Fantasmic! | Off to Neverland Travel

Disneyland® Park Announces New ‘Fantasmic!’ Viewing Options
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Disneyland® Park Announces New ‘Fantasmic!’ Viewing Options

Disney News, Disneyland News

Disneyland® Park Announces New ‘Fantasmic!’ Viewing Options

On July 17, 2017, Fantasmic! will return to Disneyland® Park after a brief hiatus due to adjacent park refurbishment to celebrate its 25th Anniversary. Guests wishing to end their day at “The Happiest Place on Earth” by enjoying a performance of Fantasmic! will have several options to reserve a space.

Fantasmic! will continue to use Disney FASTPASS® Service in a process similar to that currently used for World of Color. The viewing area will be divided into reserved and stand-by viewing for each scheduled performance.

Reserved viewing areas are exclusively for those guests holding a FASTPASS® for that performance. These can be obtained in two ways:

FASTPASS® Distribution – Beginning each day at park opening, Fantasmic! FASTPASS® Distribution will begin on a first-come first-served basis on Big Thunder Trail in Frontierland. Your Fantasmic! FASTPASS® will be marked with the assigned showtime, suggested return time and your preassigned viewing section.
Fantasmic Dining Packages – Several dining options are now available including a 3-course dinner at the Blue Bayou Restaurant or River Belle Terrace or an on-the-go option from Hungry Bear Restaurant. Pricing varies by location. See below for more details

Stand-by viewing will continue to be offered in selected areas while space permits.

Fantasmic Dining Package Options

Blue Bayou Restaurant

Includes choice of starter, entrée, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage from prix fixe menu. Price is $65 for adults, $25 for children (age 3-9).

River Belle Terrace

Includes choice of starter, entrée, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage from prix fixe menu. Price: $45 for adults, $25 for children (age 3-9)

River Belle Terrace – Premium 8:00p Seating

Includes choice of starter, entrée, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage from prix fixe menu and you’ll be able to stay at your seat to watch the first performance of Fantasmic! from the outside patio where you’ll be seated!
Price: $60 for adults, $40 for children (age 3-9)

Hungry Bear Restaurant Fantasmic! On-the-Go Package

Includes choice of entrée and natural soda or for kids choice of entrée and bottled water, juice box or milk.

Price: $29.99 for adults, $19.99 for children (ages 3-9)

Please contact your Magic Maker® for more details.

Separate theme park admission is required. One (1) Fantasmic! FASTPASS® ticket will be distributed per package. Each person in the party must purchase a dining package in order to obtain a ticket. Tickets are valid only for the designated show time on the same day as the dining experience. Packages and tickets may not be refunded, redeemed for cash, exchanged for a different date or time, or sold. Early and late arrivals will not be accommodated. Some reserved viewing areas feature standing room only, with special accommodations available for Guests with disabilities. Fantasmic! may be cancelled due to technical or weather issues without notice. Cast Member and Annual Passholder discounts may be available. Children must be accompanied by an adult 18 years of age or older for the duration of dining and viewing. No refunds or exchanges will be available, even if the show is cancelled. All information is subject to change without notice.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-07-07T13:36:46-05:00July 7th, 2017|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: Disneyland Park Entertainment, Disneyland Park Fantasmic, Disneyland Park Shows, Fantasmic Dining Package, Fantasmic!|0 Comments

A Fantasmic! Meal For Families On The Run
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A Fantasmic! Meal For Families On The Run

Disney News, Walt Disney World News

A Fantasmic! Meal For Families On The Run

This holiday, the dining team over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios® has announced they will bring back a to-go option for their Fantasmic! dining packages.

Available Dec. 24 – Dec. 31, 2014, the Taste of Hollywood To Go meals will include reserved seating to that night’s Fantasmic! Based on availability, guests will be able to choose which showing they would like to see.

Five adult and two children options will be available. All 7 meals will qualify as a Quick Service credit on the Disney Dining Plan or are $16.99+tax for adults and $5.49+tax for children. While some walk up meals may be available, we encourage our guests to contact their Magic Makers® so a reservation can be made to secure your spot. Your meal will be available for pickup from 11a-8p at Min & Bill’s Dockside Diner.

