For those that just did the 2009 Candlelight Processional dinner...

[NOLA_Tink]

Please share your recent experience. I'd really like to read about the new changes from those that have done it. (We have ADRs at Le Cellier for CP, but I'd love to hear about everyone's experience.) Thanks for your input!!!

 

[HeatherBelle614]

Bump!

I'm curious, too!

 

[KarlaG4Kids]

I want to hear about your experiences too. Where is the viewing area for Illuminations? Did you have to stand in line for long to get a decent seat at the CP?

 

[cinderella97]

bumping again! I hope to hear some reviews!

 

[Cinderella1122]

I would like some information as well.

 

[safetymom]

I did it on Friday. We ate at Rose and Crown at 3:50 and did the 6:45 CP. At the end of dinner they gave us our badges for CP and Illuminations. We were given Showcase Plaza as the place to view Illuminations.

 

[mdwings]

Does anyone know if the viewing area you are assigned to is related to which restaraunt you have dinner reservations with or is there one, large viewing area reserved for al CP participants? We have Chefs de France ressies on Christmas Day. Any ideas where our viewing area may be?

 

[Hoppypooh]

There is already a thread going about CP viewing locations:

http://www.disboards.com/showthread.php?t=2339656

 

[Praying Colonel]

Please share your recent experience. I'd really like to read about the new changes from those that have done it. (We have ADRs at Le Cellier for CP, but I'd love to hear about everyone's experience.) Thanks for your input!!!

We (and by "we", I mean "I" ) didn't realize that CP would be on during our visit until about 30 days before our trip. So when I called, the only thing that was available was Biergarten at 4:00 pm for the 6:45 CP show that evening. We'd never tried Biergarten before but thought it would be interesting, so we took it.

I don't know if Biergarten is usually very, very, unbearably, very, tediously, very, very slow to get you in for your ADR, or whether the backup was due to the an influx of CP guests, or some other reason, but it took them quite a while to seat us. We checked in at 3:50 and our name was called around 4:35. In the meantime things backed up big-time: it seemed like 2-3 dozen people checked in and/or were waiting in a long line to get checked in, and some get very frustrated and asked for the manager. When we finally got in, the place was about half empty, so I have no idea why it took so long.

I also don't know if it's usual for Biergarten, but it seemed that there were quite long lines at both buffets. We were probably one of their first dinner customers so we didn't have a very long wait, but at the end of our dinner we noticed the 2 lines stretched back and circled around each other until you had 2 intersecting snakes of miffed guests waiting to get their food.

Speaking of the food--very, very good. Loved the Sauerbraten, the red cabbage, the potato dumplings, the bratwurst, the sauekraut and the dessert. It was fun sitting with another family, and we enjoyed the show, too. They sang some carols such as Silent Night, and it was very nice. It just seemed they were not ready for the crowd they got for dinner.

The CP was wonderful--Isabella Rosselini was fantastic, and the music and lighting were amazing. It was DW's favorite event of the entire week. We got in line for the reserved seating about 30 minutes before the show and got great seats--mid-row, about halfway back. They let in a lot of standby guests, but I couldn't tell if everyone who was waiting standby got a seat.

We also got reserved Illuminations viewing, in the Showcase Plaza area between the 2 gift shops. The area felt about 1/3 full, at most--probably because of the cold temperatures that evening (low 50s by the time Illuminations started). It was a nice little perk.

Overall, we enjoyed the CP package experience very much. 2 TS credits for Biergarten was steep (especially given their issues with managing the crowd), but it was probably our 1 time to see the CP and we wanted to make sure we saw it. We found we had too much food with the DDP, anyway, so it wasn't a big deal for us to use 2 TS credits.

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Thanks for your feedback!

Praying Colonel, I would have loved to have seen Isabella Rosselini. We'll be there for Whoopi Goldberg & my mom is thrilled about seeing her. I always really enjoyed the food at Biergarten. Minus the buffet chaos, I'm happy to hear that you had a good CP experience.

Safetymom, thanks for sharing! Was an appetizer included at Rose & Crown? At first, the CMs that I spoke to said that an app would be included, but the info that I've seen lately doesn't have anything about apps. Thanks!

Everyone else that's recently experience a CP dining package, please share! Thanks!!!

 

[safetymom]

Yes the appetizer was included at Rose and Crown.

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Yes the appetizer was included at Rose and Crown.

Awesome! Thanks again!

 

[happypooh]

We had reservations for the package at Biergarden for the 5pm show and decided to just have lunch there and not pay extra for the package. We were able to line up and actually our line seemed shorter than the line with those with CP packages but we did get to sit further back so we sat probably just a little behind half way back. We lined up for 45 mins and it went real quick as we decided to go to the 645p show as we wanted to go to the Members Mixer which was really good. Overall I was glad given our time restraints to be able to go to the DVC event and still get to see the CP even though the seats were a little further away. We've been to the CP before and when we had the package we were really close and actually needed to give the kids ear muffs as the music was really really loud. This time the music was just right and the ear muffs stayed in the bag! We had a long lens on our camera so we were still able to get good photos but our video camera didn't have a good zoom so that didn't turn out as well as if we were sitting closer so if you need to video or take close up photos then definitely go for the package! Either way it is a neat thing to see and we loved seeing Stephen Curtis Chapman narrate.

 

[GoofyFamily3]

We have CP ADR at Rose & Crown however I did not know it included Illumination reserved seating. Is this automatic or an extra?

 

[safetymom]

It is not preferred seating but a preferred viewing area for Illuminations. This is new this year. If you booked a CP package you will have this.

 

[disneybride96]

Waste of money IMHO. We went on Monday and did not use the CP package this year. We do the dining plan, and it just seemed crazy to me to use 2 table service credits for the same meal that should just cost me one! We had a 5:10 ADR at Teppan Edo then walked straight though the que for the 6:45 show. Now...our seats weren't outstanding, but they were as good as last year when we were on the package. John O'Hurley was great!!!

 

[NOLA_Tink]

Thanks again for all of the replies! We did the CP package this past Friday, Dec. 18, & I felt that it was incredibly worth it for us. We had a 3:30 pm ADR at Le Cellier for the 6:45 pm CP show & the timing was perfect. It gave us enough time to really enjoy our meal & leisurely meander to the Candlelight Processional area. I was also REALLY happy that we did the package, b/c the stand-by line was crazy long & it looked as though many people didn't make it into the show. (The same seemed to be true for the 8:15 pm show.) Our apps, entrees, and desserts at Le Cellier were delicious, as always, and Whoopi did a phenomenal job as our CP narrator. It was very obvious that she was enjoying herself & her personal message at the end was heart-felt. She was even singing along with the chorus and had a huge smile on her face the entire time. I am so happy that we were able to have this experience. For the extra money/credits, I was relieved to know that we would have a great meal & a definite seat for the show. I'd love to do it again in the future.

 

[luvmarypoppins]

I just wanted to say if they keep the rules the same for next year there is also no way I would do a category 1 or 2 restraunt to use 2 ts credits on the dining plan for the cp package.That would so not be worth it. I would only use 2 for a category 3 restraunt. We did Tutto Italia.

 

[NOLA_Tink]

I just wanted to say if they keep the rules the same for next year there is also no way I would do a category 1 or 2 restraunt to use 2 ts credits on the dining plan for the cp package.That would so not be worth it. I would only use 2 for a category 3 restraunt. We did Tutto Italia.

Did you do the CP package? Since the thread is about sharing your CP package experience with others, we'd like to hear about yours also. Thanks!

 

[DisneyLover83]

We did the CP Package on 12/20 at Tutto for the 8:15pm show. We paid OOP as we didn't want to spend 2 credits at a 1 credit place. We saw the massive line for CP seating at 7:15pm So we got in line and I was glad we did...... we were more than half way back! Glad we did the package but I didn't realize how long the line would be still!