Need help with Candlelight Processional decision

[luvmymouse]

My DD17 and I have been to WDW many times during the holidays but never managed to fit the Candlelight Processional into our schedule. Our upcoming Dec. trip is already looking very busy and we don't like to be overscheduled. We enjoy some down time. We just can't decide whether or not to do the CP & dinner package. Is it like a religious service on a large scale (I know it's a retelling of the Christmas story) or is there a lot more to it? Is it worth cramming it into a very tight schedule (we only have 1 day where we can fit it in)?

 

[Robo]

Try watching some of the many video recordings of the CP that are found of YouTube.

 

[Bete]

The show itself lasts around 50 minutes. You have to eat anyway; so, getting preferred seating is nice. You do need to be in line early to get better seating and I would say at least an hour is needed there even with guaranteed seating. We like to be front and center.

We have gone repeated times and we always enjoy it. They sign the whole show and I find that quite interesting. The orchestra does a really good job. The choral groups are terrific.

This show has always put us in such a good mood for Christmas.

 

[BuckeyeBama]

If you love Christmas, it is a must do. If you do not get reservations through a meal, you will lose a whole lot of time standing in line. I spent 3 hours in line the last time we did this "stand by". The rest of the family toured Epcot while I sat in line. Still, even with the wait, I loved it and would not miss it on future trips during the Christmas season.

 

[CynBeth]

Go for it! We have seen it twice doing the package for the last show of the night to get the full effect with the candles. It is quite an experience.

 

[disneygolfer1985]

As states above, if your live Christmas, then it is a must do! We do it every time we go over the holidays.

 

[georgina]

Last year we just stood outside the fence and watched. We could see and hear very well; just picked our spot abotut 10-15 minutes before the last one of the night. Left just before the ending to get our spot for Illuminations.

 

[Happyinwonerland]

I was disappointed in the value of the package. You pay a huge amount of money for a meal to get priority seating, but then you still have to stand in line for an hour to get a seat. Next time I will just watch it from outside the theater. You get the same effect and you can keep the package cost to buy Christmas gifts.

 

[luvmymouse]

I was disappointed in the value of the package. You pay a huge amount of money for a meal to get priority seating, but then you still have to stand in line for an hour to get a seat. Next time I will just watch it from outside the theater. You get the same effect and you can keep the package cost to buy Christmas gifts.

This was something I was wondering about as well. We do love Christmas but the whole thing seems very time consuming from the early meal time to waiting in a long line to finally get to the performance. It is rather expensive.

So even with the CP dining package you still have a long wait on line?

 

[Bete]

I don't consider an hour wait bad at all for good seats. You really don't need to be in line early. You have guaranteed seating with the dinner package; so, you can show up later. You will just not be front and center.

Personally, I don't want to stand in the back for 50 minutes. If your short it's even more of a hardship. There are some obstructed views in the back.

I believe in trying everything once at Disney. You can go for the cheapest meal package available like the Germany buffet.

 

[LATJLP]

OP asked about religion....it is a retelling of the Bible story of Jesus' birth....so by that it obviously is religious.....however it's not a church service where a lot more things are included, there is no sermon, no preaching, no fire and brimstone. The songs tend towards the Jesus Christmas songs....no Jingle Bells or Santa Got Runover, lol.

You are paying a premium for the meal.....the people sitting at the table next to you could be eating the same thing and paying slightly less and not getting tickets to the show.

I grew up in a Christian family.....but have moved a bit away from Christianity, though more the people in churches, not to the point that I don't believe there is a higher power. I don't do well with sermons, preaching, pious only on Sunday.... and I don't do brimstone.....but Candlelight Processional is a must for my family each year. We pick one narrator and buy the lunch package for that one so we have a seat and can see and enjoy the spectacle of the choir, but we have been known to go sit near enough to hear for other narrators. Each narrator puts their own personality in the reading....some we liked, some we decidedly did not. Gary Sinse, Neal Patrick Harris, Levar Burton, Jodi Benson....favorites.

 

[georgina]

So...you could stand in line for an hour to get a good seat for the show or stand during the show for an hour. We were there on a Friday in med-December and had a great standing location. The area in front of us was roped off and completely empty.

