Opinions - Fantasmic Dining Package or Dessert Party

[AngiTN]

Also, to address OP's original question, we had your same one.
We opted to go with the dining package because we decided we were going to eat a meal anyway. To us it made more sense to add the F! option to our dining meal than to add the dessert package plus need to get a meal.

 

[FastPasser.]

So there isn't even actually a dessert??? LOL

If you meant to say "so there isn't even actually a dessert party", that's correct.

 

[I459WDW]

If you meant to say "so there isn't even actually a dessert party", that's correct.

Sorry - I'm so confused then - what is this on the website?...There are actual desserts listed. I do understand that it's not an actual party. But it seemed like the list you posted didn't have any actual desserts in the list.

"
Tasty Treats and VIP Seats
Please your sweet tooth with a delicious dessert experience while enjoying some of the best seats in the house.

It all starts at the Fantasmic! theater where you’ll pick up your freshly prepared snacks inspired by the show. Menu items feature a variety of sweet and salty sensational treats for adults or children such as chocolate-dipped strawberries, cheese and crackers and make-your-own “worms and dirt” pudding.

To quench your thirst, enjoy a specialty drink served in a souvenir cup (alcoholic for Guests 21 and older).

 

[AngiTN]

Sorry - I'm so confused then - what is this on the website?...

"
Tasty Treats and VIP Seats
Please your sweet tooth with a delicious dessert experience while enjoying some of the best seats in the house.

It all starts at the Fantasmic! theater where you’ll pick up your freshly prepared snacks inspired by the show. Menu items feature a variety of sweet and salty sensational treats for adults or children such as chocolate-dipped strawberries, cheese and crackers and make-your-own “worms and dirt” pudding.

To quench your thirst, enjoy a specialty drink served in a souvenir cup (alcoholic for Guests 21 and older).

That is a box you pick up and take to your seat. See the bold? There's desserts and savory treats in the box, as it says
That is not a dessert party

 

[I459WDW]

Ok - I'm finally there then. There is actual dessert, just not the traditional party. Just looking at the previous poster with a list of items in the box and didn't mention actual desserts...just the other stuff. Sorry I was so confused!!!

 

[KenHutch]

I vote for the dinner. After all no matter what you have to eat, the seats are also great. I will admit my choice is a somewhat shaded one with Disney charging for everything but air (and if they could they would) I refuse to pay for any of the "extras". We do not park hop and absolutely no desert parties or any other upsale event.

 

[AngiTN]

Ok - I'm finally there then. There is actual dessert, just not the traditional party. Just looking at the previous poster with a list of items in the box and didn't mention actual desserts...just the other stuff. Sorry I was so confused!!!

I think he mentioned the list of items PLUS the box, not a list of items IN the box.
When I was curious about what was served and trying to decide, I googled the party title and searched over a couple of reviews. That helped me to see exactly what was in the box

 

[AngiTN]

I will note the cups are rather cute. Not cute enough that I was sorry we opted for the meal vs. the dessert box but they are cute light up mugs, if you are in to such things. I also noted practically no one was drinking their beverages in them. So didn't bode well for the taste of said drink in the cute cups. LOL

 

[FastPasser.]

Ok - I'm finally there then. There is actual dessert, just not the traditional party.

Correct, there are desserts but no party environment.

 

[emgilmartin]

Why don’t people like fantasmic? We are doing the dining package, but never been before.

I love Fantastic and it's a must do for my family. It's been many years since we've gone, though.

 

[GillianP1301]

We did F! last Saturday night. We had the dining package and sat on about row 4, from the water. Folks from the Dessert Party were all around us. They were not up near the control booth.

Thanks for clarifying this because I have read conflicting reports on the seating. We plan on trying the dessert package this trip and would prefer a closer up seat.

 

[Robo]

The amphitheater seats approximately 8,000 guests and many nights it is standing room-only. It is a popular show - it just isn’t intimate as it is in Disneyland.

IMO, iIt's not just the lack of "intimacy" at DHS.
(And, "intimacy" at DLR can mean standing squeezed in shoulder-to-shoulder with many thousands of fellow guests, so it's not necessarily a "positive.")
No, I LIKE the DHS seating.
But, the actual F! SHOW elements at DLR are just "better."
The use of an actual sailing ship with the Peter Pan swashbuckling scene, the use of a SPECTACULAR dragon animatronic (when she works)
and the use of a real steamboat in the character finale, are just some of the "better" elements of the DLR version.
The shows are similar, but the one at DLR is, well, Fantasmic-er!

That said, we see the DHS F! at least twice per trip.

 

[siskaren]

But, the actual F! SHOW elements at DLR are just "better."
The use of an actual sailing ship with the Peter Pan swashbuckling scene,

It's now a PotC sequence.

 

[Robo]

It's now a PotC sequence.

Ah HAH!

Last time we were in Anaheim we saw World of Color at DCA.

 

[Princess Bree]

I did the VIP Dessert Viewing last November. I don't know what was in the alcoholic drink, but it was big, blue and tasty (had a good kick too). I'd eaten a quick chicken nugget dinner before so ended up taking the box of treats back to my room and eating them over a couple days. Really well done treats (exactly as the picture shows on website). Well worth the $39. We are going in September and I will definitely get it again. I arrived right when my reservation said and did not have to wait for than a couple minutes for my treats.

 

[twitterpated31]

We really loved Fantasmic!

We just did the Fantasmic lunch at Mama Melrose which we all really enjoyed.
(And our lovely server charged my 10 yr old and 12 year old niece for the kids price which was very kind!!)

We arrived 30-40 minutes early. We were second row, dead centre.

Totally worth it!!!!

 

[B. Shoe]

For those that have done the dinner package at Mama Melrose, what's an opportune time to make our dinner reservation? I know we'll have reserved seating for Fantasmic, but I'd hate to feel like we're rushing through dinner. My hope would be to eat, then comfortably be able to make our way to the show without a huge gap between. Any insight or advice is greatly appreciated!

 

[JerseyJanice]

For those that have done the dinner package at Mama Melrose, what's an opportune time to make our dinner reservation? I know we'll have reserved seating for Fantasmic, but I'd hate to feel like we're rushing through dinner. My hope would be to eat, then comfortably be able to make our way to the show without a huge gap between. Any insight or advice is greatly appreciated!

It’s been awhile, but IIRC, they restrict the times that you can make your ADR for the dining package so that you don’t run late for the show.