christmas at disney Archives - The Mom Maven

2018 Disney Candlelight Processional

cindy — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 10:00:10 +0000

The Disney Candlelight Processional at Epcot is my absolute must-do event EVERY year. Thankfully, the rest of my family feels the same way. We actually usually try to see it more than once each Christmas season, it is that important to us. We love hearing the celebrity narrators share the true story of Christmas, the birth of Christ while the mass choir and orchestra perform the beautiful songs of the holiday season.

The Candlelight Processional takes place in the American Garden Theater in Epcot. This year the processional starts on Thanksgiving Day, November 22nd and runs through December 30th. Showtimes are 5:00, 6:45, and 8:15pm nightly. Seating is limited and the event is included in your Epcot admission.

There are 2 ways to get a seat for the Disney Candlelight Processional, get in the stand-by line at least an hour before the show you want to see or purchase a Candlelight Dining Package and receive reserved seating.

The 2018 Disney Candlelight Dining Package

Candlelight Processional Dining Packages go on sale Wednesday July 11. Now is the time to let your travel agent know which day you want to attend the Candlelight Processional and where you would like to dine so that they can get those reservations made ASAP. Lunch and dinner packages are available at some favorite Epcot restaurants including:

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Norway pavilion)
Biergarten Restaurant (Germany pavilion)
Chefs de France (France pavilion)
Coral Reef Restaurant (The Seas pavilion)
The Garden Grill Restaurant (The Land pavilion)
La Hacienda de San Angel-dinner only (Mexico pavilion)
San Angel Inn Restaurante (Mexico pavilion)
Nine Dragons Restaurant (China pavilion)
Restaurant Marrakesh (Morocco pavilion)
Spice Road Table (Morocco pavilion)
Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room (United Kingdom pavilion)
Teppan Edo (Japan pavilion)
Tokyo Dining (Japan pavilion)
Tutto Italia Ristorante (Italy pavilion)
Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria (Italy pavilion)

Candlelight Processional Dining Packages are also available at the following Epcot-area resort restaurants:

Ale & Compass at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is offering breakfast lunch and dinner packages
Trattoria Al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk is offering breakfast and dinner packages

Candlelight Processional Dining Packages start at:

Breakfast: $38 plus tax per person for adults and $22 plus tax per person for children, ages 3-9.
Lunch: $50 plus tax per person for adults and $16.99 plus tax per person for children, ages 3.
Dinner: $55 plus tax per person for adults and $16.99 plus tax per person for children, ages 3-9.

In 2017 we dined at Spice Road Table for our Candlelight Dining Package, it was an amazing meal!

2018 Disney Candlelight Processional Narrators

11/22 – 11/23 – Chita Rivera
11/24 – 12/2 – TBD
12/3 – 12/6 – Neil Patrick Harris
12/7 – 12/9 – Whoopi Goldberg
12/10 – 12/12 – TBD
12/13 – 12/14 – Blair Underwood
12/15 – 12/17 – Gary Sinise
12/18 – 12/20 – Pat Sajak
12/21 – 12/23 – TBD
12/24 – 12/25 – Edward James Olmos
12/26 – 12/27 – Jodi Benson
12/28 – 12/30 – TBD

*Narrators and entertainment subject to change without notice.

Don’t wait til the last minute to plan your holiday trip to Walt Disney World or to plan your Candlelight Processional Dining Package, several dates and restaurants sell out quickly and I’d hate for you to be disappointed. If you are ready to plan your next Disney vacation, Email Me and I am happy to help you plan your magical getaway.

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Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2016

cindy — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 11:00:15 +0000

On Friday afternoon Ron & I, along with our friend Denis and his daughter Juliana headed to the Magic Kingdom for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. We love attending this party each year and we are thankful to be invited by Walt Disney World to attend. It’s been about 10 years since Denis and Juliana have attended the Christmas party so we were excited to share the fun with them.

Your ticket to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party allows you to enter the park from 4:00pm on, the actual party runs from 7:00pm-midnight. We actually entered the park at about 4:40pm. First we headed to Fantasyland where we met up with some friends from Texas who are on vacation. We did Mickey’s Philharmagic with them before heading to Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe for dinner. We always eat before the party starts, this allows for more time during the party to see the shows and enjoy the festivities. After dinner we visited New Fantasyland and rode Under the Sea-Journey of the Little Mermaid and Enchanted Tales with Belle. As we were exiting Enchanted Tales with Belle, the area music changed to Christmas songs and the announcement was made that the park was now closed to day guests, anyone without a Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party wristband needed to head out of the park.

We headed to Tomorrowland so Denis and Juliana could ride Space Mountain while Ron and I took a ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. We grabbed hot chocolate and snickerdoodles at Auntie Gravity’s before heading to RocketTower Plaza Stage for the 7:40pm A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas show. After the show we went To Infinity and Beyond on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. Next it was back to RocketTower Plaza Stage for the 8:05pm VoicePlay show. We love this a cappella group and enjoy listening to their harmonious Christmas songs. as we headed out of Tomorrowland, we grabbed some hot cocoa and peppermint cookies from the Launching Pad to enjoy while we walked to Club Tinsel for a dance break on our way to Fantasyland.

Since the line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train was too long, we got in line for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. After Pooh we stopped at The Friar’s Nook for sno-cones and sugar cookies. Next stop was the Haunted Mansion before heading to the Castle Forecourt Stage to see the 9:25pm Mickey’s Most Merriest Celebration. We all enjoyed this new show. I love that there are some classic characters that are rarely seen in the parks as part of this show. Thanks to parents with kids on their shoulders blocking our view, my pictures are horrible. I don’t want you to miss out on the show, so I am sharing my friend John’s video of the show. I hope you like it!

After the show it was time to back up some so that we could have a decent view of Holiday Wishes-Celebrate the Spirit of the Season. I love Magic Kingdom party fireworks, the 360° shots are amazing! After the fireworks we headed to Adventureland and a ride on the Jingle Cruise. We then headed to Frontierland to find a spot across from Pecos Bill’s to watch the 11:00pm Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade. I thought we were in a well lit area but most of our pictures are still rather dark, sorry.

After the parade we walked on to Pirates of the Caribbean. It was now after 11:40pm and we hadn’t done the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train yet. We hiked it across the park and got in line at 11:50pm, the wait time sign says 20 minutes, even though the park closes in 10 minutes they let us get in line. We exited the ride at 12:20am. Fantasyland was deserted. We headed to Man Street USA and sadly, it was no longer snowing but we did get a few great pictures of Cinderella Castle and the Christmas tree before we headed home.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party runs selects nights from November 7-December 22, 2016 with adult tickets ranging from $86-$99 per person. December 22nd is already sold out, as was November 18th. If you love all things Disney and all things Christmas, this is the event for you. I highly recommend it to all of my travel clients who travel during the party season. If you would like me to help you plan your next magical Disney vacation, Email Me so we can get started.

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2016 Candlelight Processional at Epcot

cindy — Mon, 21 Nov 2016 11:00:19 +0000

For many years now we have take 4 days out of our busy December schedule to visit Walt Disney World. It used to be that the first weekend in December was one of the lowest attended times of the year, and we were spoiled. Now that is no longer the case This year we will be visiting later than usual due to work commitments. Our mini-vacation with be December 11-14. Since the focus of this trip is to celebrate Christmas we will be attending the Candlelight Processional on the 11th and seeing the new Jingle Bells, Jingle Bam show on the 13th. Also on the 13th we will venture to Disney Springs to check out the holiday happenings there.

Our favorite Disney Christmas activity is going to see the Candlelight Processional each year. This year 7th grade Cindy will be swooning as she sees Robby Benson aka Beast read the Christmas story! For us, the narrator is so important to making this show great. Over the past 20+ years we have seen some great and some not-so-great narrators. So far my top 5 Narrators have been: 1. James Earl Jones 2. Michael W. Smith 3. Trace Adkins 4. Sandy Patti 5. Phylicia Rashad. Unfortunately, none of them are narrating this year. From this year’s list of narrators I would recommend Steven Curtis Chapman, Neil Patrick Harris, Robby Benson, and Jodi Benson.

2016 Candlelight Processional Schedule

The Candlelight Processional shows take place 3 times a day: 5:00pm, 6:45pm, and 8:15pm in the American Gardens Theater in Epcot from November 25-December 30.

2016 Candlelight Processional Narrators: (narrators are subject to change)

Steven Curtis Chapman November 25 to 27, 2016
Neil Patrick Harris November 28 to December 1, 2016
Whoopi Goldberg December 2 to 3, 2016
Edward James Olmos December 4 to 6, 2016
Anthony Mackie December 7 to 9, 2016
Robby Benson December 10 to 12, 2016
Meredith Vieira December 13 to 15, 2016
Jim Caviezel December 16 to 18, 2016
Joe Morton December 19 to 21, 2016
Ming-Na Wen December 22 to 24, 2016
Jodi Benson December 25 to 27, 2016
Cal Ripken, Jr. December 28 to 30, 2016

Epcot admission is required to see the show. Seating is first come, first served so get in line at least 45 minutes before the show. If you would like a reserved seat you can purchase a Candlelight Dinner Package in advance through your travel agent or directly with Disney. Dining packages range from $39.00 to $76.50 per adult depending on the restaurant and time of day.

Have you attended the Candlelight Processional before? Who is your favorite narrator?

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Our Visit to the 2014 Candlelight Processional at Epcot

cindy — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 11:00:30 +0000

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”My favorite of all of the Christmas activities at Walt Disney World Resort is attending the Candlelight Processional. I have lost count of how many times we have attended this celebration of the birth of Jesus but it is always wonderful. This year we had the pleasure of seeing LeVar Burton narrate Candlelight Processional. He mentioned that he hadn’t been a part of this event for 10 years and that he was very excited to be back. LeVar did a wonderful job narrating and I loved how excited he got, sharing the excitement of Jesus’ birth with the packed house at the American Garden Theater at Epcot.

When LeVar was announced and his biggest accomplishments were read-Kunta Kinte in Roots, Geordi in Star Trek:The Next Generation and host of Reading Rainbow, it was Reading Rainbow that got the most applause and cheers! That made my heart soar because he has done so much to promote literacy in our country that I was happy the audience acknowledged that work.

My favorite of all the songs in the Candlelight Processional is “Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy!”

Unfortunately, for the last 2 years the poem “One Solitary Life” by Dr James Allen Francis has been missing from the performance. This is sad because it sums up the life and power of Jesus so simply and it fit seamlessly into the production. Supposedly it was cut due to time but the show is about the same length as it always has been. I have included it here, so that you won’t miss it.

One Solitary Life

He was born in an obscure village
The child of a peasant woman
He grew up in another obscure village
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty when public opinion turned against him

He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He never visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born
He did none of the things
Usually associated with greatness
He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three

His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth

When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone
And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race
And the leader of mankind’s progress
All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life

If you ever get to with Walt Disney World during the holiday season, I hope you have the opportunity to attend the Candlelight Processional. It is truly amazing and singing in this production is a bucket list item for me. I’m not sure how it could happen at this stage in my life but I still dream about it.

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Mouse House Memories-Candlelight Processional at Epcot

cindy — Mon, 23 Dec 2013 09:41:01 +0000

Walt Disney World is full of special events, decorations, shows, parades and more during the Christmas season. Out of all that Disney has to offer, the Candlelight Processional at Epcot is my favorite. We have been attending the Candlelight Processional since 1997 and during that time we have seen many celebrity narrators-our favorites being James Earl Jones, Sandi Patty, James Avery and Michael W. Smith. This year we chose to see Trace Adkins as the celebrity narrator and he didn’t disappoint. His passion for what he was reading rang out through his smooth baritone voice. We own the CD with Phylicia Rashad narrating and we all pretty much have the show memorized. Knowing the show as well as we do doesn’t make it less special. As a family of musicians we appreciate the mass choirs, orchestra and herald trumpets with a deep knowing of all the work that goes into a production of this magnitude.

Soon after the first performances of this year’s rendition of the Candlelight Processional began I started to read complaints on Facebook that there were changes in the script and a song had been cut. These changes made me sad and later angry. I read that the poem One Solitary Life and the song “Do You Hear What I Hear” were cut from the show, according to news reports due to “time restraints”. When we watched the show on Saturday evening, and then later discussed it as a family we all admitted to be saddened by the changes. These two items were not the only changes in the production, there were other changes in the script. What we as a family have loved about this production for the last 17 years is how it wasn’t watered down, the majority of the script was Scripture. This was a place where we could hear the Word of God, the true story of Christmas being proclaimed at Walt Disney World. The crowds waiting in line for hours for seats in the American Gardens Theater for each of the three performances a night tell me that a) people want to hear the Biblical Christmas story and b) the show length was just fine the way it was. We felt that instead of getting the whole Christmas story we got bullet points, a brief history of “Silent Night” and some PC fluff.

It wasn’t all negative the music was as beautiful as ever. Thankfully my favorite song in the show didn’t get cut, take a listen to “Rejoice with Exceeding Great Joy!”

I hope and pray that the powers that be at Walt Disney World listen to their guests, and read all of the negative online posts and correct the changes that were made as they plan for next year.

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