Candlelight Processional 2015

[JadeDarkstar]

I would love pm's about this too please. I am thinking f trying to see one time too. Would any one say a later time would be easier to get in for than the first one?

 

[Sherry E]

Has anyone done the candlelight processional at Disneyland before? I read that they do invitation only for some seats and the rest are first come first served, and some people wait all day for this. How early do people really get there to wait? Is it worth it? I've never done it at WDW either but I'm thinking I might want to do it this year.

I've seen it a few times, both from seats and while standing (and I was solo too, as you will be, on all occasions).

Candlelight starts at roughly 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on both of its nights, give or take 10 minutes and weather permitting. It lasts in the range of 45-55 minutes. It is always held on the first full weekend of December. Only in 2012 did Disneyland get adventurous and expand Candlelight to a whopping 20 nights (a total of 40 performances!!!!!), which was a nightmare for the Main Street shops and restaurants, but it was a great gift for those who had wanted to see Candlelight for years and never had the chance. The 20 night extravaganza opened it up to a lot of people. That was when I saw it from seats on 2 nights, each time with Lou Diamond Phillips narrating.

The next time I saw it was with Kurt Russell at the helm, and that was when I was standing.

If you love Christmas and Christmas music and don't mind the non-secular aspect of it, you will probably love the Ceremony. The music is moving and joyful. The singers are talented and uplifting. The candlelit setting is intimate and lovely. The conductor is fantastic. The narrator tells the story of Christmas. When the young soloist comes out and takes center stage to sing "Noche de Paz," and then asks the audience to sing along (in English) to "Silent Night," many of us were getting misty-eyed. It's very beautiful.

When I stood, I waited in the line that was forming down Main Street -- and it was while the first Candlelight performance was going on (I was there to see the second performance of the evening). I must have gotten in line at 6 p.m. or 6:30 or not long after, and there were already quite a few people ahead of me. When the first performance ended, a CM escorted all of us up to Town Square and over to the right side -- closest to the narrator's podium. That's when I noticed the people who had claimed the benches -- they had been there since the park opened in the morning and they did not budge all day long!

I stood in the elbow-to-elbow, shoulder-to-shoulder mob of people, and while we were all there for the purpose of enjoying the wonderful Ceremony and Processional, I can say that I definitely preferred having seats to standing!

The next morning I stood only a few feet from a solo Kurt Russell in the lobby of the GCH. I guess he stayed there for the weekend (and also visited Club 33), and he was waiting for the valet people to bring his car around. The CM who walked him out to his car thanked him for narrating Candlelight, and asked him about his son -- it seemed like Kurt was very nice and well-liked at the GCH. Another DIS'er even saw him eating at Minnie & Friends earlier that morning!

The Candlelight seats, as others have already explained, are mainly for VIPs, Club 33 members, Disney family people, maybe some media, etc. The seats are not really intended for the public unless Disney ever figures out a way to once again offer dinner packages and extra performances. It's really only in the event that there are no-shows that they will let anyone have a seat at the last minute, and the CMs can only give those seats to a chosen few. Disney does not advertise Candlelight as part of the holiday season at all, as WDW does, but since 2012 -- when so many more people became exposed to Candlelight over those 20 nights -- there are now more people who want to see Candlelight every year, and they wonder why it hasn't been announced and why no info is out. It's as if Disney tried to sweep Candlelight under the carpet after 2012 and pretend that the 20 nights never existed!

 

[ashley0139]

I've seen it a few times, both from seats and while standing (and I was solo too, as you will be, on all occasions).

Candlelight starts at roughly 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. on both of its nights, give or take 10 minutes and weather permitting. It lasts in the range of 45-55 minutes. It is always held on the first full weekend of December. Only in 2012 did Disneyland get adventurous and expand Candlelight to a whopping 20 nights (a total of 40 performances!!!!!), which was a nightmare for the Main Street shops and restaurants, but it was a great gift for those who had wanted to see Candlelight for years and never had the chance. The 20 night extravaganza opened it up to a lot of people. That was when I saw it from seats on 2 nights, each time with Lou Diamond Phillips narrating.

The next time I saw it was with Kurt Russell at the helm, and that was when I was standing.

