fireworks/fantasmic (esp. those who saw the rehearsals) & best outsider deal question

[jimnyo]

hey gang, thanks for all the great info. we've got a friend visiting this week. we're AP's but were wondering what the best deal is for a non-resident currently. she can only go 1 day, so best deal is defined as in cheapest. we're southern california residents, so if there is a deal we can purchase for her, that would work too.

also, reading all the threads about the best way to go about seeing the 1st fantasmic show and then fireworks. am i correct in understanding that basically, if we get a seat in front of the stage, we will be forced to watch the fireworks from there? i was thinking maybe to avoid traffic we could cut behind thunder mountain to head for less crowded areas like the small world strip...but if that's not possible, is there a place that's ideal for fireworks AND fantasmic viewing, i.e. is it better to be seated with the pathway through frontierland to the hub immediately behind me or does that not matter?

lastly, for those of you who saw the rehearsals/previews--were they of the fireworks show too? will this summer's show "need" to be watched from main street? that is, some folks last year were of the opinion that b/c of all the effects projected on the castle and along main street, that the viewing from RofA wasn't that great and i was just wondering if this year's was going to be a similar situation. thanks again!

[fairestoneofall]

lastly, for those of you who saw the rehearsals/previews--were they of the fireworks show too? will this summer's show "need" to be watched from main street? that is, some folks last year were of the opinion that b/c of all the effects projected on the castle and along main street, that the viewing from RofA wasn't that great and i was just wondering if this year's was going to be a similar situation. thanks again!

You can see some of the fireworks from ROA, but you will NOT get the full effect. I saw them during the F! media event Thursday, but still feel like "I've seen nothing." We're going again a week from Fri. just to see the ELP and Magical.

[bennette]

We watched the Magical rehearsal from almost perfect spots in the hub and I don't honestly know how anyone who isn't right up close to the fireworks will see the animations on the castle, particularly during the Mary Poppins portion. Yes, in my opinion, you need to be on Main Street to see that and to see

 

Dumbo

. That's also where the confetti is, although I could miss that no problem.

If you want to see both shows, the better option would be to go on a day (weekend?) when they are running two Fantasmic shows. Get a good seat for the fireworks and then head over for a regular seat at Fantasmic, which is a less crowded show.

For a one day ticket, unless you can get a ticket from a University or school, you'll need a Disney's one day, one park pass at $69. No special discounts on these usually. You might check your Albertson's to see if they sell a one day but they probably only have a one-day park hopper, which is $94. Otherwise, you have to stand in the ticket booth line at the park to buy one day passes. Honestly, if it were my only trip, I'd spend the extra $30 to get the $99 pass or some other pass at Albertson's or Disney online in advance to avoid wasting valuable park time in that line.

[RStar]

Haven't seen the new shows yet, but plan to see the new fireworks this Friday. I wanted to let them work out the bugs first. I was going to go last friday, and because the Dumbo didn't show I'm glad I didn't....

I'll post more after Friday, by that time the crowds and crowd control should be a little more set in their ways.

[cstephens]

If you want to see both shows, the better option would be to go on a day (weekend?) when they are running two Fantasmic shows. Get a good seat for the fireworks and then head over for a regular seat at Fantasmic, which is a less crowded show.

Ordinarily, I'd say that would work, but I'm not sure that would necessarily work now. Depending on what day it is, a weekday might be better. When we were there Friday night, it would have been really difficult to watch the fireworks from Main Street and then gotten a decent view for the second Fantasmic, though I understand the circumstances were a bit different because it was the first public night of the new Fantasmic.

[bennette]

For a one day ticket, unless you can get a ticket from a University or school, you'll need a Disney's one day, one park pass at $69. No special discounts on these usually. You might check your Albertson's to see if they sell a one day but they probably only have a one-day park hopper, which is $94. Otherwise, you have to stand in the ticket booth line at the park to buy one day passes. Honestly, if it were my only trip, I'd spend the extra $30 to get the $99 pass or some other pass at Albertson's or Disney online in advance to avoid wasting valuable park time in that line.

An update to this. You could also drop one of your passengers off at the CM pickup area on Harbor and they could walk over to buy a single day pass while you were parking your car. The tram is slow enough these days that you'd have no difficulty meeting up.