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One of the holiday features at Disney World is the Candlelight Processional at Epcot. Have you attended the Candlelight Processional in the past? If so what did you think of this performance and would you recommend it?What celebrity narrator did you see at this event? Would you recommend the dinner package to get preferred seating at the Candlelight Processional? What has been your experience with the dinner package if you got it?

Answers posted to the list:

We have attended this ceremony 2 or 3 times actually seated in the audience, and several times just standing out in back trying to see in. Usually we are sitting at an umbrella table outside of American Adventure restaurant. There we eat and enjoy the wonderful holiday music. I would highly recommend the processional. It is a beautifully spiritual experience, whether you are religious or not, whether you are Christian, Jew, Buddist, whatever. I think it draws everyone in with it's beautiful music and voices, and you can feel the spirit of the season whoever you are. We never do the dinner package, we just got in line early for whichever show we wanted to attend, early or later. The dinner package is probably a very nice way to go; we may try that sometime also. One of the fun things about the show is you get to see some celebrities narrate. We have seen people such as George Hamilton, Barbara Eden, Phylisia Rhasad, Robby Benson, Billie Dee Williams, and Garry Sinese. (My spelling is probably wrong here) There may have been a couple more I'm forgetting, but it's been a nice event to see each time we go to Disney during the Christmas Season.

Kathy

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-- We have done Candlelight every year at least once since we first discovered it in about 1999. It is absolutely without a doubt my very favorite thing at any Disney park! So imagine how excited I was when the guy who WROTE Candlelight (arrianged the music) was hired to be our church choir director! So last year, in one of the highlights of my LIFE, I got to PERFORM Candlelight! OK, I'm gushing a little here... Um, we've seen Robby Benson, Wayne Brady, I can't really remember all of the narrators... We did the package last year and really enjoyed it. Ate at Le Cellier-- one of the best meals of my life! I'm not sure if we'll do the package again this year or just go see it (maybe 2 or 3 times).

Grace

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-- We have gone several times. Our narrators were Cindy Williams, Jodi Benson (the voice of Ariel), Gary Sinese and James Avery (who was wonderful, he was probably the best of all). I think we did the dinner package each time - we ate at the French restaurant, but were very hurried and nearly didn't get it. We ate at Le Cellier after the CP and missed Illuminations. We ate at Teppanyaki and it was very nice. We had a great dinner and had plenty of time to get in line. Last time we went on Christmas Eve and just about only the dinner package people got in. It was a rainy day and they wound up cancelling the later shows because of the torrential downfall.

Deborah

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-- We've seen it twice; both times it was wonderful! First narrator was Robert Guilleaume (sp?), and second, just this past Christmas, was Robby Benson. (Unfortunately, in the years between, they seem to have done away with the handbell choir, which was a highlight of the Candlelight Processional for me.) We find the dinner package to be a good deal for us and have had great seats. We have booked the first CP performance and dinner later, so we don't have to worry about rushing through dinner to get to the CP. I Absolutely do recommend seeing the CP, with or without the dinner package, if you're in Epcot around Christmas.

Chris

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-- We have attended CAndelight every year since its inception,a nd have had the dinner package every year also. Our first few years we visited early December and just planned a night at Candelight. The last 3 we were there for Christmas so we did it on Christmas Night. We have seen many hosts the most memorable were Wayne Brady and Gary Sinese, last year. Candelight is a good value, and the resrved seating isa plus also. I do wish they would bring back the 15% shopping Discount!

Dennis

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-- I'm mostly a lurker, but I had to respond to this question! Our family absolutely loves the Candlelight Processional, I think it's our favorite of all of the special holiday festivities. We've seen Wayne Brady and last year we saw Miss America. (I can't remember her name right now.) We've booked the dinner package both times, and have eaten dinner at LeCellier around 4 pm so we can catch the last Candlelight performance, and then still have time to find a spot for Illuminations. I would recommend the dinner package, I think we've definitely gotten our money's worth out of it, and I like knowing we'll have a reserved seat waiting for us. The music, the singing, and the reading of the Christmas story literally give me chills at times! It's a beautiful show, and I would recommend everyone see it at least once.

Tracy

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-- I've seen it twice. Once we were walking around World Showcase and timed it for the start of one of the shows. So we stood in the back and watched and listened. The narrator was Robert Urich. He did a very good job. Last year I went and did the dinner thing - ate at Le Cellier, which is a favorite of mine. I would definitely do this again. I thought I got a great value for the price of the ticket and the food I ate. I think it depends on the night and how late into the season you go whether you really need the package or not. I personally would not want to wait in the stand by line. People get there early and to me it's a waste of valuable time. You do have to stand in a line to get in even if you do the dinner package but it's not as long and as long as you aren't arriving at the last minute, you can get a really good seat. My narrator last year was Stephen Curtis Chapman. He did a good job but not my idea of an outstanding voice to read the story. I've got the CD and enjoy it with Phylicia Rashad. Of course the ultimate voice is James Earl Jones or maybe David Ogden Stiers.

Pam

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-- We do the dinner package for the CP, too and our favorite places to eat are the Rose and Crown and LeCellier. The food is wonderful! Up until about 5 years ago we didn't feel it necessary to do the dinner package...but back them the wait wasn't more than 45 minutes. Another thing we do on another night, is get ourselves a hot chocolate and sit outside the American Gardens Theater and listen...the music is so beautiful we could sit there over and over and over just listening to it. We love Gary Sinese, Edward James Olmos, and Robby Benson.

Maggie

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-- Unfortunately we've only attended the CP once about two years ago. We did the dinner package (Nine Dragons which was good). When we attened the performance Philisha Rashad was the narrator, who did a wonderful job. We go to Disney every year early December but I can't seem to get my husband to stand in the line to see the performance again. Luckily, I bought the CD which has Ms. Rashad as the narrator so I listen to it often throughout the year, and I almost feel like I'm there in person. The music is wonderful (I am amazed that most of the performers are high school students), when you have the dinner package you get great seats, and the presentation of the Christmas Story helps to keep me grounded/focused for the holidays on why we actually celebrate the holidays. If I ever do get my husband to see the show for a second time we will definitely do the dinner package (but do a different restaurant) so that we don't have to wait in the other line (which every time we've passed it has been EXTREMELY long). Whether you do the dinner package or not, this is definitely something you don't want to miss when you're in Epcot during the holidays.

Goofymom

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