If you love Christmas and Christmas music and don't mind the non-secular aspect of it, you will probably love the Ceremony. The music is moving and joyful. The singers are talented and uplifting. The candlelit setting is intimate and lovely. The conductor is fantastic. The narrator tells the story of Christmas. When the young soloist comes out and takes center stage to sing "Noche de Paz," and then asks the audience to sing along (in English) to "Silent Night," many of us were getting misty-eyed. It's very beautiful.

When I stood, I waited in the line that was forming down Main Street -- and it was while the first Candlelight performance was going on (I was there to see the second performance of the evening). I must have gotten in line at 6 p.m. or 6:30 or not long after, and there were already quite a few people ahead of me. When the first performance ended, a CM escorted all of us up to Town Square and over to the right side -- closest to the narrator's podium. That's when I noticed the people who had claimed the benches -- they had been there since the park opened in the morning and they did not budge all day long!

I stood in the elbow-to-elbow, shoulder-to-shoulder mob of people, and while we were all there for the purpose of enjoying the wonderful Ceremony and Processional, I can say that I definitely preferred having seats to standing!

The next morning I stood only a few feet from a solo Kurt Russell in the lobby of the GCH. I guess he stayed there for the weekend (and also visited Club 33), and he was waiting for the valet people to bring his car around. The CM who walked him out to his car thanked him for narrating the Candlelight, and asked him about his son -- it seemed like Kurt was very nice and well-liked at the GCH. Another DIS'er even saw him eating at Minnie & Friends earlier that morning!

The Candlelight seats, as others have already explained, are mainly for VIPs, Club 33 members, Disney family people, maybe some media, etc. The seats are not really intended for the public unless Disney ever figures out a way to once again offer dinner packages and extra performances. It's really only in the event that there are no-shows that they will let anyone have a seat at the last minute, and the CMs can only give those seats to a chosen few. Disney does not advertise Candlelight as part of the holiday season at all, as WDW does, but since 2012 -- when so many more people became exposed to Candlelight over those 20 nights -- there are now more people who want to see Candlelight every year, and they wonder why it hasn't been announced and why no info is out. It's as if Disney tried to sweep Candlelight under the carpet after 2012 and pretend that the 20 nights never existed!

Thank you so much for taking the time to type this out! It's crazy, last year when I walked in and it was set up, my first thought was "they have it here too?!" I couldn't believe I hadn't heard about it. I'm not religious, but I absolutely LOVE Christmas, so this makes me very excited. I'll probably try to go to the first performance. Sitting definitely sounds more enjoyable, but I'm not sure I'm willing or able to camp out for it all day.

Do they announce the narrators ahead of time?

 

[Priory]

The Disneyland version is 100 times better than WDW's. You can't beat the visuals. The choir in front of the train station, the trumpets on the roof. The parade of candles coming down main street. It's gorgeous. The music is so much better too. Candlelight Corale is one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever written (and its criminal it's not in the wdw version) and the Spanglish Silent Night brings me to tears every time (and while I appreciate the wdw version's little history lesson, it just lacks emotion). I am not even religious and I love it so much. I've been fortunate enough to see Disneyland's 4 times and WDW's twice. Don't miss Disneyland's. It's incredible. I've always been able to get in the back of the roped standing section around 60 - 90 minutes early. (The year they did it 20-some times you could walk right up as it was starting. That was nice). Try to see it.

 

[theluckyrabbit]

For anyone who needs ASL translation or who just enjoys watching, CP has wonderful signers. He/She is usually on the right side by the podium on stage.

 

[Malcon10t]

When the young soloist comes out and takes center stage to sing "Noche de Paz," and then asks the audience to sing along (in English) to "Silent Night," many of us were getting misty-eyed. It's very beautiful.

We LOVE Drew's voice. That is my favorite segment. He also is one of the Hatters over in the Mad Tea Party. And he is a Dapper Dan. And during Christmas, he is one of the Carolers you will hear around the park.

For anyone who needs ASL translation or who just enjoys watching, CP has wonderful signers. He/She is usually on the right side by the podium on stage.

I love watching the ASL signers.

He is my favorite signer.

 

[Sherry E]

We LOVE Drew's voice. That is my favorite segment. He also is one of the Hatters over in the Mad Tea Party. And he is a Dapper Dan. And during Christmas, he is one of the Carolers you will hear around the park.

I love watching the ASL signers.

He is my favorite signer.

