 table service credits.

Hollywood and Vine, being that it is a buffet style restaurant, offers the Fantasmic Dining Package for 1 table service credit on the Dining Plan.

We have now done both Hollywood and Vine and Mama Melrose for the Fantasmic Dining Package.  You most likely won’t see us at Hollywood Brown Derby for this, as it would take 2 table service credits, but I won’t count it out forever.  Out of the two that we have tried, our favorite was Mama Melrose and we have it reserved for our next trip.

So, for what it might cost for the meal itself, guests get a meal and reserved seating to Fantasmic!  In my book, it is a bargain.  It is even more of a bargain when using the Disney Dining Plan, which we add to our tickets each trip, saving us 20% or more off the cost of eating.  (And, we’ve gotten the dining plan for free on 5 of our 8 trips!)

As the video below demonstrates, the Amphitheater hold thousands of people.  For me, the reserved seating that the Fantasmic Dining Package provides gives me peace of mind knowing I’m not going to have to battle the crowds.

Enjoy the show!

This link will take you directly to the Walt Disney World web-site for the Fantasmic Dining Package.

Fantasmic Performing (almost) Nightly for July, August, and September: Good News or Bad News?

Walt Disney World Resort announced last week some changes to the Fantasmic—click here to read more—performance schedule at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Fantasmic historically has been performed 3-4 times per week in the evening.  This 25 minute show boasts 90 minute or longer waits.  We used the Fantasmic Dining Package that reduced our wait and gave us “back door” entry.  We are doing the same for our upcoming trip.

With the announcement, Fantasmic will now be performed every night in the months of July, August, and September (minus 1 night each of the months when the park closes at 7:00 pm for private events.)

While the expansion of Fantasmic performances is great news for folks who may not have planned to tour Hollywood Studios on an evening of a performance—or are even surprised when Fantasmic is not a daily occurrence—trust me, we’ve seen and heard that, it’s not such great news for the Williams Family.  Why?  Well, for our upcoming trip, we had 3 visits to the Studios in our touring plan—thank goodness for Park Hopper!  Our first visit to Studios is scheduled for our first day at the World—dinner at Mama Melrose with the Fantasmic Dining Package.  The second visit is scheduled for Wednesday—a pre-announcement NON Fantasmic performance day—with the plan that we would be at the Magic of Disney Animation at 5:00 pm for what our family refers to as the Character Explosion—click here and here to readmore.  At the Character Explosion, rare and unusual characters appear at the Magic of Disney Animation with air conditioning and short wait times.  It is a veritable character feast!  Alas, due to the change in the Fantasmic performance schedule, there will be no Character Explosion, as it is only held on non-Fantasmic nights.  Trust me, though, I’m going to ask!  Oh, and our 3^rd stop will be on Friday and then we will park hop to EPCOT—taking the boat from Studios to the International Gateway at EPCOT which will put us in World Showcase for more characters and dinner at Teppan Edo.

When I told the husband about the announcement and the effect it will have on our visit, he wad disappointed.  The Character Explosion—as we call it, as it has no official name, has become a bit of a tradition for us—and an easy and exciting way to interact with lots of characters.  I told him I had good news and bad news.  After I told him, he said it was mostly bad news—for us at least.

Fantasmic!

I must confess. It took us six trips to the Walt Disney World Resort before we saw the Fantasmic! show at Disney's Hollywood Studios. I can only offer excuses as to why. . . the boy not staying up late, us not being at Studios on a night of the show, the chaos and confusion around the reserved seating, the intimidating 90 minute wait just to get in the amphitheater, etc. So, this last trip, after hearing good news return to the process of reserved seating, we gave it a shot.

First, we looked at the projected calendar for show nights. . . Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. Next, we planned to be in Hollywood Studios on a Tuesday and made an ADR for the restaurant Hollywood and Vine for their Fantasmic Dinner Package. This means that for the cost of dinner for the three of us, we also got a special pass for reserved seating in the amphitheater. OK, the 90 minute wait just went away. YEAH! Then, all we had to do was show up for dinner.

With our special pass in hand for reserved seating, we waited until about 7:45 pm for the 8:30 pm show to make our way through the "back way." The reserved seating section was mid to far right of the set, but as you can see in the photo below, we had an excellent view. Tip: If you take advantage of the reserved seating option, keep your little pass with you when getting snacks or using the restroom, as you will need to show it upon returning the section, at least until shortly before the show starts and the rope is taken down.

Here's our reserved seating section. The non-reserved seating was packed at this point, but as you can see, we had plenty of seats to choose from. Tip: Studios has now started to offer a Fantasmic Lunch Package. You get lunch at select restaurants and reserved seating at Fantasmic!

OK, now for the show. . . it is hard to describe except to say that air, land, and water are all incorporated into the show. Arching water sprays become the screens for animated clips that help tell the story as well as pyrotechnics, music, and characters. The story. . . Mickey battles evil in his imagination/dreams and triumphs for good. Well, that's the short version. Insert pilgrims, snakes, evil queens, and dragons and you have a more complete version.

I must say that the show uses all levels of the multi-level land/mountain very well. For me, the favorite were the water features with canoes, special boats with characters, and the end SPOILER ALERT--DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO BE SURPRISED

The end, when good triumphs over evil and the paddle boat with all the good characters come into view with none other than Steamboat Willie at the helm. The husband loved this part as Steamboat Willie is one of his favorite characters. Well, we must remember that this was all started because of a mouse. You can catch a glimpse of Steamboat Willie in the photo above.

Here we are after the 25 minute Fantasmic! stopping for a night photo at Studios before exiting the park. I stopped to use the restrooms just to the right of the exit gates before heading to the bus stop. Good thing as I did, as the line to the bus was incredibly long. At one point there were 3 buses loading simultaneously to take us all back to the resort. I overheard one guest say that no wonder, our resort was the largest resort. I hadn't thought of that. Anyway, the bus adventure no way detracted from the show and great day at the park. It was however a conversation at the pool the next afternoon.

Fantasmic! Music, story, effects, and theming make for an incredible experience. Will we do it again? Definitely! Who knows, this time we might try the lunch package.