 

[ktlm]

Watch some of it on youtube and decide. There are some very large churches in our area that put on shows at the holidays that are extremely similar to CP minus the celebrity, but with an even far more elaborate living Christmas tree choir. As such, for us, it is not really different enough from what we can see here, to warrant the WDW time it takes. It is basically an orchestra and choir singing religious Christmas songs, with a narrator telling the Christmas story. DD has never shown interest in it either. We have stopped and watched a few minutes from outside the area, and DD is usually asking to move on pretty quickly. It is beautiful, a nice celebration of Christmas, and fun to see the Celebrity, but we just would rather spend our WDW time doing other things. If you don't have things like that in the area where you live, it might be pretty impressive. If you are a big fan of orchestras and choirs, you might really like it. A lot of people absolutely love it. You can get a good feel for it just watching a couple of minutes on youtube.

 

[PanamaMike]

So...you could stand in line for an hour to get a good seat for the show or stand during the show for an hour. We were there on a Friday in med-December and had a great standing location. The area in front of us was roped off and completely empty.

Granted, I'm 6ft tall so there aren't that many people I can't see over, but I just stood at the back and watched.
Would much rather stand for an hour watching the show, then stand waiting in a line for more than an hour to get a seat. Not a good use of my theme park time.

 

[LisaBi]

It is of of my all time favorite things at Disney. I'm not really religious, but it was a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season in early December. I was on the dining package, and was able to do the CP package for one TS credit. I don't know if that had changed. I don't think I'd want to do it without the package....the lines are too long!

 

[Figmentmommy]

This was something I was wondering about as well. We do love Christmas but the whole thing seems very time consuming from the early meal time to waiting in a long line to finally get to the performance. It is rather expensive.

So even with the CP dining package you still have a long wait on line?

We had a 4:00 dinner package at Teppan Edo for the 6:45 show last December. After dinner we strolled around for a bit and then got in line around 6:15 - which was right when they started letting dinner package guests in to be seated. Now we didn't get seats right in the center, but we did get seats to the left 2 rows from the front (our choice to not sit in the first row) and enjoyed the show perfectly from that location. We had a great view of the orchestra and the left side choir. We could see the whole processional and it was as lovely as we had remembered. The only disappointment was that our narrator, Chita Rivera, read the first passage twice instead of reading the second passage. Unfortunately, the show continued on and the second passage was never told. It was my children's first time seeing the processional and the first time DH & I had seen it in 15 years so we were a little bummed. My youngest son keeps telling me he wants to go back again in December so that he can hear the entire story! I would definitely plan to see it again if we ever visit again in December. I think the dinner package was worth it because we were planning to eat there regardless and we liked knowing we had a seat and didn't have to worry about waiting in line and still not getting in to the show.

 

[Figmentmommy]

It is of of my all time favorite things at Disney. I'm not really religious, but it was a wonderful way to kick off the holiday season in early December. I was on the dining package, and was able to do the CP package for one TS credit. I don't know if that had changed. I don't think I'd want to do it without the package....the lines are too long!

Not sure when you last went, but the packages are now 2 credits. I do remember the good ol' days when it was 1 credit. Now that was a deal!

 

[luvmymouse]

I would definitely plan to see it again if we ever visit again in December. I think the dinner package was worth it because we were planning to eat there regardless and we liked knowing we had a seat and didn't have to worry about waiting in line and still not getting in to the show.

This confuses me! I thought even if you have the CP fining package you still have to stand in line and get in it 45+ minutes early if you want a good seat.

 

[WillAustin]

This confuses me! I thought even if you have the CP fining package you still have to stand in line and get in it 45+ minutes early if you want a good seat.

You do, but it depends on what you'd consider a good seat. You'll still get a seat without waiting 45 minutes with the package, but it won't be in the front middle.

 

[GaSleepingBeautyFan]

I did it for the first time last year and really enjoyed it. I was told by the server that I'd want to get to the Pavilion at least an hour in advance if I wanted to have a seat - otherwise I could end up standing.

I went there an hour in advance and the line for the dinner package was past Morocco. I did get a seat but it was towards the back. They didn't even have space to let in standby folks - I saw plenty of people with the package sticker standing in back.

I went during the days Whoopi Goldberg was doing the reading so I'm sure it was more crowded.