Candlelight processional strategy for avoiding crowds?

[starshine514]

So, we tacked two nights at Disneyland on to our San Diego vacation. We'll be there the evening of Friday, December 2 and all day Saturday, December 3. Now, we have APs and don't have to do everything. Our goals are to see the Paint the Night parade and to have a good time. I just realized that we are probably there for the candlelight processional. Now, this has never been something that I've been the least bit interested in, so I know next to nothing about it. I searched and keep seeing it referenced, but am not really sure when it is or how I should avoid it.

Can someone help me out with when it is (what days - it's in the evening, right?) and when it starts becoming a problem for moving around on Main Street? Does it clog up Main Street all evening?

Thanks!

 

[Malcon10t]

It will be Dec. 3rd. The performance is in front of the train station. The choir comes down the middle of Main St just before 530p and 745p. It begins getting very busy in the Town Square area about 3p. People will begin holding spots on Main St in the early morning, but real congestion begins about 3. To avoid it, stay away from Main St after 230p or so. To exit the park, use the Monorail, or expect to take your time going the overflow walkway behind the Main St stores. Entering the park, you will be directed to the right and use the overflow walkway behind the stores to head to the Hub area.

 

[DL_Forever]

We booked a trip the weekend of the Candlelight Processional about 4 years ago and it was madness trying to walk down main street once it hit about noon. I agree with the person above, use the monorail to exit the park.

 

[starshine514]

It will be Dec. 3rd. The performance is in front of the train station. The choir comes down the middle of Main St just before 530p and 745p. It begins getting very busy in the Town Square area about 3p. People will begin holding spots on Main St in the early morning, but real congestion begins about 3. To avoid it, stay away from Main St after 230p or so. To exit the park, use the Monorail, or expect to take your time going the overflow walkway behind the Main St stores. Entering the park, you will be directed to the right and use the overflow walkway behind the stores to head to the Hub area.

That is very helpful. We've survived the Christmas parade filming, surely we can survive the candlelight processional. However, with a a wheelchair and stroller, I'd prefer to avoid congestion, if possible.

 

[Darkbeer1]

The traffic control for Saturday and Sunday is a counter clockwise direction when using the main entrance to Disneyland, so they will send you to the right side, and have marked pathways that they try and keep clear all day and night.

As for Paint the Night, on Friday, there are 2 showings (6:30 and 10:30 PM), On Saturday and Sunday, due to Candlelight, there will only be one showing of Paint the Night at 10:45 PM. If you want to see the Saturday version, I strongly recommend you watch from the "it's a small world" area and avoid Main Street.

Also on Saturday and Sunday,the Christmas Parade is offered earlier in the day,and has a weird parade route,basically from "iasw" to the Central Hub, where they cram in the floats, so they can turn around and go back to"iasw" and don't go down Main Street. (A couple of the floats won't be offered due to space limits). So that is something to do on Friday if you can.

Also, I personally like watching the Christmas Fireworks and Snow effect from the central area of Main Street due to the snow effect and the lighting. So another thing that I would want to focus on Friday.

 

[cruisehopeful]

When we attended on a night a few years ago (didn't know it was going on), we arrived just before the first showing and main street was clogged and moved extremely slowly. Even attempting to cut through the stores wasn't helpful. They had all made it so anyone going into the park was on the right side of the street and those going the opposite direction were on the other side of the street and there was no way to cross the street. We wanted to go to Candy Palace, but we couldn't unless we wanted to walk extremely slowly all the way to the end of Main street, then cross the street and walk very slowly back to Candy Palace. Then, we would have had to walk all the way back to the entrance area to be able to walk back up Main Street.

 

[starshine514]

The traffic control for Saturday and Sunday is a counter clockwise direction when using the main entrance to Disneyland, so they will send you to the right side, and have marked pathways that they try and keep clear all day and night.

As for Paint the Night, on Friday, there are 2 showings (6:30 and 10:30 PM), On Saturday and Sunday, due to Candlelight, there will only be one showing of Paint the Night at 10:45 PM. If you want to see the Saturday version, I strongly recommend you watch from the "it's a small world" area and avoid Main Street.

Also on Saturday and Sunday,the Christmas Parade is offered earlier in the day,and has a weird parade route,basically from "iasw" to the Central Hub, where they cram in the floats, so they can turn around and go back to"iasw" and don't go down Main Street. (A couple of the floats won't be offered due to space limits). So that is something to do on Friday if you can.

Also, I personally like watching the Christmas Fireworks and Snow effect from the central area of Main Street due to the snow effect and the lighting. So another thing that I would want to focus on Friday.

Thank you for all those tips! I really appreciate the advice and will try to see all of those on Friday.

 

[Malcon10t]

My experience with the Christmas parade the last 5 years has been it comes up Main St to Town Square, but instead of circling Town Square, it turns a hard left at the tree to go backstage. This will also happen with the Paint The Night floats. (I think even Mack was able to make the turn, surprisingly, but he may have been left out. My brain says he was there...)

Here is a pic of them coming from this route on the second parade. (BTW - No Toy Soldiers this year!)

 

[Niltiac]

I went last year and I thought the traffic control was great. I would avoid trying to do anything on main street in the evening on Saturday, because with one-way foot traffic it's difficult to try to get somewhere specific on main street. However, I wouldn't hesitate to use main street to enter or exit. I did this several times during and before the processional, and there were plenty of CM's keeping the traffic moving, so it didn't take longer than usual.