Last week I talked a bit about all of the festive events and activities at Walt Disney World during the Christmas season. This week, I thought I’d spend some time focusing on one of my favorite ways to celebrate the Holiday Season at Disney: attending the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. If you in the midst of making plans for a Disney vacation during the Christmas season, hopefully this will help you decide if this is an event that you will want to attend!
What is the Candlelight Processional?
The Candlelight Processional is a narration of the Christmas story which runs nightly from November 25 through December 30, 2011 with three performances each night, at 5:00, 6:45 and 8:15 pm. Each show runs about 40 minutes, and features Guest Narrators who read the story, accompanied by a mass choir and orchestra. That is the basic description. Beyond that, you will want to know that it is spectacular, moving, inspiring….and if you love Christmas carols you will likely find this to be a tremendously uplifting experience. For us, it is a “must see” when we visit during this time of the year.
Here’s a little “peak”….
Is there a cost for the Candlelight Processional?
Technically speaking, no, there is no cost beyond that of general admission to Epcot.
However…..there is a Candlelight Processional Dinner Package that there is a fee for.
And while you don’t HAVE to have the dinner package to get in to see this concert….not having it will mean that you will wait in line for at least 45-60 minutes prior to the show, and hope that there are still seats available by the time you get to the front of the line. During the peak of the holidays, there are not likely to be many…or any…seats available after the Dinner Package people have taken their reserved seats.
With the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package, you remove the stress about getting a seat (although you will still need to get in line prior, but you are guaranteed a seat), you have a sit-down meal at one of Epcot’s great restaurants, and you also receive access to a preferred viewing area for Illuminations.
What You Need to Know About the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package
You schedule your Candlelight Processional Dining Package meal for before the performance you will attend. So if you will attend the 5 p.m. performance, you will do the Lunch Package. For the 6:45 show, you will schedule a Dinner Package for dinner between 3:30 and 4:30 p.m., and for the 8:00 performances, your Dinner Package will be for dinner between 5:00-6:00 pm. (When we have done this in the past, we were not given different choices for our meal time: in other words, we couldn’t choose a Lunch package for the 8 p.m. show….)
Pricing is in 3 tiers, based on the restaurants you choose, and range from $32.99-$53.99/adult and $12.99-$17.99/ child for lunch and from $49.99-$64.99/adult and $15.99-$26.99/child for dinner. This year, you may choose to eat at any of the following for dinner: Biergarten, Garden Grill, Rose & Crown, Coral Reef, Nine Dragons, San Angel, La Hacienda de San Angel, Marrakesh, Teppan Edo & Tokyo Dining, Chefs de France, Via Napoli and Tutto Italia. All of the above EXCEPT Garden Grill and La Hacienda de San Angel may be selected for lunch. In addition, you may choose Le Cellier for lunch ONLY with this package.
Meals include appetizer, entrée, dessert, and non-alcoholic beverage. If you wish to use the Disney Dining Plan, it will cost two Table Service credits.
Should You Buy the Dinner Package?
The answer to this depends on several things:
- How badly do you want to see/hear the entire show?
- Do you have children that will be willing/able/interested to sit for close to an hour for this?
- Is it in your budget?
Probably the major consideration here is if you have young children, because most are not going to be thrilled to sit in one place for the duration of this show. For anyone who wants to see/hear this show, if you have young children, in my opinion you might find that it is easier to stand along the promenade and listen from there, rather than trying to get a seat. You will still be treated to an exceptional performance…but will also have the ability to move on when the little ones get restless.
As to the other two considerations, everyone is different, but for our family, we budget around this, it is that important to us. If you love Christmas music, massed choirs, and inspiring performances….then I would strongly recommend you get the dinner package to insure that you don’t miss a minute! It’s the best way I know to put you in the Christmas spirit! 
Related posts:
