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dban3
04-03-2011, 08:18 PM
I live in Northern California and an annual passholder. We (my wife and myself) make 2 or 3 multi-day trips down to the Disneyland Resort each year. Since the Fantasmic dragon was scheduled to debut in June 2009, I think we've spent about 22 days in DL (give or take). I have yet to see this dragon. On Tuesday of this last week we chatted with a very nice castmember while waiting for the nightly fireworks. We asked about the Fantasmic dragon and he said they have had their issues with the giant animatronic but everything was now fine. So Thursday, after waiting some 4 and a half hours in the searing 92 degree heat, we eagerly awaited Murphy's appearance. Guess what? No dragon. My wife was more than a bit miffed so she stopped by guess relations and said the least they could do was make some sort of announcement that the dragon would not be appearing. They kind of blew her off and basically told her if they made an an announcement before showtime that there would be no dragon, then havoc and chaos between those who wanted to see the show with or with or without dragon and those who would leave without seeing the show could could traffic issues. At this point, they ought to just shelve the thing.

IllusionOfLife
04-03-2011, 08:58 PM
I can understand being disappointed, but you also have to realize that the people at guest relations have a very good point. Throughout all the attractions at the Disneyland Resort there will occasionally be things that aren't working, whether that's the in-car audio not playing on Space Mountain, the guns being off calibration in Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, or certain effects not working in Fantasmic! The show must go on, though, and professionally it's better to perform the show as if it's always supposed to be that way than to draw attention to the technical difficulties.

Fantasmic! is essentially a theatrical stage show on a much grander scale, and in theatre if something goes wrong it's expected of the cast to play it off as if it was completely intentional. While it's disappointing when something doesn't work quite right, there's nothing that can be done about it. Fantasmic! is still a great show, with or without the dragon and the Cast Members were absolutely right that announcing technical difficulties beforehand without outright canceling that performance is going to cause unnecessary chaos.

Besides, as an Annual Passholder, I imagine you've seen Fantasmic! dozens of times, so it's not as if you're missing something you've never seen or will never have the opportunity to see again.

potzbie
04-03-2011, 09:25 PM
I just google'd the phrase, "chasing the dragon."
It has a very un-Disney like connotation. :eek:

Remember Dumbo?
See "Pink Elephants on Parade" for its nasty side effects. ;)

MadasaHatter
04-04-2011, 12:33 AM
Yeah Potzbie.....I was a little nervous checking into this thread when I saw the post.

As a professional in the theatre....I have to agree with IllusionofLife's post and very well written I must say.

I have seen Murphy a few times and also don't live near enough to get to visit DL much. I guess I have lucked out on that account. While Murphy is a marked improvement over Dragon 1.0 the show still rocks. I am constantly amazed at the engineering on each and every attraction at Disneyland Resort and think how amazing it is they can keep that all going. I am impressed but then again....I am mad.....

dban3
04-04-2011, 07:20 AM
I would have to agree that Disney's Guest Relations explanation is perfectly understandable. I did try to explain to my wife that with the massive crowds that gather to watch Fantasmic, Disney's primary goal is to present a good show and not have their guests break arms and legs. The castmembers do a remarkable keeping order (and take a lot of flack while doing it). Still, being an AP, we have spent thousands of dollars down there the past couple of years and to still not to have seen that dragon is very disappointing. I have seen Fantasmic many times. Its a great show but without the dragon, it just isn't worth the wait any more. The four and a half hour wait in the heat was the last straw. I think I'll pass on Fantasmic for the next few years. When the show begins and Mickey starts his little dance with his hands up above his ears moving side to side I almost feel like he's mocking me. The only missing is sticking out his tongue and saying "Got you again....its my show.....not the dragons".

fairestoneofall
04-04-2011, 08:05 AM
I live in Northern California and an annual passholder. We (my wife and myself) make 2 or 3 multi-day trips down to the Disneyland Resort each year. Since the Fantasmic dragon was scheduled to debut in June 2009, I think we've spent about 22 days in DL (give or take). I have yet to see this dragon. On Tuesday of this last week we chatted with a very nice castmember while waiting for the nightly fireworks. We asked about the Fantasmic dragon and he said they have had their issues with the giant animatronic but everything was now fine. So Thursday, after waiting some 4 and a half hours in the searing 92 degree heat, we eagerly awaited Murphy's appearance. Guess what? No dragon. My wife was more than a bit miffed so she stopped by guess relations and said the least they could do was make some sort of announcement that the dragon would not be appearing. They kind of blew her off and basically told her if they made an an announcement before showtime that there would be no dragon, then havoc and chaos between those who wanted to see the show with or with or without dragon and those who would leave without seeing the show could could traffic issues. At this point, they ought to just shelve the thing.

