Whos in the crowd waiting for the candlelight processional

[chrisaman]

Hour early and everything is already packed with people. Can't wait

 

[tinkmt]

We are in the back of the park and its SUPER packed. Wall to wall people. We already got a spot for Fantasmic! We learned our lesson yseterday trying to get a spot. We missed the parade every day we have been here because we waited until an hour before the parade to get a spot. The parks have been more crowded thisweekend then I have ever seen it this same time previous years. Every ride has been at a 30-45 minute wait.

 

[Sherry E]

We are in the back of the park and its SUPER packed. Wall to wall people. We already got a spot for Fantasmic! We learned our lesson yseterday trying to get a spot. We missed the parade every day we have been here because we waited until an hour before the parade to get a spot. The parks have been more crowded thisweekend then I have ever seen it this same time previous years. Every ride has been at a 30-45 minute wait.

The parks are super packed today and this weekend because there are multiple events going on at one time, whereas normally on this weekend it would just be Candlelight.

Today there are RaverDay attendees around the parks, as well as likely pharmacists/Midyear Meeting attendees (their Midyear Meeting takes place in Anaheim starting tomorrow, and the attendees got great rates to stay onsite at the 3 DLR hotels), along with the usual Candlelight attendees. This was the first year in my recent memory that all of the Disney hotels were booked up this weekend. They have not been fully booked for the last several years on this same weekend.

There were also probably extra people in the parks today, after the special limited edition pin event and signing in the GCH lobby (in the morning).

The Candlelight crowds on their own can be daunting at times -- but not impossible to deal with. Throw in other events that will bring a lot of people as well, and you have a super packed weekend!

 

[tinkmt]

The parks are super packed today and this weekend because there are multiple events going on at one time, whereas normally on this weekend it would just be Candlelight. Today there are RaverDay attendees around the parks, as well as likely pharmacists/Midyear Meeting attendees (their Midyear Meeting takes place in Anaheim starting tomorrow, and the attendees got great rates to stay onsite at the 3 DLR hotels), along with the usual Candlelight attendees. This was the first year in my recent memory that all of the Disney hotels were booked up this weekend. They have not been fully booked for the last several years on this same weekend. There were also probably extra people in the parks today, after the special limited edition pin event and signing in the GCH lobby (in the morning). The Candlelight crowds on their own can be daunting at times -- but not impossible to deal with. Throw in other events that will bring a lot of people as well, and you have a super packed weekend!

Yeah! I agree. I am just glad we got her Wed late afternoon. We got through all of DL Wed and Thurs and through all of DCA yesterday! Today was just riding our favs again (like solash mountain for the 4th time).

 

[Sherry E]

Yeah! I agree. I am just glad we got her Wed late afternoon. We got through all of DL Wed and Thurs and through all of DCA yesterday! Today was just riding our favs again (like solash mountain for the 4th time).

Absolutely -- at least you have gotten most of what you wanted to do out of the way because you had a few good days of non-ominous crowds! And you've been to DLR on this weekend before, so you know that this crowd situation was worse than usual.

I feel for the ones whose first day in the parks is today or tomorrow, as they have to deal with the massive crowds right at the onset of their trips, which can be really daunting. It will be especially bad if they have never been to DLR for the holidays before, and their first introduction to it is on the Candlelight-RaverDay-Pharmacist weekend! Yikes!

The only hope for thinning out the crowds right now is a chance of rain.

 

[Fantaluminishes]

I got to the park at 4:30. The lines at the gate were long, and they were having everyone enter through the right tunnel. The Main Street bypass is now open, and made getting to the plaza a breeze. The park is packed. I skipped the first Candlelight Processional, and walked around taking pics. Now I'm in the standing area for the 2nd show. I've never seen the CP, but now that I live here, it was a no brainier to come here for it.

 

[dalstitch45]

I was there. It was super, super packed. Sherry, I forgot about the extra stuff going on. Hopefully it won't be quite as bad tomorrow. Going to stay and see it then. The way they were herding the crowds only seemed to make it worse.

 

[crystal1313]

We walked into DL at 11:30 and all the benches for CP were taken! We walked up 5 min before the parade and got a decent spot on Main Street under the rope. Not front row but decent.

 

[chrisaman]

We just gave up on the parks today. We were going to stay for the fireworks but it was just too crazy so we decided to retire early so we can get an early start tomorrow. The candlelight was great but after standing for 2 hours to see it I was just ready to sit down by the time it was over

 

[SweetAlex]

Oddly enough, although we noted it was busy a few times, it wasn't as bad as we expected. We made good use of FP and stayed away from Main Street and the CP and had a really great day all around. We did spend some of it in CA which helped I think. We left just before the CP ended and it was insane around there. The CP looked and sounded beautiful but no way would I have waited around or fought those crowds willingly to see it. Not worth it at all.

Not sure if tomorrow will be the same but we are looking forward to a quieter Monday, our last day here. Fingers crossed!

 

[Nonsuch]

Time-lapse video from last year

See the Candlelight Ceremony and Processional as You've Never Seen it Before

 

[chrisaman]

The key is get there like an hour early and just get ur spot. Then u don't have to worry about crowds

 

[tinkmt]

The key is get there like an hour early and just get ur spot. Then u don't have to worry about crowds

An hour early wasnt early enough for anything Friday or Saturday this weekend! Lol

 

[pepe3penelope]

Time-lapse video from last year

See the Candlelight Ceremony and Processional as You've Never Seen it Before

That was a really neat video!! Thank you!

 

[SuzanneSLO]

We walked into DL at 11:30 and all the benches for CP were taken! We walked up 5 min before the parade and got a decent spot on Main Street under the rope. Not front row but decent.

My sister in law did early entry on Saturday and said the benches for the first CP were full by 7:01 AM. We thought the crowds were well managed around Town Square and no worse for CP standing room than in prior years. -- Suzanne