Adult selections include:

Vegetable Sandwich – served with ginger-marinated tomatoes and cucumbers, quinoa salad and chocolate cake
Shrimp Salad – served with pita, ginger-marinated tomatoes and cucumbers and mandarin orange cheesecake
Golden Fried Chicken – served with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, sweet corn and carrots and warm apple crisp
Cold-Cut Roast Beef Sandwich – with creamy horseradish served with classic potato salad, grilled asparagus and chocolate cake
California Sushi Tuna Roll – served with avocado, orange and tomato salad, ginger-marinated tomatoes and cucumbers and spicy pecan-chocolate cluster

Children can choose from:

Power Pack – with strawberry yogurt, apple wedges, carrot sticks with ranch dip, fish crackers, an organic apple cinnamon and oatmeal snack-size sandwich bar
Turkey and American Cheese Wrap – with strawberry yogurt, apple wedges, carrots with ranch dip and a seven-layer cookie bar

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:21:29-05:00December 15th, 2014|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Fantasmic Dining Package, Fantasmic!, Taste of Hollywood to Go|0 Comments

‘Glow with the Show’ Coming to Walt Disney World® Resort

Glow with the Show Ears The Walt Disney World® Resort has announced that “Glow with the Show,” an innovative technology that has been in use for over a year now at Disneyland® Resort, will soon be available in its East Coast parks.

These interactive ear hats will make their debut at Disney’s Hollywood Studios® on Oct. 15th, 2013 – on the 15th anniversary of their nighttime spectacular, Fantasmic!. The ears will magically sync with the show and change color based off of events happening in the production, bringing the spirit of the show right into the audience. But the fun doesn’t stop with Fantasmic!. Other implementations of the technology include:

On Oct. 19, “Glow with the Show” ear hats will start interacting with Wishes fireworks show and the Celebrate the Magic projection show on Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom® Park
Interaction this holiday with The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights and Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season fireworks spectacular
“Hidden” interaction outside of shows – like when two sets of ears come close to each other and near special locations around the Walt Disney World® Resort.

“Glow with the Show” ears will be available at select merchandise locations for $25. For more information, please ask your Magic Maker®.

Wondering how they work? Get a little geeky with us as Chuck Davis, Principle Technical Director of World of Color at Disney California Adventure® Park, explains a little bit about the technology and MAGIC behind the “Glow with the Show” Ears.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:21:39-05:00September 10th, 2013|Categories: Disney News|Tags: Fantasmic Glow with the Show, Fantasmic!, Glow with the Show|0 Comments

‘Glow with the Show’ Expanded To Disneyland® Park

As we reported back in July, guests at the Disneyland® Resort have been lighting up the night with the help of their “Glow with the Show” Ears at Disney California Adventure® Park.

Now, Disney Imagineers have expanded that technology to include the Fantasmic! Show inside Disneyland® Park. This change brings a extra splash of color to the Rivers of America area during the nighttime spectacular. Using infrared trigger technology, the colors in the Ears sync up with the scenes of the show.

“Glow with the Show” Ears can be purchased at many retail locations throughout the Disneyland® Resort.

Enjoy this video preview of the “Glow with the Show” Ears interacting with the Fantasmic! Show:

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:22:22-05:00September 6th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: Fantasmic Glow with the Show, Fantasmic!, Glow with the Show|0 Comments

Fantasmic! Marks 20 Years at Disneyland® Park

Fantasmic!, Disneyland® Park’s nighttime spectacular presented on the Rivers of America in New Orleans Square and Frontierland®, marked 20 years of presentations this past weekend. Opening May 13, 1992, Fantasmic! combined Disney characters and live performers with amazing special effects and high-definition digital images from classic Disney movies projected on giant mist screens.

Fantasmic! is an exploration of Mickey’s active imagination as the forces of good and evil battle in his dreams. Whimsical scenes from the film Fantasia and other classic Disney films are displayed around Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island until the Evil Queen calls her her magic mirror. From there, Mickey’s dream takes a dark turn as he tries to triumph over some of Disney’s most dastardly villains!

Several updates have kept Fantasmic! fresh over its 20-year run. Recent enhancements include the climactic transformation of the evil Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty into a fully animated 40-foot-tall dragon. Also added was an appearance by Flotsam and Jetsam, the slithering eels who serve Ursula the Sea Witch in The Little Mermaid and a new look for Captain Hook’s crocodile nemesis.

Because of the continued popularity of Fantasmic! at Disneyland® Park, be sure to ask your Magic Maker® about the availability of advance reservations for premium viewing options. Slightly varied versions of Fantasmic! can also be seen at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ in Florida and Tokyo DisneySea®.

Enjoy these Fun Facts from Disneyland® Park’s Fantasmic!:

The new dragon is a fully animated 3-D design that replicates the movements of the dragon in Sleeping Beauty.

