Candlelight Processional ??

[haleofafamily]

Is the CP free? or is it an extra charge like the parties at MK? For some reason I assumed it was an additional event so extra cost, but I can't find any info on it. (Just dates, times and narrators.) Also any opinions on Chita Rivera or Abigail Breslin?

 

[Brian_WDW74]

There's no extra charge.

 

[dburg30]

It's free, at the theater at the american pavillion...

 

[khertz]

I've never personally gone to the CP, but in researching for our trip next year, it is a free event. However, it can be difficult to get a seat due to popularity and requires a long wait in line. So they offer a CP dinner package where you can have lunch or dinner at a certain restaurant for a specific price and have reserved seating at that night's CP. Hope this helps, although others will likely have more info on it.

 

[MissionMouse]

Is the CP free? or is it an extra charge like the parties at MK? For some reason I assumed it was an additional event so extra cost, but I can't find any info on it. (Just dates, times and narrators.) Also any opinions on Chita Rivera or Abigail Breslin?

While it is technically free Disney does provide guaranteed seating by selecting their CP Dining option. By doing this they have created a method that is rather popular since it ensures seating without stnading in line. Some nights this groupd will fill all the theatre seats. Thus, waiting in line without this option is a wait in line and see if you get in experience.

 

[dburg30]

I've never personally gone to the CP, but in researching for our trip next year, it is a free event. However, it can be difficult to get a seat due to popularity and requires a long wait in line. So they offer a CP dinner package where you can have lunch or dinner at a certain restaurant for a specific price and have reserved seating at that night's CP. Hope this helps, although others will likely have more info on it.

The dinner package people still get to wait in line also. They really arent reserved seats, they just let you in first

 

[haleofafamily]

Is there a time that is less crowded than the others? 5:00, 6:45 or 8:15

 

[aribelle]

There's no extra charge.

Well, that's not quite true.....

There are two ways to see the CP.....you can stand in line (it's recommended that you arrive at least 1 hour before the show starts) and IF there are seats available after the reserved seating, then you will be able to be seated. If you read some of the threads from last year's CP you'll see that people felt this was a 50/50 chance of getting a seat and some say an hour early isn't enough. You apparently can stand/sit outside the pavillon and hear the show, but not see.

The other way to go is to get reserved seating.....this means that you have to book an ADR SPECIFICALLY for the CP (don't just ask to eat at the restaurant, it must be specifically a CP dining package). These dining packages are a set price......and depending on what you choose to eat you may be paying a little more, or a lot more, for those CP reserved seat tickets. You get your tickets after your meal when you pay. You then still have to go stand in a line (and it's recommended 30 minutes ahead of the show). Be careful because the reserved line is a different one, obviously, from the standby line, so ask a CM and be sure you're in the right line. The reserved line is seated first. Apparently if you aren't in line 15 minutes before the show, your tickets won't guarantee you a seat.

Here are the prices for the CP dining package:


There are 3 tiers of restaurants:
Tier One: Biergarten or Garden Grill (Garden Grill for dinner only)
Tier Two: San Angel Inn or Nine Dragons or Rose & Crown or Marrakesh
Tier Three: Le Cellier or Chefs de France or Teppan Edo or Tutto Italia or Coral Reef

For the 5pm show it's a lunch ADRs between 1:45 and 2:30pm
Tier One: $27.99 adult/$12.99 child
Tier Two: $37.99 adult/$12.99 child
Tier Three: $44.99 adult $12.99 child

For the 6:45 show it's a dinner ADR between 3:30and 4:15 pm
For the 8:00 show it's a dinner ADR between 5:00 and 5:35pm
Tier One: $33.99 adult/$14.99 child
Tier Two: $44.99 adult/$14.99 child
Tier Three: $53.99 adult/ $14.99 child


Sooooo....Take for example, Garden Grill for Dinner. If you walked in with a regular ADR, the price is $28.99 but in order to have the CP package it's $33.99. So in essence your CP reserved seat tickets will cost you the difference which is $5.00 per adult.

Because the rest of the restuarants are not a set price, the only way to determine whether there is an extra charge is to look at a menu and decide what you'll be buying.

As another example: A popular item at Le Cellier is the Mushroom Filet (also one of the most expensive items on the menu)....cost for Filet is $34.99, plus a non-alcoholic drink will cost $2.29, and desserts range from $5.99 to $7.99. So, assuming the $8 dessert, you're looking at $45.27 for your meal if you walked in, but $53.99 if you do the CP package, so then your CP reserved seat tickets essentially cost you $8.72 per adult. (a little more since tax and tip would be calculated on the higher amount, but you get the idea) If you were instead to order the Halibut at $25 or the Raviloi at $20, you would still be paying $53.99 for your meal, while walk in people would be paying $9 to $14 less for the same food...so suddenly your CP seats were about $18 to $22per adult. Kids are just as bad, since all the kids meals are $7.49 if walked in and include everything, yet for the CP reserved seating you'll pay $14.99.

