We are always leaping with excitement to watch Fantasmic! This Disneyland Park nighttime show takes our frog squad to a whole new world, so to speak. Just ask Aladdin and Jasmine, who fly through the fog amid spectacular lights and music! Mommy Frog loves the water projections, while Tad and Lily can't stop talking about the fire-breathing dragon. Me? I'm all about the live action, pyrotechnics and strobe lighting effects!
We were so frogcited to see this fantastic show again on reopening night, May 28, 2022. Having all of the nighttime entertainment back really feels like the magic is once again fully complete at Disneyland. But things are a little different, especially for the first month of its return, so we will get into what you need to know right now.
All of the Fantasmic! dining package reservations are live now! (More on those options below.) We tried the Hungry Bear package, and it gave us a great view for the most affordable price. We also liked the view from the River Belle Terrace viewing area (similar to Hungry Bear but to the right of Blue Bayou).
If you haven't seen the show in a really long time, it got an explosive reboot in 2017. Additions included Rapunzel and Flynn Rider, plus Captain Jack Sparrow and the Pirates of the Caribbean — it’s a skeleton crew. Fantasmic! features lighting, projection mapping, fountains and new mist screens. Enjoy this nighttime spectacular and its beautiful musical score with our most fantastic Disneyland Fantasmic! tips.
Our Most Fantastic Disneyland Fantasmic! Tips
1. Find the Best Place for Viewing Disneyland Fantasmic!
With three water screens displaying state-of-the-art projections (photos cannot do it justice), you can get a pretty good view of Disneyland Fantasmic! from most areas bordering the water on Rivers of America. Just avoid the far right and far left. If you can see the center stage on Tom Sawyer Island, even from an angle, you are good. All floats and boats pass by all viewing areas. The areas bordering the water offer the best views. The next best views can be found directly behind a low railing in the tiers that rise up behind the front sections in New Orleans Square and the Pirates of the Caribbean bridge.
Here is Tad's YouTube video, which he shot from the bridge in the standby viewing area.
Leading up to the show's return, Disneyland modified the walkways of New Orleans Square. That means the terrain of standby areas has changed and no longer has as many levels as before. If you're directly behind a planter box railing, your kids will have a great view without people standing directly in front of them. Watch out for obstacles (such as lights, poles and trees) that could block your view. There's a small viewing area in front of the Royal Street Veranda restaurant — it may fill in later than the other locations. Be aware that it's possible to get wet in any of the front sections! We did not get wet on opening night, but that may vary due to wind direction.
Most of the closest and lowest sections that are centered are all reserved for people with restaurant vouchers. There is no virtual queue for viewing. Besides the restaurant packages, all areas are standby viewing. You will need to be in taped or roped sections to view the show. Walkways behind viewing areas need to stay clear.
2. Check the Calendar for Showtimes
On some nights, there are two shows; other nights may only have one. There are even many weeknights during the school year with no show at all, so always check the entertainment calendar and plan accordingly. If you have a choice of showtimes, it's best to decide in advance which show you want to see. The early show is much more crowded and requires planning. The advantage to seeing a 9 p.m. show is that the Disneyland fireworks go off at 9:30 p.m., just three minutes after Fantasmic! ends, so you can stay in place to view the fireworks. The later show is less crowded and easier to hop in place for a good standby viewing location, especially just after the fireworks end. If you must see the fireworks at the castle, then you can head straight to Fantasmic! after the fireworks end and claim your spot.
Keep in mind that for the first month or so, demand is high so it's even more challenging than usual to hop in place for the second show, but it will be easier as time goes on. Weeknights may be less crowded than Fridays and Saturdays.
3. Secure Your Spot in Advance
Because there is no virtual queue and all viewing is standby (outside of dining packages), we suggest that you scout out a good spot early. As time goes on, this may mean an hour or two in advance. But right now, since the show has just returned, it may mean getting in place even earlier. The other option is to plan 60 days out and reserve a dining package.
4. Know How to Use Standby Viewing Areas
There are a number of standby viewing areas, and we think they offer a pretty decent view of the show for those who arrive early. The more people standing right in front of you, the harder it is to see.
