Fantastic without FP or dining package

[Kristi1357]

Next Sunday, we are in LA on a tour all day. We've realized that Sunday is our only chance to see Fantasmic.

Do any of you veterans have advice on where to try to go to get a decent view without a FP or a dining package?

We bought a 5 day hopper, so we can go into the park just for Fantasmic that night and to ride Pirates before the refurb. I'm just not sure where to try to view the show. We plan on the late viewing.

TIA!

 

[DizneyMommy]

It's really organized chaos, honestly. I refuse to camp out and wait for hours so we walk up maybe 20 minutes before and squeeze in where we can, there is no real strategy at that point. We often end up near Rancho Zocalo, and while we don't have a front view, we can still see quite a bit. It's really tight real estate over there in front of the river. If it is super important to you and you are willing to dediate some time to it, I would go at least an hour before and go as far over towards Haunted Mansion as you can while still facing the front, and try to nab a spot right behind a railing.

 

[cmwade77]

If you are there around an hour before the show starts, the light towers will be down and usually no one stands behind them. Go and stand behind them, they will raise up and you will be centered on one of the water screens. This trick works until they put the light towers up, be prepared because when that happens people will start crowding you.

 

[az4boys]

I would like to know this too. We have kids and anywhere with a lot of adults standing in front of them would be pointless. I was wondering if we could stand off toward haunted mansion during the first show, then move in for a good spot for the second show. Is there a mad dash to take all the good spots for the second show?

 

[theluckyrabbit]

If you are there around an hour before the show starts, the light towers will be down and usually no one stands behind them. Go and stand behind them, they will raise up and you will be centered on one of the water screens. This trick works until they put the light towers up, be prepared because when that happens people will start crowding you.

Have you tried this recently? Other posters have reported that the light tower trick no longer works since the show came back last summer and the viewing areas were rearranged. It would be nice to know that this trick works again.

For the OP, around what time do you think you'll be arriving at DL? Next Sunday is Dapper Day, and the parks will be crowded. Is there any way you could arrive early enough to pick up F! meals from Hungry Bear so that you could get FPs for the reserved viewing section?

 

[DizneyMommy]

I would like to know this too. We have kids and anywhere with a lot of adults standing in front of them would be pointless. I was wondering if we could stand off toward haunted mansion during the first show, then move in for a good spot for the second show. Is there a mad dash to take all the good spots for the second show?

There is no mad dashing anywhere once F! ends lol, it's like NYE in Times Square. No where to run to baby

 

[Kristi1357]

For the OP, around what time do you think you'll be arriving at DL? Next Sunday is Dapper Day, and the parks will be crowded. Is there any way you could arrive early enough to pick up F! meals from Hungry Bear so that you could get FPs for the reserved viewing section?

We will be doing a bus tour of LA all day. I doubt we will be back in Anaheim before 6pm. No matter what, we are going into DL that night for pirates and fantasmic. We are with my inlaws who are not disney people. We booked and paid for the bus tour awhile ago before we realized that pirates was going down and fantasmic is weekends only. We were actually trying to avoid dapper day crowds. Oh well, it is what it is!

I'll write down all your suggestions & wing it with your ideas in mind!