candlelight procession

[Dizknee_Phreek]

i know there's already been threads on this subject, but i'm just too tired to find them right now. anyway, my dad wanted me to find out a few things about it...like when can we start making reservations for it (we're going the week of Thanksgiving), does it automatically include the dinner in WS or do you have to add that on, and what restaurants are included with it? this'll be our first time actually attending one of these (as in actually sitting in the theater instead of standing around trying to see through the crowd) and i'm just over joyed that dad is choosing to see this one since Roy Disney will be reading while we're there! i can't wait!! and i'm curious...do they allow you to take pictures (if so, which is better? with or without flash? my guess is without, but just wanna make sure) and/or video tape the program? ahh! so many questions!!!! :hammer:

 

[wannabeBelle]

Hey Dizknee. I went to the Candlelight Procession thingy last year. Talk about awesome. I Am not sure if flash photos are allowed but Id tell you to DEFINITELY bring a video camera if you have one. Good choice on the dinner thing too. Dinner is not included with the CP. CP is technically free with EPCOT Admission. The dinner package gives you dinner and priority seating as well as a discount on items purchased in EPCOT on the day of your performance ONLY. Call 1-407-wdw-dine and they will be able to give you the complete lowdown for this year. Last year there were 3 levels to choose from for dinner. The lowest level was almost 29 dollars and you had your choice of the Garden Grill, Restaurant Akerhaus (Norway one and sorry if I messed up the spelling) and The Biergarten in Germany. I went for the German food and had a very nice time. Other levels are available at different price levels for different restaurants. Once you choose one they will tell you what CP Shows are available for that day. Choose your dinner before or after the CP show but allow plenty of time. I went before but went to dinner 2 /12 hours before the show. Plenty of time to eat, chat and make the show comfortably. Good luck and have a great time!

 

[DisneyCP2000]

As wannabeBelle said make sure you give yourself plenty of time to sit and eat and then head to the show. I've seen so many people come to me 15 minutes into the performace saying how the reatuarant was so slow in preparing thier food. Be sure to add plenty of leeway to France and UK's restaurant. I've heard that these restuarants are a bit slower in service. As for dinner packages, when I worked it in 2000 they were giving away a lanyard and a pin to those who booked dinner packages. It was a really nice pin.

When it comes to Dinner packages you are GUARANTEED a seat and not necessarily the best seat in the house. Make sure you arrive early enough for the show so you can get your choice for seating. dinner package seating is can run from the front of the theater all the way to the middle of the theater, depending on how many tickets were bought. The lines can get long too. I've seen it stretch from the AA/Japan border all the way to mid-morroco.

As for photography, flash will be okay but it may fade out the colors on the stage. Try taking it without a flash but make sure you hold the camera VERY still. check your camera for a night time photography. As for filming...it's allowed but make sure you don't put a gigantic light bulb on the front of the camera, it disturbs those near you and the cast members singing on the stage. and tripods are a nono.

Hope this helps

 

[Legacy]

As a former mass-choir member, I can tell you the flash photagraphy is fine. Also, the colors in the backgound dont fade as much as you would expect. I have a whole bunch of pics from the show. I have seen the external lighting also, but there is really no point to it in the show. It's not exactly dimly lit...

Oh and on a personal note: Please take as few pictures when just the narrator is lighted as possible. Although the choirs are a good distance away form you, it is bright, and we get enough of the blinding lights while we are singing... thank you.

 

[Maria]

DisneyCP2000 has covered it all, and I would stress out the fact that you should allow plenty of time to get there and sit. I do think that the diner package is worth it this time because it guarantees you a seat, but honestly, not the best one. When I worked there, the seats for diner packages were the ones near the stage under the roof, from the center to the aisles, but I would think that if you show early enough, you could be able to pick another place to sit out of that area and just let the cast members know. (I´m just suggesting, I don´t know if they allow it). Flash photography was allowed, however you can film, but without the camera´s light. The best view is from the middle part of the benches, not so close, not so far in my opinion.

I would suggest you to see the second show, when it´s getting dark and then go to your dinner. In case you miss the show, you could still make it for the last one... besides, the last one gets extremely overcrowded. The special effects can still be seen perfectly on the second show.

Enjoy it for me! I loved it!! :sohappy:

 

[wannabeBelle]

Actually once you go for the dinner package, you choose the performance that you are going to see!!! I dont know if they make changes just on the spur of the moment because of the guarantee of a seat thingy! I am sure that the restaurants might be alittle more flexible with dinner. my advice, either plan to eat 2 1/2 hours ahead of the show or plan to eat afterwards so you dont feel rushed. heartburn because of that is no fun!!!

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

you guys are awesome! thanks so much for all this info!
ok, some new questions....my sister's a diabetic, and has to eat at certain times...so, in the dinner package, do you get to choose when you want to eat, or is it only certain times for CP people? (of course with regular reservation rules *first to call, first to reserve*) my sister eats supper around 5 or 6 pm, so if we could eat then i'm sure that would give us plenty of time to get a good seat...hopefully. of course, if we couldn't work dinner around her schedule, then we'd go ahead and feed her, then eat dinner ourselves...i'm sure she'd probably have a little bit of something while we ate. so it wouldn't be a huge issue, but if we could, i'd like to try working it around her eating times. i don't know what times the shows starts, but would it be possible to eat earlier then 2 1/2 hours before the show?
anyway, don't worry about us video taping with the bright light...we hardly ever use the light!! and we NEVER use it in WDW (same with the tripod...never use it in Disney)! so that's no problem! as for using flash, i'll probably mix it up a bit...use flash some, and not for others. the camera i use was my mom and dad's so it's an old camera...i'd say from the 80's sometime. the thing is REALLY unpredictable. sometimes flash works for some dark shots, while it won't for others. though i've experimented and found that i can't use flash on outdoor shots (while my parents did, and then were upset because they were bleached out...they figured it was the age of the camera, i figured they just didn't know when to use flash) so i'm still not to sure about CP, since it has the roof and other lights and such....so i'll resort to mixing the two. most likely will use flash very little, though.
um, i think that's all i wanted to cover for now...thanks again SO much for all the advice!! i really appreaciate it!! :sohappy:

 

[Tapestry_Fan_01]

How did you find out who is speaking at Candlelight this year???

 

[wannabeBelle]

Dizknee I am sorry maybe I was unclear I wanted you to START eating 2 or so hours before the show!!! I did that at 5:30 for the 8 pm show. I left the restaurant and got online for the show immediately at like 20 minutes to 8!!!! Two of my friends who are diabetic go to this thing every year and have never had a problem. Dinner time is flexible the show times are set. As I said befire Id call disney and askthem for the times of the shows that are available for the dates you are going and work it from there. And Tapestry, The Roy Disney thing was announced on this board!!! Im not sure if they have announced anyone else in the schedule though. Any ideas anyone?

 

[Dizknee_Phreek]

Originally posted by wannabeBelle
Dizknee I am sorry maybe I was unclear I wanted you to START eating 2 or so hours before the show!!! I did that at 5:30 for the 8 pm show. I left the restaurant and got online for the show immediately at like 20 minutes to 8!!!! Two of my friends who are diabetic go to this thing every year and have never had a problem. Dinner time is flexible the show times are set. As I said befire Id call disney and askthem for the times of the shows that are available for the dates you are going and work it from there.

no, no, wannabe, i had ya the first time! it was just, i wanted to make sure the dinner times were flexible in case the show we would see starts at like 9pm or something... i just wanted to address every scenerio i could think of so then we could prepare a little bit better. but thanks a lot for clearing it all up! it did help! mom will call Disney sooner or later and ask about reservations and times of shows and such. today, i gave her and dad the info that you all gave me, and she mentioned calling (which of course, she'll have to anyway if she wants to reserve something!) thanks again for the tips!!! :wave: