Archive for August 12th, 2009

#5 Candlelight Processional

It’s an unbeatable combination; music and candlelight.  Borrowing a tradition from Disneyland, Walt Disney World hosts a number of different choirs from around the country who join the cast member chorus and Voices of Liberty in the America Gardens Theatre for a joyous performance of holiday favorites, accompanied by a full orchestra.

The much-loved Christmas story is retold  by a celebrity guest narrator;  the familiar tale interwoven with  the songs of this most beautiful season.

This year, the tentative schedule is:

November 27-29 — Isabella Rossellini
November 30, December 1-2 — John O’ Hurley
December 3-5 — Steven Curtis Chapman
December 6-8 — TBA
December 9-11 — Andy Garcia
December 12-14 — Vanessa Williams
December 15-17 — Abigail Breslin
December 18-20 — Whoopi Goldberg
December 21-23 — Brian Dennehy
December 24-26 — Edward James Olmos
December 27-30 — Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance

The concerts are free with admission to EPCOT, but the standby queue can be long and many people line up as much as two hours early.  Those wishing to avoid the standby waits can opt for the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package.  This includes lunch or dinner before the assigned showtime at a choice of several different EPCOT restaurants, and a ticket for reserved seating at the concert.  In the past, there have been three different pricing tiers for the restaurants and the package was available for one Table Service credit on the Disney Dining Plan, and the Platinum and Premium vacation plans.  Package attendees also have a long line, but it moves quickly and they are guaranteed a seat up to 15 minutes before the concert when the standby group is allowed in.

Each concert, performed three times nightly, features the solemn procession of the guest chorus members from the back of the theatre onto the stage.  The cast member choir, dressed in green robes, forms the shape of a Christmas tree in the center, complete with a star “tree topper” worn by the same singer for more than twenty years.  There are the stirring sounds of trumpets from the wings and an absolutely mesmerizing sign-language interpretation on stage; one of the highlights of the event.  The signer has the extraordinary ability to convey the “music” and emotion of the performance with beauty and eloquence.

The Candlelight Processional is a stirring and uplifting event and the perfect way to start a new holiday tradition of your own.

Candlelight Processional

EPCOT

November 27 to December 30, 2009

Nightly 5:00 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:15 p.m.

Park admission required