Candlelight Processional or Liberty Tree Tavern

[Tammy E]

Hi everyone!!! I'm having some difficuilty deciding whether to spend (2) table service credits to have preferred seating at the Candlelight Processional (and eat at Les Chefs de France) or spend (1) table service credit at Les Chefs de France and spend another (1) table service credit for a nice lunch at Liberty Tree Tavern. I've heard mixed reviews on whether the Candlelight Processional is worth the two table service credits or not.
Any opinions are much appreciated and welcome!!! We will be at Disney November 28th through December 4th and are definitely attending MVMCP!!!!!!

 

[goofy4tink]

I love CP...I have done it at least once each year since 2003...sometimes more than once a year, depends on my length of stay. I swore that last year was my last year buying the pkg. I paid for it, ate at Nine Dragons, and saw Whoopi. I was done. I really don't think that it's worth the price they're charging now. Yes, you get an appetizer, entree, dessert and your beverage, and then you get preferred IllumiNations viewing. BUT...I'm not a huge dessert eater if I've had an appetizer. And the cost is generally much higher than I would normally spend at the same restaurant. I don't really care about the preferred viewing. Yes, it's a nice spot, but if you're headed back to one of the Epcot resorts, it's like swimming upstream..against a huge tide!! Just nasty.

BUT...now along comes Neil Patrick Harris for my time frame. Are you kidding me??? Love him. But, do I want to pay the price for the pkg??? Not sure yet. I may just tough it out and stand along the sidewalk and listen from behind the theater. I've done that many times.

I think that if you love the whole 'Christmas story', and love the music, then you should do the pkg at least once. It's wonderful to sit down and enjoy the show..it is incredibly beautiful and moving.

 

[minniebride]

The thing that really confuses me about those CP packages is, isnt the acual CP free to anyone who has a park ticket? I thought it was first come, first serve??

We have no interest in the CP, aside from walking by & stopping to listen for a few minutes, but I always thought the CP was free-just first come, first serve so I never understood the draw to paying 2 TS credits for the package?

I'm biased because I have no interest in the CP, so I say go for LTT-love that restaurant! & I'll bet it would be so fun to eat there before or during MVMCP!

 

[goofy4tink]

The thing that really confuses me about those CP packages is, isnt the acual CP free to anyone who has a park ticket? I thought it was first come, first serve??

We have no interest in the CP, aside from walking by & stopping to listen for a few minutes, but I always thought the CP was free-just first come, first serve so I never understood the draw to paying 2 TS credits for the package?

I'm biased because I have no interest in the CP, so I say go for LTT-love that restaurant! & I'll bet it would be so fun to eat there before or during MVMCP!

Yes, it is 'free'...but to do it 'free' you have to line up in the standby line...and that can be a very long wait, depending on the narrator. This is one reason the prices bother me so much. I can book the exact same restaurant, order what I want (getting an appetizer or dessert as I choose) and then go to the standby line...or just stand behind the theater and watch, and save a fair amount of money over paying for that pkg.

It used to be 1 TS credit, but Disney changed it to 2 TS credits. Then they added the reserved viewing area...then telling all of us what a wonderful thing the pkg is!!! To me, it's just plain greediness on the part of Disney. Same thing with the Dessert Party over at MK...gets more and more expensive each year, and more and more people are squeezed in. Same with the parties...more and more people, higher cost, fewer special 'perks'.

Like I said...if you really enjoy the Christmas story,then go. But, if that isn't your thing, then you may want to just check it out as you pass by the area.

 

[Golf4food]

The CP is nothing you can't get for free in any decent sized church or community program anywhere across teh USA during all of December - minus the celebrity narrator. If a celebrity narrator is worth two dining credits and standing in a long, possibly very cold line, then go for it. Otherwise, use your park time doing things you can only find at Disney and go see a Christmas program when you get home from vacation (and pretend someone famous is narrating).

 

[kerri0616]

Wow! Not much love for the CP on this thread! We saw it in 2006 and really enjoyed it. A highlight of our Xmas week trip.

How about this...you are going at a non-peak time... Make a CP reservation for later in your trip. Then try the standby line early in your trip. Someone can correct me, but I would guess that the 5:00 show would be the least popular? If you don't get in, then hang around and see/hear what you can, and if it looks like something you would enjoy, then use your CP ressie that you make for later in the trip. If it looks like something you could see at your local church (?) then cancel your ressie.

You might want to consider booking lunch for the CP and paying OOP. I don't feel it's worthy of 2 credits!

Good luck. I hope my proposal above made sense.

Kerri

 

[nytimez]

The CP is great. It's just not worth either 2 TS credits or the inflated price they charge for a CP dining package.

But... people pay it, so it will continue.

My advice, however, is to use your credits and get two TS meals. If you're willing to wait, you'll get a seat anyway... and if you're not willing to wait, you can see and hear the whole thing by simply standing behind the last row of seats.

 

[Epaima]

Last year on Christmas Day, my family saw the CP and then ate at Chefs de France. We didn't book the package, waited in line about one hour for the CP, and then went to our reservation with a 1/2 hour to spare beforehand. In my opinion, if you want to see the CP, don't waste an extra dining credit on the package for no real benefits (you still have to wait in line even for the package seating).

 

[cruisingkat]

The first year we saw the Candlelight Processional, we didn't do the package. We ended up standing (seats were all taken) for the entire show. I vowed never to do that again. If there is a popular narrator or it is a weekend or close to Christmas, you might not be able to get a seat - even if you arrive early and stand in the standby line.
With the dinner package, you are assured of seating and are the first to be admitted before the standby line enters.
You really don't need to stand in line with the package - unless you want to be the first in. We got in the package line about 15 minutes or so before they admitted the package people and still got great seats - under the canopy.
We don't do the dining plan but pay OOP. We found that what we ordered came pretty close to the package price so we really didn't pay that much of a premium for package. We don't bother with the illuminations preferred viewing spot- we do the late show and hubby can't walk that fast with his boot for heel spurs to be able to get a good viewing spot as there are people from three different dinner package times in that veiwing spot.

 

[nytimez]

We don't do the dining plan but pay OOP. We found that what we ordered came pretty close to the package price so we really didn't pay that much of a premium for package.

Anyone making plans shouldn't count on this being the case. In most cases, even paying OOP you will pay a significant premium for your food to book the CP package... especially for the dinners.

 

[cruisingkat]

We ate dinner two years ago at Chefs de France for the Candlelight Processional and our meal (based on menu prices) which included our appetizer choice, entree choice, dessert choice and coffee was only about $5 - $8 less per person than the package price we paid. (The same price difference was true at Restaurant Marrakesh last year.) It all depends on what you actually order - at Chefs, we had escargot for an appetizer and the tenderloin of beef was our entree plus dessert and coffee. There seems to be a greater difference between a dinner price and package price at buffet places like Biergarten.

 

[Brian Noble]

I think it's a question you have to decide for yourself. What's more important to *you*; seeing the Processional, or having that extra lunch included in your dining plan?

If it were *me*, I'd get the package and pay OOP for lunch at Liberty Tree. Lunch there is very reasonably priced, and so you can think of the cost of that lunch as "the extra" you are paying for CP.

However, I've not yet seen CP in person---I haven't even been for the holidays. But, I would really enjoy it; I have the Phylicia Rashad-narrated CD, and play it ever year around Christmas. If I'd seen it before, or it wasn't that important to me, I might think differently.

 

[vsimeone]

Hmmm... we've done this both ways. in 2004 and 2006 we did the CP package on Christmas Eve and got great seats for CP. In 2008, I can't remember the exact circumstances (was it 2 credits then?) but we did not do the package and waited in the standby line. We still had REALLY good seats on Christmas Eve at the 8pm show.

We're planning to risk it again this year. We LOVE to do CP on Christmas Eve. Even though my "kids" will be 20 and 23 this trip, it's still our way to remind them of the "true meaning of Christmas" even if you are in Disney!

We have 5:15 ADRs at LeCellier and will plan to jump in the standby line for the 8pm show as soon as we're done eating. The last time I was as LeCellier, they offered a Cafe Latte to go instead of a dessert which will be perfect to sip while waiting in line. If need be, the kids can browse in some nearby shops while I hold a place.

If worse comes to worse, we'll watch from behind the seats but I'm willing to bet we get to sit SOMEWHERE!

Best wishes on your decision! Have a wonderful Christmas season in the World!

 

[Hopefully]

I have not actually been to the CP, but would very much like to see it.
If I had to make your choice I would agree with Brian Noble.
I would pay OOP for LTT lunch. It is very reasonable. I would book the CP package so that I didn't spend hours in the standby line for not the best seats.