If you are on any of the Disney Dining Plan packages, it will cost you 1 table service no matter what time you eat, and so long as you specifically booked a CP dining ADR you'll get the reserved seating tickets.

So, it's not free to ensure that you get seats, but it's a "cleverly concealed" upcharge on your meal.

We're reluctantly doing the CP package mostly because it's worth the extra dollars to not have to waste an hour or more standing in line and then finding we can't get a seat anyway! I picked a restaurant where the more expensive items were what we'd likely have ordered anyway, so as to reduce my cost for those prize seat tickets as much as possible. Yep, I'm a cheapskate, lol.

I really wish they'd simply come out and say pay $10 for a reserved seat and eat when/where/what you want. I'm sure a few people wouldn't eat at Epcot, or might choose a CS instead to save money, but come on, as hard as it is to get an ADR almost any night of the week in Epcot TS places, it's not like they have to worry about empty restaurants, lol.

 

[Haphazard Hero]

I'm going to be singing in the Candlelight Processional this year, so everyone should come see it. It's going to be fantastic.

 

[DOOM1001]

The dinner package people still get to wait in line also. They really arent reserved seats, they just let you in first

Exactly if you get there late with the dinner package you might not be getting a seat.

 

[aribelle]

Exactly if you get there late with the dinner package you might not be getting a seat.

You're right...reserved seating is a poor choice of words, sorry....maybe saying "reserved line"....or "you get to stand in the other line" or you get the shorter line.......

Seriously though, whatever you call it....if you have a CP badge/ticket whatever they call it, and you are in the proper line at least 15 minutes before the show, they say that you are guaranteed a seat. Show up less than 15 minutes and the guarantee is off, I guess. But in the other line, it is "if room is available", so no guarantee no matter how early you get in line.

But....I read a lot of Nov/Dec trip reports preparing for our CHristmas visit and it seemed apparent that last year (2007) if you were in the reserve line your chances of getting a seat were pretty slim. Of course, as many have mentioned, you can just stand outside the pavillion and listen....some say you can see, some say you can't, so I guess it depends on where you get to stand, lol.

We have CP ADR because this is probably the only holiday visit we'll make, but it's late in our trip so I may just wander by and see if we can really see/hear the show without a seat earlier. If so, I'll cancel my ADR and go to that restaurant out of pocket to save a few bucks. Sadly, none of the currently listed speakers for our time matter to me....the kids only know Monica Coleman so that's what our ADR is for.....but I guess I'm really not going for the speaker as much as for the event (hmm, and maybe that's how it should be?). But, I haven't given up hope for the two TBA speakers......so fingers crossed.

 

[Gina35]

Have never heard of the CP before. Exactly what type of show is it? If you are on the dining plan, can you make ADRs for the CP without adding to the TS credit, or are you not able to get the reserved seats with the DP?

 

[letthewookiewin]

Does anyone know how early they start seating people on the CP package?

 

[aribelle]

Does anyone know how early they start seating people on the CP package?

If you're meaning in the restaurants the CP dining packages can be booked from 1:45 to to 2:30 (lunch) for the 5pm show.....from 3:30 to 4:15 (dinner) for the 6:45 show.......from 5:00 to 5:35 (dinner) for the 8:15 show.

If you mean in the theatre, I don't know. I do know that they tell you that you must be in line at least 15 minutes prior to the show to be assured a seat.

Now, I've read that the show is not quite an hour long....so that would mean that the first show would end by about 6pm.....my guess is that it takes a few minutes to get the folks out of the theatre, then I'll guess that they go in and clean up any mess left behind and then start seating people. I've also read that some people don't like the later shows because you can hear everything while you're waiting in line....so that makes sense.

 

[aribelle]

Have never heard of the CP before. Exactly what type of show is it? If you are on the dining plan, can you make ADRs for the CP without adding to the TS credit, or are you not able to get the reserved seats with the DP?

Gina...here's a pretty thorough explanation of the CP.

http://allears.net/tp/h_cpfaq.htm

If you're on the dining plan, it would "cost" 1 TS credit for the CP dining package, the same as it would cost to eat at those restaurants without the CP dining. BUT....you must specifically have a CP dining package ADR....in other words, if you already booked an ADR there and have just now learned/decided to do the CP....you need to call them back and change it to a CP ADR....and realize that the CP packages are limited, so you may not be able to get the same time slot, even though logic would say if you're cancelling a 5pm ressie you should be able to get that 5pm ressie again. It's like the resort room availablity based on the package or discount you request. A restaurant has a set number of reservations available.....a certain number of them are designated regular ADR and a certain number are designated CP ADR. So, if you already have a ressie at a time you like, I would suggest that BEFORE you cancel that one, you inquire into getting a CP ADR, and once you have that confirmed then tell them to cancel your other ADR. This is especially important in restaurants like LeCellier that sell out quickly.....if you were to cancel your ADR first and then decide you don't like any of the CP times, you probably will have already lost your original ADR as it goes back in the pool and believe me, people are calling constantly hoping for just such a cancellation! They get snapped up quick.