Do I need a dining package for Candlelight Processional on 12/20?

[basketlacey]

We’ve never been at Christmas but we’re seasoned visitors. We plan to do CP on 12/20. Do I need a dining package? Does it fill up? If it fills up, can you still see with standing room only?

Thanks for any advice you can provide on what to expect.

 

[Allison]

For Neil Patrick Harris, who is one of the most popular narrators at a time when crowds are starting to grow for the holiday, I would. I wonder if you can even get a dining package at this date.

Out of curiosity, I did a search for a party of two on that day and came up with nothing. Those shows are going to fill up.

 

[Ashmagash]

For NPH it is not unheard of for people to get in line as soon as World Showcase opens. So it depends on how long you are willing to wait in line. Even with the dining package people get in line an hour or so before the show they are assigned to. I would agree with above that I doubt there are any openings for the dining package currently and you will need to watch for cancellations. Good luck!

 

[disneyguy07]

Its the only way guarantee that you'll get a seat, otherwise its possible you could wait in the standby line and never get a seat.

 

[BriLovesDisney]

For NPH, I would say yes.

 

[Lorelei18]

I'd follow the Disboards cancellation thread for December 2017. Lunch reservation are for the 5pm or 6:45pm shows and dinner is for the 8:15pm show I believe.

 

[sharonabe]

If it fills up, can you still see with standing room only?

For most shows, yes, you can stand on the walkway behind the theater and still see, sort of, but you definitely miss the ambiance of the candlelight.

However, for NPH, I would expect that walkway to be VERY crowded and sight lines will be limited due to the crowd size that will form. It's not like fireworks that are over your head. You're looking down into the theater and the stage from the walkway, so if you're not in the front of that crowd, you won't see much of anything.

 

[Snakebyte]

I personally think that it is time that Disney tears down the American Gardens Theater and updates it with a new one. Epcot is going to get a lot busier in a few years and with more people coming, it will be even harder to get a seat. I have a couple ideas about what Disney could do. I think you can reconfigure the stage and seating area to accommodate more people. Now I’m not talking about adding so many more seats that it doesn’t becomes an intimate show, but come on a few more rows won’t hurt. Then put roofing over the whole theater so that every seat is covered. Again, not only would the sound echo better throughout the theater and make it more magical, it will help it when it rains so everyone can still enjoy the show. Now with more roofing means you can add a few TV monitor with close-up shots of the narrators faces so that the people in the back can see their expressions more clearly like what bands do at music concerts. I think Disney is missing an opportunity to get some great PR on this show and instead of them saying “don’t fix what isn’t broke” to a “we are going to make the experience better for more guests” would be a good thing. Plus, Disney can sell more Dining Packages.