Participating eating places at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and eating bundle costs, which exclude tax and gratuity:
| Adults (ages 10 & up) | Kids (Ages 9 & Under) | |
| 50’s Prime Time Cafe Classic American consolation meals, ’50s kitsch and a very good old style household gathering take you again to a bygone period. | $51.00 | $22.00 |
| Hollywood & Vine Celebrate breakfast with Disney Junior Stars or take pleasure in lunch and dinner with Minnie and mates at seasonal eating events. | Breakfast: $54.00 Lunch & Dinner: $71.00 | Breakfast: $36.00 Lunch & Dinner: $47.00 |
| Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano Mangia within the backlot of Disney’s Hollywood Studios at this informal however colourful Italian eatery with a California twist. | $54.00 | $22.00 |
| Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant Do dinner and a present ’50s-style at our drive-in “theater,” that includes all-American delicacies and sci-fi film clips. | $49.00 | $22.00 |
| The Hollywood Brown Derby Step into the Golden Age of Hollywood at this heat, wood-paneled restaurant serving modern American delicacies. | $73.00 | $29.00 |
In the previous, we solely beneficial the Fantasmic Dining Package to these on the Disney Dining Plan, as there was no additional price for it. It was a “free” bonus for these on the DDP. However, that’s partly as a result of it was pretty straightforward to get a great spot for Fantasmic through standby, or an amazing spot through the free FastPass+ service.
Unfortunately, the Disney Dining Plan remains to be briefly suspended (see When Will the Disney Dining Plan Return at Walt Disney World? for extra on once we’re anticipating it to return), so clearly it’s not attainable to get the Fantasmic eating bundle for “free” with the DDP proper now. Moreover, FastPass+ has been completely retired–and Fantasmic doesn’t have a Genie+ Lightning Lane entrance (but), in order that’s additionally not an choice.
All of this modifications the equation, and makes us way more inclined to advocate paying out of pocket for the Fantasmic Dining Package. As far as suggestions go, our largest recommendation is…NOT Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano!
Seriously, we actually like the entire Fantasmic Dining Package eating places besides Mama Melrose, and all for various causes. Hollywood Brown Derby is likely one of the few in-park Signature Restaurants, and it’s usually actually good. Of course, it’s additionally far and away the costliest, however that’s additionally true when paying out of pocket on the restaurant. So lengthy as you order one of many $40+ entrees, Brown Derby remains to be a fairly good worth through the Fantasmic Dining Package regardless of the upper price.
We additionally actually love each 50’s Prime Time Cafe and Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater. As famous above, the latter is the most affordable Fantasmic Dining Package, and the previous is only some {dollars} dearer. We’ve mentioned for years that it is best to disregard the damaging critiques, because the expertise at each eating places is the star of the present. Both serve fairly good consolation meals, too.
I’m inclined to choose Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater over 50’s Prime Time Cafe, however different Walt Disney World followers favor 50’s. I can’t fault them for the desire–you actually can’t go fallacious, both means. Both are among the many pinnacle of themed eating at Walt Disney World and are well-worth experiencing at the least as soon as. (We’ve carried out each many, many extra instances than that!)
We additionally love the assorted Minnie’s Seasonal Dine choices at Hollywood & Vine. While we cringe a bit at that $71 worth for adults, we completely love Minnie’s Holiday Dine–in addition to the Spring Time and Halloween choices.
Hollywood & Dine is one other restaurant that will get combined critiques, with some Walt Disney World followers ardently against it. To be certain, this isn’t the peak of haute delicacies at Walt Disney World. It’s a personality buffet. The meals is acquainted and comforting, and on no account in any respect envelope-pushing, however usually good. We are large followers. (Overall, I feel the desk service ‘scene’ at Disney’s Hollywood Studios doesn’t get practically sufficient credit score. It’s no World Showcase, however nearly all the things provides one thing worthwhile.)
Not everybody can have the holiday finances or time to do the Fantasmic Dining Package. Table service meals are costly and, equally as essential, time-consuming. On prime of that, availability is exceeding restricted for the Fantasmic Dining Package, with exponentially extra demand than there may be provide. As a consequence, many guests who do need to e-book the Fantasmic Dining Package will be unable to take action.
Which brings us to the opposite viewing choices for Fantasmic at Walt Disney World.
Let’s begin with whether or not it is best to catch the primary or second efficiency of Fantasmic. On nights when there’s just one exhibiting of Fantasmic, that’s the one you’ll do (clearly). Pretty open and shut advice.
While you may line as much as see Fantasmic as much as 90 minutes upfront, we advocate exhibiting up round 30-45 minutes upfront if there’s just one exhibiting of Fantasmic. You received’t get an amazing seat, however most views within the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater are “good enough.” By arriving at the least half-hour earlier than showtime, it is best to get a spot that’s not within the far left or proper second. (During peak season journey dates–the weeks of Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Presidents’ Day, Mardi Gras, Easter, Spring Break, July 4th, and many others–contemplate arriving earlier.)
On evenings with two showings of Fantasmic, we now have some ‘contrarian’ recommendation for you: see the primary exhibiting! This is regardless of it all the time being the extra crowded of the 2. Other planning sources are going to advocate seeing the second present for the very same cause–the second exhibiting is all the time much less in style.