Oh wow! Drew is part of the Mad T Party, as well as being a Dapper Dan, as well as being one of the Carolers?? I had no idea that he did all of those things, but I guess it shouldn't surprise me. He is really honing his talent by singing all of those different styles of music. Even the way he would have to sing a Christmas song at Candlelight is much different than the way he would have to sing a Christmas song when performing with other Carolers, and certainly different than singing with the Mad T Party and as a Dapper Dan. (Is he a Cadaver Dan too?) He must be very talented and versatile if he is able to transition into all of those different styles with ease.

 

[Sherry E]

Thank you so much for taking the time to type this out! It's crazy, last year when I walked in and it was set up, my first thought was "they have it here too?!" I couldn't believe I hadn't heard about it. I'm not religious, but I absolutely LOVE Christmas, so this makes me very excited. I'll probably try to go to the first performance. Sitting definitely sounds more enjoyable, but I'm not sure I'm willing or able to camp out for it all day.

Do they announce the narrators ahead of time?

Oh, no problem at all -- it's my pleasure. I love talking about anything that has to do with Halloween Time or the Holidays!

You know, because Disneyland does keep this event rather quiet in terms of promotion and advertisement, I suspect that there are probably a lot of people -- even people who may be regulars to DLR to some degree -- who have no idea it exists. If they don't follow discussion boards like this one and don't really pay attention to the Disney Parks Blog, they might never know. I recall meeting a nice lady in DCA, in December 2013. She was on the same Carthay Circle tour that I was on, and we chatted about the glorious holiday season at Disneyland Resort. Although she had been going to Disneyland every year since 1955 (up until a year when she had heart surgery), she had never heard of Candlelight being presented at DLR!!! She simply didn't follow discussion forums or blogs, and I think that 2012 (the year of the 20-night extravaganza) may have been the year she had her heart surgery, so she just wasn't aware that is was taking place. Once I told her about it she was very interested (she was also solo -- there are a lot of us who are there by ourselves!!), and I hope she got to see Candlelight in 2014.

The religious aspect of the Ceremony is something that seems to bother some people -- they feel it doesn't belong in Disneyland -- but other people love Christmas and Christmas music so much that they also love Candlelight.

I can't believe that people are willing to claim a bench as soon as the park opens in the morning and then sit there all day, but they do it!

No -- Disney won't announce the narrator(s) for Candlelight because they don't want to draw attention to it. They probably won't even do any kind of a Parks Blog about the Ceremony until it has already happened! I have noticed that the tour guides in the park will tell the tour participants about Candlelight on the day of the event, and they will tell them who the narrator will be.

Typically, the name of the rumored narrator will trickle out online somewhere before the event, on random websites or forums like these.

Otherwise, I think that the only way we can expect Disney to announce or otherwise publicize (in advance) any aspect of Candlelight would be if they figure out a way to once again expand the number of viewings so more people can see it, OR if they once again decide to put together a dinner package that includes viewing of this event (which would still require additional seating or a premium viewing spot). They used to offer dinner packages, and, quite frankly, given the current premium dining experiences -- the Jungle Cruise Sunrise Safari Breakfast, Mystical Spirits of the Blue Bayou and MahaloWeen -- a Candlelight dinner event seems like it would fit right in. I would be surprised if Disneyland can't figure out a way to start offering a new premium dining experience/Candlelight package at some point in the next couple of years. They have tried to keep the event quiet since 2012's marathon, but too many people became fans of Candlelight during that year, and now, every year, people are going to wonder why there is no announcement or promotion for it like there is for WDW's Candlelight!

 

[flyingdumbo127]

^A Candlelight package would be most awesome indeed (if affordable). That said, and I know I have said this before, I love current Candlelight in terms of smaller, more intimate feel, location. I would hope if DL does figure out a way of opening up public reservations the event itself would remain the same. Maybe, invited seats could be figured out better and add some in for a public package. I would rather it stay as is than say be moved to some auditorium or bleacher type seating. We shall see.

 

[Sherry E]

^A Candlelight package would be most awesome indeed (if affordable). That said, and I know I have said this before, I love current Candlelight in terms of smaller, more intimate feel, location. I would hope if DL does figure out a way of opening up public reservations the event itself would remain the same. Maybe, invited seats could be figured out better and add some in for a public package. I would rather it stay as is than say be moved to some auditorium or bleacher type seating. We shall see.

When they did the dinner packages in the past, the event was in the same spot that it is now. The price for a package would be at least $100, I am fairly certain -- probably closer to $150 and beyond -- especially because the seating is so limited. All of the other premium dining/viewing experiences that are currently happening are well over $100.

 

[flyingdumbo127]

^Thanks for that info Sherry and that is a lot of money. I realize that it might include a food voucher for X amount of money and probably a few choices of where it could be used. Something to be on the lookout for in the future.

 

[ImDMous]

We've seen it twice, once the year they did the dining packages and once just hanging out and waiting for a seat a few years ago. We did get seats, and I don't think we waited for hours. It was raining that night though so maybe they had a lot of VIP no-shows? It misted throughout the ceremony, but the show carried on and the pictures are great. My mom really wants to see it so we're going to have to brave it again coming up in the next few years. I would love if they did the packages again.

 

[mgd]

So where exactly are you allowed to stand for this if you don't get in line 2 hours ahead of time? I don't mind standing, but not sure where it is allowed for this. Do they rope off a large area near the platform at the emporium end of mainstreet where people have to use or is it a free for all with people blocking the street all down mainstreet?

Would I be able to walk in about 30 minutes before start and find a decent standing viewing spot near the emporium?

 

[Sherry E]

So where exactly are you allowed to stand for this if you don't get in line 2 hours ahead of time? I don't mind standing, but not sure where it is allowed for this. Do they rope off a large area near the platform at the emporium end of mainstreet where people have to use or is it a free for all with people blocking the street all down mainstreet?

There will be designated roped off areas around the perimeter of Town Square. The CMs will direct you into the spot. They need to keep most of the outer areas and pathways clear for people to move along Main Street. (I don't know if they used the Main Street back alley route for crowds to move through during Candlelight last year?)

There may be some people spilling out into the center of Main Street, though.

 

[MommyJKM]

Thank you so much for taking the time to type this out! It's crazy, last year when I walked in and it was set up, my first thought was "they have it here too?!" I couldn't believe I hadn't heard about it. I'm not religious, but I absolutely LOVE Christmas, so this makes me very excited. I'll probably try to go to the first performance. Sitting definitely sounds more enjoyable, but I'm not sure I'm willing or able to camp out for it all day.

Do they announce the narrators ahead of time?

They do announce the narrators to the invited guests. We knew who they were last year in late October, about 6 weeks before. I assume so guests can book their travel.

We met a lovely lady as I went to the restroom whom commented on my DD's outfit, she had waited on that bench (do you know which one I mean? in front of the bathrooms on an elevated platform on Main Street) for NINE HOURS!! I joked that because she was right by the bathroom she had a prime location for posting up! She asked me to take a photo for her from our seats and send text it to her and we've remained Disney friends since

 

[Malcon10t]

When they did the dinner packages in the past, the event was in the same spot that it is now. The price for a package would be at least $100, I am fairly certain -- probably closer to $150 and beyond -- especially because the seating is so limited. All of the other premium dining/viewing experiences that are currently happening are well over $100.

The last year they did packages was 2008 I believe, and the packages then were $135 at Napa Rose, $105 at Steakhouse, and $85 at Storytellers. The bigger issue then was the computer's crashing from everyone trying to get in to buy. Sort of like runDisney, it opened at a certain time, and was sold out within 10 mins, if you could get in.

There will be designated roped off areas around the perimeter of Town Square. The CMs will direct you into the spot. They need to keep most of the outer areas and pathways clear for people to move along Main Street. (I don't know if they used the Main Street back alley route for crowds to move through during Candlelight last year?)

There may be some people spilling out into the center of Main Street, though.

The area is very tight. A couple years ago, a Dis Diva and I were meeting in front of the train station to attend, and it took me 20 mins to get from the Emporium to the far side of City Hall!

The guest narrators are usually announced during the month of November. I know last year we did not know on 11/7/14 who the narrator was, but did know by Nov 23.

 

[Sherry E]

It is important to make the distinction, though, that the narrators are only revealed/announced by Disney (in advance) to the invited guests, or perhaps they will say something to non-invited guests shortly before the event begins at the park. Disney won't announce the narrators to the general public (most of us are not invited guests) in advance or promote it via a Blog or Press Release unless they are expanding the event, offering packages, or somehow making it possible for more people to see it. The only way we -- the general public -- find out about the narrators way in advance of Candlelight is when the invited guests reveal it online!

 

[Malcon10t]

Never mind, link didn't work.

 

[Malcon10t]

 

[theluckyrabbit]

And he has a cd/download available on his website!