Hi everyone!
We attended the first evening for the Candlelight Processional this year. This has been one of my favorite events during the holiday season for nearly 20 years now! Gary Sinise was the narrator, who always gives a great reading. He also saluted the veterans in the audience. As the daughter of a blinded veteran who has spent much of his life helping other veterans with their challenges, I always appreciate when a celebrity takes time to recognize those who served our country.
There have been a few changes to this year’s Candlelight Processional, including the removal of what really was the crux of the whole narration! “One Solitary Life” is now cut.
I’ll be talking more about some changes to the reading and music in a moment. But first, the stage is also very different. Blue stained glass flanks the choir members, who are standing on a newly designed elevated stage.
There is a new introduction this year that mentions Walt Disney.
For those who aren’t sure what the “One Solitary Life” is, it’s the segment about Jesus being born to a peasant woman, being an itinerant preacher, and includes, “All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever sat, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on earth as much as that One Solitary Life”. It really summed up the Candlelight Processional message, and it’d be like cutting the Hallelujah Chorus, in my opinion. The song “Do You Hear What I Hear” has also been removed. That has been one of my favorite Christmas songs since childhood.
However, we still very much enjoyed the show! The choir is always fantastic, and the lighting looked better than ever. Here are some photos from Friday.
Here is a video from last year with Amy Grant narrating the “One Solitary Life” segment. The stained glass from last year is also visible later in the video.
We usually attend a few Candlelight Processional shows during the season. Amy Grant is back, and we enjoyed her reading last year (plus I’ve been a fan for 30 years!)
I am asked occasionally if I recommend the lunch/dinner Candlelight package. We don’t usually purchase it, and rarely have an issue getting a seat. However, we live here. If this is very important to you and this is your one visit, then it’s worth getting the package. Either way, I recommend arriving an hour or more in advance of the show. Back in the 90’s, a dinner package ensured a front row seat. Now you need to arrive early for a closer spot. We did enjoy the Biergarten for lunch before the show, but paid out of pocket. A couple sitting at our table told us their tickets were $55, which I’ve since noticed is the dinner price. I was wondering why there was such a big difference in the price of our meal vs. their package. We went to the second show, and were able to move up 2 or 3 times as the dinner package rope was moved. We had great seats! Shows are at 5, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m, and dinner packages can be booked by calling 407-WDW-DINE.
Here are the Candelight Processional narrators for this year:
- 11/29 – 12/01: Gary Sinise
- 12/02 – 12/03: Neil Patrick Harris
- 12/04 – 12/05: Ashley Judd –
- 12/06 – 12/07: Whoopi Goldberg
- 12/08 – 12/10: Sigourney Weaver
- 12/11 – 12/13: Dennis Haysbert –
- 12/14 – 12/16: James Denton
- 12/17 – 12/19: Edward James Olmos
- 12/20 – 12/22: Trace Adkins
- 12/23 – 12/25: Steven Curtis Chapman
- 12/26 – 12/28: Blair Underwood
- 12/29 – 12/30: Amy Grant
Related
