News Walt Disney World Holidays 2025

[ppete1975]

I think during the christmas season they should live stream the Candlelight Processional on disney+ and the disneyland version. It wont hurt attendance as people will still cram in to see it in person. But give everyone the holiday spirit every night before christmas, especially people who have never attended or can no longer attend. Also bring more value to that ever increasing cost of a subscription.

 

[Comped]

I think during the christmas season they should live stream the Candlelight Processional on disney+ and the disneyland version. It wont hurt attendance as people will still cram in to see it in person. But give everyone the holiday spirit every night before christmas, especially people who have never attended or can no longer attend. Also bring more value to that ever increasing cost of a subscription.

Celebrities would want more money for that (unless they're big Disney fans), same with the orchestra. God knows you'd have to take out a bunch of seats to film it properly... It's logistically complex to put it lightly.

 

[Meeko77]

Since the show was revised I feel like the narrator plays a much bigger role than they used to do... Especially because they now have a much larger section in which they can speak freely, instead of reading a particularly fantastic poem that was suddenly offensive.

I am really bummed Jennifer Garner won't be coming, as I had hoped to see her. I also have not enjoyed Candlelight as much since that fantastic poem "One Solitary Life" was removed.

 

[DCBaker]

Jollywood Nights is now showing as sold out on November 15.

 

[Brian]

EPCOT's Christmas Tree Arrives as Holiday Decor Begins Around World Showcase​

EPCOT's Christmas Tree Arrives as Holiday Decor Begins Around World Showcase

EPCOT's Christmas Tree Arrives as Holiday Decor Begins Around World Showcase

www.wdwmagic.com

I guess they determined that the Christmas tree makes more revenue through PhotoPass sales than the VIP experience at GEO 82 for fireworks does.

 

[Comped]

I also have not enjoyed Candlelight as much since that fantastic poem "One Solitary Life" was removed.

It was not the choice of the creative team, and was effectively forced upon DLE by corporate (specifically legal), because they were afraid of a lawsuit due to "religious offense" from some non-Christian religious groups. Threats of several were made, and in 2013 they removed it because they felt the risk was no longer worth it. True story. Many (including some narrators) are still very angry about it begin removed to this day. Disney may have "had a word" with some of the more hardcore fans who narrate about not using their speaking slot to read the poem.

Fun fact - the poem was also the only time at UCF that I outright heard a religious text read aloud (or really even mentioned). 2nd time I got chills (the other 2, before and after, were seeing the Disney internal only video of Reflections of Earth, with a full flat view of the globe). It is just that good of a poem.

 

[MisterPenguin]

It was not the choice of the creative team, and was effectively forced upon DLE by corporate (specifically legal), because they were afraid of a lawsuit due to "religious offense" from some non-Christian religious groups. Threats of several were made, and in 2013 they removed it because they felt the risk was no longer worth it. True story. Many (including some narrators) are still very angry about it begin removed to this day. Disney may have "had a word" with some of the more hardcore fans who narrate about not using their speaking slot to read the poem.

Fun fact - the poem was also the only time at UCF that I outright heard a religious text read aloud (or really even mentioned). 2nd time I got chills (the other 2, before and after, were seeing the Disney internal only video of Reflections of Earth, with a full flat view of the globe). It is just that good of a poem.

Are we to believe that in a concert in which sacred songs are sung proclaiming Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and almost all of the narrator's text is straight from scriptures -- again proclaiming Jesus is Lord -- that some anodyne spiel about Jesus's impact on society is a bridge too far?

I'm not arguing it should have stayed in the program. I just find it incredulous that the reason it got the boot was from fear of a lawsuit, which would be totally groundless and immediately dismissed in any court based on the Free Speech and Free Religion clause; not to mention the text of the songs and scriptures propose a much stronger religious sentiment.

Telling people "legal said it had to go" is one of the most common corporate lies to cover any unpopular change.

I wish that that there be no additional non-scriptural text, whether "One Solitary Life" or "How Silent Night was Composed" or the current, awful treacly "Imagine what Mary and Joseph were Thinking!" There's no need to stop quoting scriptures to add in some college intern's poorly composed cloying sentimentality.

 

[Chi84]

It was not the choice of the creative team, and was effectively forced upon DLE by corporate (specifically legal), because they were afraid of a lawsuit due to "religious offense" from some non-Christian religious groups. Threats of several were made, and in 2013 they removed it because they felt the risk was no longer worth it. True story. Many (including some narrators) are still very angry about it begin removed to this day. Disney may have "had a word" with some of the more hardcore fans who narrate about not using their speaking slot to read the poem.

Fun fact - the poem was also the only time at UCF that I outright heard a religious text read aloud (or really even mentioned). 2nd time I got chills (the other 2, before and after, were seeing the Disney internal only video of Reflections of Earth, with a full flat view of the globe). It is just that good of a poem.

How do you know the legal team was afraid of a lawsuit?

Given the religious theme of the event that doesn’t make much sense.

 

[DCBaker]

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party is now showing as sold out on December 18.

December 16 is the last date with tickets still available.

 

[LittleBuford]

How do you know the legal team was afraid of a lawsuit?

Given the religious theme of the event that doesn’t make much sense.

Indeed. The show is still decidedly Christian, with extensive quotations from the Bible that explicitly describe Jesus as "Saviour" and "the Lord", so I'm very puzzled by the notion that Disney has acquiesced to these supposed pressure groups.

 

[Touchdown]

I believe it was a copyright issue, not a PC one. Silver Dollar City used to use the poem as part of their Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and they no longer use it too. The rights must have gotten too expensive.

 

[Chi84]

I believe it was a copyright issue, not a PC one. Silver Dollar City used to use the poem as part of their Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and they no longer use it too. The rights must have gotten too expensive.

That sounds more plausible than “due to ‘religious offense’ from some non-Christian religious groups.”

Maybe @Comped was just guessing the reason?

 

[Comped]

Are we to believe that in a concert in which sacred songs are sung proclaiming Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and almost all of the narrator's text is straight from scriptures -- again proclaiming Jesus is Lord -- that some anodyne spiel about Jesus's impact on society is a bridge too far?

I'm not arguing it should have stayed in the program. I just find it incredulous that the reason it got the boot was from fear of a lawsuit, which would be totally groundless and immediately dismissed in any court based on the Free Speech and Free Religion clause; not to mention the text of the songs and scriptures propose a much stronger religious sentiment.

Telling people "legal said it had to go" is one of the most common corporate lies to cover any unpopular change.

I wish that that there be no additional non-scriptural text, whether "One Solitary Life" or "How Silent Night was Composed" or the current, awful treacly "Imagine what Mary and Joseph were Thinking!" There's no need to stop quoting scriptures to add in some college intern's poorly composed cloying sentimentality.

Apparently this poem in particular was extremely offensive to Muslim and Jewish groups and they threatened a series of high-profile lawsuits and PR actions. Disney eventually folded. Or so I was told. I don't know why, but it was apparently the thing they focused on.

I know it sounds absolutely ridiculous and I cannot find any evidence externally, but considering that it was a former executive who explained it...

How do you know the legal team was afraid of a lawsuit?

Given the religious theme of the event that doesn’t make much sense.

Because I was told that was was the reason why it was removed!

Indeed. The show is still decidedly Christian, with extensive quotations from the Bible that explicitly describe Jesus as "Saviour" and "the Lord", so I'm very puzzled by the notion that Disney has acquiesced to these supposed pressure groups.

Just what I was told...

I believe it was a copyright issue, not a PC one. Silver Dollar City used to use the poem as part of their Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and they no longer use it too. The rights must have gotten too expensive.

It's in the public domain now so that doesn't even matter. It wasn't a copyright issue because Disney had been using it for decades presumably paying off whoever they needed to pay.

That sounds more plausible than “due to ‘religious offense’ from some non-Christian religious groups.”

Maybe @Comped was just guessing the reason?

Nope. That was what I was told by a former executive who also was in charge of the event for many years. I was as shocked as anything, but I explained a little bit further up about what little detail I have on the subject.

 

[Touchdown]

Then I’m not sure why SDC stopped using it, as it’s certainly not due to PC reasons. SDC puts religious moments into all their shows at Christmas (even the saloon show) so something caused them to not use it.

 

[Comped]

Then I’m not sure why SDC stopped using it, as it’s certainly not due to PC reasons. SDC puts religious moments into all their shows at Christmas (even the saloon show) so something caused them to not use it.

It could be just some executive decided they didn't like the poem. Who knows... Herschend is a very religious company, and could reasonably afford to pay whatever royalty was needed, so it had to have been something creative. IMO.

 

[Chi84]

Apparently this poem in particular was extremely offensive to Muslim and Jewish groups and they threatened a series of high-profile lawsuits and PR actions. Disney eventually folded. Or so I was told. I don't know why, but it was apparently the thing they focused on.

I know it sounds absolutely ridiculous and I cannot find any evidence externally, but considering that it was a former executive who explained it...

Because I was told that was was the reason why it was removed!

Just what I was told...

It's in the public domain now so that doesn't even matter. It wasn't a copyright issue because Disney had been using it for decades presumably paying off whoever they needed to pay.

Nope. That was what I was told by a former executive who also was in charge of the event for many years. I was as shocked as anything, but I explained a little bit further up about what little detail I have on the subject.

Disney is usually pretty sensitive about those things. It’s surprising they would use a poem that was extremely insensitive to Muslim and Jewish people.

 

[Comped]

Disney is usually pretty sensitive about those things. It’s surprising they would use a poem that was extremely insensitive to Muslim and Jewish people.

The differences are mostly theological at best, but I'm not sure that people complaining about theological differences would get them anywhere with Disney compared to complaining that it is somehow extremely offensive...

 

[LittleBuford]

Disney is usually pretty sensitive about those things. It’s surprising they would use a poem that was extremely insensitive to Muslim and Jewish people.

The poem is not insensitive to Jewish and Muslim people. It shares exactly the same theology as the rest of the show.

 

[twilight mitsuk]

Then I’m not sure why SDC stopped using it, as it’s certainly not due to PC reasons. SDC puts religious moments into all their shows at Christmas (even the saloon show) so something caused them to not use it.

So does seaworld

 

[DCBaker]

Disney has shared a look at International Festival of the Holidays Annual Passholder merchandise - the long-sleeve T-shirt and flip-open pin will be available at Creations Shop and at festival kiosks: