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Thread: Make me an expert again?? (Fantasmic!, Toy Story Midway Mania, General tips)

  1. #1
    Figuring out the mom thing
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    Mar 2003
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    Tucson, AZ

    Make me an expert again?? (Fantasmic!, Toy Story Midway Mania, General tips)

    Thanks to the wonderful people here I used to be quite good at navigating DL and I used that knowledge for multiple trips per year. But then life changed and I haven't been to DL in almost 2 years! I haven't seen Fantasmic! since the viewing fastpasses were implemented. I feel like a newbie again!

    Help me out? For Fantasmic!, do I acquire a viewing Fastpass through the app like attraction fastpasses? Which color/section would get my group front and center with the stage on Tom Sawyer Island? Will I be able to choose that in the app? Will we have to stand during the show? Where are the current reserved areas that are associated with dining packages? Are there any areas that have good unobstructed viewing that are seated? We will only have one chance to see it on this trip and I'm anxious to get it right. Our son, age 9, does not remember it! (Parenting fail!)

    For Jedi Training, do we still sign up in Tomorrowland at the beginning of the day? Has it been selling out since the announcement that it is ending?

    We used to beeline to the Radiator Springs Racers Fastpass machine on our way to Toy Story Midway Mania as soon as DCA opened. (Ah memories, haha) Now that TSMM has fastpasses, is there something else we should hit as soon as the park opens?

    For managing fastpasses for a group, what should I set up in advance of our visit?

    It used to be that your ticket had to have been used for entry before you could acquire fastpasses, so a runner couldn't just take the stack of tickets to the other side to acquire fastpasses. Is that also true in the app?

    We will be in the parks on a Halloween Party day, but aren't doing the party. (I know, I know ) Any tips for how to get the most out of park hopping that day? I'm assuming DL won't be too crowded in the morning but DCA will be packed during the party -- is that a fair guess? Can we hope to do Fantasyland early that morning?

    We will have a birthday girl turning 10 on one of our days. I'll get her a birthday button. Anything else I should be aware of?

    Any other general tips from those of you who have tracked the changes over the last few years? Thanks in advance everyone!


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  3. #2

    ETA: I put my answers in italics to make them easier to read -- can't figure out how to do multiple quote boxes!

    Quote Originally Posted by Leap for Joy View Post
    Thanks to the wonderful people here I used to be quite good at navigating DL and I used that knowledge for multiple trips per year. But then life changed and I haven't been to DL in almost 2 years! I haven't seen Fantasmic! since the viewing fastpasses were implemented. I feel like a newbie again!

    Help me out? For Fantasmic!, do I acquire a viewing Fastpass through the app like attraction fastpasses? Which color/section would get my group front and center with the stage on Tom Sawyer Island? Will I be able to choose that in the app? Will we have to stand during the show? Where are the current reserved areas that are associated with dining packages? Are there any areas that have good unobstructed viewing that are seated? We will only have one chance to see it on this trip and I'm anxious to get it right. Our son, age 9, does not remember it! (Parenting fail!)
    F! FPs are not available through the app or via MaxPass. For the free FPs, you will have to go to the machines, located by the Mark Twain dock. You will have to go early because FPs for both shows routinely run out by early afternoon, especially when the show only runs on weekends. For seated, centered viewing, you will have to get a dining package. There are 3 packages (in order of section, left to right facing the island)): Hungry Bear to go package (least expensive), Blue Bayou (most expensive, comes with a seat cushion), and RiverBelle Terrace (moderate price). All 3 sections are seated on the ground and have good-to-great views of the show. There is a premium dining package that allows you to sit on a chair while eating dinner on the RBT patio for the first show only -- that has to be reserved by phone, not online. The views for that package are iffy -- if you are in the front row and don't mind people using the walkway in front of the restaurant during the show (and not being able to see the surface of the water), then you might be fine. From the back rows, I think the view is mediocre to bad and a rip off for the price of the package. But if you cannot sit on the ground at all, it might be the only option for a dining package. Free FP viewing is almost all standing and the views are a gamble. If you are one of the first in line at the Mark Twain dock, there is a very small area next to the RBT reserved section that is seated, but everyone else will have to stand. If you are not tall, you won't have a good view from the standing section, especially if the people in front of you put kids on their shoulders. There is free FP viewing in front of Cafe Orleans -- that can be good viewing if you get the front row because that area is raised. Standby can fill in there, too, after the FP guests take their spots. As you can see, F! viewing is much more complicated than it used to be. We usually go with a dining package if the view really matters (e.g. we have guests with us) or standby for the second show (much easier to just jump in somewhere).

    [/QUOTE]For Jedi Training, do we still sign up in Tomorrowland at the beginning of the day? Has it been selling out since the announcement that it is ending?[/QUOTE]

    Sign up is still in TL. Just to be safe, I would do that very early, if not first thing, especially if this is important for your son.

    [/QUOTE]We used to beeline to the Radiator Springs Racers Fastpass machine on our way to Toy Story Midway Mania as soon as DCA opened. (Ah memories, haha) Now that TSMM has fastpasses, is there something else we should hit as soon as the park opens?[/QUOTE]

    Do you want to ride GOTG? You can choose to ride that standby while the line is short first thing at opening and get FPs for RSR via MaxPass or vice versa.

