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Thread: World of Color: The Guide

  1. #76
    The Hollywood Chain Gang CariBelle's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sjhanksaz View Post
    So in all even with the picnic passes you got there and waited for the show for 90 minutes.

    That seems like a lot of "dedicated" time to me
    Not everyone values their time the same way. Sitting down for 30 minutes before the show was worth it to me, it was a busy day and we were tired, and like I said we have no kids so I'm sure if you have little ones it's a different experience totally. Like cstephens mentions below, we will wait for an hour for Fantasmic! so the wait for this isn't out of line for us. And also like she says, you don't have to wait that long, but we did because it was a busy summer day and we knew exactly the space we wanted.





    Quote Originally Posted by cstephens View Post
    I've not seen a need to get there that early to get a good spot to stand to see the show. The only time I could see that would be for the first show when there's a pre-show, but that's it.


    Also, "is it worth the wait" is a totally subjective thing. Some people aren't show people, so even waiting 10 minutes would probably be too much for them. And for a Disney park, an hour wait really isn't that unusual. Many people wait that long, and even longer, for parades or Fantasmic or the fireworks. It's all a matter of how much a particular entertainment offering appeals to them.
    Agreed with you on all points. We were there for the first show and wanted to see the preshow, and get a chance to sit and relax before standing for the show. We probably would have been in some other nook sitting if we hadn't waited in our area so no time lost on us.

    Also agreed, we love fireworks and shows like WoC and Fantasmic! so we will set aside time to wait for those. If it doesn't seem "worth it" to you then move along and ride a ride, but IMO the show was worth my wait.

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  3. #77

    When we went in Aug, once we got our spot part of our group was able to leave. The person who was collecting the FP said that if we went back to her she would give us a FP to use the bathroom or to get food. I think some kids who were sitting next to us hopped on some rides before the show. We were in the wet zone so there was no one around us so we were able to go in and out without going "excuse me" to get to our spot.


  4. #78
    Registered User emgm's Avatar
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    World of Color Viewing Experience on a Fall Weekday

    Sorry this is so long, but we had a different experience when we saw WoC on Wednesday Oct 18th that I wanted to share for anyone planning a weekday viewing this fall. There's only one show Mon - Thu, at 8:15, and no pre-show, and it is still very busy and "sells out".

    We had WoC dinner reservations for 4:30 at Ariels Grotto. We finished dinner at 6pm, and the waitress gave us our FastPass, which said to return between 7-7:45pm. She told us to report to the area directly outside the beginning of the bridge next to Ariels.

    We got to the area right before the bridge at about 6:30. There were no signs directing people where to wait. There were a few people there, and several CMs. I asked one if this was the right spot to wait for the Preferred Dining Viewing area. She said no, it wasnt and told me to wait by the walkway from Paradise Pier to Grizzly River Run. So we moved over there. There were more CMs there, putting up barricades in parallel lines in the walkway outside Paradise Park. (It looked like they were making an area to drive cattle through which made me laugh.) I asked one of them if this was the right area to wait for the Preferred Dining Viewing area. She said no, this area was only for Picnics and FastPasses, the dining area people were supposed to wait in the area before the bridge next to Ariels (where we were to begin with). I said our line will form over there? She replied theres never a line for the dinner people, just a crowd.

    So we moved back over there, and sat down on the cement benches around that structure that looks like a lighthouse (Im not sure what its called). Still no signs anywhere. We waited until about 6:50, then a CM came and told us, and the other people waiting there, that we all had to move to the area by the walkway going to Grizzly River Run (the area we had been specifically told wasnt for us). I told this CM about how we were getting conflicting information, and he said thats because they keep changing how they are having people line up. He said it was different the night before so the other CMs I talked to probably didn't know the new system.

    Well, by then the "correct" area was packed with people, all standing behind a rope, so we had to move to the back of the crowd. There were NO lines, just a crowd consisting of everyone, no matter what color FastPass they had.

    At 7pm they removed the rope and let people move forward, through the lanes they had created with the barricades. They read everyones ticket and directed us where to go for Blue, White (dining), Red, and Yellow.