The Fantasmic! dragon is 32 feet wide and weighs approximately 18,000 pounds.

When “lurking” beneath the Fantasmic! stage prior to appearing, the dragon contracts to just 22 feet tall.

Tri-color LED lighting fixtures put the gleam in the dragon’s eyes.

In her spectacular appearance, Maleficent breathes a plume of fire 35 feet long, lighting the Rivers of America on fire for 25 seconds during the show. She is controlled and monitored by four computer systems.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:22:48-05:00May 16th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News|Tags: Disneyland Park, Fantasmic!|0 Comments

Fantastic Fantasmic! Meal Experiences

By Magic Maker® Heather Straight

Lights. Music. Pyrotechnics. Dancing. Lasers. Giant animatronic dragons. Video projected on massive screens of water. Good triumphing over evil. The Fantasmic! Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ in Florida and Disneyland® Park in California are nighttime extravaganzas that are the very best of Walt Disney World® Resort and Disneyland® Resort entertainment and showmanship, and a highlight of every vacation for my family. No matter how many times I see the show, I never fail to get goose bumps and tear up at the crucial moment when Sorcerer Mickey…well, I won’t give away the ending, but it’s a spectacle you don’t want to miss.

The shows are so popular that it can be tough to get a seat for the action. People begin lining up to grab a spot 60-90 minutes before show time (even longer during peak travel seasons). You can avoid the line and have a tasty meal by taking advantage of a Fantasmic! Meal Experience.

Walt Disney World Resort® Dining Options

At Walt Disney World® Resort, Fantasmic! Show plays at the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater in Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ to packed crowds. There are bleachers for sitting and some standing room at the back when the seats have all been filled (which they do for nearly every show!). There are no bad seats here, but if you want to guarantee yourself a seat without a very long wait in line before the show, then a Fantasmic! Meal Experience is the way to go. You’ll enjoy lunch or dinner and then get a voucher to enter the Reserved Section of the amphitheater. The restaurant choices are:

Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano – available for lunch or dinner, and only 1 Table Service credit on the Disney Dining Plan.
Hollywood & Vine – this buffet meal is available only for dinner, and is also just 1 Table Service credit on the dining plan
The Hollywood Brown Derby – this signature dining experience is available for lunch or dinner Fantasmic! packages, and is 2 Table Service credits on the Disney Dining Plan (or 1 credit on the Deluxe Dining Plan)

We’ve tried a Fantasmic! Meal Experience at all three restaurants; my kids’ favorite was the Hollywood & Vine buffet, but my husband and I really loved the ambiance and amazing food at The Hollywood Brown Derby (it makes for an excellent romantic diner option). These packages are very popular, especially during peak seasons; your Magic Maker can help you reserve one 180 days prior to the start of your Walt Disney World® Resort vacation. A credit card hold is required.

Disneyland® Resort Dining Options

The original home of Fantasmic! Show, the show is performed right in the middle of the action at the Disneyland® Park on the Rivers of America and Tom Sawyer Island. There is no seating available here, just first-come, first-served standing room only (although if you arrive early enough to stake out a spot right in front, you can sit on the ground and still see the show). If you want a chair, then the Premium Seating Dessert Package is for you. At $60 per person, this is one of the most decadent things you can do to enhance your Disneyland® Park experience!

After you check-in with a Cast Member at a podium just across from Haunted Mansion® Attraction (we were directed to “look for the churro cart!”), you’ll be led to reserved, elevated seats front and center, with unobstructed views of the Rivers of America. After you make yourself comfortable, another Cast Member will bring each of you a huge box filled with desserts. Ours included mini key lime pie, cheesecake, fruit tart, and brownies, cookies, chocolate truffles, a selection of cheeses and crackers, and fruit. It was so much food that even after I stuffed myself to bursting, I still had over half leftover to take back to the hotel (which I may have eaten for breakfast, but I’ll never tell!). The Cast Member will also offer you all you can drink hot chocolate, coffee, hot tea, bottled water, or Coke products, and he or she will continue to serve you throughout the show. Our view of the show was spectacular, and we felt extremely pampered.

