Originally Posted By gardenrooms Hi, I just made priority seating reservations for the WOC Ariel's Grotto package for a quick trip we're going to make at the end of August, and like an idiot didn't ask anything about how the WOC entry works. I scanned through the topics and couldn't find one about that though I would expect it's been covered somewhere. You guys always give great advice, so I'm just going to ask. From what I saw on some other posts, looks like we will be in a section within the blue section. We are going to the 10:15 show assuming there is one (they won't even say for another couple of weeks!). So, here are my questions (I'm trying to figure out when we need to line up - we're only going to have 2 partial days and we want to spend as much time doing stuff as we can!)- Do we have a separate line? How far ahead do they open that section? How is the viewing in the section? (We have a 5' tall adult in our group but no children.) Can we go in right before the show and get a decent view in that section (like you used to be able to do with the dinner Fantasmic! package at WDW, but now that's all changed I guess)? I know everything may change as the summer progresses, but I appreciate any advice you have to offer for this package. Thanks.
Originally Posted By LuLu You can't go in right before the show and get a good spot. The ticket you get after you pay for dinner will state when to show up. I did the first show, not the second, so I don't know exactly the window time, but I recommend you show up *before* the window if you want a good spot. You will have a separate line for diners. Someone will chime in where that is for the 2nd show.
Originally Posted By mickeymorris1234 The second show, you line up for the prefurred between 9-9:30. You don't need to be there super early for a good spot, 9:15 is a good time. You line up in front of ariels grotto. There is the fastpass line and then a big area roped off with benches. That is your area. They will ask those in the prefurred to form a line right before they start to move you. They will then walk you down the to park. You wait a little bit while they let all the people who want to go into the soak area in and then they let you in. Get the spot at the very front of the prefurred viewing area. It is the best spot for the show. Elevated above everyones head and dead center.
Originally Posted By gardenrooms lol - I just saw your answer on another thread before finding mine, mickeymorris, and wrote you there. Thanks mickeymorris and Lulu. That's what I was afraid of. The lady at reservations said sure we should have plenty of time to see the fireworks at DL (9:30) then go to the 2nd show in our preferred seating area, but I was afraid she was wrong. Now we'll have to choose - we really want to see WOC, but it'll be there a long time, we hope, and the fireworks show may end before we get back.
Originally Posted By lesmisfan actually if your eating at ariels and getting the preferred viewing your return time is between 9-9:30 but you will line up at the winery, not ariels. they use ariels for the regular fastpasse for the orange section.
Originally Posted By LuLu gardenrooms - since you're not going for a couple months, you might want to check back and ask again a little closer in. Things are likely to change in 2 months. The dining packages weren't widely known yet and the second show might get more crowded. Just be aware that there are a limited number of spots where shorter folks can get a good view. The line-up spot may change as well
Originally Posted By Ella6180 I echo LuLu's comments. I had a preferred dinner reservation for the second show on June 30. With a 7:40 reservation, we ended up leaving the restaurant around 9:00 and that put us in an excellent position in the waiting line for preferred diners (it was easy for us to snag spots at the top of the stairs - excellent viewing). I would not have wanted to show up for the preferred diner line after 9:30, however. Incidentally, the dinner was excellent (at Wine Country Trattoria), and the process for preferred diners could not have worked or ran more smoothly. I highly recommend spending the money on a dinner package if you can afford it. We would definitely do it again.
Originally Posted By LOVE-DCA Off topic but speaking of wine country tratt—anyone who has been there lately. What is that place above the winery(direcltly above)? I saw people eating there…but I don’t see a menu for it…. Do I need a reservation for it?