I guess you don't want to hear that Murphy was there on Friday night then?

IllusionOfLife
04-04-2011, 08:22 AM
I'm sorry, I misread part of your original post. I missed the fact that you haven't seen the new dragon yet through many times trying. It still doesn't change the fact that Disney was absolutely right in how they handled it, but I do feel much more sympathetic now. I'd say, just keep trying, maybe not camping out for four hours to see the show, but if you're in the park, maybe head over an hour before and give it a shot. You won't get the best seats of course, but there's still some fairly decent spots to be had later in the night. For instance on our last trip we showed up ten minutes before show time and picked out a nice spot right by the Rafts to Tom Sawyer's Island. It was also kinda cool because you got to see some of the back stage happenings at the same time as you could see the actual show.

Another idea is simply go to the later show. If you're there on a night when they're running two shows of Fantasmic! skip the early show, find out if Murphy made an appearance, then go wait for the second show. That's probably the most fool-proof way I can think of to ensure you can see the dragon.

cstephens
04-04-2011, 09:01 AM
Its a great show but without the dragon, it just isn't worth the wait any more. The four and a half hour wait in the heat was the last straw.

I'm amazed to see that someone thinks the show is entirely worthless without the dragon. It's an amazing show with all the other elements. Having the dragon is a plus, but I honestly have a hard time seeing the dragon as the cornerstone upon which the success or failure of the show rests.

That being said, there's no need to wait for hours to see the dragon. Since you've already seen the show itself, that doesn't seem to be a vital part of what you're now looking for. It's easy enough to just get over to the far side of Haunted Mansion and either wait in Critter Country or even Fowler's Harbour, and when the appropriate time comes, come out so you can see the dragon. If she's there, great. If she's not, you've only invested about 15 - 20 minutes of your life. And in the meantime, you'll have had time to enjoy all the other things at Disneyland. Have fun!

fairestoneofall
04-04-2011, 09:10 AM
I agree with cstephens. The dragon is great, but doesn't make the show what it is.

cookie7762
04-04-2011, 10:37 AM
I guess you don't want to hear that Murphy was there on Friday night then?

Haha, I was there, too... felt bad mentioning it though!

Goodnplenty
04-04-2011, 11:05 AM
I can certainly understand your disappointment. I had a similar experience, but in reverse! DH and I visit DL only once a year. And before we went last year, I read all the info I could find to see if Murphy was up and running again. All my sources said, "No." So just think how surprised I was when I got all the way back to Orlando and saw on someone's trip report that Murphy had indeed made an appearance! Ahh! DH and I had actually stayed away from that side of the park during F because we didn't want to get caught in the crowds. I know how let down I would have felt if someone at the park had told me that Murphy was not showing that night and yet she did. So from now on, DH and I will just walk over there near HM to see Murphy and then perhaps go on some other things. I just wanted you to know that I thoroughly understand your disappointment, and yet, I feel that I don't want anyone to tell me if she's in the show or not because I "personally" was so sure she wasn't going to appear last year and I would hate to have bad feelings because someone gave out inaccurate info and she did appear.

Please keep trying. That dragon is just amazing to see. We still have lizard on a stick here....
GnP :)

dban3
04-04-2011, 11:54 AM
Haha, I was there, too... felt bad mentioning it though!

We debated and debated as to whether to try to see Fantasmic again on Friday but if Murphy failed to appear for a second night a pretty good 5 day trip would have gone from somewhat disappointing to a pretty good fit of anger. I didn't want to run that risk. Glad you mentioned it though disappointing as it was. It just goes to show you, when it comes to these scheduled outside shows...you pay your money and take your chances. Been there when Fantasmic was cancelled 5 minutes before showtime (again after hours of waiting) and saw the Magical fireworks show stop on a dime right before Dumbo's appearance. We were also in the park when they up and decided to move an 11pm park closing to 9pm due to rain. Disney holds all the cards.