    [/QUOTE]For managing fastpasses for a group, what should I set up in advance of our visit?[/QUOTE]

    Have the DL app downloaded on your phone (make sure you have the latest version). Have a credit card on file, too, so that you can purchase MaxPass for everyone as soon as you all go through the gates. Do you already have your tickets? If so, you can scan them into the app now and name them. If you purchased them through the app or on the DLR website (and you were logged in at the time), the tickets might load by themselves. Will anyone else be managing the tickets and FPs? If so, have them download the app, too.

    [/QUOTE]It used to be that your ticket had to have been used for entry before you could acquire fastpasses, so a runner couldn't just take the stack of tickets to the other side to acquire fastpasses. Is that also true in the app?[/QUOTE]

    Yes, you still must activate all your tickets at one of the parks before you can use MaxPass.

    [/QUOTE]We will be in the parks on a Halloween Party day, but aren't doing the party. (I know, I know ) Any tips for how to get the most out of park hopping that day? I'm assuming DL won't be too crowded in the morning but DCA will be packed during the party -- is that a fair guess? Can we hope to do Fantasyland early that morning?[/QUOTE]

    If you can get to DL at rope drop, do Fantasyland! And be booking your FPs via MaxPass as soon as you go through the gates so you can have FPs ready to go (in either park). Have FPs ready to go as the afternoon goes on -- when the party guests start entering in the later afternoon, they have MaxPass on their tickets, too. So FPs get very scarce. Will you be wanting a TS meal that evening in DCA or DTD? If so, make your reservation now.

    [/QUOTE]We will have a birthday girl turning 10 on one of our days. I'll get her a birthday button. Anything else I should be aware of?
    Any other general tips from those of you who have tracked the changes over the last few years? Thanks in advance everyone![/QUOTE]
    Have a great trip!
    Last edited by tea4two; 10-15-2018 at 05:23 PM.

  4. #3
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    You have to copy paste the open and end quote tags to each section you want to break up.
    Park hoppers were always just scanned into either park and someone could run across. Maxpass allows you to schedule in either park BUT both parks are now linked, where before you could hold one in each park at the same time.


  5. #4
    Registered User Tinker44's Avatar
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    For Fantasmic, we deliberately chose the second showing... I had to hover for a bit near the machines until the CM I had talked to waved me over once the first showing”sold out”. When we joined the masses at the Mark Twain dock, we really didn’t know what to expect, but were pleasantly surprised to be seated not far off center. Maybe we just lucked out, but we had great sight lines! We had contemplated doing a dining package but couldn’t find anything my picky eaters could handle, so we were “stuck” with the luck of the draw FP. Looking ahead to our next trip, Fantasmic May be dark (the Twain is being refurbished)... so fingers crossed it’s a quickie, because we sure love Fantasmic!

    Faith Trust and Pixie Dust!
    Disneyland '85, '90, '00 and DLR '05, '10, '13, '14 and 2017


  6. #5
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    The Twain being down doesn't automatically mean F! is down too. We had one year where the characters all came out on the Island with their streamers.


  7. #6
    Registered User Tinker44's Avatar
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    True... just rechecked on Disney’s entertainment schedule and it will be back on the weekend of our visit!!!! So stoked!

    Faith Trust and Pixie Dust!
    Disneyland '85, '90, '00 and DLR '05, '10, '13, '14 and 2017


  8. #7
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tinker44 View Post
    True... just rechecked on Disney’s entertainment schedule and it will be back on the weekend of our visit!!!! So stoked!
    Glad I could help.

  9. #8

    For picky eaters, the Hungry Bear dining package allows you to order off the regular menu as well as from the dining package menu. You will still pay the dining package price, but at least you have more options.


  10. #9
    Figuring out the mom thing
    Join Date
    Mar 2003
    Location
    Tucson, AZ

    Thank you everyone!! This is VERY helpful!!!


  11. #10

    Make me an expert again?? (Fantasmic!, Toy Story Midway Mania, General tips)

    I'm glad you asked these questions because I needed answers to them as well. We're Disneyland veterans but we had to take a break for a few years and I feel like I don't know how to do the parks anymore. There have been so many changes in 3 years. We used to know exactly what FPs we needed to get and when but I feel like all of my knowledge is out the window. I don't even know what to expect from going thru bag check. It used to be fairly quick but I know the lines for really long. Are they still really long (on Harbor side)? How much time do we need to plan to get thru the week after Thanksgiving?
    I'm so excited to return to the Parks but I kind of feel like it's a first visit.


  12. #11

    On Thanksgiving I imagine the no bag line will be open. If you're planning to leave the park midday, consider only using a bag part of the time. Or if you have a large party, one person could go through the bag line. They've been saying "no bags, no wheels" so if you have a stroller or ECV with a basket, it might not be an option.

    I open all zippers on my bag, open all zipperes pouched inside and even unzip jackets. I pre-ordered empty my pockets and I go right through. Unfortunately the 20-50 people ahead of my rarely do the same.


  13. #12
    At home in the hills candles71's Avatar
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    foresthill Ca

    They can be long. You bag check first and then get sent through metal detectors. We always allow 20 to 30 minutes. Sometimes it only takes 10. Listen to the security guys as you approach they will be saying which lines are short to funnel people that way.
    Most look in all the little pockets etc. We've had them look in the glasses case. Last December they were running a bag free line down the center.


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