    I had already decided from reading AVPs write-up at the beginning of this thread that I wanted to stand on top of the stairs, on the left, close to the section she colored yellow in the picture. However when we got to the dining section, it was roped off so that no one could stand on the stairs. The only open area was the flat circle area, and the areas closer to the water (which by then were full of people). I knew I didnt want to stand in the circle area (Im not tall and knew that I wouldnt be able to see from there). I went to several different CMs to politely ask if we could stand at the top of the stairs in the roped off area above the circle. None of them had any idea why it was roped off, so they couldnt let us stand there.

    Finally one CM said the stairs on the right, above the circle, would be overflow for Yellow ticket holders, not for the dining section. He also said every spot here has been designed to give you a great view. (Yeah, right.) After about 15 minutes, a supervisor came over and a nice CM went to ask this supervisor if I could stand in the roped off area, and she said Sure! Im removing the ropes now! So it appears the area with the stairs above the circle was roped off to serve as overflow, ensuring the crowd moved forward first.

    We were able to sit on the stairs until the show started, by which time the entire preferred dining area was full.

    So in the end, with a lot of headache but persistence, we did get to stand on the top of the second set of stairs and had a great view of everything except the water level.

    I learned that Disney changes its methods frequently, so you cant really count on everything youve heard from people whove already gone, but its still a very good idea to do your research so you understand the basics and have a plan, but be prepared for changes to the system. Also, I do want to say that every CM I talked to was very nice and helpful, they just werent getting the correct information so they couldnt in turn give me the correct information.

    I also heard that night from the CMs that they are still running out of on-line picnic meals a few weeks before each show, and the dinner reservations also fill up a few weeks before each show, even the weekday shows. They run out of the free FastPasses early in the day when there's only one show. On Monday, Oct 18th, it was very empty in the park, but we passed by the FastPass machines at 11:45 and they already had the sign up saying they were no longer distributing FastPasses for that night.


  5. #79
    Self-Proclaimed Disney Queen! Pammer's Avatar
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    Thanks emgm for posting your recent experience...it really helps those of us who still haven't gone but rely on these message boards to prepare beforehand!

    Pam
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  6. #80
    Registered User emgm's Avatar
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    You're welcome! I have also relied on MousePlanet and MousePad for years to prepare for upcoming trips, so I know what you mean!


  7. #81
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    Quote Originally Posted by emgm View Post
    You're welcome! I have also relied on MousePlanet and MousePad for years to prepare for upcoming trips, so I know what you mean!
    Wow, you really hit a home run in helping me prepare. We are doing the exacty duplicate of your trip this coming Monday, a 430 Ariels. I am going to go straight from Ariels to the line, wherever it might be.

    So the correct spot to line up ended up being over by the walkway to GRR, not by Ariels, and they let you in the viewing area at 7? Am I reading that correct?

    Thanks for a great review!
     

    Please remember I am a guy. If you found anything in the above post offensive, I cannot help it. For more info, see Brad Paisley's "I'm just a guy."

  8. #82
    Registered User emgm's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by twindaddy View Post
    So the correct spot to line up ended up being over by the walkway to GRR, not by Ariels, and they let you in the viewing area at 7? Am I reading that correct?
    You are welcome! We got there at 4:30 and were seated shortly after that. We took our time eating dinner so it lasted an hour and a half, and so we finished at about 6pm. Yes, they started letting people into the viewing area at 7pm, that was the time printed on the FastPass tickets they gave us.

    So last Wednesday, the final place where we had to wait was at the beginning of the walkway that heads from the Paradise Pier area up to GRR. The same walkway that has the restrooms in it.

    However, since they appear to change their system without telling all the CMs, my recommendation is to 1) ask your server at the restaurant where to line up, then 2) ask CMs in the area itself. If you can find someone that looks like a supervisor, even better to ask that person. The supervisors seemed to be the only CMs really knowing what was going on that night.

    Good luck and enjoy!

  9. #83
    Registered User ShellyJ's Avatar
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    Saw WOC on Tuesday, 10/26 and I summarize (and posted in a couple other areas for folks) that I believe the show is wonderful, awesome. However, a most horrible design for guests' viewing. We did the picnic option (food was barely o.k.). The real crux of the thing is that no matter if you waste the money on a dining package, you must get in line early! It's just a mob of people fighting for a viewing spot and 75% of the folks won't get a good view. Hoping Disney can come up with a better solution!