PS....by Friday night, I think the temperature had dropped about 20 degrees.....Experienced ElecTRONica and Laserman instead.

fairestoneofall
04-04-2011, 02:08 PM
Friday evening the temp DID drop. My sister and I went back to DLH to grab our sweatshirts and change out of our flip flops and we were glad we did. I actually ordered HOT CHOCOLATE to go with my dessert box. We started to feel the chill while we were waiting for our PV seats to be assigned to us.

ShelbyH
04-04-2011, 02:39 PM
Been there when Fantasmic was cancelled 5 minutes before showtime (again after hours of waiting) and saw the Magical fireworks show stop on a dime right before Dumbo's appearance. We were also in the park when they up and decided to move an 11pm park closing to 9pm due to rain. Disney holds all the cards.
I do understand how frustrating this is, but I also know that they try really, really hard to get the show going. Especially with something like the fireworks, which are so dependent on atmospheric conditions (particularly wind), the conditions change by the minute and they try to hang in there until the very last minute to see if they can pull it off before calling it quits. I know it's frustrating, but I think people don't understand how many times a show or the fireworks get shown based on very last-minute changes. It goes both ways. Waiting until the last minute does pay off sometimes for them. It would suck to cancel the fireworks 15 minutes before the show and then have the conditions change and they would have been able to do it after all. Same with the park closing early, which is usually due to safety reasons, not because they want to be jerks about it. All of these missed experiences do cost them money, so I can understand why they do everything possible to keep the show going, even if it means deciding not to show the fireworks 3 minutes before they are supposed to start.

danyoung
04-11-2011, 12:55 PM
Next time you go, here's a trick that'll turn your 4 1/2 hour wait into 30 minutes. Look for the central lighting tower, and line up behind it about a 1/2 an hour before showtime. This thing looks like it will block your view, so no one stands here. About 10 minutes before showtime the tower rises up on a hydraulic pole, and you now have an absolutely perfect central view of the show, and you've only had to invest 30 minutes. I really LOVE Fantasmic!, but I'd never wait 4 1/2 hours for it or anything else!

Tinkermommy
04-11-2011, 02:24 PM
This thing looks like it will block your view, so no one stands here.

This reminds me of a funny (for me, anyway) story -- after reading about this on MP, I did it with a fairly large group. There were some other people sitting in that area when we got there, and we started chatting with them. We realized they were going to see Fantasmic! also, but they didn't know the pole would move. When they started to leave, we told them, and they stayed. Consequently, there were a LOT of people standing around the pole.

Shortly before the show started (but before the pole went up), a man came up leading a large family group. He stopped, and appeared to be stunned that there were so many of us already standing there. He turned to his group and said, "Well, this is usually a good spot. Now we're hosed." (He didn't really say hosed, but I don't think I can type what he did say.) And they stormed off. :p

lola2009
04-11-2011, 02:32 PM
This reminds me of a funny (for me, anyway) story -- after reading about this on MP, I did it with a fairly large group. There were some other people sitting in that area when we got there, and we started chatting with them. We realized they were going to see Fantasmic! also, but they didn't know the pole would move. When they started to leave, we told them, and they stayed. Consequently, there were a LOT of people standing around the pole.

Shortly before the show started (but before the pole went up), a man came up leading a large family group. He stopped, and appeared to be stunned that there were so many of us already standing there. He turned to his group and said, "Well, this is usually a good spot. Now we're hosed." (He didn't really say hosed, but I don't think I can type what he did say.) And they stormed off. :p

I've seen more and more people standing at the pole the secrets out. I still prefer getting a table at the French Market, having dinner and staying to watch Fantasmic from there.

Malcon10t
04-11-2011, 06:06 PM
This reminds me of a funny (for me, anyway) story -- after reading about this on MP, I did it with a fairly large group. There were some other people sitting in that area when we got there, and we started chatting with them. We realized they were going to see Fantasmic! also, but they didn't know the pole would move. When they started to leave, we told them, and they stayed. Consequently, there were a LOT of people standing around the pole.

