I really need to do some TV wrap-up blog entries now that the broadcast season is officially over… BUT FIRST.
Last Friday night Rob and I made an impromptu trip to my happy place, Disneyland, because I JUST HAD TO accomplish two (very important) things.
The first was getting my grubby hands on an R2D2 popcorn bucket. These were released to promote the (re)opening of Star Tours. We didn’t get a chance to experience the new ride (I wanted to but the stand-by line reached 2 hours — we’ll check it out when we can get to the park earlier) but I did get my popcorn bucket. Mwahahaha.
YES. It was $15. I KNOW.
I look really happy. I’m so ridiculous.
The other thing I had to do that night was watch Fantasmic!. Even though we’ve been annual passholders for 2+ years now, I haven’t seen Fantasmic! since I was in college. That’s over 10 years ago! I was determined to see it again. So determined that I booked the Premium Viewing experience. It’s expensive and I definitely wouldn’t do it every trip but I thought it was a nice treat. 🙂
We even received a yummy dessert platter for each of us. Seriously, it was soooo nice to have an actual reserved seat for the show (no standing or sitting on the ground!). Not to mention a dedicated cast member who brought us beverages.
Since I’m so short, there’s normally someone in front of me blocking my view at shows like this but our seats were in the front row (and slightly elevated) so no obstacles here! We weren’t dead center but still had a wonderful view…
LOVED IT! It’s so silly but my absolute favorite part is the beginning when Mickey comes out and starts dancing. That is THE BEST. I may have even tried to imitate his dance when we got home. Probably too much information. LOL.
We also managed to ride Big Thunder Mountain (love it at night) and Buzz Lightyear’s Astro Blasters (3 times!) but that was all just icing on the cake. It was a great night. 🙂
Yay Disneyland! I didn’t know the new Star Wars ride was open! Hooray! And I heard that the Little Mermaid ride in DCA is cool too. Must go back…
who won astro blasters? 🙂
All your Disney posts make me so envious and I really, really want to go back there!
Wow…I can’t believe you had NEVER seen Fantasmic! 🙂 I’m shocked! That’s like my FAVORITE show!
I was wondering what kind of premium seating there is for Fantasmic. We always just fight the crowds and try to get a spot on the bridge near Pirates. Do you mind me asking how much the premium seating was? 🙂
So glad you liked it! Did you like it better than the World of Color? I just love everything about the show. The big difference between this one and the World of Color is that this one actually has a story…plus I love how Fantasmic has the ACTUAL characters in the show (like Mickey…and all the characters at the end on the boat). Pretty awesome. It’s a MUST-SEE show!
Oh, and btw…that R2D2 popcorn bucket is PRETTY awesome! 🙂
I’ve actually seen Fantasmic but it’s been sooo long. I think I was in college the last time I saw it, lol. 🙂 Anyway, the premium seating is expensive — $60 per person. I know! Obviously I paid for it but I still cringe when I think how much it cost. BUT I think it was worth it for Rob and me. We can deal with normal crowds but the crowds for Fantasmic are ridiculous and we would prefer not to give up ride time to stake out a spot over 2+ hours before the show. The benefit of the premium seating is you get a reserved seat that’s in a prime area, an actual chair to sit on, and the dessert tray/beverages. The way it works is you pick up your tickets at Guest Services or City Hall when you get to the park. Then about 2.5-3 hours before the show, you head over near Haunted Mansion and select your seat. Finally you can come back anywhere between 30 mins to an hour to get seated. We got there about 45 mins prior because we wanted to take full advantage of the unlimited beverages, hehe. I was told that if you watch the first show, you can stay in your seat to watch the fireworks too. Hope that helps! Are you already thinking about your next trip? 🙂
I definitely like Fantasmic slightly better than World of Color. I think part of it is nostalgia — Fantasmic premiered back when I was in high school and I have really fond memories of watching it with family and friends. Plus, I wholeheartedly agree with you — there’s an actual story and features Mickey (he’s the best!) and so many great Disney characters (princesses and villains alike). Oh, not to mention I looove the music. There’s just something about it that’s comforting. I’d love to watch it every time we go to Disneyland but I’m ok with making it more of a special occasion thing. 🙂
Wow! $60! That sure IS PRICEY! But I can see why it’s worth it, especially if it was your first time (or first time in a long time ;)) seeing it. Unlimited beverages sounds awesome. 🙂 And the fact that you get an ACTUAL SEAT is great too! Haha…probably won’t be back to Disneyland for a while, but good to know. 😉
I agree about the nostalgic-ness of Fantasmic…I remember when it first came out! I LOVED IT! The music in Fantasmic is AWESOME!
Love that you can actually say that you don’t have to watch Fantasmic every time you go…since you CAN go WHENEVER you want! 😛 When I go, I have to CRAM EVERYTHING in! 😉
I have to admit that I too LOVE the same part. My second favorite is seeing all the characters on the boat with the streamers at the end. I was *this* close to getting that gig one night as a chipmunk when someone called in sick but didn’t get it. Shucks.
I <3 Fantasmic.
By the way, in the first summer that it opened, I waited for an hour and a half on the stairs behind the Pirates of the Carribean to sit up on the balcony of the museum to watch the show for FREE! I miss those days.