How does the Candlelight Processional work...

[Brady's Mom]

We are going in Dec. Hoping to be there for the CP, since we don't know for sure which days it actually is. We know it is usually the first weekend in Dec. Which is why we are going then. I have never been to DLR for Christmas and we want to see the CP. I know it will be crazy busy and everything, but, I am going anyway!!

So, do you have to have tickets for the Processional, or is it included in the cost of my 6 day park hopper?

We will be in DLR from Dec. 7-12. We arrive in Anaheim sometime in the early afternoon on Sun. and then are leaving in the early afternoon on Friday. We decided to include a six day hopper instead of a 5 day so we could go to DL before we leave on Friday.

We are driving from Utah and staying in Las Vegas for the night on the Sat. before and the Fri. night after. Or we might stay in Mesquite on Fri. night. This breaks up our 10 or 11 hour drive into more manageable pieces, especially with a 4 year old.

Thanks

 

[CrazyDuck]

How does the Candlelight Processional work...

Thousands of prople flood Main St. so if you are in the park you can't get out... If you are out of the park you can't get in! That's all I remember about it!

BTW I though people from Utah are not allowed to visit Las Vegas?

 

[Brady's Mom]

I don't know? Is there some kind of weird Utah law that prevents people from here going to Las Vegas? There could be. Since there seem to be all kinds of other weird Utah laws. (We're originally from California )

 

[EmmersIsTheMommy]

If that's true, I break the law a lot. Uh oh.

Anyway, I'd totally stay in vegas..off the strip to be cheaper. We always do vegas instead of mesquite. It's just another hour and a half shaved off the next day, ya know?

I've got nothing constructive about the processional..but I wanted to know about it too. We're leaving the first saturday in Dec tho..so sounds like we'll miss it?

 

[CrazyDuck]

Isn't the Mormon church building a big wall on the Utah/Nevada border to keep their parishioners safe?

Just messin with ya guys!

 

[LVdisneyChick]

Isn't the Mormon church building a big wall on the Utah/Nevada border to keep their parishioners safe?

Just messin with ya guys!

lol....they probably should

 

[Brady's Mom]

You guys are hilarious! I have had the best laugh this afternoon.

But, I still need the info. So consider this a "bump" to keep the question at the top.

 

[DisneyMomma81]

I think most of us "Mormons" prefer LDS, short for Latter Day Saint which is short for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

That's all I have ~ don't have any info on the CP ~ we'll get there on Mon. the 8th so we (along with you) get to deal with the the CM parties.

PS ~ Don't assume just because someone is from/lives in UT that they are LDS ~ there are plenty who aren't, in fact where I live I feel very outnumbered and that's really no big deal.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

As long as people don't mock my beliefs and faith, I don't mind if they refer to me as Mormon or LDS. And to this point, this thread has been just fine.

I went to Vegas frequently for BYU sporting events when I attended BYU and found that we could save a lot of money on food because the casinos made the food prices cheaper, but since we didn't gamble, we came out ahead. And actually, there's a substantial LDS population in the Las Vegas area(just look at all the BYU fans at sporting events there. There is no way those are all visitors who made the drive for the game).

Now, as for the Candlelight Processional, as I understand it, tickets go on sale in November to AP holders first and usually don't make it to the general public because they sell out. My understanding is that the ticket gets you a guaranteed seat to watch the processional, but that you can still see it if you don't have a ticket. Given that it's on Main Street, there's really no way they can restrict it.

I'm also interested in more concrete information. I've wanted to do the processional for years, but this is the year it should happen.

 

[biolabetty]

I've been fortunate to get tickets to CP for the past 4 years. They always say that there is no guarantee that any dinner packages will be available to APs, but they've done it anyway. They sometimes don't even announce who the narrator is by the time tickets go on sale, which is usually early to mid November. There are different levels of dinner package prices, but it really doesn't effect where you end up sitting, I've had the cheapest and the most expensive and ended up in the same area. Club 33 and special guests usually get their tickets first.

You don't have to have a ticket to see the processional, it just makes it nice to not have to wait for a long time to see it. I hope they improve their ticket purchasing process this year, the past 2 years have been horrible, and their system has crashed within minutes of opening time. I got to the final purchase page 3 times last year, thinking I had got my tickets, only to find out that when I did that final click to pay, they were no longer available. They used to have people call into Disney Dining to make reservations, but this was supposed to be an improvement. 2 years ago the system crashed, and there was no one around to contact since they did it on a Sunday morning. It was down for days and they had to honor the people who had been stuck in the system when it crashed, and then re-do the process several days later for others to get their opportunity.

There are only 4 performances, 2 on the Saturday and 2 on the Sunday, which is why it is so hard to get a ticket. I love the CP, but they really need to work on the ticketing process.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Thanks for the info. How do the dinner packages work?

 

[biolabetty]

Thanks for the info. How do the dinner packages work?

Last year, they offered dinner packages that you prepaid, and then at the end of your meal you receive your tickets. The prices went up about $25 last year for almost every level from the previous year. The restaurants and prices were:

$75 - Storyteller's Cafe or Hook's Pointe
$100 - Steakhouse 55, Vineyard Room, or Yamabuki
$125 - Napa Rose - this level was only offered to AP holders

The general public had a shot at buying them last year on the internet, and from what I learned, the lowest priced ones go quickly. Once you got your tickets, you went over to DL and presented your tickets to the CMs in the area in front of the Mickey head floral display below the train station. Then they would direct you to your appropriate line, and you would wait until they seated you. They put you where they want you, you don't have the freedom to select your seat. We were fortunate last year because we ended up being in the first row in the center. I believe you have to be there at least 45 minutes before showtime in order to keep your spot, it said something to that effect on the back of the ticket.

 

[Brady's Mom]

Thanks for the info. I had no idea it was a "ticketed" event. I understood it was on Main Street and you could just see it. Even if you don't have a ticket are there good places to still see the processional from?

And does anyone know how long it lasts?

And I am also LDS, but thought Sy's jokes were really funny.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Do you have to buy a dinner package to get the tickets or is there a separate ticket only option?

 

[Jenn1116]

Wow, thanks for the great info. Our departure date is Sunday and I was hoping to see at least part of CP. I had no clue that it was a tickets event either!! Based on the cost and the crowds I am now thinking it is skippable... but I was still hoping to see a little bit, if not just hear it.

Is it possible to get a bench in the hub and still hear everything, even if you can't see? If so, how early should we be there to grab a bench?

 

[biolabetty]

Sure, you can still see and hear the CP if you don't have a ticket. Unfortunately, there is no ticket only option, they've only been done with the dinner packages. The procession comes down Main Street and ends at the train station where everyone is seated. You can get a spot on a bench and watch it, but you do have to get there very early. I've seen people sit there from opening of the park until it was time for the CP. Plus, it seems that every time the CP is coming up, socal gets an unusual rainstorm. I had a performance get rained out one year and was given 4 tickets to DL and a Fantasmic balcony seating in return for my unused CP tickets. I was sad to miss the CP, but didn't mind the compensation at all.

 

[Sleepless Knight]

Thanks for the information. Given the size of our group and the prices, I don't see us doing a dinner package, so we'll have to camp out. Around what time is the first showing?

 

[biolabetty]

I'm trying to remember for sure, but I believe the times were 5:30 and 8:00 performances for both the Saturday and Sunday. The show is about an hour long.

 

[Brady's Mom]

Bump!