Shortly before the show started (but before the pole went up), a man came up leading a large family group. He stopped, and appeared to be stunned that there were so many of us already standing there. He turned to his group and said, "Well, this is usually a good spot. Now we're hosed." (He didn't really say hosed, but I don't think I can type what he did say.) And they stormed off. :p


I've seen more and more people standing at the pole the secrets out.
Last time we were there and walked by there, it was an hour before the show, and people were 4-5 deep and the Bumblebees were telling people no more were allowed and it was a walkway. I think the secret is long gone....

danyoung
04-12-2011, 04:31 AM
Last time we were there and walked by there, it was an hour before the show, and people were 4-5 deep and the Bumblebees were telling people no more were allowed and it was a walkway. I think the secret is long gone....

Wow - I'm sad to hear that. This worked really well for YEARS, but maybe finally enough people know about it. It's still a great place to see the show, even if you're back a few rows of people.

wolfepackmom
04-12-2011, 06:18 AM
I still prefer getting a table at the French Market, having dinner and staying to watch Fantasmic from there.

I've been wondering how good the views are from any of the surrounding restaurants. I recall someone post that they would get a seat at the River Belle Restaurant as well. I've only seen the show from sitting pretty much front and center, but now that's getting much more difficult for my folks to do. Fantasmic Desert seating's too expensive for our group, so wondering about the restaurant seating more. Worried that being so far back, you'd miss some of the show, although a lot does happen up higher I guess. Also guessing lots of other people try to get the spots too if the view is decent, so if you stake it out a bit early, do any of the restaurant folks try to get you to move or get annoyed that you're taking up the table for so long? My folks love to sit and people watch too, so taking a break to do that and wait for the show in a chair for a while would be great, as opposed to the 4 hrs to get a good blanket spot up front.

It looks like there's seating at Cafe Orlean's area too, so wondering if there are better/worse locations. I thought we could scope it out during the day to figure out a place that might work, but thought I'd see what other experience MP folks have had with doing that.

And, if there's a better spot to move this, that's fine - or reply back and I can post again. Lola's post was what got me thinking about it again, so posted here, but maybe "Chasing the Dragon" isn't the best home for this question!

TIA!

lola2009
04-12-2011, 07:42 AM
I think we can reply here, it is about trying to see Fantasmic and the dragon :) Sitting at the table right in front of the Rivers of America, gives you a great view. You can see pretty much everything. I think as long as you have purchased dinner or snacks there shouldn't be a problem with sitting there. We usually go about 2 hours or so before the show, get dinner, and wait for fantasmic. We've never been told to move. It gives my DS a chance to play with his Legos or little action figures, he doesnt do well standing in a big crowd so it works really well for us and we have a chair to sit in.

I've read some people sit over by hungry bear and watch the boats getting ready to go out, we've never done that but it sounds like fun.

cstephens
04-12-2011, 08:03 AM
This worked really well for YEARS, but maybe finally enough people know about it.

That's because for *years*, people have been posting about this "secret" - I remember reading about it back on a.d.d. Not so much a secret when everyone knows about it.

Drince88
04-12-2011, 08:41 AM
There are also some areas sort of in front of the Haunted Mansion that are pretty good - we'd check with a CM to make sure we'd be allowed to stay there, and move if we couldn't (want to move sooner rather than later) - but usually right up against a railing in the 'front' of a tier. Then, when it was getting ready to start, if there were any kids directly behind us, we'd invite them to get in front of us AND make sure they got back to their parents safely at the end. (And if the parents are short, we'd let them get in front of us, too!) Never had to wait super long - but it's often easier to do that if there's a second show - and you're hanging out in Critter Country during the first show - then you just slip right in as the crowd from the first show is exiting.

danyoung
04-12-2011, 08:42 AM
Well, I've been talking about it for years, but the percentage of folks in any online site compared to the total park visitors is pretty small. So it's been a matter of trying to help the folks you know. I guess the folks I know have finally reached critical mass!

wolfepackmom
04-12-2011, 07:32 PM
Thanks Lola & Drince. Nice to know it works for your son Lola, as I have a 6 and 9 year old that also don't like the crowds much but would want them to be able to see it. We'll definitely scope that out as an option this trip. Also the area Drince mentioned too by the HM.