There are multiple standing-only, standby areas for viewing, but the area has been slightly modified with the new dining area and reworking of New Orleans Square. Most of the viewing areas are a tier behind and above the Fantasmic! dining package viewing areas in front of New Orleans Square. They run from Pirates of the Caribbean to Harbour Galley. If you get there early enough, you can have a great, unobstructed view of the action. The bridge by Pirates of the Caribbean is also a standby viewing area that gets you a little higher up and is perfectly centered. It just will have some obstacles in the way.
If you want to catch the first show, arrive a few hours early and claim a spot behind a planter railing or bridge railing for the best view. Pre-pandemic, we arrived two hours early. On opening night, people were waiting as of 3 p.m., but demand will die down, so walk through the area early the day you visit and assess crowd levels and demand. We expect things to return to normal over time. In the past, you could usually get a pretty decent view an hour before showtime, but you were not likely to get front row on a railing at that point. You can always ask a cast member about viewing areas if you aren't sure. On very crowded days, when Pirates of the Caribbean has a long line, the cast members may not open up some viewing areas until later.
Just a couple of minutes after the 9 p.m. Fantasmic! show ends, the Disneyland fireworks show begins. We found the areas across from the French Market entrance sign all the way to the Pirates bridge to have pretty good viewing for both fireworks and Fantasmic! We've hopped to those locations right after the first show ended and watched the 9:30 p.m. fireworks show from there. After the audience members from the first Fantasmic! show leave after fireworks, we get a jump on their railing location for the 10:30 p.m. show. Sometimes they leave before fireworks and we get a railing spot and unobstructed view for both the fireworks and the second Fantasmic! show. #Bonus
There is a waterfront standby area to the right and to the left. Standby viewing is a lot easier to find for the second show. The first areas to fill in are to the right of the dining areas when facing the water. But there is a lot more viewing to the left of the Hungry Bear section.
To reach this area, walk down the ramp from Harbour Galley. You can stand in the section between Pelican Landing and the Hungry Bear dining section. We recently hopped in place in front about 20 minutes before the second show. You can also sit on the steps behind that section. You'll get a side view of the show but can see projection well and other show elements really well.
There are wheelchair viewing areas, although people who use wheelchairs are free to watch from any standby area that works for them. One is all the way over to the right, near the petrified tree. When that is full, they move people in wheelchairs behind some dining package viewers if there is space. If you use a wheelchair, we recommend scouting out a location in front of a planter box early so you can see the show from a central area. If you purchase a dining package, you can sit in your wheelchair behind the people who are seated on the ground. That's the best view for people who use chairs. If you have a stroller with a wheelchair tag, you can bring it into the dining section. Regular strollers need to be parked outside of the viewing area.
5. Get Reserved Seating with a Disneyland Fantasmic! Dining Package
If you aren't one to scout out and camp out for the perfect spot, then another choice is to reserve a no-stress Disneyland Fantasmic! dining package that provides you with a voucher for a reserved viewing section. The Fantasmic! dining packages require guests to be seated on the ground. Online, it now says standing room only with accommodations for guests with disabilities, but it was still seated on the ground when we visited. Wheelchair and ECV users are seated at the back of the section, but they're above the people seated in front of them so they still have a great view.
You can make reservations in the Disneyland app or online. Choices include three-course meals at table-service restaurants such as Blue Bayou and River Belle Terrace or an on-the-go package at the Hungry Bear quick-service restaurant.
The three dining package viewing areas are in the middle and on the water. The Blue Bayou section is in the middle. The Hungry Bear is usually immediately to the left (facing the water); and River Belle Terrace is to the immediate right. However, those two can swap places depending on how many people buy each package each night. But all three are pretty central and are subject to possible water spray. The music and floats are timed to give this area the best show experience. In other words, the music matches the character you are seeing in front of you when you sit in the center sections.
As Tad learned, if you are filming the show, you have to have your camera or tripod below the railing. If you cannot film through the railing bars, plan to be toward the back of the section.
Bring a towel or blanket to sit on. The ground is hard. Plus, we recently learned during a winter show that the ground can be chilly at night. Leap to the rescue. He ran off to a gift shop and purchased a double-layered souvenir blanket. It make a huge difference in our warmth and comfort. From now on we will bring one from home and store it in a locker until showtime.
