News Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

[swampymarsh]

The Candlelight Ceremony and Processional has been a Disneyland Resort tradition since 1958, bringing holiday magic to Main Street, U.S.A.Disneyland park, with two performances each night. The first two nights, December 1-2, will be invitation-only events; however, performances from December 3-20 will be open to Disneyland Resort Annual Passholders and guests booking special, to-be-announced dining packages for the 2012 holiday season.
The Candlelight Ceremony and Processional is a beautiful evening performance of beloved holiday music and the telling of the first Christmas Story in Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A. The first performance was in 1958 and has continued every year since. These classic performances touched off another tradition at the Walt Disney World ResortCandlelight Processional at Epcot.
These are all the details we have at this time, but stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog

[BasilofBakerStreet]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

Interesting. I was just thinking about this last night. I'm wondering if they are going to move this back to the Fantasyland Theater. I don't see how they are going to keep the equipment up for 20 nights on Main Street.

My guess is the first two nights will be on Main Street and the invitees will only be in the seated area while public will be standing. Then it will move back to the theater.

[TheDude]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

Wow, that's nuts. I hope Disneyland can handle that type of traffic. I always figured the reason they never did more shows was because they couldn't afford the traffic nightmare that is Candellight, blocking the exit to the park.

I hope this does not mean the show will be moved to another venue. It HAS to stay on Main Street, to keep the magic.

[Mac Daddy]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

I just saw a tweet about this a few minutes ago, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I'm a huge fan of Candlelight having both sung in performances as well had my choral ensemble perform in it several times over the year. While I am VERY pleased that Disneyland is not only continuing this tradition but expanding it, I'm curious as to how this will work out logistically in terms of the singers and the orchestra. Many of those instrumentalists are union folks from the LA Phil and so forth, and I wonder if THEY will be able to schedule 20 performances apart from what they might already be committed to for the holiday season. I'm also wondering about the local schools and churches that typically make up the choir, not to mention the employee choir in the "tree" in the center. 20 performances is certainly ambitious, and I guess they will be using WDW as a model. But unless I'm mistaken, WDW advertises months in advance for choral groups to come in from across the country while Disneyland has typically drawn from area ensembles. I doubt high school directors will be able to get their students down there on weeknights and will have to stretch to get them there more than one weekend. The only payment these choir member have received in the past is two complimentary parkhoppers. Will they just give more passes to the choir members, or will they consider actually hiring the choir members for multiple performances if not enough quality singers are available? It is a HUGE commitment for these choral ensembles as you are looking at about 10 pieces that have to be memorized, and not all of that music, or ANY, might work in a holiday performance at that particular school.

At any rate, the GOOD news is that far more people will be able to see and hear these performances this year. The no so good news is that the Main Street Train station will be out of commission for several nights in a row and we could be looking at epic crowd levels for multiple nights assuming that they keep it at the train station rather than moving it to Fantasyland.

And I can't wait to see how much these "dining packages" will run. Woot.

[Maleficent4811]

Does anyone have info on past years about being an AP holder and getting reservations to see the show?
We will be there during the extended dates and we have never seen it. I do not want a dining reservation, just one to watch the entertainment.
How much has it cost in the past? How quickly did it sell out?
Any details would help, thank you.

[Dustysage]

Candlelight Extended To 20 Nights This Year - Dec 1-20

Candlelight Processional is being extended to a total of 20 nights at Disneyland Park this year, with two performances each night from December 1-20.

Sounds like Disneyland is going a bit Disney World on this one. That's a lot of impact on Town Square for 20 nights.

What are your thoughts? Should they keep it in Town Square for all 20 nights and 40 performances or should they move it to the Fantasyland Theater to better handle crowds and traffic flow?

[k_peek_2000]

Re: Candlelight Extended To 20 Nights This Year - Dec 1-20

It's going to be a crowd control nightmare. I really like the idea of moving it to the Fantasyland theater, but it seems that won't be available this winter.

