News 2023 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays

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DCBaker

Premium Member
Disney has added times for the Santa Claus meet-and-greet and JOYFUL! performances.

Santa Greeting
Bring the whole family along for a classic, time-honored tradition—photos with Santa Claus!
Location: The Odyssey Pavilion
Show Times: 11:00 AM, 12:30 PM, 2:00 PM, 3:30 PM, 5:00 PM and 6:30 PM
Dates: Daily – November 24 through December 24, 2024

JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season
Experience the joy of Christmas and Kwanzaa in the uplifting Gospel, R&B and holiday songs of the JOYFUL! ensemble.
Location: World Showcase Plaza
Show Times: 1:15 PM, 2:20 PM, 3:25 PM and 4:30 PM
 
SaucyBoy

SaucyBoy

Well-Known Member
In the Parks
No
That’s a stellar like up for the Processional this year!! Hate that I’m no longer a local and that my pass is blocked out at Christmas!!

DCBaker said:
JOYFUL! A Celebration of the Season
Experience the joy of Christmas and Kwanzaa in the uplifting Gospel, R&B and holiday songs of the JOYFUL! ensemble.
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Ugh. Here’s hoping this is the year they finally learn to manage the sound system for Dreadful!
 
T

TDLFan

Well-Known Member
Honestly, beyond surprised (but not really) that the main courtyard area won't be open to coincide with the start of Thanksgiving and the festival. I get the show venue might not be ready but lord, get those walkways open! There's no excuse royal caribbean can build 2 of the world's largest ships in less time than this paved area. I get that plans changed, but its literally pavement, trees and planters with lighting package. Insanity.
 
C

Comped

Well-Known Member
HauntedPirate said:
That’s a list worth sharing, if yo can find it. Back when we did a couple of December trips (mid to late 2000’s), our family was really too young to be able to enjoy the Candlelight Processional so we never paid attention as to who was narrating. We haven’t felt the need to return in December since.
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Here you go. I outdid myself and covered through 2023.

The basis of this list is one that was was collected by Bob Raddock, perhaps better known for creating the the Disney College Band programs and the Walt Disney World All American College Orchestra, which goes through 2000. It was originally published in Disney Legend Ron Logan's book Walt Disney Entertainment - A Retrospective Look (pgs. 62-64). A highly recommended book for this, and many other, bits of information that has never made it onto the web.

I have combined it with several others to make an authoritative list of narrators. Raddock's list is particularly light on the exact year for many of the narrators at MK and even early Epcot (essentially listing a 5-year to decade range where said narrator narrated for most), but I found some lists that helped. Articles from the early 2000's (from WDWMagic especially) were extremely helpful as well, as well as Disney's official blog where applicable, and various other sources when nessecary. Sheet 1 lists all performers for every year of the event, while sheet 2 goes alphabetically by distinct/non-duplicated performer (listing every year they narrated next to their name insted).

And because I'm bored and quite a bit of a completionist, I've also done the same for Disneyland on sheets 3/4 respectively. (Notably, Raddock's list for Disneyland had every performer and their year specified, no matter how early, although it missed Dennis Morgan appearing in 1960.) Combined stats for both coasts are on sheet 5. This puts Edward James Olmos at 14 years appearing (most sources have him at 13, but he replaced Roy Disney in 2002 - which I only spotted due to an article from WDWMagic from November 2002 which mentioned it) at EPCOT alone, and when combined with his 2 DL appearences it makes him the most well narrated among all others at 16 years.
 
HauntedPirate

HauntedPirate

Park nostalgist
Premium Member
Comped said:
Here you go. I outdid myself and covered through 2023.

The basis of this list is one that was was collected by Bob Raddock, perhaps better known for creating the the Disney College Band programs and the Walt Disney World All American College Orchestra, which goes through 2000. It was originally published in Disney Legend Ron Logan's book Walt Disney Entertainment - A Retrospective Look (pgs. 62-64). A highly recommended book for this, and many other, bits of information that has never made it onto the web.

I have combined it with several others to make an authoritative list of narrators. Raddock's list is particularly light on the exact year for many of the narrators at MK and even early Epcot (essentially listing a 5-year to decade range where said narrator narrated for most), but I found some lists that helped. Articles from the early 2000's (from WDWMagic especially) were extremely helpful as well, as well as Disney's official blog where applicable, and various other sources when nessecary. Sheet 1 lists all performers for every year of the event, while sheet 2 goes alphabetically by distinct/non-duplicated performer (listing every year they narrated next to their name insted).

And because I'm bored and quite a bit of a completionist, I've also done the same for Disneyland on sheets 3/4 respectively. (Notably, Raddock's list for Disneyland had every performer and their year specified, no matter how early, although it missed Dennis Morgan appearing in 1960.) Combined stats for both coasts are on sheet 5. This puts Edward James Olmos at 14 years appearing (most sources have him at 13, but he replaced Roy Disney in 2002 - which I only spotted due to an article from WDWMagic from November 2002 which mentioned it) at EPCOT alone, and when combined with his 2 DL appearences it makes him the most well narrated among all others at 16 years.
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Thank you so much for doing this! An obvious labor of love.