  10. #84

    I saw WOC on Saturday and did the picnic dinner. We had the chicken and we all felt that it was worth it, especially when you compare the meal to other options. We picked up our meal around 6pm and after eating we hung around the area for a bit. We had 2 wheel chairs and they lead us to a viewing area just up from the wooden walk next to the bay in the yellow section (We could have told them we were in a different section because they never checked our fast passes, but we didn't.) We all enjoyed the show and the TronCore after. The one thing that I did not like was the use of the front water screen. If you aren't in the center, you can not see anything on it, unlike Fantasmic, where every screen shows the same scenes.

    I don't know and I don't care if It's a Small World. It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland.


  11. #85
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    Quote Originally Posted by WITron View Post
    . If you aren't in the center, you can not see anything on it, unlike Fantasmic, where every screen shows the same scenes.
    I am not sure if that is totally true, maybe from the HA area.

    The second time we saw the show last week, we did it from the railing next to Ariels Grotto. Great not so secret spot. We could see 95% of what was on the screens, no problem, and actually had a better view of the bubble screen things that from right in front.

    Disney should really be ashamed of how the viewing area was designed, what a train wreck. Get their early, and be ready to run and shove your way into a good spot. Sad but true.
     

    Please remember I am a guy. If you found anything in the above post offensive, I cannot help it. For more info, see Brad Paisley's "I'm just a guy."

  12. #86
    Wilderness Explorer with Premium AP JunJunM3's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ShellyJ View Post
    Saw WOC on Tuesday, 10/26 and I summarize (and posted in a couple other areas for folks) that I believe the show is wonderful, awesome. However, a most horrible design for guests' viewing. We did the picnic option (food was barely o.k.). The real crux of the thing is that no matter if you waste the money on a dining package, you must get in line early! It's just a mob of people fighting for a viewing spot and 75% of the folks won't get a good view. Hoping Disney can come up with a better solution!
    I agree. Getting there early is only half the battle. As the return time draws near as printed on the fastpass, one will undoubtedly find oneself in the middle of a sea of people just waiting to be let in the viewing areas. Once they finally let people in, it gets pretty insane.

  13. #87
    Registered User Boo's Mommy's Avatar
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    I was looking at the park schedule for after thanksgiving (weekday) and DCA closes at 8, but they still show a WoC show at 8:15. Is this correct? And if it is, would you still recommend getting in line starting at 6 or 7? We plan to order picnic packages (are those given a particular section to sit at?).

    Also, I know there's AVP's map at the beginning, but it doesn't show the areas by the assigned ticket colors....I'll search, but in case someone has a quick link for me, can you tell me?
    Thanks!

    Last edited by Boo's Mommy; 11-10-2010 at 03:44 PM.

  14. #88

    We did the picnic meal and received yellow fast passes. I believe that they also give out blue for the picnics.

    I don't know and I don't care if It's a Small World. It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland.


  15. #89
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    Quote Originally Posted by Boo's Mommy View Post
    I was looking at the park schedule for after thanksgiving (weekday) and DCA closes at 8, but they still show a WoC show at 8:15. Is this correct? And if it is, would you still recommend getting in line starting at 6 or 7? We plan to order picnic packages (are those given a particular section to sit at?).

    Also, I know there's AVP's map at the beginning, but it doesn't show the areas by the assigned ticket colors....I'll search, but in case someone has a quick link for me, can you tell me?
    Thanks!
    yes, the last show is typically after the park closes. The rest of the park, that is.

    And ABSOLUTELY get in line by 7, or you might as well stay at home and watch it on youtube.
     

    Please remember I am a guy. If you found anything in the above post offensive, I cannot help it. For more info, see Brad Paisley's "I'm just a guy."

  16. #90
    Quote Originally Posted by twindaddy View Post
    yes, the last show is typically after the park closes. The rest of the park, that is.

    And ABSOLUTELY get in line by 7, or you might as well stay at home and watch it on youtube.
    You are going again? You just got back. Can I hide in your suitcase? I think I am going to do Ariel's Grotto for our trip in February.
    Siggy aka Jill

  17. #91
    Registered User Boo's Mommy's Avatar
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    Thanks twindaddy! Can you also tell me what/where the different sections are?
    and are you herded in based on front to back of the section or how does that work? I still can't picture where the handicap seating is (we have an evc in our party).


  18. #92
    Quote Originally Posted by Boo's Mommy View Post
    Thanks twindaddy! Can you also tell me what/where the different sections are?
    and are you herded in based on front to back of the section or how does that work? I still can't picture where the handicap seating is (we have an evc in our party).
    The handicap seating depends on what color fastpass you have. Each color section has its own handicap seating section. We had yellow fastpasses and we were seated one level up from the wood walkway on the right side of the bay. When you get there ask a CM and they will guide you to the correct area.

    This was the view that we had.

    I don't know and I don't care if It's a Small World. It's a nice day when you wake up in Disneyland.


  19. #93
    Sweet Spot - we miss you! shna's Avatar
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    I'm looking at the schedule for 12/13. Disneyland closes early (presumably for the cast party), so we'll spend the evening in DCA.

    Normally, the last WoC performance for the evening starts 15 minutes after the "official" park closing time (i.e. 10:15 if the park closes at 10, 11:15 if the park closes at 11). Been there, done that a few times. No worries.

    Here's the weird thing. On the schedule for 12/13, DCA's closing time is listed as 9pm -- but the WoC performances are listed as 9pm & 10:15pm. I'm confused.

    I bet it's supposed to be 8pm & 9:15pm...

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  20. #94

    Hoping for some input here, I've read the thread, but haven't actually visited the parks since before WOC.

    I'm traveling to the parks tomorrow (Tues 11/16) in a party of 3 adults, one in a wheelchair. Picnics aren't available anymore, and group doesn't want to go to the expense of Ariel's or the Trattoria since we have to renew passes tomorrow, so the out of pocket is kind of high.

    We plan to get to the park early to get our tickets and head straight for DCA to get FastPasses for the show.

    Questions:

    1. Once we are in the park, can just one of us wait in the fast pass line? One poster suggested this, but the top post makes it sound like everyone has to wait.

    2. Any recent experience on a day like this (weekday, one show at 8:15) on ----what time fast passes will run out?
    ---how long you waited in the fast pass line, and what time you got in line?

    3. If there are reserved areas for wheelchairs, must we get in line for the viewing area by 6:30 or 7:00? Our wheelchair guest can stand for a bit, just not all day or 1+ hour wait plus a show, and group isn't going to think it's "worth it" to wait for 1+ hours anyway... with some commentators saying not to bother unless you wait, I'm just not sure if we should forget about it entirely, or just take our chances arriving closer to show time.

    Thanks in advance for any advice - these boards are so helpful, I know you'll have some good insight.


  21. #95
    Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix
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    Quote Originally Posted by rjlrebo View Post
    1. Once we are in the park, can just one of us wait in the fast pass line? One poster suggested this, but the top post makes it sound like everyone has to wait.
    Only one person has to wait, but you must have the tickets from every member of your party, and those tickets must have been activated that day. So you can all enter the park together and send one person to get Fastpasses while the others go do something else, but you can't send one person into the park while the rest stay at the hotel.

    2. Any recent experience on a day like this (weekday, one show at 8:15) on ----what time fast passes will run out?
    ---how long you waited in the fast pass line, and what time you got in line?
    I have no personal experience with this, but from what I gather from other people the line can be around 45 minutes right after opening, and the tickets run out around 1.

    3. If there are reserved areas for wheelchairs, must we get in line for the viewing area by 6:30 or 7:00? Our wheelchair guest can stand for a bit, just not all day or 1+ hour wait plus a show, and group isn't going to think it's "worth it" to wait for 1+ hours anyway... with some commentators saying not to bother unless you wait, I'm just not sure if we should forget about it entirely, or just take our chances arriving closer to show time.
    The wheelchair-accessible areas are flat, as is the rest of the viewing area. The usual configuration is two or three benches at the front of the viewing area, behind the railing. Ambulatory guests who can't stand for the whole show can sit on the bench, guests using wheelchairs can sit either on one side or the other of the benches, OR behind the bench. (So you're sitting behind someone who is also sitting). Any additional ambulatory members of the party are asked to stand behind the benches / wheelchairs. (And that usually requires a Cast Member to enforce, since there are definitely issues when a group decides to take up an entire bench.)

