This past weekend saw the return of the beloved nighttime spectacular “Fantasmic!” at Disneyland in Southern California, and Laughing Place was invited by Disneyland Resort to try out the new “Fantasmic!” Dining Package at the Rancho del Zocalo restaurant in Frontierland. Below are my thoughts on this experience.
There are three Disneyland dining locations participating in the “Fantasmic!” Dining Package this time around: Blue Bayou Restaurant (which exclusively offers a four-course Premium Package), River Belle Terrace (which offers both a three-course Premium Package– including the unique opportunity to remain at your outdoor table for the “Fantasmic!” performance– and a Standard Package), and Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante (Standard Package only). We arrived at Rancho del Zocalo around 7:00 PM for the beginning of our experience.
Helpful signage pointed the way to the spot inside the restaurant where we needed to check in, and at that point we were given a menu and tickets for our reserved viewing area, which we could access later on in the evening.
My wife chose the Sweet and Spicy Shrimp Taco plate with Marinated Grilled Shrimp and Cortadillo for dessert, as pictured above and below. And because I have a fairly strict dietary restriction, an incredibly patient and attentive chef came out to talk about my allergy options. I ended up having a modified, gluten-free version of the Potato Tacos with a Guacamole Sauce in lieu of the usual Picante Aioli, plus a mango-based treat for dessert. This worked out perfectly for me and all of the Disneyland Cast Members involved were extremely accommodating. Our dishes both looked and tasted amazing, and we had a really nice, relaxing 45-minute dinner in the Rancho del Zocalo dining area.
Then it was time to make our way over to the nearby Rivers of America to claim our spot for “Fantasmic!” and we were very thankful that we did not have to stake out spaces for as long as most guests in the viewing area did. Instead we showed our tickets at the reserved area around 8:00 and were given access to a roped-off space just slightly off to the side from looking straight-on at the front of Tom Sawyer Island. I’d say this is 95% a perfect spot for the show and we didn’t have any complaints about our view. It was just a matter of waiting an hour for the show to begin, which passed by quickly considering the company and atmosphere around us.
It’s great to have “Fantasmic!” back at Disneyland, and it’s even better to have an affordable option (the Rancho del Zocalo “Fantasmic!” Dining Package is only $35 for adults and $25 for kids, though obviously the other restaurant options will run at higher costs depending on which package you choose) to enjoy a memorable dinner together and then head over to a reserved spot for “Fantasmic!” viewing. I really can’t recommend the experience enough, and you can find out more at the official Disneyland website.
“Fantasmic!” is currently running twice nightly at Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Be sure to visit the official Disneyland website for additional information.