Wow. The names on the list of narrators over the years…

And I now have another book to try and track down. But that one is going to be a challenge.
 
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AJT607

AJT607

Active Member
We love both, but probably can only do one Candlelight package. Any advice on John Stamos vs NPH? Both are Disney superfans and I know NPH's Candlelight was showcased on YouTube by Disney during 2020's Covid suspension of Candlelight. Torn whether to go for NPH as the biggest name / classic vs going for Stamos as something different. Do both inject their own personality well in to their performance? We're Candlelight vets so I'd rather see one that goes "off script" a bit more.
 
Zummi Gummi

Zummi Gummi

Pioneering the Universe Within!
AJT607 said:
We love both, but probably can only do one Candlelight package. Any advice on John Stamos vs NPH? Both are Disney superfans and I know NPH's Candlelight was showcased on YouTube by Disney during 2020's Covid suspension of Candlelight. Torn whether to go for NPH as the biggest name / classic vs going for Stamos as something different. Do both inject their own personality well in to their performance? We're Candlelight vets so I'd rather see one that goes "off script" a bit more.
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Disney has cracked down very much on “off script” narrators. There are some moments built into the show for the narrator to speak directly to the audience (once at the beginning and once near the end), but it’s otherwise very much a scripted show (you can thank Jim Cavaziel plugging his movies during the show for that).

As for your earlier question, the last time Stamos narrated, it was very, very, very, crowded. I don’t know or think that he’s better than NPH, but he definitely draws just as large a crowd. Both of them will sell all of their dining packages and have a lengthy standby line.
 
bmr1591

bmr1591

Well-Known Member
What time do dining packages open? My wife and mine’s EPCOT day lines up with Brendan Fraser, so I’m assuming it’ll be a hard grab.
 
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C

Comped

Well-Known Member
Zummi Gummi said:
Disney has cracked down very much on “off script” narrators. There are some moments built into the show for the narrator to speak directly to the audience (once at the beginning and once near the end), but it’s otherwise very much a scripted show (you can thank Jim Cavaziel plugging his movies during the show for that).

As for your earlier question, the last time Stamos narrated, it was very, very, very, crowded. I don’t know or think that he’s better than NPH, but he definitely draws just as large a crowd. Both of them will sell all of their dining packages and have a lengthy standby line.
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Some narrators get a little more leeway in the script than others. Whoopi and Trace Adkins, at least when I saw them (and I've seen Whoopi at least twice or three times over the years), did deviate a little more than others have.

I do miss the poem that used to close out the show though. Certainly was an appropriate poem to end on, although it's been gone for about a decade now.
 
Meeko77

Meeko77

Well-Known Member
Comped said:
Some narrators get a little more leeway in the script than others. Whoopi and Trace Adkins, at least when I saw them (and I've seen Whoopi at least twice or three times over the years), did deviate a little more than others have.

I do miss the poem that used to close out the show though. Certainly was an appropriate poem to end on, although it's been gone for about a decade now.
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If you are referring to "One Solitary Life," I really miss that as well. 😢
 
D

DCBaker

Premium Member
The JOYFUL! stage has been set up at World Showcase Plaza.

IMG_9474.jpeg
 
TrainsOfDisney

TrainsOfDisney

Well-Known Member
Meeko77 said:
If you are referring to "One Solitary Life," I really miss that as well. 😢
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I like the poem but I also don’t miss it too much. The few cuts they made to the show really did seem to get it to the right timing where fewer people leave part way through.

It was a very memorable and moving part of the show though.
 
D

DCBaker

Premium Member
Performance times for Holiday Storytellers are available in My Disney Experience - here are the times for today.

Mexico Pavilion – Las Posadas Celebration:
11:05am, 11:55am, 12:45pm, 2:45pm, 3:50pm, 4:55pm (this offering is listed as available Sundays through Thursdays)

Norway Pavilion – A Mischievous Magical Barn Santa:
11:35am, 12:20pm, 1:10pm, 2:05pm, 4:15pm, 5:20pm, 6:15pm, 7:10pm


China Pavilion – Chinese Lion Dancer:
12pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3pm, 4pm


Italy Pavilion – La Befana:
11:15am, 12:15pm, 1pm, 2pm, 3:30pm, 4:15pm, 5pm, 5:50pm


Japan Pavilion – Daruma Storyteller:
11:35am, 12:35pm, 1:40pm, 2:40pm, 4:20pm, 5:15pm, 6pm, 6:45pm


Between the Morocco and France Pavilions – Hanukkah Storyteller:
10:30am, 11:40am, 12:40pm, 1:35pm, 2:35pm, 4pm, 5pm, 5:45pm


France Pavilion – Pere Noel:
10am, 11:05am, 12:10pm, 12:50pm, 2:20pm, 3:25pm, 4:30pm, 5:15pm


United Kingdom Pavilion – Father Christmas:
11:30am, 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:25pm, 4pm, 5:10pm, 6pm, 6:45pm


Canada Pavilion – Canadian Holiday Voyageurs:
1:40pm, 2:45pm, 3:50pm, 4:55pm, 6pm, 6:40pm

 

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