During the second exhibiting of Fantasmic, the remainder of Disney’s Hollywood Studios can be considerably much less crowded. This permits you to knock out headliner sights with minimal wait–we’re speaking posted wait instances below an hour for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance and Slinky Dog Dash, with precise wait instances sometimes round half of what’s posted.
If you choose to see the primary efficiency of Fantasmic on these nights when there are 2 showtimes, arriving half-hour upfront ought to suffice regardless of the group degree. You may even be high-quality exhibiting up 20 minutes forward of time, relying upon general crowd ranges.
If you select to ignore our recommendation and see the second present, you may usually arrive much more final minute. Recently, we’ve proven up 10-Quarter-hour upfront and nonetheless gotten stellar seats. Keep in thoughts that this won’t all the time be attainable. If it’s merely a weekday through the vacation season–however not a peak week or weekend–much less time will suffice. The busier the date, the sooner you’ll want to arrive!
Now let’s flip to the place to take a seat for the most effective view of Fantasmic. At Walt Disney World, that is fairly easy. Fantasmic’s viewing space is about up like a standard stage present, with the motion going down totally on a stage, and within the water in entrance of that stage.
The seating space is actually an amphitheater, with benches for seating. My desire is as near heart as attainable, and close to the entrance, however not all the way in which on the entrance. Roughly 3 to 10 rows again, give or take. Personally, I wish to be a number of rows again to have clearance over the handrail for pictures and in addition to be on a straight-plane with the primary stage. That’s most likely splitting hairs a bit an excessive amount of, although.
I don’t like being a lot farther again than 10 rows. The Hollywood Hills Amphitheater is totally colossal, and the farther again you get, the extra impersonal the venue feels. Being nearer doesn’t simply put you nearer to the motion–it makes the present really feel extra immersive. This is likely one of the large strengths of the Disneyland model, which is commonly described as intimate in consequence. (Much just like the park itself.)
It’s not possible to duplicate that feeling at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, because the venue is just not an natural a part of the park. However, the upside is that it’s lots simpler to look at Fantasmic at DHS and the group for the nighttime spectacular doesn’t impression the remainder of the park. In my opinion, you may come fairly near having that sense of intimacy and immersiveness by getting a very good seat near heart stage.
Speaking of which, Hollywood Hills Amphitheater seats 6,900 company with extra standing room for about 3,000 company. That ought to put into context the dimensions of the venue, which is sort of a small (half) stadium.
The practically 10,000 individual capability is very large quantity–bigger than what number of company can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from Main Street–and one that enables a very good share of all company in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see Fantasmic–particularly when it has two nightly performances. By that point of the evening, there sometimes should not that many company nonetheless round in DHS, so the second present seldom fills up the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater.
At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, entrance and heart must be fairly straightforward to find. Note that within the very entrance row will get you moist, and barely off-center is not any downside. As of Fantasmic’s return in Late 2022, the Sorcerer Mickey and Scar sections are reserved for the Fantasmic Dining Packages. Without a doubt, these are the most effective views of the present.
However, they aren’t the one nice views. Just pretty much as good because the Scar part is the Pocahontas part, particularly the seats in the direction of the Sorcerer Mickey facet. The case could possibly be made that Pocahontas is ever-so-slightly superior to Scar by way of the view of center-stage.
It’s additionally price noting that not the entire motion happens on the center-stage. To the extent that there are off-center scenes, these happen disproportionately to the Sebastian part facet. That additionally makes this an amazing part, particularly for those who’re a fan of Moana or need an amazing view of Mickey through the climactic battle sequence.
Honestly, although, don’t overthink it. These are my private preferences as an obsessive photographer who goals for the excellent situations and viewing angles. For 95% of company, any view goes to be an amazing view, and Fantasmic will impress regardless.
As such, my extra “mainstream” recommendation is to reach early sufficient so that you simply’re not seated far again, or within the far left or proper (Hades/Beast and Ursula/Witch) sections. Every different viewing space is nice, and I’d personally commerce a barely off-center view for a view that’s nearer to the stage.
Overall, Fantasmic is a wonderful nighttime spectacular and the proper solution to finish a day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. It has all the time been a not-to-be-missed expertise at Walt Disney World, however that’s more true than ever because of the brand new heroes sequence and improved results. Even if it means spending extra for the eating bundle or committing time to securing a spot through standby, Fantasmic is price it.
Planning a Walt Disney World journey? Learn about inns on our Walt Disney World Hotels Reviews web page. For the place to eat, learn our Walt Disney World Restaurant Reviews. To get monetary savings on tickets or decide which kind to purchase, learn our Tips for Saving Money on Walt Disney World Tickets put up. Our What to Pack for Disney Trips put up takes a singular have a look at intelligent gadgets to take. For what to do and when to do it, our Walt Disney World Ride Guides will assist. For complete recommendation, the most effective place to start out is our Walt Disney World Trip Planning Guide for all the things you’ll want to know!
YOUR THOUGHTS
What’s your favourite viewing part for Fantasmic within the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater? Prefer Sorcerer Mickey, Scar, Pocahontas…or another part? Do you sometimes do the eating bundle, standby, or have a distinct technique for seeing the present? Bummed that there’s no digital queue or Genie+ for Fantasmic at DHS? Would or not it’s definitely worth the surcharge to ensure that you simply’ll have a great spot within the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater to see Fantasmic? Do you agree or disagree with our evaluation? Any questions? Hearing your suggestions—even while you disagree with us—is each fascinating to us and useful to different readers, so please share your ideas under within the feedback!