Hungry Bear On-the-Go
Hungry Bear offers the least expensive on-the-go package. Entrees include salmon on a salad, barbecue half chicken, ribs, mac and cheese and a plant-based Impossible sloppy joe slider. Sides include vegetables and potato salad. It comes with dessert and a fountain beverage. Reserve to pick up between 3 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. for the first show and between 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. for the second show. Pick-up times may vary based on the showtimes. It costs $35 ($25 for kids, ages 3 to 9) plus tax. Kid options include mac and cheese, ribs or plant-based sloppy joe with fruit and veggies with dessert.
We tried chicken, ribs and salmon. The chicken had a mustardy BBQ sauce and the ribs had a tangy BBQ sauce. We thought they were each really good and filling. The voucher for the first show said to arrive between 8 and 8:45 p.m. Arrive on the early side. This is highly recommended as the area fills in well before the suggested times. The front row looks through the railing. We prefer the back half of the section. The entire section has good viewing. You want to aim to be as close to center stage as possible, rather than off to the side or behind a light pole. If the wind is blowing toward you, you might get wet.
River Belle Terrace
River Belle Terrace has two packages. For the standard package, you cannot reserve it in advance. Starting at 11 a.m. for lunch and 4 p.m. for dinner, you make a normal reservation to dine and request the package from your server (subject to availability). Both lunch and dinner are $50 per person ($30 for ages 3 to 9). You can choose items from the regular menu or from special items offered only to Fantasmic! dining package guests. You'll watch the show in a separate area. We really liked the viewing area for this package.
The River Belle Terrace premium package allows you to view the show from your table on the outdoor patio. Keep in mind that people may be walking between you and the show (which can be distracting), but the advantage is having a chair to sit on if the ground is too hard or cold for you. Dining is at 7:15 p.m. and costs $75 ($45 for ages 3-9). You can choose items from the regular menu or from special items offered only to Fantasmic! dining package guests. Those include loaded potato bites, petite New York steak and scallops, chicken and dumplings skillet, pan-roasted shrimp, chocolate rocky road cake or white chocolate raspberry trifle.
Blue Bayou has opened reservations again. The Fantasmic! dining package is back. You can reserve lunch or dinner and upgrade at the restaurant with your server. You cannot reserve the package in advance. It has the most centered and front viewing area. Packages are limited.
Lunch and dinner packages are $89 for adults ($35 for ages 3 to 9) plus tax and gratuity. You can choose from the regular menu or from special items offered only to Fantasmic! Dining Package guests. The offerings include a starter, entrée, specialty nonalcoholic drink and a Fantasmic! specialty dessert. The menu does change seasonally.
6. Watch the Disneyland Fireworks at Rivers of America
It can be challenging to see all of the nighttime entertainment at Disneyland, but you can hit two birds with one stone by watching the Disneyland fireworks from your Fantasmic! viewing location. We believe Rivers of America is one of the best places to view Disneyland fireworks outside of those spots with a castle view. The music plays and you can see the projections on huge water screens. You can stay in place after the 9 p.m. show to see the fireworks about three minutes after it ends, or watch the show in the vicinity and then jump in place as the first-show viewers move out after the fireworks.
7. See the Second Disneyland Fantasmic! Show
We always have the best luck viewing the second show of any nighttime spectacular that offers one. Seeing the later Disneyland Fantasmic! show can be easier to get a closer, standby viewing location, especially during the week. Guests may have gotten tired and gone home after the first showing. If there is space left closer to the water due to no-shows, a cast member might allow you to move in behind them just before the show. Seeing the late show is the easiest way to get a good view without investing as much wait time.
8. Make Sure Your MagicBand+ Is Charged
If you have a MagicBand+, it can enhance your show experience. Your MagicBand+ interacts with the show with colorful lights and vibrations. Toadally cool! But if the battery needs charging, you will not get those show experiences. It should be fine if you charged up for the day before coming to a park, but we carry a MagicBand+ charger cord and a portable phone charger every time we go to the park just in case.
We are sure you are hopping with excitement to see Fantasmic! Just plan ahead for when you want to see the show. Have a tip we didn't mention? Share it below! You can save money on your Disneyland tickets when you purchase multi-day tickets from Undercover Tourist.
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Keep hopping!
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