How long is the Candlelight Processional?

[ms_missy66]

I am just beyond giddy...we're off to WDW in six days!!!!!!!!!!!!! As we get closer, I have a question. How long is the Candlelight Processional show? And if we have CP dining reservations, how early do we need to get seated? The show is at 6:45 PM. Since we have reserved seating, if we got there 15 minutes prior, would that be okay? I'd love to hear others' experiences. We've got a 5 and 4 year old and I'm praying they sit through it because it one of the things I'm most looking forward too!

Thanks in advance, everyone!

 

[Hayloburger]

OUr show was almost an hour...we just went 12/5. It was fantastic. This was our experience (it was our first time, so i have nothing to compare it to):
4:10 PM Coral Reef Ressie (seated immediately)
5:45pm left Coral Reef (I thought that was long for dinner, but I have read alot of posts that say allow 1.5hr -2 hr for a TS) ...before leaving I asked our waitress when I should get in line for CP, she said 15 minutes would be fine. Well, after spending hours on the DIS prior to the trip, that didn't sound right.

We walked back to the World Showcase (thinking we would have time to do a few pavillions nearby)...wrong. The line was HUGE. I thought it was the standby line at first. This was about 6:00pm for the 6:45 show. The people in front of us were locals (they go 3 times per year) and he said that it was by far the worst he has ever seen it. He said that in past years he got in line 15 minutes prior. He also said that this was the farthest back that he has ever sat! We sat in the middle about 6 rows from the back....and we got in line 45 minutes prior. I felt we had good seats, though.

I really can't imagine that any stand-by people got in that night. It's extremely popular and I think everyone has caught on!!!

It's a fantastic show, you will love it. Our kids loved in, they are 7 and 4 now.

We were at Epcot on Wednesday 12/3 and the stand by line was lining up really early for the 5pm show....i'm not sure exactly what time it was,but i think think that it was about 90 minutes prior, maybe more. I was glad that I had booked the dinner package for later in the week.
Let me know if you have any other questions, I will try to answer!
Linda

 

[Hayloburger]

Maybe I can explain how they do the reserved seating. You will receive a sticker from your waitstaff at dinner. Then you go and get in line to file in with all the other dinner package people. No seats are reserved, you just sit where you want. Then after all the dinner package people are in,they will let the stand by people fill in.

So, your seating will depend on how early you get in line. Does that make sense? I got in line 45 -50 minutes prior to my show, and I was sitting 6 rows from the back (all the seats in the theatre looked like good seats, though).

We just spent 8 WONDERFUL days at Wilderness Lodge. Crowds were low...we never waited over 15 minutes for anything (unless it was for cocoa during MVMCP!). We had really cold days and really warm days. We waited less than 10 minutes for Expedition Everest and road it twice in less than 20 minutes. We road Kali River Rapids 5 times in a row (and it was a pretty warm day). The decorations are awesome. MK seemed a little more "exciting" than usual (is that possible?).....the holidays were in the air.
You are going to have a fabulous time!

 

[andysgirl360]

We just spent 8 WONDERFUL days at Wilderness Lodge. Crowds were low...we never waited over 15 minutes for anything (unless it was for cocoa during MVMCP!). We had really cold days and really warm days. We waited less than 10 minutes for Expedition Everest and road it twice in less than 20 minutes. We road Kali River Rapids 5 times in a row (and it was a pretty warm day). The decorations are awesome. MK seemed a little more "exciting" than usual (is that possible?).....the holidays were in the air.
You are going to have a fabulous time!

That is good to know...we are booked for next Dec at the WL for the same time as you went this year....I've been reading other threads where people said the first week of Dec was getting busy and crowded...so I am glad to hear your report! It will be our first time at WDW at Christmas time and my parents first trip ever.