GAC and Fantasmic

[dpaine]

We are leaving for Disney in 6 days (soooo excited!!!!!!). My question, we will be getting a GAC for my autistic son. We will not use it unless absolutely necessary, but can this be used for the Fantasmic show. I have heard that the waits are usually 60-90 minutes to get a decent seat. There is no way on God's green earth that my son could possibly wait for this and he so desperately wants to see this show. Any suggestions truly appreciated.

Also any tips from other families with autistic childrens who have done Disney also appreciated.

Thanks
Deb

 

[SueM in MN]

Welcome and hope you have a good time.

My DD does use a GAC, but we have never used it for Fantasmic because she uses a wheelchair, so the GAC would not help us any. Probably someone else will be able to help you specifically how the GAC would work for Fantasmic.

I was very worried about how DD would do the first time we went to Fantasmic because she has multiple disabilities, including ADD. She also gets really obsessive about things and has a lot of trouble sitting still. We've had very little problem with her waiting for Fantasmic though.
Because the theater is large, they start seating people over an hour before the show. Most of the wait will probably be in the outdoor theater. Once you have your seats, you can do anything that helps pass the time. There is a snack bar and bathrooms inside the auditorium. All the seats are very good, so you don't have to worry that much about the seats. You do need to get there before it becomes standing room only, though.
A lot of people use the Fantasmic dinner package, where you buy dinner in specific restaurants and then get access to a special seating area for Fantasmic. The DIS page that had info about it seems to be missing, but someone else should be able to tell you more about it.

 

[JudithM]

Your GAC can be used at Fantasmic! I usually rent an ECV while at the parks, so it is relatively obvious that I need "something ." However, one time at the Studios there were no ECVs available. We had done the Fantasmic dinner package & entered the amphitheater that way. When we got there I showed my GAC (states using fastpass) to a CM & said I am not supposed to do stairs. No problem! A friend stayed with me while the rest of our party chose other seats. As luck would have it, a CM "suit" offered me an ECV forleaving. It wokred well since this was early December, & we were all able to see Osborne Lights afterwards.

 

[Poohnatic]

Yes, you can use the GAC for Fantasmic.

My son has Asperger's, and we used the GAC for Fantasmic in June. Actually, a CM saw my husband holding the GAC and pointed him towards the seats! The top two rows(three?) have a blue stripe down the middle of the seats...this is what we sat in.

The poor CM-people saw us sitting down, didn't 'see' a disability and promptly sat down. That CM ended up shooing people for the next 15 minutes.

Suzanne

 

[Figment1964]

Originally posted by Poohnatic
My son has Asperger's, and we used the GAC for Fantasmic in June.

That's great to hear! Glad to hear the the CM was so on top of the situation.

My ds has Asperger's too.

 

[Nanajo1]

I've been to Fantasmic three times, using the dinner package. The CMs in charge of the H/P seating are really on top of things! They are vey protective of the area and are very accommodating.

 

[saymama]

bumping this up. I was gonna ask the same question. Found the answer. Just thought someone else might be curious as well.

 

[Mel6197]

But we usually get the Dinner package, DD just LOVES Hollywood and Vine's food..

 

[SueM in MN]

This was a really old one!

The dinner packages are a good thing to know about too. With those, you eat at one of the restaurants that are offering the dinner package. There is specific seating set aside for the dinner package so that you don't need to spend a lot of time standing in line.

One improvement in the theater compared to when the show first was presented is that there is a specific area behind rails set aside for "Standing Room Only (SRO)" The first year that Fantasmic was presented, the SRO area was right (and I mean, right) behind that handicapped/special needs seating. The people standing crowded along the back row and a man actually stood his toddler on the headrest of my DD's wheelchair during one show. Now, there is an aisle about 10 feet wide behind the back row and beyond that, there is the SRO area. CMs do a good job of patrolling the area during the show to keep it clear.