How Early Should We Line Up for Candlelight Processional?

[scrappinginontario]

We are going to see this on a Monday afternoon mid-December. Our plan is to see the 5:00 show.

How early would you recommend we line up? This is one of the reasons we are making this trip so it's important for us to see it.

Our current plan is to line up at 3:00. What are the thoughts of those who have attended CP in recent years?

 

[sharonabe]

So much of this depends on the narrator. If it is someone well known, there are a lot of people who are going to want to see them, and you're going to need to line up much earlier. The best you can do is be in WS no later than 2:00 and start watching the line form. If it looks like it's getting really long, you're going to want to get in it and wait it out.

The one thing you have in your favor is the timing of your visit. By then, we'll know if they are giving out wristbands early in the day for people to come back for their specific show. We'll also see how the ability for CP dinner pkg people to pick the show they want is affecting this 5:00 show. In the past, the 5:00 was fairly crowded because this was the only show tied to the lunch pkg which is cheaper. Now, people can do the cheaper lunch meal and still pick a later show. This may mean there's a lot more room for stand-by people in that first show.

 

[maxiesmom]

Are you going to have the dinner package or not? Who will be narrating? Both of those things make a big difference.

I was just at Epcot for the Food and Wine Festival. Rick Springfield was performing that night. The line up of people who paid for the dinner package (and better seats) was very very long. Plus there were people who had FPs for the show. I'm not sure any of the stand by line was seated, it really didn't look like it. I'm going to say if it is someone you really want to see, pay for a diner package. Or else you could stand in line for an hour or so and still not get in.

 

[hiroMYhero]

Standby wristbands were given out for the Eat to the Beat concerts. Those with the Standby wristbands were seated in the front left of the amphitheater. Wristbands for the corresponding shows were handed out at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00.

Keep watching for info to see if wristbands are handed out for Candlelight.

 

[Bete]

I would highly recommend the dinner package for Candlelight Processional. Biergarten is probably one of the cheapest packages you can do. Even with the package I would still line up an hour ahead or more to get front and center seats.

The package guarantees you a seat if you get there on time.

 

[Disneylover99]

Standby wristbands were given out for the Eat to the Beat concerts. Those with the Standby wristbands were seated in the front left of the amphitheater. Wristbands for the corresponding shows were handed out at 1:00, 3:00, and 5:00.

Keep watching for info to see if wristbands are handed out for Candlelight.

Yep, they did the wristbands for standby last year at the CP. That's the way to go, if they offer it again this year.

 

[warrior64]

How do the wristbands work? When can you get them?

 

[Robo]

How do the wristbands work? When can you get them?

Last year:
Show up early (afternoon,) day-of, get a wristband for X show that night.
Arrive before that show, get into that show's wristband seating.

Nobody knows how they will work (of if they will use them) this year.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Thanks everyone! Your information is so helpful yet at the same time now I'm questioning what we've booked.

The narrator the night we're there is Merideth Vierra. We just booked a quick 3 day trip and didn't get the dinner package as it would take 2 credits. Now I'm questioning if we might want to do that and just pay OOP for another meal. I would do this but I need to check with my mom who is paying the lion's share of this trip as it's a Christmas gift from she and dad.

We had booked an early lunch at Coral Reef so that we could get back in to WS in time to get in line. 2:00 wouldn't be a problem but since our lunch is 12:30 we wouldn't be there in time for 1:00 if they handed out wristbands at that time. Ugh! Such decisions. Guess I'll talk with her and see what she would like to do.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

[Jon84]

We were near the back of the package queue when we saw Whoopi Goldberg narrate. We easily got in, had to walk around for about 2 mins to find a spot, everyone is in good spirits and more than happy to move along the rows etc.

Non package folks did struggle to get seats together for larger parties

 

[lovndisney12]

Thanks everyone! Your information is so helpful yet at the same time now I'm questioning what we've booked.

The narrator the night we're there is Merideth Vierra. We just booked a quick 3 day trip and didn't get the dinner package as it would take 2 credits. Now I'm questioning if we might want to do that and just pay OOP for another meal. I would do this but I need to check with my mom who is paying the lion's share of this trip as it's a Christmas gift from she and dad.