    IF your wheelchair guest is planning to stay in their chair for the show, you can generally get there closer to the time the viewing area opens (the return time on your ticket) and have a pretty decent shot at getting a spot in the row behind the bench seating. If they are hoping for a spot on one of the benches, you need to try to get there earlier, as the benches can fill quickly.

    AND, keep in mind, if you wind up with tickets to the Red section, try to get as close to the left edge of the wheelchair-accessible viewing section as possible, because the view from the right edge is obstructed by one of the trellises.

    AVP
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  22. #96

    Thank you SO much! This is really helpful.

    .


  23. #97
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    Was there tonight at 815 WOC, third time seeing it in a month. Got to the Ariels Grotto stroller parking area right after the play parade, around 515, sat and read a book and the time went by pretty fast. Switched out with twinwife twice to ride screamin and TSMM.

    LOVE the Ariels Grotto patio stroller area, all the way to the right of the railing, right behind the fixed Ariels Grotto menu board, about 15 feet from the end of the bridge fast pass folks. Great unobstructed view, and honestly I could have showed up around 615 or 630 and has a spot on the railing.

    Was really excited about the tron add on, found it very odd they just slapped it onto the end of the show and didnt try to work it in at all. I also noticed the fountains shooting up in the viewing area during the stampede part, never noticed that before.

    So there is my mini trip report, no fastpass, no priority, just invested a few hours and enjoyed the show greatly. If you count the time it takes to get a fastpass and line up to get a railing spot, I probably only wasted an extra hour of my day. Worth it for me.

     

    Please remember I am a guy. If you found anything in the above post offensive, I cannot help it. For more info, see Brad Paisley's "I'm just a guy."

  24. #98

    Picnic prices going up $1

    I saw on the Disneyland website that the price will go up to $15.99 ($13.99 for APS ) for shows beginning on December 10. -- Suzanne


  25. #99
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    Disney is adding a prix fixe World of Color lunch package for the Wine Country Trattoria starting the day after Thanksgiving:

    http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blo...enu-for-lunch/

    If you're the smartest person in the room, you're in the wrong room.

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  26. #100

    Just a quick update on my experience this week, I visited Tuesday 11/16, there was one WOC show at 8:15.

    Arrived at the parks a bit later than we wanted, but walked through the entrance gate at DCA about 10:30 (park had opened at 10.) I sent the rest of my party to the FastPass line while I... went back to the parking lot for my cell phone - ooops! Anyway, by 11:00 when I got back, they had secured Yellow WOC fast passes for us, processed their new AP's with photos, and were sitting on a bench waiting for me, so the FastPass pick up was really quick and we got Yellow.

    FastPasses said to return at 7:30, and a CM recommended we could come 10-15 minutes earlier if we wanted since we had one in a wheelchair. We arrived at the viewing area about 7:20-25 expecting mass chaos, but finding only a small arriving crowd, and CM's were really helpful and people were being efficiently directed into the viewing area. We were the first to arrive in the wheelchair section at the left edge of yellow, I think in the top tier, so just above the big circle fountain area. (We were offered seats "in the front" and I responded that we didn't want to get wet... but now I'm thinking that might have gotten us just one level closer, not truly in the front? Who knows?)

    CM explained to us that benches were reserved, but the two of us not in the wheelchair could sit there until they were needed. Turns out we were never asked to move, so we got lucky and were able to wait and watch the show from the bench. The only downside was that there were more chairs behind us, so we weren't able to stand up for the show itself, so the view wasn't as good as it might have been, but an OK trade off to have a seat. I think really the only spectacular view is from the front row/front section, since even standing I wouldn't have been able to see the water, and I'm fairly tall.

    Overall, the viewing area didn't really seem full. In the regular sections below us, there was still room in some sections. I felt like over all, the whole experience was managed pretty well.


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