Fantasmic Showtimes for November & December 2022
Walt Disney World has released performance showtimes for Fantasmic at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the first two months of the nighttime spectacular’s return. Here’s a full rundown of performance times and what to expect in terms of crowds and how early you should line up before the shows.
As a quick recap, Fantasmic is the final nighttime spectacular returning to Walt Disney World, coming alive in the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater starting November 3, 2022. This comes over a year after EPCOT and Magic Kingdom had their fireworks shows return. (Rivers of Light has been permanently retired, so Animal Kingdom only has the Tree of Life Awakenings, which are cool, but not worthy of “spectacular” status.)
Walt Disney World has also revealed that Fantasmic Dining Packages will be released for breakfast, lunch & dinner at select restaurants, offering guaranteed seating in a reserved seating area for the nighttime spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Fantasmic dining packages will be released starting on October 26, 2022. These dining packages will only be available for performances of Fantasmic starting November 30, 2022 and beyond.
Now, we have more information about the Fantasmic showtimes at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. According to the online show schedule on disneyworld.com and in the My Disney Experience app, showtimes will be as follows:
November 3-7, 2022
- 8 pm
- 9:30 pm
November 8-13, 2022
- 8 pm
November 14 through December 3, 2022
- 9 pm
December 5-31, 2022
- 9 pm
Note that in some cases, the showtime for Fantasmic is at or even after the park closing time for Disney’s Hollywood Studios. While this could be indicative that park hours will be extended, don’t count on it.
In late 2019, it was not uncommon for one of the nighttime spectaculars at Disney’s Hollywood Studios to occur at park closing or 30 minutes after. This allows Disney to effectively extend the closing time by an hour or more (given the duration of Fantasmic and longer time it takes to clear the park after it ends) but without running rides during that time. It’s a savvy strategy and one we’re expecting to see repeated here. On the plus side, it could result in restaurant hours being extended–more likely, since they directly generate revenue.
Now, let’s turn to commentary & recommendations…
Let’s start on a positive note, applauding Walt Disney World’s decision to have two showtimes for Fantasmic to start out.
We were worried that there would only be one performance, either due to staffing shortages or simply not wanting to pay performers and other Cast Members to keep Disney’s Hollywood Studios open (effectively) for another hour or more.
However, having two showtimes for only the first 5 nights is not going to cut it.
This seems to operate under the assumption that pent-up demand exists primarily among locals and Annual Passholders, and that their interest will be exhausted over the course of the opening weekend. In prior analysis, we mentioned that Fantasmic is going to see renewed interest among diehard Walt Disney World fans, many of whom probably went years without seeing the prior version. So that much is accurate.
The notion that Annual Passholders will get their fill opening weekend is what’s erroneous.
While Disney Park Pass reservations are “only” full for APs on November 3, that entire weekend will likely fill up by the time those dates roll around. On top of that, it doesn’t really matter what DHS reservations look like, as people can make a reservation for EPCOT or Animal Kingdom (which are reliably easier to book) and Park Hop over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
This isn’t like Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind or some other attraction using a virtual queue. (Unless Fantasmic does end up using a virtual queue a la World of Color at Disney California Adventure, which might be the smartest move of all.)
What’s even more erroneous is assuming that locals and Annual Passholders are the core demographic for Fantasmic. (Even at more local-centric Disneyland, the twice-nightly performances of Fantasmic have been absolutely slammed for months since its return.)
When I saw these showtimes posted, my first thought was that this is “Extra, Extra Magic Hours all over again.” For those who forgot or never experienced that “era” at Walt Disney World, it was an on-site guest perk offered during the initial debut of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Fall 2019.
From August 29 through November 2, the parks opened at 6 am or 7 am every morning–to virtually nonexistent crowds during the off-season. (I still have a backlog of empty park sunrise photos to process from those glorious mornings. The photo below was taken in the morning, not at night!)
Extra, Extra Magic Hours ended about a week before Christmas crowds arrived in full force. The holiday season was absolutely slammed, with significantly higher attendance…and shorter hours!
The critical distinction here is that Fantasmic won’t have low demand for November 3-7, 2022. It’ll also be bad then. However, Fantasmic is notably concluding its twice-nightly showtimes right before the start of the busy Veterans’ Day and Jersey Week timeframes, and just prior to Christmas season kicking off in earnest at Walt Disney World.
It’s hardly a bold prediction that the weekend after Fantasmic debuts will be busier than the weekend it debuts. Although Veterans’ Day weekend still catches Walt Disney World fans by surprise since it’s not viewed as a “major” holiday by a lot of people, it’s just like Columbus Day…and we just saw how that went with some of the worst crowds of the year during fall break. Disney’s internal forecasting undoubtedly reflects the same, which makes this scheduling decision all the more curious.
That’s just one example. The calendar for the remainder of 2022 is littered with dates that will be busier than November 3-7. Each of these are filled with fresh tourists, or people who have not seen Fantasmic in at least 3 years, if ever.
On the plus side, showtimes are subject to change.
Accordingly, our sincere hope is that Walt Disney World quickly sees that demand for Fantasmic far surpasses a single nightly showtime’s capacity. Heck, Hollywood Studios could probably do 3 nightly performances of Fantasmic and still not accommodate everyone who wants to see the show. At least running Fantasmic twice per night would reduce some of the crowd and chaos that will undoubtedly ensue with demand far outstripping capacity.
As for how early you should queue up…it’s really difficult to say at this point. Even pre-closure, there were times when people lined up 2 hours in advance for Fantasmic. Granted, this was not most guests–and it was usually possible to get a seat within an hour of showtime–but the point is that Fantasmic has always been popular with first-timers and infrequent visitors.
Now, added to that mix will be more Walt Disney World regulars who might’ve skipped it before. Fantasmic will probably have even more interest among casual guests, as it’ll be hyped up by Disney in marketing materials. Animal Kingdom doesn’t have a nighttime spectacular, and people will Park Hop from there to one of the other three parks.
There’s also the fact that Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will displace thousands of people per evening it’s held, disproportionately causing crowding at EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. That’ll lead to even more demand for Fantasmic during the first two months it’s back.
Then there’s the simple fact that the first two months of Fantasmic will likely be the busiest stretch of the year at Walt Disney World. Suffice to say, the stars are aligned for Fantasmic to draw absolutely colossal crowds and long lines in November and December 2022. We’ll know more once showtimes start (really, the first weekend is going to be meaningless–it’s Veterans’ Day that I’ll be monitoring), but my preliminary recommendation is at least 90 minutes in advance on those single showtime evenings.
Honestly, I don’t even know how that’ll be possible. When there were people lining up 2 hours in advance, it was a small minority of guests. With the return, it’ll be a lot of people wanting to err on the side of caution. Walt Disney World almost needs to add Fantasmic to Genie+ or use a virtual queue just to eliminate the line/crowding issues on Sunset Boulevard.
These issues with lines and crowds are all despite the fact that the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater seats 6,900 guests with additional standing room for about 3,000 guests. That’s a massive number, and one that’ll allow a good percentage of all guests in Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see Fantasmic–especially if it has two nightly performances this holiday season, as expected.
It’s still a near-certainty that demand will exceed capacity. That would be true whether Fantasmic were to offer 1, 2, or 3 nightly showings. The combination of crowds, pent-up demand, and lack of alternatives during the holiday season all but guarantees it. The fact that there will only be one showtime starting November 8, 2022 only exacerbates these problems.
Accordingly, it’s our recommendation that you should try to purchase a Fantasmic dining package if you’re visiting after they’re available. Your chances of success at buying those packages will likely be low, as restaurant capacity is also far below demand.
Failing that, or if you’re visiting prior to the dining packages being available, we’d recommend purchasing the Genie+ service. This is typically our advice for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but it’ll be doubly true once Fantasmic returns–and that’s regardless of whether the nighttime spectacular is included in the service. (It’s gotta be. It’ll be too chaotic without it.)
With all of that said, standby will be a viable alternative for Fantasmic. It’s definitely not not our recommended route given all of the aforementioned issues, but maybe those lines won’t be as bad as we’re fearing. Who knows…anything is possible. My hope is that it doesn’t come to that, and Walt Disney World recognizes the degree of demand here and adds second nightly showtimes for November 8 through January 8, 2023. Beyond that, using a virtual queue for Fantasmic is the “correct” course of action. I know many of you hate them, but I think this is one scenario where a virtual queue makes a lot of sense.
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Your Thoughts
What are your thoughts on showtimes for Fantasmic in November and December 2022? Think crowds and lines will be as bad as we fear, or is this all exaggerated? Do you think Fantasmic should use a virtual queue or stick to standby? Will you be booking a Fantasmic dining package? Is it worth the surcharge to guarantee that you’ll have a spot in the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater to see the nighttime spectacular? Have you done any of these dining packages in the past? Was it worth the money? Do you agree or disagree with our assessment? Any questions? Hearing your feedback—even when you disagree with us—is both interesting to us and helpful to other readers, so please share your thoughts below in the comments!
Tom, I’m expecting the Fantasmic Dining Packages will release at 5:45 AM ET on October 26, since the Candlelight Processional Dining Packages were available at 5:45 AM ET when they first released. I’ll probably start looking at 5:00 AM ET on October 26 just in case. I hope this helps someone!
My package was confirmed before 5.40, so I’m afraid those who waited until 6 were disappointed…
Yeah … wow, I’m curious about what happened there. Our 60-day dining reservations day was a week before this, and I was told that things would drop at 5:45 a.m., and it turned out to be at the stroke of 6. This time, I figured I should try at 5:45 a.m. again, and things were up and rolling by 5:40 (and earlier?). I’m super curious as to when it started. (midnight?? just a few minutes before I checked? Impossible to say.) I hope you got your reservations. I did see times still available for a few hours until probably about noon, so I hope you snagged one. I second the suspicion of the person who said Disney will probably add another showtime. The latest reservation time we were even allowed to search for was 5:30 p.m., so I think they’re hedging their bets and leaving room for later reservations to be added.
Hi Tom,
Off topic but have been meaning to ask a question about your MNSSHP advice. My family took your advice and started up in Fantasyland to get in line at 6:30 for the 7 Dwarfs meet and greet. We were all VERY disappointed and surprised when several cast members said the Dwarfs hadn’t met with guests all season due to Big Top being under refurbishment. Just curious. How did you get to meet with them? The cast members were curious as well.
I am excited for the return of the show. I am very frustrated with the show packages not being made available for the first weekend. How is disney going to control the huge lines and crowds for 2 shows without some type of reserved seating.
Will be visiting Nov 8.21. We have dinning reservations at 3 of the of the restaurants that will be offering the dinning package, but miss out because of the dates. We have always eaten at the Browm Derby so that we would get the pass for the reserved seating,
Disappointed that we will miss out because of the dates. Do you think they will change the dates of these packages or possible have a handicapped section ? We have das,
I’ll be there on reopening day and with an ADR at Sci-Fi around 6 PM. Do we think a second line will start forming for the second show at 8 PM when the first show starts? Or will it be a huge mess down Sunset Blvd? Crossing my fingers for Genie+ access or even a (gasp) virtual queue so I don’t have to be anxious about it all day.
We are planning to be at Hollywood Studios on Monday, Nov 6th pm (taking your advice to plan on MK in am because of VMCP at night)
Planning on the 9:30pm showtime. Is is a bad move to go on Christmas party night?
Thanks!!
Angie
Show times are only one “issue” , personally the times don’t bother me as much as having to pay extra for the Fantasmic Dining Package , this was always a perk with the Dining plan if you ate at Hollywood and Vine or Brown Derby,, now another money grab from Disney, unbelievable
Out of curiosity, has the Virtual Queue been hard to get for World of Color in CA? And is there still a standby option for that or is it Virtual Queue only? The queues are nicer than standing in line, once you get them, but getting them can feel stressful (it sure did when Rise opened).
Of course, all of this could be a completely moot point. They could just add shows (for the holiday weeks, it wouldn’t surprise me if they already have told the cast that and just didn’t announce it because they haven’t officially extended park hours those weeks yet).
World of Color is kind of its own beast.
Yes, the virtual queue is competitive most days (or at least, most ones we’ve tried). But there’s usually standby availability–especially for the second show.
The key difference is Southern California weather. It can get cold at night, and a lot of people aren’t prepared for that–at least to the extent necessary to want a ‘wet zone’ view of a nighttime spectacular at 10:15 pm. That same dynamic won’t exist with Fantasmic.
Sigh. Now I wish we had picked a different week to go…. But we will be at WDW Nov 5-12. Do you think standby lines for some of the popular rides might actually get BETTER during Fantasmic showtimes?
My family loves Fantasmic and I’m so excited to see it return. However, the way information has been released, drip, drip, has left me with more questions than answers. Why only one show and also so late? Will people who have a HS park reservation get booking priority so they’re not shut out by park hoppers? Will it even be Genie+, or possibly a virtual queue? Why no dining packages for November?
I’m sure we’ll get more answers in the next few weeks, but those us us that leave in a few weeks feel lost. HS reservations are starting to fill us. Do I change plans to book more than one day at HS just in case?
Tom, question for you. We will be at DHS on 12/1. I have Oga’s reservation at 9:45pm. Will we be able to make that reservation following the show if it is at 9pm? Any idea how long the show may be?
In theory, yes. Fantasmic is 29 minutes long, plus another few minutes to exit will leave you with ~10 minutes to get back there after exiting the amphitheater–so you’ll need to hustle!
The practical problem you might have if they don’t extend park closing time is getting back to SWGE. There will probably be a wall of Cast Members staged on Hollywood Boulevard preventing guests from returning to the rest of the park. Just be sure to have your ADR pulled up on your phone and they should let you pass.
I’m not Tom, but I’ll still say No. The new Fantasmic is rumored to be a littler longer but still just under half an hour. I just don’t see getting out of the stadium and up Sunset Blvd with the crowds then sprinting to Galaxy’s Edge in time, unless *maybe* if you’re in the back of the standing room section. (It’s been a while, but that was a terrible viewing spot the first and last time I did that.)
Does Oga’s give you a grace pd of 15 min past the reservation time?
Lindsey Mickey 1928 here just addressed that but it went to the wrong person. Will try to correct that after work but meantime u can read it a little further down
I have the same situation on Nov. 8th. 8:45 Ogas reservations and 8PM fantasmic. I’m most worried about the crowd. Thinking maybe of leaving the show a few minutes early but that is a bit of a bummer. :/
We have a 3pm droid build that day so Im going to swing over an let a CM at Oga’s know our situation. I feel like they will be understanding. I really don’t want to cancel because my boys are obsessed with SW and we want to be there at night for pictures (soo cool!) plus we’ve always wanted to close down that park (if they dont extend hours ) #somuchplanning
Hi I’m a DHS CM, you can exit the park with the rest of the audience then circle back and talk to one of the park greeters at exit and they will get someone who can let you in. The absolute latest you can check into Oga’s is 10:10.
Do you think they will have it as a paid lightning lane? This would explain the “low supply”.
I do not expect that.
Doesn’t mean it won’t happen, but it would be entirely unprecedented.
What the heck! The one day I have set aside to do Fantasmic is Dec 4. It is the only date in Dec with no show??? Do you think its an error they will correct?
Park hours are shorter that day, so my guess is that’s deliberate. I’m not sure what’s happening that night–possibly a corporate buyout? It’s still a big time of year for group and youth events, even with Pop Warner now at Universal.
Hope I’m wrong and a showtime gets added. Sorry! 🙁
Hmm, not what I was hoping for, hours-wise. This will make HS even tougher to navigate. Heading there post Thanksgiving, pre-dining packages. If more folks buy Genie+ for a Fantasmic seat, they’ll also be scooping up afternoon Genie+ slots for other rides too.
(Dawning realization that maybe there was a good reason why we’ve never seen Fantasmic! Hard to stand in a completely static line at 8pm w the kids while surrounded by rides.)
Hours could still get extended, but regardless, the return of Fantasmic will make DHS harder to navigate…at night.
On the flip side, this will make things incrementally better at DHS in the morning, as well as at EPCOT and Magic Kingdom in the evenings. I’m guessing that absolutely none of that will be apparent in November and December, as it’s going to be really busy. Nevertheless, it’s one of those “it would’ve been worse” scenarios.
Tom, ok I know this is definitely a first world question. But thought I’d ask. Do you know if the vip tours have a section for Fantasmic like they have for Harmonious, Enchantment and Parades?
Sorry, I do not recall the specifics of how VIP seating works at Fantasmic.
I would be absolutely SHOCKED if they don’t, though. Fantasmic’s seating area is larger and more structured than any of the other mentioned entertainment. The only way they won’t is if someone drops the ball and forgets to make it happen (in which case, it would be quickly remedied).
We’re visiting WDW Nov. 13-20 and right now on the website the park hours on the 18th show as closing at 9 pm, Wonderful World of Animation at 9 pm and no mention of Fantasmic. I’m assuming they’ll move the time of Animation because most infrequent visitors like myself (haven’t been since 2014) would want to see both.
I see Fantasmic’s showtime as 9 pm on 11/18. Try refreshing the page, maybe?
We have a reservation at Hollywood Studios Dec 3rd. The park hrs show it closing at 9pm and Fantasmic is scheduled for 9.
Will Disney then be extending the park hrs?
It’s possible, but I wouldn’t count on it.
(I’ve edited the post to directly address this question–so thanks for asking!)
I’m not Aaron or Tom but I’ll say they’re both right. Remember that the only one who travels through Disney parks faster than Tom is Tinkerbell and she’s on a wire. Take all their advice and add this suggestion. At some point earlier in the day go to Oga’s and speak to the cm’s there. Explain your situation. No one is more accommodating than WDW CMs. First of all a res is usually honored for at least ten mins after the actual time but get all those details direct from Oga’s people. Than after Fantasmic move like Tom has just learned there’s one last figment popcorn bucket for sale at the stand by the Brown Derby.
Sorry but this was meant for Lindsey. My fault for doing this on my phone.
I’d like to see it since we never have but very much depends on crowds- maybe if I snag a dining reservation ticket
How different is Fantasmic at DHS from the production at Disneyland? We will be there this winter, but I was planning to skip it, since we have the original version in our local park.
It’s better at Disneyland, or at least was, prior to the Disney Heroes segment.
My guess is that it’ll still be better at DLR, but probably “different enough” to justify seeing both.
ugh… i was hoping they’d at least do 2 shows on weekends even if it was one show for week nights… My trip dates in mid-november are probably too soon for them to be able to adjust staffing even if they realize they need 2 shows nightly almost immediately…