Fantasmic! is finally back at Disneyland and all the prime spots for the show require a pay-for-play voucher to get into reserved viewing areas for the Fantasmic! Dining Package. Although there are FOUR different ways to score a great spot to see the show, we feel pretty confident recommending the $50 per person River Belle Terrace Standard Package.
See below for our thoughts on the food, the views, and the process.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This post was modified 7/30/22 to include the most updated information.
The Cost
There’s a fixed price for lunch or dinner and the menu is the same for either reservation period. Tax and gratuity are not included.
- $50 per adult
- $30 per child (ages 3 to 9)
The View
At the second showing, it’s the best possible view for the show right in the center-most section with the ability to go right up to the water’s edge. Although the show is great from just about any vantage point, there’s a special magic of seeing all the projections, lighting, and choreography from where it was stage to be viewed: right in the middle! Check out our video below from opening night when the show returned earlier this year.
If you go to the first showing, you are still going to get a very great spot just to the side of center. Note, exact seating areas are subject to change.
The Food
For this price point, we would have hoped for slightly better options. Overall, the food was not a strong-point of the experience which is truly unfortunate. There are some solid safe choices but we want to strongly recommend against the plant-based chili which has to be one of the worst things we’ve ever eaten ever at Disneyland… EVER.
The Menu
Here’s a complete look at upgraded River Belle Terrace Standard Fantasmic! Dining Package menu for adults and children. You can also order from the restaurant’s regular menu if you prefer.
The Starters
The Cup of Red Beans and Rice with andouille sausage, peppers, and ham hocks was a big hit at our table. The Strawberry-Pistachio Salad with lettuce blend, radish and balsamic reduction was honestly just ok, ours was under dressed but perfectly suitable — which is a bit relatable if we get a little introspective.
The Entrees
The Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich is a solid choice with a BBQ aioli and slaw served on a bun. It comes with a generous side of tots and baked beans. The Pimento Mac & Cheese Skillet also doesn’t usually disappoint although the meat in ours that day was a little fatty and cubed in rather large chunks. Still, the right flavors are there.
SKIP ALERT! The Plant-Based Chili and Cornbread Skillet was northing short of terrible. The flavors did not meld here at all. Worse, the base does not have a chili texture; it was essentially large chopped mushrooms in a broth mixed with beans. It was topped with cornbread and plant-based sausage which were also incredibly dry leaving no redeeming features. This dish is not mediocre, it’s outright bad!
Dessert
The Chocolate & Raspberry Dome is a perfectly suitable dessert even if it’s slightly more pretentious in presentation than it needs to be. There’s a great selection of flavors here from the raspberry cake and macerated berries to the mango sorbet. Everything tucked neatly inside of a chocolate dome that was SUPPOSED to melt with the provided hot pink crème anglaise… but didn’t. Whether it was the sauce not being hot enough or the chocolate being too thick, nobody’s dome melted in our group. It all sits atop a bed of Fruity Pebbles.
The Process and Tips
The River Belle Terrace Standard Fantasmic! Dining Package is a Goldilocks package of sorts — it’s not the cheapest and it’s not the most expensive — it’s just right. While the $50 price tag is hardly a bargain, it is the mid-range price point of all options available and still gets you access to one of the best seats in the house which makes it an easy choice if you want a special experience to enjoy a good meal and get a great view of one of Disneyland’s most popular nighttime spectaculars.
Getting Your Reservation
You need to get a restaurant reservation in advance as space is extremely limited. It’s important to know that you CANNOT book the River Belle Terrace Standard Fantasmic! Dining Package in advance. You need to book a regular dining reservation and request the upgrade on the day of your visit.
Because availability is limited, having a dining reservation does NOT guarantee availability for the Standard Fantasmic! Dining Package. So, regardless of what time your reservation is to dine, you’ll want to check in at the restaurant podium when it opens (generally 11am but check the mobile app for most accurate times) to make a note on your reservation that you want the dining package.
Getting Your Viewing Area Voucher
After your meal, you will be presented with your vouchers to enter the reserved viewing area for the Fantasmic! Dining Package. Different packages have access to different viewing areas but this middle-tier package definitely offers a great spot, especially for the second showing.
You will also usually have the choice of watching the first or second show. We strongly recommend the second viewing as it tends to be less crowded, making it easier to score a prime spot.
How to Get Into the Viewing Area
Once you have your vouchers, you will check in with a Cast Member near the Harbour Galley (close to the Haunted Mansion exit) to gain access to the reserved viewing area. If you see guests are already seated in the viewing areas, you can talk to a Cast Member at the ropes for instruction on where best to go, they might let you in from where you are talking to them.
The viewing areas are (ground) sitting only although there are also accommodations for guests in wheel chairs and ECVs who may remain in their transports at the back of the viewing area. If you need to stand, Cast Members will either let you stand at the back of the section along the ropes or direct you to seated viewing on the docks near Habour Galley. Note that the section near Harbour Galley is very far off to the side.
See it for Yourself
Reservations are available from 11:00 AM for lunch and 4:00 PM for dinner. Space is limited so you might not find your preferred time or date but always keep checking back for cancellations, especially in the days leading up to your visit date as people cancel to avoid penalty.
More Options?
There’s other options besides the River Belle Terrace Standard Fantasmic Dining Package to enjoy a meal and the show. See our additional coverage below.
- REVIEW: Blue Bayou Fantasmic! Dining Package is a fun splurge for a great meal and prime viewing
- REVIEW: Hungry Bear Restaurant Fantasmic! On-the-Go Dining Package offers great views for a great price
- All Fantasmic! Dining Packages available at Disneyland
We are planning to try this next week, if we’re lucky enough. We have our lunch reservations. Question, is the viewing area for standing or sitting? Thanks!
Great question, we’re updating our posting to answer that directly but yes the viewing areas are (ground) sitting. If you need to stand you can talk to Cast Member and they’ll usually let you stand at the back of the section up against the ropes.
Thank you! Sitting is preferred for us, so this is great to confirm.
Hope you get it! Enjoy the show!
If you have a reservation can you buy the voucher with a-la-carte dining, or it is required to buy the pre-fix meal in order to buy the voucher?
We’re not sure how it works now that it can be reserved online. When it first came back you had to do the prefix menu and it could only be done in person day of, but you were able to order from the regular menu if there was nothing on the prefix that you liked. You still paid the prefix price, though.