[Neff man]

Re: Candlelight Extended To 20 Nights This Year - Dec 1-20

i think 20 nights is a bit of a strain for Town Square. Of course spreading it over nearly 3 weeks might cut down on the crowds, but I doubt it. As long as they will be dumping the tradition of how it has been in the past, I say move it back to the Fantasyland Theater and allow Main Street to be decorated for Christmas without the staging baggage that Candlelight brings to the Town Square.

[Quarar44]

Re: Candlelight Extended To 20 Nights This Year - Dec 1-20

Yeah why not just have it in the Fantasyland Theater? It's not like anything is going to be going on in there, right?

[BasilofBakerStreet]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

From what I remember last year it was first opened to D23 members. It included seating in the viewing area, blanket, thermos and cups for hot chocolate, dinner, a nights stay at the Grand, and a tour of Walt's apartment the next day. It was a hefty price tag though. They didn't sell enough tickets so they opened it up to APers. Still did not sell enough tickets so they lowered the price.

[kaspangle]

Re: Candlelight Extended To 20 Nights This Year - Dec 1-20

After coming to Disneyland at just about every other season, we finally planned a Christmastime trip for Dec 4-7 this year. I was so excited to enjoy the decorations on Main Street especially. Is this going to ruin the effect the whole time I'm there? And will this increase crowds? I purposely planned for us to get there right after the first weekend in December so we wouldn't have to deal with the Candlelight Processional crowds.

[Capt Hook]

Re: Candlelight Extended To 20 Nights This Year - Dec 1-20

I don't like it what's going to happen now with the Christmas Parade. Usely when the candlelight goes on there is no parades that time all day. I think this is a bad move on Disneyland or they could put the candlelight at Big Thunder Range. There is already a stage there and it wouldn't make Main Strret look so cluder with beanchs and stuff there. I don't mine a 2 day event but 20 noway.

[swampymarsh]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

What I expect is that thier will be an AP discount or AP only nights. I've wondered for a while why Disney hasn't done this at DLR like at WDW. Turn it into a money machine to increase attendance and sell dinner in a package. This is just my speculation since all I've heard is in the first post.

On what MacDaddy said, one thing I appreciated about DL's CP is the CM participation. I'm worried that will change since not many CMs can do 20 nights in a row. Also it will be interesting if they have multiple speakers to read the story this year like at WDW. If NPH reads at DLR, I'm going to flip out.

[zugzug15]

Re: Candlelight Extended To 20 Nights This Year - Dec 1-20

anyone else think that this would be a GREAT idea to hold it in the hyperion theater? I mean the number of seats alone in there could handle the demand I think...

[jrh1985]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

Anyone know how this will effect ACF? ACF does not run at night during Candlelight. I've seen vids of ACF not running in town square during Candlelight. It just goes out the gate and right onto Main Street.

Anyone know if ACF is even coming back this year?


How fast can DL get the Fantasyland Theatre back together?

[dougeebear]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

Oh dear.
Twenty nights of absolute mayhem congestion on Main Street.
Twenty nights of religious proselytizing.
Twenty nights of being reminded that I'm not part of the group, since I don't follow that religion.

I made it a point to avoid the resort on Candlelight nights, and begrudgingly accepted their right to promote a particular religious point of view since they are a private corporate entity. But TWENTY nights? I thought two was pushing it.

[StrikeYerColors]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

My first impression? Main Street in December is going to be even more of a nightmare to get through than it already was. Ugh. Between 2 parades, Fireworks, 3 snow shows, Flag Retreat, Tree lighting... plus the F! crowd trying to squeeze in during that and find a spot where there is none... to add 2 processionals and monopolize all of the space in Town Square, shut down the trains, etc, just seems like insanity.

Interesting. I was just thinking about this last night. I'm wondering if they are going to move this back to the Fantasyland Theater. I don't see how they are going to keep the equipment up for 20 nights on Main Street.

My guess is the first two nights will be on Main Street and the invitees will only be in the seated area while public will be standing. Then it will move back to the theater.

I didn't even think of this. But they'd be crazy not to do it this way. The processional could go from the gate by plaza inn, up the parade route all the way to small world and easily turn left into the theatre without affecting the traffic on Main Street by constricting the tiny sidewalks. You are a genius.

I just saw a tweet about this a few minutes ago, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I'm a huge fan of Candlelight having both sung in performances as well had my choral ensemble perform in it several times over the year. While I am VERY pleased that Disneyland is not only continuing this tradition but expanding it, I'm curious as to how this will work out logistically in terms of the singers and the orchestra. Many of those instrumentalists are union folks from the LA Phil and so forth, and I wonder if THEY will be able to schedule 20 performances apart from what they might already be committed to for the holiday season. I'm also wondering about the local schools and churches that typically make up the choir, not to mention the employee choir in the "tree" in the center. 20 performances is certainly ambitious, and I guess they will be using WDW as a model. But unless I'm mistaken, WDW advertises months in advance for choral groups to come in from across the country while Disneyland has typically drawn from area ensembles. I doubt high school directors will be able to get their students down there on weeknights and will have to stretch to get them there more than one weekend. The only payment these choir member have received in the past is two complimentary parkhoppers. Will they just give more passes to the choir members, or will they consider actually hiring the choir members for multiple performances if not enough quality singers are available? It is a HUGE commitment for these choral ensembles as you are looking at about 10 pieces that have to be memorized, and not all of that music, or ANY, might work in a holiday performance at that particular school.

I really don't know what their plans are to work around the issues you brought up, but they are huge. No one will be able to commit to 20 nights of volunteer performances, especially not CMs. From what I heard, they had enough trouble getting the nights off for just the one weekend. When I read the blog entry, my first thought was that they are going to have to audition and hire and paid choir and musicians for this kind of commitment. And are they going to get 20 celebrity readers? Doubt it. The famous faces will be just for the VIPs first weekend, I'd bet.

Oh dear.
Twenty nights of absolute mayhem congestion on Main Street.
Twenty nights of religious proselytizing.
Twenty nights of being reminded that I'm not part of the group, since I don't follow that religion.

I made it a point to avoid the resort on Candlelight nights, and begrudgingly accepted their right to promote a particular religious point of view since they are a private corporate entity. But TWENTY nights? I thought two was pushing it.

While I have always wanted to see Candelight, and as a Christian I do celebrate Christmas from a religious perspective personally, I completely see this point and generally agree with it. It seemed okay for one weekend, especially since it was a pretty exclusive event for invitees (OC big wigs), but as a public event running all month as part of the overall holiday season in Disneyland, it seems really exclusionary towards a lot of the guests who are going to be there. I hate to think of people feeling alienated in the parks.

[disneychrista]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

Could it be possible that they will hold it "after hours" kinda like the Halloween Party? I know there has been talk for a couple years that they might offer a Christmas Party. Maybe this is it. Park Closes at 8pm, with a show at 9:30 or 10?

[swampymarsh]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

Anyone know how this will effect ACF? ACF does not run at night during Candlelight. I've seen vids of ACF not running in town square during Candlelight. It just goes out the gate and right onto Main Street.

Anyone know if ACF is even coming back this year?


How fast can DL get the Fantasyland Theatre back together?

A Chirstmas Fantasy Parade is stil mentioned on the www.disneyland.com I imagine it will just run once in the late afternoon on these days.

The Fantasyland theater has closed to reopen next Summer I doubt it will be used for anything in between. Though in the future selling seats like WDW it could be an option. It would be too bad since being on Main Street is something that sets DL's version apart.

I don't worry about the crowds, it's just like entering the park during a parade the rest of the year. If you aren't on Main Street you wouldn't know it's happening. Though if you save the Disneyland Railroad until night, you might figure out what's happening when it's closed.

While dates can chang this will effect the CM parties. Will they move to DCA or happen in November?

[Capt Hook]

re: Candlelight Processional showing on 20 nights this Holiday Season (Merged)

I don't like this idea. I can go with 2 night of it but not 20. Usely when the Candlelight goes on there is no parade so I can't see Disney no having there Christmas Parade for 20 days it will not work out that good.