We had booked an early lunch at Coral Reef so that we could get back in to WS in time to get in line. 2:00 wouldn't be a problem but since our lunch is 12:30 we wouldn't be there in time for 1:00 if they handed out wristbands at that time. Ugh! Such decisions. Guess I'll talk with her and see what she would like to do.

Thanks again for all your help!

We are doing the package and on the dining plan. I too struggled with giving up 2 credits. BUT, do know that you can always share other credits and like you mentioned pay OOP. That is what we plan to do so that using 2 credits on CP will be made up either with paying OOP for a less expensive meal (say a sandwich, appetizer, or maybe even just soup or salad or dessert) or with DH and I sharing a meal another time.(You can't share the CP package) This way we know we will have seats and won't be worrying about it all day and won't waste hours in line.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Thanks @lovndisney12 . I think you've found a great solution. For ourselves we've decided to do our best to see CP if we can and if it doesn't happen we'll just have to be okay with that. I'll admit it's not my first choice but I need to remember it's not all about me and I need to do what is best for the entire group and this time it's to possibly miss CP. Mom said we could still go but that would mean splitting up for dining and for the CP. Since this trip is a gift from them and it's only a short 3 day trip, I cannot in good conscience separate from them for the majority of the day when they gifted this trip for a time for us to all be together.

I'm not giving up hope, just preparing that we may not get in.

 

[scrappinginontario]

Where does the line form for wristbands?

 

[Disneylover99]

Where does the line form for wristbands?

They started giving out wristbands at about 1pm. right in front of the open air theatre in America (where the CP is held). They gave out a certain number for the first show, then the second, then the third. Everyone had to be present to get a wristband.

We got wristbands for the first show. We bypassed both the standby line (without wristbands) and the dinner package line and walked right in 15 minute before the show. It was awesome! If they offer it again this year, I think it's the best way to go.

 

[lovndisney12]

Thanks @lovndisney12 . I think you've found a great solution. For ourselves we've decided to do our best to see CP if we can and if it doesn't happen we'll just have to be okay with that. I'll admit it's not my first choice but I need to remember it's not all about me and I need to do what is best for the entire group and this time it's to possibly miss CP. Mom said we could still go but that would mean splitting up for dining and for the CP. Since this trip is a gift from them and it's only a short 3 day trip, I cannot in good conscience separate from them for the majority of the day when they gifted this trip for a time for us to all be together.

I'm not giving up hope, just preparing that we may not get in.

You sound like a wonderful daughter! Hoping they do the bands so it works out well for your whole family.

 

[georgina]

Thanks @lovndisney12 . I think you've found a great solution. For ourselves we've decided to do our best to see CP if we can and if it doesn't happen we'll just have to be okay with that. I'll admit it's not my first choice but I need to remember it's not all about me and I need to do what is best for the entire group and this time it's to possibly miss CP. Mom said we could still go but that would mean splitting up for dining and for the CP. Since this trip is a gift from them and it's only a short 3 day trip, I cannot in good conscience separate from them for the majority of the day when they gifted this trip for a time for us to all be together.

I'm not giving up hope, just preparing that we may not get in.

If all else fails, you can see and hear the performance very well from outside the theater. We walked up 15 minutes before the last show on a Friday in mid-December last year and had a great view from outside the theater. Your parents may not want to stand for the show but there are seats nearby from which they could hear.

 

[Robo]

Below is the "American Gardens Theater" where the CP is performed.
It sits in front of "The American Adventure" building at the south edge of Epcot's World Showcase Lagoon.
("American Gardens Theater" is labelled #11 on the bottom map below.)

 

[scrappinginontario]

Thanks everyone! All worked out well. I'd forgotten dining plan was based on number of nights of our stay so we still had one credit we hadn't used. We switched over to the candlelight processional dinner package and will have reserved dating for the 6:45 show! SO thankful it all worked out!

Thanks again for your help everyone! Lots of great info here that hopefully will help others too!