Disneyland® Resort also offers dining packages for the wildly popular World of Color show that takes place in front of Paradise Pier at Disney California Adventure® Park. We opted for the picnic, which you can pick up for lunch or dinner. You have a choice of several different meals that are conveniently packed into boxes and a souvenir reusable bag, and they have a great picnic area with tables and chairs. They also offer two table service options for the World of Color package:

Ariel’s Grotto: 3-course dinner (great seafood choices, although the character don’t appear during dinner)
Wine Country Trattoria: lunch or dinner

All of these options include a ticket for the World of Color Viewing Area, and the prices range from $15.99 to $39.99. Your Magic Maker can reserve one of these packages for you 30 days prior to your Disneyland® Resort vacation. Full payment is required at the time of booking for both the Fantasmic! Show and World of Color packages.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:02-05:00April 26th, 2012|Categories: Disney News, Disneyland News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, Fantasmic Dining Package, Fantasmic!|0 Comments

Fantasmic! Now Showing Every Night

Fantasmic! is a must-do when you visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ and now you have more chances to see it! Don’t miss this journey into Mickey’s imagination. The show creatively combines moments from popular Disney films with water, lights, fireworks, special effects and music. It will be offered nightly July 3-Sept. 30. Because showtimes will vary, talk to your Magic Maker for updated performance times and itinerary planning. Ask about the Fantasmic! Dining Package, a great alternative to waiting in the standby line.

Be sure to pick up a Times Guide once inside the park for the latest updates and show times. Entertainment is subject to change without notice.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:23:51-05:00July 1st, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Fantasmic!|0 Comments

Special Dining Options Available

Did you know that there are several experiences to make dining even more magical while visiting the Walt Disney World® Resort? From preferred viewing for fireworks to enjoying a meal with a Disney Imagineer, check out some of the options you can add to your next vacation:

Dine with an Imagineer
Have you wondered how the magic all happens behind the scenes? Dine with an Imagineer at Walt Disney World® Resort offers a one-of-a-kind opportunity to enjoy engaging conversation with a Disney Imagineer as you savor a delectable lunch at the Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant in Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ theme park. Or choose a delicious dinner at the Flying Fish Café at Disney’s Boardwalk Resort.

Up to 10 Guests join in stimulating discussion with one of the incredibly creative artists who bring the magic of Disney to Walt Disney World® Resort attractions and entertainment. Feast on a 4-course meal and will receive a souvenir plate designed exclusively for this experience that can be personalized by the Imagineer!

Flying Fish Cafe Chef’s Tasting Wine Dinner
The Chef’s Tasting Wine Dinner at the Flying Fish Café is a unique opportunity to taste savory selections from a 6-course prix fixe menu with a focus on simplicity, true tastes and seasonal freshness, along with expertly chosen wines.

Take your seat at our chef’s counter, directly in front of the onstage kitchen, and watch as the evening’s special dishes are prepared right before your eyes. Displaying the culinary expertise for which they’re well-known, the Flying Fish chefs create 6 delectable courses using the freshest ingredients of the season, and the manager selects wines that perfectly complement each course. As you enjoy your sumptuous feast, be sure to take advantage of the opportunity to interact with the chef.

(This experience is designed for Guests ages 14 and older and may not appeal to younger children.)

Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party
Make your evening extra sweet at a special dessert party that provides a wonderful vantage point for Wishes® Nighttime Spectacular, the biggest, most dazzling fireworks show to grace the skies above Magic Kingdom® theme park!

Held at the Tomorrowland Terrace Restaurant most nights, the Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party includes a self-service buffet offering an array of tempting sweets and beverages. The party begins one hour prior to the start of Wishes® Nighttime Spectacular.

Fantasmic! Dining Package
The Fantasmic! Dining Package combines dinner at one of three restaurants in Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ theme park with designated seating for the Fantasmic! fireworks show. The Fantasmic! Dining Package gives you an unforgettable dining and entertainment experience. With the convenience of choosing lunch or dinner at The Hollywood Brown Derby or Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, or dinner at Hollywood & Vine in Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ theme park, you’ll also enjoy designated seating for the Fantasmic! fireworks show.

With 3 restaurants to choose from, you can decide between buffet service, casual dining or fine dining. After your meal, be dazzled by the dramatic spectacular, Fantasmic! Follow Mickey Mouse into a dream world as he and his friends battle Disney Villains in an action-packed conflict of good versus evil. Fantasmic! is performed on select nights only and runs approximately 30 minutes. The Dining Package is only available on days that Fantasmic! is scheduled.

Contact your Magic Maker® to find out more about these special experiences and to make a reservation.

*Reservations required for the above dining events. Entertainment and package offerings subject to change at any time without prior notice.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:24:14-05:00January 6th, 2011|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Dine with an Imagineer, Disney World Adults, Fantasmic Dining Package, Fantasmic!, fireworks dessert party, Magic Kingdom Fireworks|0 Comments

Walt Disney World Resort Nighttime Shows

From Magic Maker® Dawn Crowder

Although I love pretty much every aspect of a Walt Disney World® vacation, I have to say that my favorite part are the NIGHTTIME SHOWS! They are breathtakingly beautiful, full of great music and there’s always a good lesson behind the storyline. And who doesn’t enjoy a great fireworks show? It’s the perfect end to any day at the Walt Disney World® Resort!

I will start with my favorite regularly-scheduled nighttime show at the Walt Disney World® Resort, Wishes fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom® Park! This fireworks spectacular is shown nightly at the Magic Kingdom® Park unless there is inclement weather or another scheduled event (i.e., Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party). My favorite spot to watch the Wishes fireworks show is on the Main Street U.S.A. side of the “Hub” (the area around the Walt Disney & Mickey “Partners” statue) and near a trash can. but really anywhere near the “Hub” area and into the Main Street U.S.A. area is fine. Try not to get too close to the castle as you won’t be able to see all of the fireworks. I absolutely love taking as many pictures as I can of the fireworks shows to see how they turn out. When shooting fireworks, you have to be sure that your camera is held perfectly still. That’s where the trash can comes in. I have a twelve-inch tripod that I sit on top of the trash can. I also put my camera on the setting that will allow my shutter speed to slow down. This will allow the picture to display trails of light as the fireworks light up the sky! Watch for Tinker Bell to fly from Cinderella Castle to the Tomorrowland® area just after Jiminy Cricket says, “And it all starts with a wish!” (Although on windy or rainy nights she may not fly – Tinker Bell is not a fan of storms!) I always try to get a spot about 45 minutes before the show starts, then send my husband to get some yummy popcorn while we wait!

Next we have Illuminations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot®. This is shown every night at park closing from the middle of World Showcase Lagoon. It’s a beautiful show, bringing about a message of world peace and unity. The music is moving and inspirational. My favorite place to watch Illuminations is either from the France pavilion while sitting at the little tables near the water or in the area between the Germany and Italy pavilions. Just make sure you can see the center of World Showcase Lagoon and that the wind is not blowing in your face; otherwise, you will be fighting smoke the entire show! To get good fireworks pictures just be sure to utilized the tips given above for Wishes. I would recommend getting your spot for the show at least 30 minutes before it starts.

Lastly, there is the Fantasmic! show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™. This is another favorite of mine. This is shown on select nights (usually about 3-4 times a week) near closing time at the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater. Because it is not shown every night, I recommend participating in the Fantasmic! Dining Package so you will be guaranteed a seat. Basically, you enjoy a delicious dinner at either Hollywood & Vine, Mama Melrose Restaurante Italiano, or The Hollywood Brown Derby and pay a set price for dinner. You are then are given a pass for the reserved seating area. Reservations for this MUST be made in advance. If you are on the Disney Dining Plan, you can use 1 table service credit for the first two restaurants listed and 2 table service credits for The Hollywood Brown Derby. If you don’t want to do the Fantasmic! Dining Package, I would get to the amphitheater about an hour before show time, earlier if you are there during busier times. Any seat is good in this amphitheater. If you sit near the front you might get slightly wet. The theme of the show is about the power of your imagination. Mickey Mouse is the hero and the finale includes Sorcerer Mickey conquering the villains and creating a beautiful fireworks display from on top of the mountain! The villains are featured quite a bit in this show, including Jafar from Disney’s Aladdin turns into a giant snake and Maleficent from Disney’s Sleeping Beauty becomes a huge dragon. All of this takes place a good distance away from the crowd, across the water on the stage, but it’s good to be aware of these features in case you have a child who you think may not enjoy the show. Have your camera ready when you see a big white boat heading your way from the right!

A couple of other tips I would like to share for all the nighttime shows is to bring ear plugs for the little ones who may not like the loud noises of the fireworks. Also, buying a few tubes of glow jewelry before you arrive is a good idea. It will entertain the kids (and the adults!) and may save you some money as they sell various glow toys and jewelry at the shows. As I said before, these shows are my favorite part of our Walt Disney World® vacations. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

What tips do you have about seeing the nighttime shows at the Walt Disney World® Resort?
Share with them with us below in the comments.

By Off to Neverland Travel|2017-06-27T10:24:17-05:00November 11th, 2010|Categories: Disney News, Walt Disney World News|Tags: Disney Fireworks Viewing Tips, Epcot Illuminations, Fantasmic!, Magic Kingdom Fireworks, Wishes Fireworks|1 Comment