Is Hungry Bear Fantasmic! Dining package worth it?

[gusgusandmimimouse]

My mom,myself, daughter (7), sons (5) and (1) will be in the parks Sept 8-10. I haven't seen Fantasmic! in years and my mom and kids have never seen it.

The menu does not appeal to us but do you think it would still be worth it to have the guarantee of a spot to watch the show?

Would love to hear your thoughts!

 

[BadPinkTink]

if you budget is only Hungry Bear, then yes it is worth it. I did Blue Bayou dining package in June 2018 and I was sitting very near to the Hungry Bear people. The dining package viewing sections are right at the railings and you sit on the ground. The fastpass viewing sections are behind the dining packages and they have to stand. You would need to get a Fantasmic fastpass early in the morning. Depending on how early you start waiting in line, your kids most likely would have adults standing in front of them in the fastpass section.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

Basically, when viewing F! really matters, like when we are with friends who've never seen the show before, we invest in a dining package. If it's just us or we're with friends who've seen the show many times, we wing it with free FPs or stand by viewing because it's no big deal.

Given the ages of your kids, I would invest in the HB package. Like the pp said, the free FP sections are almost all standing (and putting your kids on your shoulders is discouraged at DLR because it means people behind you won't be able to see), so in order for your family to have a good view of the show you would either have to line up at the free FP return area very early in hope of getting in to the small seated area next to the RBT reserved area (this seated area is for the first group of people allowed into the free FP viewing area; everyone else has to stand) or get a dining package for the reserved area viewing. Once F! goes to the weekend only low/non-peak season schedule, the shows get more crowded because there are fewer opportunities for people to see the show. If nothing on the HB dining package menu looks like it will work for your group, you are allowed to order off the regular menu, too. You will still pay the dining package price, though, but it does open up more choices for you. Free FPs for both shows are gone by around noon-ish/very early afternoon each day, so if you decide to go with these, make sure to get your FPs first thing in the morning. If seeing F! is important to you, I would do the dining package. Bring something to sit on, if ground seating will be a problem -- hoodies or jackets can work just fine.

 

[Elsaspiritanimal]

also you can order off of the normal menu which made it much more appealing to me.

 

[grannyminnie]

It was to us. As PP said above, you are near the BB people and also you can select from the regular menu if their menu doesn't suit.
We were quite pleased with our location.

 

[ExcitedMama]

Absolutely! You will have a great view and it’s not that much more than just eating at DL. As said above you can order off the regular menu too. Don’t forget to get to the are really, REALLY early to get a good spot for your kids to be able to see. You can always split up and one of you wait in line with the older child to save spots. The Hungry Bear package will be all wrapped up if you want to eat it picnic style. Do the first show and stay for a great view of the fireworks.

 

[gusgusandmimimouse]

Thanks everyone. I am going to keep the reservation because like you said, in the end, what's important to me is seeing the show without having to worry about it.

 

[SOCALMouseMommy]

Thanks everyone. I am going to keep the reservation because like you said, in the end, what's important to me is seeing the show without having to worry about it.

It was worth it to me. I am usually alone with my son and at the time we did this he was just shy of 3 and waiting around to hold a spot to watch the show was NOT happening! Both times we walked up to the reserved seating 15 minutes before show time and had a great view. If you go earlier you will have a better view, and since you will be four I don’t recommend scooting in at the last second like I did. But it’s nice to have that designated spot and not have to wait in line.

Bring a blanket to lay on the ground that you can all sit on. We ate our meal at Hungry Bear earlier and brought snacks for the show (churros I think).

I did not care for the meal I had the first time (riblettes) so the second time I had a cheeseburger and fries off th regular menu. I basically saw it as paying $15 for my dinner and $15 for a seat. By the way, your 1 year old does not need a dining package to join you in the viewing section.

 

[dotfurio]

I was there last weekend. We had a fastpass to the second showing of Fantasmic and we were in the seated section. We sat on the ground front and center right up against the railing. We lined up for our fastpass around 925 for the 1030 show. Maybe it's different for the first showing of Fantasmic, but considering how awesome our view was a dining package would not have been worth it.

 

[traciruns]

We just did the Hungry Bear package 2 weeks ago and it was definitely worth it! My kids all ordered food off of the regular menu which was probably worth less than the food on the special menu, but they really enjoyed what they got so I figured it was a win over having them throw away more swanky food! We were pretty much right with the BB dining package people so we thought it was a very good value!

 

[grannyminnie]

Absolutely! You will have a great view and it’s not that much more than just eating at DL. As said above you can order off the regular menu too. Don’t forget to get to the are really, REALLY early to get a good spot for your kids to be able to see. You can always split up and one of you wait in line with the older child to save spots. The Hungry Bear package will be all wrapped up if you want to eat it picnic style. Do the first show and stay for a great view of the fireworks.

True, Excited Mama. Getting there extra early seemed important. The time on the voucher given me was when we got there, but I found the line already quite long.

 

[Kuzco]

I've done the Hungry Bear package twice - both times for the later show. In all honesty, I found the viewing just as good as the viewing for the Blue Bayou section. Can't speak for the experience of the first show, though. I would definitely do it again.

 

[grannyminnie]

I've done the Hungry Bear package twice - both times for the later show. In all honesty, I found the viewing just as good as the viewing for the Blue Bayou section. Can't speak for the experience of the first show, though. I would definitely do it again.

I'm gonna book it again too for us when we go in early November, assuming we even get to see F!. Others have said that it isn't appearing on the early Nov. calendar.

 

[ExcitedMama]

FWIW @grannyminnie I just booked a HB package for mid October and it was showing Fri-Mon. I was not expecting Mon. to even be an option.

 

[grannyminnie]

Really? Well, great! I had not yet checked any further when a poster had reported that there was nothing on that Friday or Sunday nights. Thanks for the heads up!

 

[gusgusandmimimouse]

True, Excited Mama. Getting there extra early seemed important. The time on the voucher given me was when we got there, but I found the line already quite long.

About how early do you think would be good to line up?

 

[ExcitedMama]

About how early do you think would be good to line up?

If you look for my Hungry Bear review it will probably have a better time than me trying to remember. Off the top of my head I want to say we headed over before 7 and there was already a big line. When we did the BB package last October they were not allowing early line up so I had thought I was getting there in good time. I just booked again for October and will definitely be going earlier this time. But who knows they could change up the whole procedure again.

 

[Bluewild79]

I just did the Hungry Bear package for the early show last Friday. I got to the entrance at Harbour Galley around 7:30 pm and there were already people hanging out in the area. FYI, the park attendance was very light that day so a bigger crowd might have people lining up even early. They started lining us up by package around 740 pm and leading us to the seating around just before 8 pm. I did manage to get first in line by hanging out towards the left of the entrance. Once in the reserved area, I got spots along the railing toward the right, as close to the Blue Bayou section as I could get. I thought the seats were fantastic for the price and it was definitely worth it to not have to wait hours for a semi-decent spot.

 

[gusgusandmimimouse]

I just did the Hungry Bear package for the early show last Friday. I got to the entrance at Harbour Galley around 7:30 pm and there were already people hanging out in the area. FYI, the park attendance was very light that day so a bigger crowd might have people lining up even early. They started lining us up by package around 740 pm and leading us to the seating around just before 8 pm. I did manage to get first in line by hanging out towards the left of the entrance. Once in the reserved area, I got spots along the railing toward the right, as close to the Blue Bayou section as I could get. I thought the seats were fantastic for the price and it was definitely worth it to not have to wait hours for a semi-decent spot.

Great advice, I will use it in a couple of days!

 

[gusgusandmimimouse]

If you look for my Hungry Bear review it will probably have a better time than me trying to remember. Off the top of my head I want to say we headed over before 7 and there was already a big line. When we did the BB package last October they were not allowing early line up so I had thought I was getting there in good time. I just booked again for October and will definitely be going earlier this time. But who knows they could change up the whole procedure again.

Thanks, I'm going to look up your review!